This weekend, David Clarke, the nut job sheriff of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; turned heads on the Internet by joining the legion of pro-Donald Trump wingnuts calling for “pitchforks and torches” in order to stop supposed government corruption. Well, in response to a well-deserved avalanche of criticism, Clarke–or “The People’s Sheriff,” as he calls himself–took to his blog on Patheos to try to defend himself.
Clarke runs as a Democrat, but openly admits that he isn’t one. Well, in this post that went live early Monday morning, he proved beyond all doubt that he is a full-fledged tea partier in Democrats’ clothing. He claimed that “Big Media”–made up mostly of “Democratic operatives with bylines”–was trying to deflect attention away from the corruption in the White House and Hillary Clinton’s campaign and focus on him.
Then, as if he hadn’t made himself clear, he said that he had no intention of taking back those tweets. In language that echoed Trump’s recent speeches, he declared that it was time to “run those corrupt politicians out of Washington DC” and put Hillary in jail. That, he said, is what he really meant when he decried how “all we do is bitch”–not a call to incite violence.
Clarke doubled down when he chatted with the gang at “Fox & Friends” on Monday. Watch here.
Clarke claimed the mantle of Frederick Douglass, who said that slavery had to be overthrown with “brute force.” He also claimed the mantle of Bernie Sanders’ revolution, as well as the mantle of the Founding Fathers, who wanted “a government controlled by the people,” not bureaucrats.
With all due respect, Sheriff, we already know what your idea of “pitchforks and torches” really is. Earlier this year, you gave a ringing endorsement to the Bundy brothers and their gang of thugs who occupied a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon. You supported them even after they ground a nearby town to a halt out of fear that they would turn it into a shooting gallery; the schools were forced to stay on winter break for an extra week, while the local courthouse and several businesses closed.
You supported them after a nut job radio host speaking on their behalf suggested “effing Communists” prodded a girl into speaking out on the fear she felt. And unless I’m very wrong, you supported them after it emerged that they trashed the place during their monthlong takeover, to the tune of millions of dollars. They destroyed a Native American archaeological site, and also stole several computers, putting innocent federal employees at risk for identity theft.
For those reasons, Sheriff, you’ll have to pardon me for imagining that your calls for returning the government to the people sound something like this.
What makes it even more outrageous is that you blasted Black Lives Matter for inciting violence. And yet, you not only condone this thuggery in Oregon, but put out incendiary tweets like this? Pot, meet kettle.
With Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the fight of his political life, it appears that Clarke may be poised to replace Arpaio as America’s biggest nut with a badge. But after this, he shouldn’t get too comfortable. I repeat what I have said on a number of occasions–any sheriff who uses this sort of language and condones this sort of thuggery has no business being in office. Milwaukee County Democrats need to get with the program and find a real Democrat to get this nut out of office in 2018.
There’s a way we can stick it to Clarke before then. He’s due to publish his first book in March, “Cop Under Fire.” I find it hard to believe that his publisher, Worthy Publishing, would condone this kind of incendiary rhetoric from a law enforcement officer. Let them know what you think on Facebook and on Twitter.
(featured image courtesy Clarke’s Twitter)
