Bucher in Bizarro World V

Waukesha DA Paul Bucher continues, five days after a New York Times article on guns and concealed carry, to try to spin his way out of a hole, but keeps digging it deeper.

Now he tells WTMJ radio talker Charlie Sykes his position has always been consistent, whatever it is.

BUCHER: My concern of officer safety has been continuous and consistent. ... If this issue is dealt with in Sen. Zien's bill ... I can support it, and as a leader in law enforcement, I can bring other law enforcement leaders to the table. That's what I said before and that's my position today. ... I have supported and do support a citizen's right to carry a concealed weapon if we deal with the officer safety issue.

He's talking about protection for officers who are making a traffic stop. How you would do that remains a mystery.

His opponent in the Republican primary for attorney general, former US Attorney J.B. Van Hollen, has jumped on the issue. It is not going to go away.

While trying to establish his credentials with the NRA and gun-toters, Bucher is also doing himself a lot of damage with those who oppose concealed carry, who are legion. This is the kind of issue you want to tell the gun nuts about, but not make it the defining issue of your campaign. Right now, it's the only thing most people know about Bucher. That is a serious, and possibly fatal, mistake in the early days of a campaign. The primary is still 17 months away.