Yes, Wisconsin, the cradle of the progressive movement and home of the “Wisconsin idea” — the marriage of state governments and state universities to govern through technocratic reform — was giving birth to a new progressive idea, the use of law enforcement as a political instrument, as a weapon to attempt to undo election results, shame opponents, and ruin lives. Most Americans have never heard of these raids, or of the lengthy criminal investigations of Wisconsin conservatives. For good reason. Bound by comprehensive secrecy orders, conservatives were left to suffer in silence as leaks ruined their reputations, as neighbors, looking through windows and dismayed at the massive police presence, the lights shining down on targets’ homes, wondered, no doubt, What on earth did that family do?

Except for now.  Americans have heard now, the reason for this post.

Our First Amendment, our very freedom is threatened.

But there’s more about DA John Chisholm and his Socialist Shop:

At the same time that the public protests were raging, so were private — but important — protests in the Chisholm home and workplace. As a former prosecutor told journalist Stuart Taylor, Chisholm’s wife was a teachers’-union shop steward who was distraught over Act 10’s union reforms. He said Chisholm “felt it was his personal duty” to stop them.

Meanwhile, according to this whistleblower, the district attorney’s offices were festooned with the “blue fist” poster of the labor-union movement, indicating that Chisholm’s employees were very much invested in the political fight

So it would appear Chisholm staged his own personal vendetta — because he could — as his wife, a union shop steward, hated Scott Walker’s union stance.  Perfect: wielding the office of District Attorney as a political sledgehammer against Conservatives.

Much like Lois Lerner and the IRS.  Much like Operation Choke Point.  All ideas of Leftists.  All aimed at reducing freedoms, not increasing them.

Of course, DA Chisholm had Leftist help in the local court:

But with another election looming — this time Walker’s campaign for reelection — Chisholm wasn’t finished. He launched yet another John Doe investigation, “supervised” by Judge Barbara Kluka. Kluka proved to be capable of superhuman efficiency — approving “every petition, subpoena, and search warrant in the case” in a total of one day’s work.

Here is where Chisholm’s Gestapo went to work:

Empowered by a rubber-stamp judge, partisan investigators ran amok. They subpoenaed and obtained (without the conservative targets’ knowledge) massive amounts of electronic data, including virtually all the targets’ personal e-mails and other electronic messages from outside e-mail vendors and communications companies.

The investigations exploded into the open with a coordinated series of raids on October 3, 2013. These were home invasions, including those described above. Chisholm’s office refused to comment on the raid tactics (or any other aspect of the John Doe investigations), but witness accounts regarding the two John Doe investigations are remarkably similar: early-morning intrusions, police rushing through the house, and stern commands to remain silent and tell no one about what had occurred.

With Gestapo tactics comes fear.

O’Keefe, who has been in contact with multiple targeted families, says, “Every family I know of that endured a home raid has been shaken to its core, and the fate of marriages and families still hangs in the balance in some cases.”

Anne also describes a new fear of the police: “I used to support the police, to believe they were here to protect us. Now, when I see an officer, I’ll cross the street. I’m afraid of them. I know what they’re capable of.”

Cindy says, “I lock my doors and I close my shades. I don’t answer the door unless I am expecting someone. My heart races when I see a police car sitting in front of my house or following me in the car. The raid was so public. I’ve been harassed. My house has been vandalized. [She did not identify suspects.] I no longer feel safe, and I don’t think I ever will.”

Rachel talks about the effect on her children. “I tried to create a home where the kids always feel safe. Now they know they’re not. They know men with guns can come in their house, and there’s nothing we can do.” Every knock on the door brings anxiety. Every call to the house is screened. In the back of her mind is a single, unsettling thought: These people will never stop.

I urge you, please read the full article here.

Read Sheriff David Clarke’s issues with Chisholm’s stances here.

Sheriff David Clarke, for those of you who don’t know, is a true American patriot.

Rush’s take is here.

This is one reason, among many, that I am an Oathkeeper.  Just as I have feared, law enforcement is being utilized as a gross political tool for Leftists.  I repeat:

Shame — MASSIVE SHAME — upon those “law enforcement officers” (you deserve to be in quotes) who took part in those raids.

You know who you are and you know you conducted yourselves improperly, no matter what you say or how you attempt to justify your actions publicly.  You still cannot sleep well at night.  As well you shouldn’t.  You violated your fundamental Constitutional oaths.

You make me sick to my heart, you alleged “police officers” who took part in those raids of lawful citizens.  You wound me, and all other LEOs who seek nothing more than to conduct their business professionally and within the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Have you no soul?  Have you no conscience?  Moreover, have you no intellect, no sense of questioning, no grasp of our foundational documents?  Are you truly that filled with fear of your supervisors?

How could you not at least ask questions?

Is this actually my country?  Is this truly the United States of America?

How can this occur in my country?

BZ