EDITORIAL: Court race shouldn’t be so political
He promises to "take on giant corporations" if elected, and touts his "career of standing up against insurance companies." On the home page of his campaign website, he stands in front of Democratic Party campaign signs and slogans.
All of which would be just fine -- if he were running for the state Assembly or some other elected position in which he were supposed to represent constituencies and apply his personal views to public policy debates and decisions.
But Burns is not running for the Legislature or even a seat on the
Burns calls a nonpartisan judiciary a "fairy tale," and he has a point. Because
That system encourages partisan bias and creates blatant conflicts of interest. Yet in
Judicial elections are turning the state's best judges into the worst of politicians.
And with Burns' unabashed partisanship in his bid for a nonpartisan post this spring, the race for state Supreme Court is degrading fast.
Then there's
That doesn't suggest he has the calm and measured temperament judges are supposed to exhibit as they apply the law. To be fair, his arrests date back to 1989, when he was 19 and 20 years old. Still, when asked about the incidents, Screnock doesn't regret them or seem to understand why voters might question his ability to rule fairly on abortion cases.
The two highest vote-getters in the three-way primary for state Supreme Court on
In a way, electing a staunch partisan to
Voters this spring won't have an easy choice in this race. What they should look for is the one candidate who is most likely to have an open mind that's free from partisan influence.
___
(c)2018 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.)
Visit The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) at www.wisconsinstatejournal.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Three ways to cut hearing aid costs; Savvy Senior
HEALTH MATTERS Community is banding together to improve mental health
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News