MacMac rides the Moonbeam Express

-- Stuart Carlson, Journal Sentinel
You certainly have to give Larraine McNamara-McGraw some credit. She not only knows how to get the undercovered Milwaukee County district attorney's race on the front page. She knows how to keep a story alive.

First, she suggested that the police may have shot 13-year-old Candace Moss, a victim of senseless violence. That wild statement at a forum, which had no basis in reality, got her on page one -- and roundly condemned by a lot of responsible people.

Monday, MacMac issued a statement attacking the Journal Sentinel for its reporting, saying her statement was distorted, and then basically repeating it:

The speculative question related to the police was just one among several. And surely a report of some twenty shots makes this question legitimate.

The paper gave her a break with its story today, ignoring most of her inflamatory language, and never mentioning her attack on the newspaper. The bland headline: "DA candidate modifies remarks."

Those who attended the NAACP forum where she made the original remarks say she suggested more than once that the police may have been responsible for the shooting. Vince Bobot, a candidate for sheriff, reportedly responded strongly to MacMac's crazy claim, but was not quoted in the original story. Joel McNally of WMCS Radio moderated the debate, but apparently no reporter bothered to ask him what she said.

Conservative bloggers went after MacMac right away, causing me to speculate about whether my cohorts on the left would give her a pass. Since then, Jim McGuigan has endorsed John Chisholm:

John Chisholm is well qualified to be the next Milwaukee County District Attorney. His opponent, Lorraine McNamara-McGraw opened her maw this weekend to spout ridiculous rhetoric which shows she lacks both common sense and the temperment to be DA.

Timothy Rock comments:

Milwaukee police may have been involved in many disturbing incidents over the past two years, but her comments are extreme pandering for which there is no excuse.

And Michael Mathias joins in, albeit a little halfheartedly. He correctly notes there is a bigger problem than what MacMac said. But a candidate for DA pandering by attacking the police at an NAACP event makes it worse, not better.

The Journal Sentinel endorsed Chisholm today, in a mild editorial clearly written before MacMac boarded the Moonbeam Express. We'll see if they follow up and comment further.