Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Jeff Stone and Chris Abele

Either Republican Jeff Stone or fringe Leftist multi-millionaire pay no taxes Democrat Chris Abele will be Milwaukee County's next executive.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Voters on Tuesday picked state Rep. Jeff Stone (R-Greendale) and philanthropist Chris Abele to advance to the April 5 election for Milwaukee County executive.

Stone finished with 44% of the vote, while Abele had 25%, according to unofficial totals late Tuesday.

Abele overwhelmingly outspent Stone and the other opposition heading into the primary.

Both candidates ran on platforms opposing tax increases.

Splitting the remaining vote were former state Sen. Jim Sullivan (D-Wauwatosa) with 22%; County Board Chairman Lee Holloway with 8%; and paralegal Ieshuh Griffin, who had 1%. Sullivan and Holloway favored an increase in the county sales tax.

Stone said he has shown himself to be the candidate "who has been clearer about getting the county's fiscal house in order," speaking from his election night vigil at Leff's Lucky Town, a Wauwatosa tavern. "We are going to restore the finances in Milwaukee County, and we are going to create economic opportunity to do that."

Abele, who already has spent more than $250,000 on television ads, said he felt his campaign had just begun to catch hold and that Stone was able to do well without TV advertising because he already was well known. Abele said he'll stand out as someone with a broader background in business and community activism than Stone.

...Abele, a first-time candidate, poured at least $700,000 of his own money into the race so far, relying on a heavy stream of television ads to introduce himself to voters as a fresh thinker eager to work with all sides to solve problems. Abele spent $400,000 through January.

"I don't want a career in politics," said Abele, 44. "I don't need to, nor am I interested in scoring points for one side or the other. What gets me excited is finding efficiencies in complex systems."

...Though he has a history of supporting "lefty causes" - his words - and Democratic candidates, Abele has emphasized some conservative approaches in the county executive race.

Abele is a dyed-in-the-wool liberal. Any conservative "emphasis" he gives is a crock.

Given the way Abele flooded the airwaves with ads and the dramatic difference in campaign spending, I'm surprised that Abele's margin of victory over Jim Sullivan was so slim.

If Ieshuh "NOT the 'whiteman's bitch'" Griffin and Lee "Godzilla" Holloway hadn't been in the race, carving up the vote, Sullivan maybe would have defeated the rich Lefty guy from Boston who doesn't pay taxes.

It's so annoying the way the mainstream media constantly refer to Abele as a philanthropist and a post-partisan figure.

Report the truth: Abele is a Democrat hack.

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