In Brief: JFC calls for county probe, GOP labels Sotomayor “racist”

Just a few random thoughts after a long, hectic day:

• The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee voted 16-0 last week to request Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen open a fraud probe to investigate whether administrative fraud has occurred in Milwaukee County’s operation of several social safety net programs. Not surprisingly, Walker called the request “politica,” despite the fact that three of the four Republicans on that committee who voted to encourage a fraud probe (Alberta Darling, Luther Olsen and Robin Vos) have endorsed Walker’s gubernatorial campaign. Hardly sounds political to me.

• Instead of attacking Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as unqualified or too liberal, Republicans seem to have taken a new approach, instead labeling Sotomayor a racist. That’s a strategy that’s sure to end well for the GOP…
• Disgraced former Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Deputy Thomas Hutchins was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a December 2008 attack in which he shot his girlfriend in the face, then followed her to a neighbor’s home and fired several shots through a locked door, injuring a 12-year-old girl. I’m glad to see Hutchins got the book thrown at him, because his actions could very easily have resulted in the deaths of multiple people, including innocent citizens.
• Ron Malone, the former superintendent of the Milwaukee County House of Correction, has finally left county employment after being demoted when Sheriff David Clarke took over day to day operation of the HOC. I’ve never been a fan of Ron Malone, and it’s unfortunate it took this long for him to leave the county.