We talk about our biggest takeaways from the one and only debate between Dan Kelly and Janet Protasiewicz. For a judicial discussion, we rated it “hot” on the salsa spiciness rating scale, but since it’s still a judicial debate, only a “mild” on overall objective spiciness.
Then we compare the two abortion bills that are introduced in the Wisconsin Legislature, despite the fact that both are DOA.
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It looks like the Supreme Court race in Wisconsin is heating up faster than a cheese curd in a deep fryer! Dan Kelly and Janet Protasiewicz got so personal in their debate, I heard the moderator had to break up a staring contest between the two. I mean, who needs a courtroom drama when you have these two going at it like a couple of badgers fighting over a fresh batch of squeaky cheese?”
Throughout Tuesday’s debate between the two Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates, Kelly repeatedly accused Protasiewicz of lying while Protasiewicz called Kelly an enemy of democracy.
The tone of the debate was a reflection of the campaign, which has shattered the previous national record for spending on a state supreme court race. Both candidates were targeted in attack ads that painted them as either too extreme or soft on crime. In person, Protasiewicz, and Kelly did not hold back. They stood across from each other on a stage at the State Bar of Wisconsin’s headquarters in Madison. During the debate, Kelly directed many of his attacks towards Protasiewicz, frequently referring to her only by her first name. In contrast, Protasiewicz hardly acknowledged Kelly and only referred to him as “my opponent.
The debate quickly became heated when Protasiewicz was asked about the endorsements she received from abortion rights groups, Planned Parenthood and Emily’s List. The questioner asked why they would endorse her if they didn’t expect her to overturn the state’s abortion ban. Protasiewicz maintained that while she supports a woman’s right to choose, she would rule on any abortion cases based solely on the law.
However, Protasiewicz’s response led her to take a jab at her opponent, saying, “But I can tell you that if my opponent is elected, I can tell you with 100 percent certainty, that the 1849 abortion ban will stay on the books.”
In response, Kelly pointed out that he never promised how he would rule, despite being endorsed by anti-abortion groups. He accused Protasiewicz of lying and said, “You have no idea what I’m thinking about that abortion ban.”
Kelly’s initial endorsement by Wisconsin Right to Life stated that endorsed candidates “have pledged to champion pro-life values.” However, after the state’s Supreme Court primary in February, the group added language clarifying that it “endorses candidates whose judicial philosophies and values fit with those of Wisconsin Right to Life” in judicial elections. A Wisconsin Right to Life lobbyist, Gracie Skogman, insisted that the group’s policy on judicial endorsements had not changed and that the new language was meant to clarify its position.
Last week, Wisconsin Republicans announce an abortion bill allowing exceptions for rape, incest, and the health of the mother – a proposal that was not only immediately rejected by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers but ALSO the state Senate’s top Republican, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu.
Then on Tuesday march 21st, Tony Evers, legislative Democrats announced a bill to restore abortion access that existed under Roe v. Wade. Which Robin Vos called a “spectacle” and Evers a hypocrite.
Meanwhile, while each side continues to play politics with the other, we are still living under an 1849 criminal abortion ban.
Is it a coincidence that right after Julia Louis-Dreyfus shared Kristin’s video about voting in the upcoming election President Biden presented her with the National Medal of Arts? Yes. It is a total coincidence.
