The Attorney General Divide
Published Monday, November 07, 2005 by Justin Mitchell | E-mail this post
The Attorney General's Race has come to the forefront of Wisconsin politics, even surpassing the Govenor's Race, the Govenor's Travelgate dilemma, the horrific Voter ID bill, and former Democratic Senate Majority leader Chuck Chvala's two felony charges.
Peg has been in the news a bit throughout the last few years, calling out Doyle on his terrible Environmental deregulations, holding Doyle and the rest of the questionable suspects in Madison accountable for their closed door, pay-to-play deals, and for taking on big corporations for their attacks on Wisconsin Water, Air, and Land.
There had been the rumors that Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk was being urged to run by the Doyle camp, but few paid any attention until a group of ten Democratic Leaders publicly sent a letter to Falk urging her to run for Attorney General because, "The office is too important to risk losing to Republicans in 2006." Doyle followed suit by publicly saying that Falk "would be a very good attorney general" and that she is a "very smart, very tough" opponent.
Then on Monday Falk officially announced her campaign for Attorney General, complete with logo. While the announcement seems to play on the fears of Wisconsin citizens like something out of a Bush speech - "We live in perilous times..." - she offers little reason why anyone would vote Falk over Lautenschlager, who has been a proven leader in office as Attorney General on environmental issues, consumer protection issues, and open government issues.
In Falk's release, she talks about cutting back on the serious crimes in our state, to give our children the safe communities they deserve. She talks about gangs, sexual predators, and all of those scary groups. But she left out the one significant equivalent - our elected officials: The corporate giveaways; The illegal campaign fundraising and pay to play, good 'ol boys system; The complete environmental disregard in the face of any developer's interest; And the many other seriously questionable activities that our officials in Madison take part in.
While government accountability seemingly was a strong point of Lautenschlager, who worked to form the Public Integrety Unit to investigate and prosecute the misconduct of our elected officials, it was for this virtue that the Democratic Leadership doesn't want her back. Attorney General Lautenschlager has done her job very effectively, holding both the Republican and Democratic leadership to high standards of accountability.
In the case of her own party, she called Doyle out on his atrocious Jobs Creation Act, stating that the act "appears more to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, intended more to eat our citizens' natural resources, clean air and clean water" than create any new jobs. She investigated the Jobs Creation Act and many other bills for possible violations of the state's open records law. She also took action against many state corporations for their violations of public interest and environmental laws.
From the perspective of Doyle and the rest of the Democratic leadership, this isn't good - their own Attorney General actually holds them accountable for their actions, and she also seriously impairs their fundraising capabilities by holding accountable our corporate contributors. So, they decide to use the excuse that Lautenschlager messed up in her personal life (although one local journalist suggested that the Democrats did not worry about the re-electability of Shirley Krug, Frank Boyle, and Russ Decker, all of whom were Democrats cited for drunk driving) and that the Attorney General race is too important and Peg likely can not win.
How low can they get? This is the same question union leaders had in their letter to the Democratic leadership, asking how can the Democrats turn their backs on "the state's most courageous Democratic elected official, a woman who has been nothing but a powerful voice for justice and a passionate, consistent defender of the rights of average Wisconsin citizens?" It was also on the same day Democratic Leaders asked Falk to challenge Lautenschlager that renowned environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Lautenschlager "the best attorney general in the United States!"
In Falk's campaign announcement, she states that she will fight for environmental protections, for consumer rights and protections, and for criminal justice. It is likely that Falk is very good on these issues. If Falk cared deeply about environmental issues, and the interests of Wisconsin citizens, if Falk had any integrity, she would have challenged Doyle for governor. Instead, she is serving as a tool of the Democratic leadership to undermine and replace Lautenschlager - one of "the best elected official in Wisconsin over the past 4 years."
Peg has been in the news a bit throughout the last few years, calling out Doyle on his terrible Environmental deregulations, holding Doyle and the rest of the questionable suspects in Madison accountable for their closed door, pay-to-play deals, and for taking on big corporations for their attacks on Wisconsin Water, Air, and Land.
There had been the rumors that Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk was being urged to run by the Doyle camp, but few paid any attention until a group of ten Democratic Leaders publicly sent a letter to Falk urging her to run for Attorney General because, "The office is too important to risk losing to Republicans in 2006." Doyle followed suit by publicly saying that Falk "would be a very good attorney general" and that she is a "very smart, very tough" opponent.
Then on Monday Falk officially announced her campaign for Attorney General, complete with logo. While the announcement seems to play on the fears of Wisconsin citizens like something out of a Bush speech - "We live in perilous times..." - she offers little reason why anyone would vote Falk over Lautenschlager, who has been a proven leader in office as Attorney General on environmental issues, consumer protection issues, and open government issues.
In Falk's release, she talks about cutting back on the serious crimes in our state, to give our children the safe communities they deserve. She talks about gangs, sexual predators, and all of those scary groups. But she left out the one significant equivalent - our elected officials: The corporate giveaways; The illegal campaign fundraising and pay to play, good 'ol boys system; The complete environmental disregard in the face of any developer's interest; And the many other seriously questionable activities that our officials in Madison take part in.
While government accountability seemingly was a strong point of Lautenschlager, who worked to form the Public Integrety Unit to investigate and prosecute the misconduct of our elected officials, it was for this virtue that the Democratic Leadership doesn't want her back. Attorney General Lautenschlager has done her job very effectively, holding both the Republican and Democratic leadership to high standards of accountability.
In the case of her own party, she called Doyle out on his atrocious Jobs Creation Act, stating that the act "appears more to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, intended more to eat our citizens' natural resources, clean air and clean water" than create any new jobs. She investigated the Jobs Creation Act and many other bills for possible violations of the state's open records law. She also took action against many state corporations for their violations of public interest and environmental laws.
From the perspective of Doyle and the rest of the Democratic leadership, this isn't good - their own Attorney General actually holds them accountable for their actions, and she also seriously impairs their fundraising capabilities by holding accountable our corporate contributors. So, they decide to use the excuse that Lautenschlager messed up in her personal life (although one local journalist suggested that the Democrats did not worry about the re-electability of Shirley Krug, Frank Boyle, and Russ Decker, all of whom were Democrats cited for drunk driving) and that the Attorney General race is too important and Peg likely can not win.
How low can they get? This is the same question union leaders had in their letter to the Democratic leadership, asking how can the Democrats turn their backs on "the state's most courageous Democratic elected official, a woman who has been nothing but a powerful voice for justice and a passionate, consistent defender of the rights of average Wisconsin citizens?" It was also on the same day Democratic Leaders asked Falk to challenge Lautenschlager that renowned environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called Lautenschlager "the best attorney general in the United States!"
In Falk's campaign announcement, she states that she will fight for environmental protections, for consumer rights and protections, and for criminal justice. It is likely that Falk is very good on these issues. If Falk cared deeply about environmental issues, and the interests of Wisconsin citizens, if Falk had any integrity, she would have challenged Doyle for governor. Instead, she is serving as a tool of the Democratic leadership to undermine and replace Lautenschlager - one of "the best elected official in Wisconsin over the past 4 years."
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