July 3, 2002 BURKE RIPS BLANCHARD By WisPolitics staff MADISON -- Sen. Brian Burke, fighting to overturn 18 felony counts and to regain his reputation, used the closing moments of Wednesday night's Senate floor session to rip into his accuser. "I cannot begin to understand the motives of a prosecutor who wants to destroy my family to further his own interests," Burke said of Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard. State Senator Brian Burke He said Blanchard had ``abused the John Doe process'' and "had his nomination papers for district attorney printed at taxpayers expense.''' Added Burke: ``Then he lied about his involvement. ... He did precisely what he has accused others of doing.'' Burke charged that Blanchard received ``constant advice'' from Senate caucus staff. "But nobody's investigating Mr. Blanchard," he said. "He's apparently his own judge and jury." Blanchard late Wednesday said: ``It's old news. I think it's a deliberate side show.'' He said he wouldn't comment further on the pending charges and that the facts would come out in court. Blanchard had earlier responded to some of the same charges in a response posted at WisPolitics.com to a column written by conservative commentator Charlie Sykes. Burke, D-Milwaukee, said he was proud of his accomplishments in office and that he lives very frugally. He said he drives a 1991 Cutlass car and that his home doesn't have cable TV or air conditioning. "I haven't done anything wrong," he said. But he said he didn't want to end on a negative note. ``The message for my daughters is: no matter how difficult the past few months have been -- public service remains a noble profession,'' he said to applause from his colleagues. ``We we must keep that hope alive." Along with floor statements Burke issued a three-page press release saying his vote for final budget passage hinged on GOP Gov. Scott McCallum's promise to Milwaukee. "I only agreed to cast my vote for this final budget compromise because Governor McCallum has agreed to disregard the language in the agreement that calls for circumventing the public process," Burke said. "We should not force upon the citizens of Milwaukee a major freeway expansion when they have quite clearly voiced their opposition to it." Burke said he "was gratified to" know that his domestic violence "stay away" legislation and his consumer protection initiative as part of the budget. Despite his criticisms, Burke voted for the budget bill. See more on the Burke story and the Sykes-Blanchard exchange: http://www.wispolitics.com/freeser/features/f0207/f02070102.html