Attorney General Candidate
Dana Nessel

Until recently, you would have to be an attorney to have heard the name Dana Nessel. An outspoken lesbian, she assisted in the struggle for marital equality in the DeBoer same-sex adoption case that went to the SCOTUS.

Earlier this year, Ms. Nessel tossed her cap into the race for Michigan Attorney General. This week, she blew the lid-off and garnered some national attention with a controversial campaign ad that cuts to the very quick, and then some, of the workplace sexual harassment pandemic.

Here is a look at the candidate's angry message:

Of course, this ad is now drawing a significant backlash, starting with the Michigan GOP. They released a statement wondering why Ms. Nessel has not publicly called for the resignation of long-serving Democrat Congressman John Conyers; one of many powerful men outed during the past month for inappropriate acts against women in the workplace.

We here at the Law Blogger must admit, when we first viewed the ad, it was difficult to ascertain whether the candidate was serious, or whether she intended a parody. The flames in the fireplace in the background are burning fast and hot to match Ms. Nessel's mood.

The Attorney General is one of three state-wide offices here in Michigan; the other two are, of course, the Governor and the Secretary of State. Michigan's Attorney General is the chief prosecutor in the state.

Our concern with Nessel's angry message is that she paints all men as potential sexual transgressors; all men, no exceptions. All you have to have, according to her ad, is a penis, and if you do, according to Nessel, you're not fit for the AG's office.

In her seemingly home-made ad, Ms. Nessel impatiently slaps-up the paint on the wall with the broadest of brush strokes. This brings into question whether she is suited for our state's top prosecutor post; a demanding job that takes focus, good judgment, and fortitude to do the right thing.

All instances of sexual assault and harassment in the workplace or anywhere else should be condemned in both civil and criminal forums. Jumping on a bandwagon, however, as Nessel has done, by casting doubt on all men, is not what Michigan needs for an Attorney General.

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Post #611