"Where was Sensenbrenner's outrage when George Bush made John Ashcroft the Attorney General immediately after Ashcroft lost a statewide election to someone who had died? How about after Bush made Spencer Abraham the Energy Secretary immediately after he lost reelection to his Senate seat? This is another example of the Republicans' willingness to stop at nothing to defeat the agenda of President Obama, no matter the cost, no matter the hypocrisy." - Scot Ross, One Wisconsin Now Executive Director.

F. James Sensenbrenner--famously called "your basic Fat Evil Prick" by Matt Taibbi--came out yesterday to denounce President Obama's nomination of former WI Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler to U.S. District Judge for Wisconsin's Western District because, he says, Butler lost a statewide election to Michael Gableman.

Yet, Sensenbrenner was silent about the fact that Bush-nominee John Ashcroft had lost a statewide election to a deceased fellow throughout his nomination and confirmation. Spencer Abraham, who had also lost a statewide election, was nominated by Bush and confirmed without similar criticism from Sensenbrenner.