Allegan County Newspaper takes Campaign for Michigan Families to task

A campaign violation allegation against a former Allegan County judge has lead to a heated exchange between the Campaign for Michigan Families and the Allegan County News.

Campaign for Michigan Families is a political action committee operated by Gary Glenn of the American Family Association.

Glenn and CMF are taking aim at Allegan County District Court Judge William A. Baillargeon claiming that he failed to zero out his campaign account from an unsuccessful 2008 run to retain a post as a circuit court judge. He was appointed to that post in 2007. Baillargeon lost the 2008 seat after Glenn and CMF launched a series of radio advertisements and robocalls citing his work with Triangle Foundation and Affirmations, reports the Allegan County News.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed Balliargeon to the district court seat when Judge Stephen Sheridan retired in March 2009.

Baillargeon’s campaign says there were filing errors in relation to the campaign, and provided bank statements showing the campaign account had maintained a two penny balance.

It seems like a typical political tit for tat that barely registers on the old read-o-meter. Until one reads Walt Kaechele’s column. Kaechele is senior correspondent for the Allegan County News and in his column he takes Glenn to task for some of his writings on Baillargeon.

In the editorial Kaechele accuses Glenn of “creating a climate of homophobic hysteria.” He goes on to note how Glenn is focused on Baillargeon’s connections to Triangle Foundation and his $500 donation to campaign to stop the Constitutional amendment which barred same-sex marriage in the state. Then Kaechele notes this Glenn talking point:

Next Glenn points out Baillargeon’s past activities as a homosexual community center’s youth facilitator and then asks this question, “Can our families trust someone so personally involved in promoting the homosexual agenda?” The words, “Can our families trust,” kind of jumps right out of that sentence—a lack of trust, or a lack of truth, fairness and honor as the dictionary says. This doesn’t sound like someone who should be a judge.

Glenn, in a letter to the newspaper, took issue with Kaechele’s observations. He fired off a letter to the editor in which he opined:

“Instead, it’s a question of values, and clearly on the issue of constitutionally protecting marriage between one man and one woman, Baillargeon does not share the values of families in Allegan County.”

Glenn says his group will continue to campaign against Baillargeon for district judge for that very reason.