JS Columnist Chokes on His Research

Poor Mike Nichols. He won't fudge his research--so he's stuck with the wrong result.

Awwwwww...

About Annette Ziegler, running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, here are the relevant quotes:

Lawyers are always going to say good things about judges on the record, but in her case they say the same thing off it, or on background. She's smart, the word is, and has a good temperament.

One attorney who practices in front of her frequently, for instance, said she is "top-notch."
"I know that a lot of the old-school guys thought that was the case," he said of politics being responsible for her getting the job, "but I can't imagine that many of them are displeased."

That is certainly not what Nichols wanted to write. Here's how he started:

Now that Annette Ziegler is running for the Supreme Court, maybe it's time to figure out why she's even on the circuit court.

Get the drift? We are shocked, I say, shocked to learn that she was appointed by Tommy T.

"The perception here," wrote Becker, who retired in 1999 but still lives in the area, "is that this is a purely political appointment. That may not be the case, but it certainly looks that way from our perspective."

...so says a retired judge (Becker.) Ziegler's family (really, her in-laws) donated to Tommy. Tommy appointed her.

The facts in evidence-- that she's a Marquette Law grad, with O'Neill, Cannon experience as well as a stint as a Federal prosecutor--had nothing to do with her appointment. (We should add that Atty. Cannon is NOT a 'conservative.' But maybe he, too, should be inspected.)

Nope. It's all money and politics.

And, as the judge might say...the facts.