Non-Scandal in Wisconsin
May 3, 2010
An ultra liberal special interest group in Wisconsin last week launched an ugly attack on Republican Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen – and in its attack, the group also smeared the American Justice Partnership, an organization which I run. (The following item is cross-posted to our AJP website).
The group is called “One Wisconsin Now” and it accuses Wisconsin AG Van Hollen’s office of a “gross abuse of power” and putting “politics above the law.” Very serious charges. So, exactly what offense did Van Hollen’s office commit? Basically being against President Obama’s government take-over of the health care system and seeking information about joining other AGs in a Constitutional challenge to this monstrosity.
(One Wisconsin Now also tries to drag down the American Justice Partnership for contributing to the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) – a group dedicated to electing conservative, rule-of-law AGs such as JB Van Hollen.)
If all that sounds like a big nothing-burger to you, you’re not alone. The most interesting thing here is not the non-scandal, but the extent to which a tangled web of special interest groups is spending millions of dollars to try to turn policy disagreements into criminal acts – or at least create an appearance of impropriety that can be used in the next campaign.
One Wisconsin Now is the political arm of the Institute for One Wisconsin. The Institute is bankrolled in part by – drum roll please – hedge fund billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Institute. (see press release) What does One Wisconsin do with the $$$? Well, some of it gets funneled to another political operation called the Greater Wisconsin Political Fund (see contribution list). Other members of the club include politically-motivated unions like the SEIU and AFSCME.
So in other words, One Wisconsin Now is merely a mouthpiece for big liberal groups. Despite this clearly political, partisan agenda, the group cloaks itself in the usual “good government” garb and non-partisan nonsense. But that dog won’t hunt.
Groups like One Wisconsin Now know how deeply unpopular Obamacare is with the people of Wisconsin. They understand the bill was steamrollered through Congress despite questions over the constitutionality of several provisions. Now they’re trying to browbeat and intimidate AGs like JB Van Hollen for daring to challenge their dream of socialized medicine.