I am referring to the startling public declarationby Jim KlauserRepublican Party heavyweight and former Gov. Tommy Thompson'shatchet manthat henceforth establishment Republicans like himself will embraceonly positive campaigns.
Klauser's announcement came in a letter to formerCongressman Mark Neumann, a Republican Klauser has supported in previouselection campaigns.
In fact, Klauser was one of Neumann's first big-namesupporters in Neumann's current campaign for the Republican nomination forgovernor. Klauser contributed $10,000 and lent his name to fund-raisingefforts.
Then, last week, Klauser suddenly declared himself“aghast” to learn that Neumann was a negative campaigner.
“Now I see you are holding press conferences toattack your primary opponent,” Klauser wrote in an open letter to Neumann. “Asa math teacher you know that your criticism is contrived. All this for mediaattention; to mislead the voters.
“My dad always told me to sell myself; not to knockdown the other fellow. I expect yours did as well,” he continued. “You're notfollowing that sage guidance.”
Klauser concluded by advising Neumann to get out ofthe governor's race “before your integrity is permanently besmirched.” And heasked for his $10,000 back.
Klauser's surprise at learning Neumann would run anegative campaign ranks right up there with CasablancaPolice Captain Renault's famous quote about being “shocked, shocked” tolearn gambling was going on in Rick's Cafe.
After five campaignstwo successful and threeunsuccessful, Klauser notesNeumann has honed negative campaigning into highart.
In 1998, when he was running against Wisconsin Sen.Russ Feingold, during a publicly televised debate Neumann actually made a youngfemale college student cry when he attacked her for asking a challenging question.
A GOP Tradition
Besides, as Hank Williams Jr. might say, negativecampaigning by Republicanslike alcoholism in country musicis a familytradition.
This is the same party that routinely attacksPresident Barack Obama, who regularly disappoints his most liberal supportersby moving to the political center, as some kind of radical, socialist, fascistMuslimcombining as many scary epithets of hatred as possible.
PolitiFact, theSt. PetersburgTimes'Pulitzer-Prize-winning fact-checking website, named Republican Sarah Palin'sclaim that Obama's health care reform would set up death panels to decide whichsenior citizens should live or die as its “Lie of the Year.”
Republicans are absolutely shameless in continuingto repeat absurd fabrications after they've been clearly refuted, such as theconspiracy by Hawaiian state officials back in 1961 to falsify infant BarackObama's birth certificate in order to infiltrate a foreign-born, radical,socialist, fascist Muslim into the U.S. presidency.
In Wisconsin, the most brazen lie perpetuated byRepublicansoften with unquestioned acceptance by the mediais that the stateis a “tax hell,” a business-crippling disaster that's gotten worse as a resultof tax-and-spend policies of Democrats such as Gov. Jim Doyle and MilwaukeeMayor Tom Barrett, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
In fact, a couple of months ago the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examined theactual numbers and determined that Wisconsin's total state and local tax burdenis now lower than it has been since 1962, nearly half a century ago.
The total tax burden under Doyle is lower than ithas been under any governorRepublican or Democratsince the late DemocraticSen. Gaylord Nelson was governor from 1958 to 1962.
Compared to other states, when fees in addition totaxes are included, total government spending in Wisconsin is now squarely in the middle,ranking 26th out of the 50 states. Do we really want to race to the very bottomin education and government services?
Don't expect Republicans to mention those favorabletax statistics in the upcoming governor's race despite Klauser's newlydiscovered attraction to positive campaigns.
What really offends Klauser about negative campaignsis when they are used against Republicans.
Like many other party insiders, Klauser has nowdecided to support Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker for the Republicangubernatorial nomination.
But just like so many of those problematic tea partycandidates around the country who runand sometimes winRepublican primarieswith wacky views that make them difficult to elect in November, Neumann hasdeclined to step aside for the anointed party candidate.
Even worse, Neumann negatively points out thatalthough Walkermakes a show of submitting a no-tax-increase budget every year, taxes havecontinued to go up every year but one since he's been county executive.
That's pretty mild when it comes to negativeRepublican campaigning. It doesn't even include any lying or name-calling orsigns with Walkermade up to resemble Adolf Hitler.
But this fall we're all looking forward to thebrand-new, positive Republican Party that doesn't try to mislead voters orknock down the other fellow.
