12:12 PM: Butler says third-party groups trumped positive message
MILWAUKEE -- Justice Louis Butler said today he was proud of the campaign he ran against Michael Gableman and railed against third-party interest groups that he said trumped the voices of the candidates and suppressed turnout.
Butler did not publicly concede to Gableman last night after returns came in showing the Burnett County judge had edged the incumbent for a 10-year term on the bench. Butler called a news conference this morning to make a public statement and was flanked by supporters in the rotunda of the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
Butler said he was proud that he ran a positive campaign that "befits the dignity of the Wisconsin Supreme Court."
"As you know, I did not run one negative ad in this campaign," Butler said. "Unfortunately, too many others did, especially the deep-pocketed third-party groups."
Butler said third-party groups who neither have to disclose their donors nor agendas "siphoned huge amounts" of money into the race and called for campaign finance reform to address what he called a broken system that robs people of their faith in the court.
"When we rob people of their faith in this system, we rob them of justice," Butler said.
Butler said he attempted to contact Gableman this morning, but had not yet spoken with him to "acknowledge the will of the voters."
See Butler's prepared statement: http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=122604
-- By David Wise
Labels: 2008 spring election