Today, Wisconsin’s Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has said that he will not defend a law conferring a small sliver of the benefits of marriage to gay couples because it contradicts the Wisconsin constitution. In 2006 voters added an amendment to the constitution banning gay marriage or any “substantially similar” institution, and Van Hollen says that he will “abide by their command.”

Van Hollen’s statement comes only days after Barack Obama lamented that the Executive branch was required to defend any law that was not directly unconstitutional, including the controversial Defense of Marriage Act.

Van Hollen’s decision was criticized by openly gay state senator Mark Pocan, who felt that Van Hollen’s stance was purely political.

“That’s clearly a statement by J.B. Van Hollen the politician, not J.B. Van Hollen the attorney general,” he said. “He’s trying to make a name for himself but this is the kind of sloppy political decision that hurts the institution.”

This does not mean that the law will go undefended should a suit brought by the Wisconsin Family Council be taken up by the Wisconsin Supreme Court – an outside counsel will be provided at the cost of about $175 an hour (this after Wisconsin posted a record $6.6 billion budget shortfall in June).

The campaign of Milwaukee Common Council candidate Patrick Flaherty received a boost from an endorsement by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The newspaper has the largest circulation of any paper in Wisconsin.

The paper wrote:

Milwaukee Ald. Mike D’Amato’s decision not to run again has created a sort of perfect political storm in the 3rd Aldermanic District, which includes the east side and Riverwest. Patrick Flaherty, a community activist, and Nik Kovac, a freelance journalist, make for a tough choice. Both are progressive and agree on most issues.

Our nod goes to Flaherty. His track record as a consensus-builder offers the most potential in a district with so many politically involved and sometimes contentious interests. Flaherty’s many endorsements from elected officials and unions stem from his experience in bringing about governmental policy changes, and they speak directly to his ability to get things done.

To contribute to Patrick’s campaign, click here.

With a looming April 1 general election, Wisconsin’s own version of Fred Phelps has begun attacking Milwaukee Common Council candidate Patrick Flaherty. Pilgrim’s Covenant Church, headed by Ralph Ovadahl, started dropping hate-filled literature in key areas. The pamphlets are only being dropped off in the precincts within Flaherty’s district that have the highest voter turnout.

While the literature doesn’t mention him specifically, the anti-gay activists engaged in similar tactics with openly gay state Sen. Tim Carpenter when he ran his campaign.

The literature reads, in part:

Q: I am against the “special rights” homosexuals demand, but I do not believe that homosexuals should be discriminated against. Isn’t that a proper stand on this issue?

A: No. If citizens are not allowed to discriminate in any way with regard to out-of-the-closet homosexuals, then there is no basis for denying those involved in sexual perversion the right to adopt and teach children, marry one another, be policemen or medics, serve in the armed forces, be elected officials and judges, work for you and rent from you. It is because of the no-special-rights approach that we now have open homosexuals involved in many activities from which they should have been banned, and principled property owners and businessmen are required by law in many states to rent to and employ persons of low moral character engaged in immoral conduct which flies in the face of the deepest beliefs of the landlords and employers.

Flaherty served as the director of community relations for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center of Milwaukee and helped organize Milwaukee’s efforts to defeat the anti-gay marriage amendment. He has been endorsed by the Milwaukee Labor Council, AFSCME, and the LGBT Center Advocates PAC, Wisconsin’s only LGBT political action committee.

To contribute to Patrick’s campaign, click here.

Sex columnist Dan Savage mentioned Victory-endorsed candidate Patrick Flaherty in his weekly column Savage Love today, after addressing Sally Kern’s assertion that gays are “infiltrating” city councils nationwide.

Savage writes:

Decent folks are understandably angry with Ms. Kern. But instead of sending Sally an angry e-mail—excuse me, I mean in addition to sending her an angry e-mail (sallykern@okhouse.gov)—make Sally’s worst nightmares come true. Patrick Flaherty is running for alderman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He’s won an eight-way primary with 32 percent of the vote on February 19 and the general election is coming right up on April 1. If you’re pissed at Sally Kern, don’t just send her an angry e-mail. Help make her worst nightmares come true by sending a campaign contribution to Patrick Flaherty—who has been endorsed by Milwaukee’s mayor, the Victory Fund, and others—by going to his website.

To contribute to Patrick’s campaign, click here.