Milwaukee's Thug Politics

Milwaukee Alderman Michael McGee, Jr. is fighting for his political life.

I mean that literally. He and his army of thugs are responding to the recall election with threats of violence against what he calls "principalities of darkness."

McGee has put the message out -- His political enemies should fear for their physical well-being.

The paranoid McGee has fired up his supporters by claiming that he's the victim of a conspiracy.

While providing a laundry list of people and entities conspiring against him - including the local media - McGee alleged a "gay rights activist" was calling the shots for the election staff. He said Neil Albrecht, commission deputy director, was acting in retaliation.

McGee has long been at odds with the gay community, including a run-in with state Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee), who is gay.

That run-in occurred after McGee said at a rally that any police officer involved in the beating of Frank Jude Jr. was a "straight up sick faggot."

...Sue Edman, executive director of the Election Commission, issued a statement that said the "actions of the Election Commission staff, throughout this process, were executed without bias or prejudice, and were entirely compliant with election law."

McGee, in his first term, said he was being targeted by "a web of deceit."

McGee blames everyone but himself for the recall effort.

He doesn't address the charges made by his dissatisfied constituents.

It's a vast anti-McGee conspiracy.

When faced with a recall election, does a competent, decent, civil individual, a community leader, employ tactics to intimidate opponents with threats?

From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A former Milwaukee School Board member obtained a restraining order Tuesday against Milwaukee Ald. Michael McGee, saying McGee has continued to harass him for backing the recall effort against him.

Leon Todd, who has been a frequent target of McGee's in radio broadcasts, was granted the restraining order on a temporary basis.

A hearing was set for March 13 on whether to make the order permanent.

In seeking the order, Todd cited a December statement by McGee - aired on the WNOV-AM (860) program hosted by McGee's father, Mike McGee - in which the alderman said Todd should be "hung" for his "betrayal of the community."

On Friday, according to Todd's attorney, Alan Eisenberg, McGee gave out Todd's phone number on the air, which resulted in a series of harassing telephone calls, including death threats.

Eisenberg said there were at least six threatening phone calls from McGee supporters.

"Now it is an issue of Mr. Todd's personal safety," Eisenberg said, adding that Todd has taken the matter to the police.

On the same program, McGee gave out the phone number of a producer at WISN-AM (1130), which had broadcast a parody song about McGee and the recall. According the radio station's Web site, that producer also received harassing telephone calls and has reported the matter to Greenfield police.

Listen to the PARODY song that enraged Michael McGee and Jr. McGee.

Listen to some of the threatening messages left on the producer's cell phone.

Question: Why is this insane behavior by Alderman McGee and his supporters not loudly and clearly denounced by Milwaukee leaders?

The implicit tolerance for these thug tactics is absolutely unacceptable.

The silence on the part of community leaders and Mayor Tom Barrett is deafening.

The McGee recall isn't just a goofy sideshow.

It's indicative of how incredibly dysfunctional the city of Milwaukee has become.

If McGee survives the recall, that will be the ultimate sign of hopelessness for a better Milwaukee.