Sheriff Clarke, allow me to introduce Monsieur Jean Valjean

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, a fake Democrat who is actually a Republican in every respect except by self-chosen, official designation, had this to say about crime today:

"It's foolhardy to think someone commits burglary because they couldn't find a job."

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Clarke went on to call Milwaukee County Supervisor Eyon Biddle Sr. "a soft-on-crime gas bag."

That's pretty amusing, coming from one of the state's biggest political gas bags. Clarke spends a great deal of time appearing on right-wing radio talk shows and sending out press releases regarding all manner of public policy issues. And, demanding more money for his department, even while insisting that politicians spend too many tax dollars.

Biddle's home recently was broken into. The supervisor later put out a news release relating such crimes to inaction by local leaders on high unemployment and extreme poverty in Milwaukee. That common sense observation is not common sensical to Clarke. In his universe, people apparently steal either for kicks or for greed, not ever because they're poor, in need, and ignored.

Watch out for the Clarkes of Wisconsin politics. They apparently have no clue why a poor breadwinner in this day and age, just as in the age of fictional Frenchman Jean Valjean, might feel compelled to steal bread for his hungry family, or, at least, the equivalent of bread in our all-money culture.

Clarke-style politicians seem to know all about casting bread upon the waters. To them that's apparently a great idea when you read it in the Bible, but bad whenever government actually tries to implement it. Heck, Clarke all but has Milwaukee County Jail inmates living on bread and water these days.

But lay some more taxpayer bread on Clarke, so he can do some even more serious, law and order posturing in his endless quest for higher pubilc office.