Paul Bucher, Jessica McBride, and Ed Flynn

I knew the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's tabloid reporter Dan Bice eventually would be on the story of Paul Bucher filing for divorce from Jessica McBride.

In spring, Bice revealed the affair between Jessica McBride and Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn. He wallowed in the story. His reporting lacked professionalism, seeming bent on doing as much personal damage to the parties involved as possible. It was a pathetic display.

It's no surprise that Bice has produced a rather lengthy column on Bucher's latest divorce filing and Bucher's accusations. Of course, Bice includes material from his past articles on the affair, engaging in an unnecessary rehashing of details.

I think it's telling that the Journal Sentinel is so thorough when it comes to this story but it fails to adequately report on issues that are of far greater importance to the people of southeastern Wisconsin.

Bice writes:

Under attack from the guy who once ran for attorney general, Police Chief Edward Flynn denied charges Thursday that he has continued his much-publicized extramarital affair with local journalist Jessica McBride.

"MUCH-PUBLICIZED extramarital affair"?

Bice is the guy who publicized it. He appeared on TV, TMJ 4, to discuss the "big" news.

Bice, the JS, TMJ 4, and the other local media are all part of this story. They gave it life.

The difference this time is that Paul Bucher has decided to use the media himself, as tools to further his agenda -- taking down Ed Flynn.

McBride's husband, ex-Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher, made the allegation on the same day he filed for divorce from McBride. This is the second time in recent months that he has filed for divorce from her.

"I regret that Mr. Bucher genuinely believes that I continued an extramarital affair with his wife," Flynn said in a statement. "I did not."

The first-term chief issued the statement after assuring his boss, Mayor Tom Barrett, that he had remained faithful to his wife in recent months. Barrett announced over the weekend that he is running for governor.

But like everything else in this soap opera, Flynn's statement then takes an odd turn.

Bice really loves a good soap opera!

Flynn, 61, acknowledges that he did not break all ties with McBride, 39, in the five months since he apologized to the city for the extramarital affair. Flynn and his wife, Susan, have been seen frequently together around town in recent months. She remained in Virginia when Flynn came to Milwaukee in January 2008.

"I cannot deny that (McBride) and I have communicated and that we met once," Flynn wrote. "Since my statement in June, there has not been, nor is there, an ongoing affair. I will not be drawn further into a public discussion about a pending divorce proceeding."

That's not so odd, not on the face of it. There are no details as to the reasons for the communication or meeting.

Compare those comments with the recent remarks from a friend of McBride's.

The friend, who asked not to be identified, said McBride acknowledged last month that she was still in love with Flynn and spoke glowingly of their sex life. She also said, according to the friend, that Flynn continued to call and e-mail her and that the two "were together" once in September.

If the public knew about the get-together, McBride told the buddy, Flynn certainly would lose his job. She didn't clarify the point.

This is crap.

"The friend"?

This person certainly isn't a friend of McBride's. Poor word choice, Bice.

Bice writes like a New York Times reporter, with the anonymous source. There's no way the reader can judge the reliability of "the friend." It's all rumor.

...On Thursday, Bucher told Channel 4 that he recently confronted Flynn after discovering that he had continued his extramarital affair with McBride.

"He was somewhat taken aback," Bucher said. "I asked him if he thought having sexual contact and intercourse with my wife in September on the 14th was conducive to trying to solve my marriage problems and his marriage problems. He indicated it was not."

Bucher then called for Flynn to resign: "Because he is a public official, I believe he needs to be held accountable." He added, "He has crushed our family."

The former prosecutor, who lost his 2006 bid for attorney general, put the blame for his divorce on Flynn in an interview with The Waukesha Freeman.

"All of this falls on him, and not my wife," Bucher said. "He continued to pursue her, and I hold him responsible for that, notwithstanding his public apology."

...Bucher's divorce filing comes less than a month after the executive committee of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's department of journalism and mass communication voted 3-2 to recommend that McBride be given indefinite status - the equivalent of tenure for academic staff.

McBride, a lecturer in the journalism department and a columnist for The Freeman, was represented by Bucher during the process. The recommendation for indefinite status still must be approved by the dean and provost.

...Bucher initially filed for divorce in late September and withdrew it less than a week later. His attorney, James Gatzke, said the pair had reconciled.

As in the earlier filing, Bucher, 54, is asking for primary placement of their 4-year-old daughter, child support and maintenance.

I think Bucher may regret going to the media.

He's not thinking of his children. The upset within the family has to be hard enough on them without having to deal with the public circus of the airing of these very personal matters.

Mayor Tom Barrett is right to support Flynn.

He has been tremendously successful as the police chief. I see no reason for him to resign.

If Bucher does in fact have proof that McBride and Flynn are still having an affair, I think the responsible thing to do would be to handle the situation as privately as possible. No one wins by having the matter play out in a public battle.
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TMJ 4 video.

WISN video.

With Bucher being willing to feed the media beast, I expect this to get uglier.

That's unfortunate for all concerned.