Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:

Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman told a group of Republicans this month that a revolution against government officials over the 2020 election has become necessary but said people have become too comfortable to water the “tree of liberty” with blood.

“For the first time in my life I am beginning to wonder if America’s best days are behind us,” Gableman said Sept. 9 at a dinner hosted by the Republican Party of Outagamie County, according to audio released by liberal activist Lauren Windsor.

Democrats called the comments disturbing and outrageous, noting Gableman produced no evidence that called the election results into question after spending $1 million of taxpayer money to complete a probe authorized by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.

Vos fired Gableman earlier this summer after calling his review “an embarrassment to the state.” Meanwhile, on Monday Gableman appeared in court to represent a Racine County man who admitted to committing election fraud.

“Our comfort is holding us back from taking the action that is necessary,” Gableman said at the Sept. 9 dinner. “The greatest challenge of our poor in this country is not lack of food, it’s obesity. It’s a beautiful world. But it’s that very comfort that is keeping us from what our founders knew to be the only way to keep an honest government, which is revolution.

“Thomas Jefferson said that the tree of liberty must be watered by the blood of revolution in every generation. I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Gableman has been paid by taxpayers for more than two decades to enforce laws. He was paid more than $100,000 and spent more than $1 million of taxpayer money during his election review.

Republican candidates for governor and attorney general, Tim Michels and Eric Toney, and state Supreme Court candidate Dan Kelly, also spoke at the event, according to the group’s social media posts.

State Rep. Mark Spreitzer, a ranking Democrat on the Assembly elections committee who has sparred with Gableman over his probe, said Gableman has demonstrated that he is driven by anger and has wanted approval of “far right extremists” since the beginning. [Continue reading…]