Uppity Wisconsin

It's time that someone spoke up in favor of money in politics, and it appears that sordid job has fallen to me.

In their zeal to clean up politics, some goo-goos (so-called "good government" groups) have reached the conclusion that any money in a political campaign is bad.

Ah, for the days of Fighting Bob LaFollette, when voters made up their minds by listening to four hour speeches on the street corner.

Those days are gone and won't be back, but don't try to tell it to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign or Common Cause, who seem determined to make every single campaign contribution seem sleazy.

If a donor who gives to multiple candidates accidentally gives a total of $50 more than the overall $10,000 annual limit to candidates, WDC is right there to file a complaint. Like that's somehow about cleaning up politics, rather than it's real goal of getting s cheap headline.

Now the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has gone beyond the pale as well.

Let me just say here, for the record, that I don't condone what's called pay-to-play -- where special interests put money in the slot and legislation they want comes out the bottom.

For ages, it's been no secret that people and groups that want something from a public official may give to his/her campaign, hoping to win influence. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When there is an agreed-upon quid-pro-quo, people go to jail.

Those in a position to write our state budget, especially members of the Joint Finance Committee, have long had a leg up when it comes to fundraising while the budget is being written. Some have actively solicited contributions and held fundraisers; others have simply accepted and cashed the campaign checks.

In an effort to put an end to that, the State Assembly put a rule in place to bar its members from raising money while the budget was under consideration. Well and good.

Today, thanks to a joint effort by the Wis. Democracy Campaign and the state's largest newspaper, we found out who the dirty scoundrels are who violated that rule.

There's Jerry Petrowski (R-Marathon), who received $125 in contributions from people who are on automatic payment plans to make monthly contributions. The chief clerk told him that was OK. Scandalous!

There's Gary Sherman (D-Port Wing), who received one $100 contribution in mid-June. He sold his budget vote pretty cheaply, it would appear.

There's Keith Ripp (R-Lodi), whose campaign treasurer donated $57.80 worth of office supplies. And Ripp is still out walking the streets, a free man!

Finally, my favorite: Kevin Petersen (R-Waupaca), who paid for his campaign phone from his personal account and reported it as monthly in-kind contributions to his campaign during the ban. Good grief! Has he no shame?

The State Senate did not adopt a similar rule, so its members were free to raise money with no fear they would be accused of breaking the rule.

The goo-goos, of course, would like the ban to apply to all elected state officials during the budget. Why should Gov. Doyle be able to raise money duringthe budget process, just because one of the GOP candidates, Scott Walker, is raising $1-million during that time? (No one has suggested challengers can't raise money during the budget.)

While the media and the goo-goos are busy scouring reports to find legislators who paid their own telephone bills, instead of using money donated by some political action committee, Congressman Paul Ryan -- who hasn't had a real race since Fido was a pup -- is quietly amassing $1.3-million in his account, no doubt from people who don't want anything from him.

Maybe one of these days the goo-goos will quit picking nits. But it won't happen as long as their two-bit exposes get media ink.

And that's the way it is, as someone used to say.