Last week, Charlie Sykes again took things beyond the pale with one of the most irresponsible tweets anyone has ever tweeted:
For those that aren't aware of the significance of this, John Mercure is the late afternoon squawker on WTMJ radio. Before he became a squawker, he was a "reporter" for TMJ's TV station and was known for sensationalizing stories and specializing in child sexual predators.* He was also well know for taking things too far himself.
The question is: What is Sykes' intent with this post?
If he was serious, he might have opened himself and Journal Communications up to a large slander lawsuit. Even though Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele is a public figure, and thus open to getting slammed more than a private citizen, the law does put limitations on what a person can say about them. Accusations and inferences of being a child sexual predator goes a long way over the line.
If Sykes was "just kidding," it shows what a sick little man he is that he considers pedophilia to be something joked about.
Now, I am no fan of Abele's, and I have often offered up criticism of his Walkeresque approach to leading the county and his attempts to turn Milwaukee County into a plutocracy for himself and his rich friends, but this inference by Sykes goes beyond the pale.
Sykes needs to offer a public apology and his employer better look at if they need to take further actions to protect themselves from this liability.
*Even though Mercure styled himself as a crime-fighting reporter worried about kids' safety, he won't even talk about Brian Pierick, the Walker crony who has been charged with child enticement.
Agreed Capper. You know, Charlie once approvingly read a piece about Ted Kennedy on the air by the hideous Michelle Malkin. Malkin's writing included at attempt at humor, implying that female children at some event Kennedy attended were in danger of being assaulted by him.
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