A business lobbyist group uploaded videos Saturday to youtube.com, in opposition to incumbent candidate Louis Butler in the race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
The first of the two videos aired by the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is titled Justice Louis Butler: A WI Judicial Activist.""
""The Wisconsin Constitution envisioned a limited and modest role for the Supreme Court,"" the video stated. ""Experts agree that Butler's appointment tipped the ideological balance on the court from 4-3 traditionalists to 4-3 activists.""
The second video features Marquette University law professor Rick Esenberg, who said the election of the next state Supreme Court Justice is as important as a race for governor.
Both videos said Butler issued rulings that make it easier to sue businesses.
Butler is running for re-election against Burnett County Judge Michael Gableman. In a WMC pamphlet titled ""Wisconsin Supreme Court Unbound: An Activist Majority in the Balance,"" Gableman is called a ""traditionalist.""
The pamphlet also said Gableman would defer to the Legislature in regards to public policy.
Erin Celello, spokesperson for the Butler campaign, said in an e-mail that the videos are misleading and false.
Celello said Butler is neutral and treats everyone before the court fairly.
""When a party loses a case at the Wisconsin Supreme Court, they call those justices who didn't side with them 'activists,'"" Celello said. ""It's a meaningless term, and the voters of Wisconsin are seeing through these silly attacks.""
Darrin Schmitz, spokesperson for the Gableman campaign, said he cannot comment on the exact wording of the videos, but agreed with the overall message.
Schmitz said a ""reasonable case"" could be made that Butler has ruled to expand the ability to sue businesses in the state.
Celello said Butler stands behind the court's decisions.
