He thinks he's in Texas.
We wish he were. Clarke is a special kinda crazy.
Another Right Wing Sheriff Threatens America With Armed Rebellion
The Decline of Sheriff Clarke
But in the last year or two, Clarke seems to have gone off the deep end. Perhaps nothing is more illustrative than this Journal Sentinel headline in February: “David Clarke accuses Chris Abele of ‘penis envy’ in latest rant.”
The comment merely made Clarke look childish. And since County Executive Abele isn’t really seen as a liberal (county board members have called him “Scott Walker lite”), Clarke’s feud doesn’t play to his classic storyline, that he’s smiting those silly liberals. Perhaps worst of all, the headline dubbing this Clarke’s “latest rant” helps cement an image of him as a crackpot.
In particular, JS columnist Dan Bice is having a field day covering Clarke, with several columns noting the public money the Sheriff is spending on ads telling people to arm themselves or handle intruders by being “ruthless,” and a column about Clarke’s agreement with a crazed conservative who believes the federal government is a greater threat than terrorists.
Clarke is now accusing the Journal Sentinel of suffering from “Clarke Derangement Syndrome.” Bad move. You never pick a fight with the state’s largest newspaper, it will only hurt you. A narrative is beginning to set in, that Clarke is losing credibility in the community, as this op ed in the Biz Times suggests.
Besides Abele, Clarke has picked fights with county board members, Mayor Tom Barrett, Police Chief Ed Flynn and various other officials. Meanwhile, Clarke is taking weird stands that leave him as an island unto himself. The legislature’s proposal to bring back private bail was opposed by everyone in the criminal justice system, including the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association, Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, all 47 Milwaukee County judges and all 10 of the state’s chief circuit judges, not to mention the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association, police chiefs and clerks of court. Only Clarke has publicly favored it.
And what exactly is the record Clarke has to run on for reelection in 2014? His opponents can note his department does little to combat serious crime, handling just one-fifth of one percent of all major property and violent crimes in the county, as I’ve reported.
One of my favorites is when he decided to change the sheriff's emblem from a 7-pointed star to a 5-pointed one (reputedly matching his tatoo). That meant changing all the badges, stationery, squad car logos, and so on. How much taxpayer money was spent on this whim? He is a darling of the Tea Party, but not for fiscal responsibility.
He was also criticized for ties to group that sided with Nevada rancher
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