To me, it is the little things that let voters know whether their representatives believe in the ideals they preach or whether years of playing the political game has corrupted their basic principles. On big and divisive issues, it is easy to grandstand and then go home to your constituents as a lion-hearted defender of some grand utopian ideal. Unknown to the average voter is that like most politicians, lions are actually the scavengers.

In a 2005 interview, Jim Doyle spokesman Dan Leistikow told me a Republican plan to freeze property taxes was flawed because it did not live up to the state's commitment to fund public schools.

"What [state Republicans] want to do is put a freeze on now," Mr. Leistikow said. "They aren't saying if they're going to provide any new money from the state or not."

Gov. Doyle's recent deal with Assembly Speaker John Gard, R-Peshtigo, to increase the amount of publicly funded private school vouchers represents a stark contradiction. Like many politicians who sacrifice their mores for political necessity, he is hoping no one will care enough to notice.

This is how it works: the state of Wisconsin currently has a commitment to provide two-thirds of the funding for public schools. A school district is only allowed to charge property taxes for the amount not covered by state funds. According to the compromise, residents will pay for someone else's kid to attend a private school, as the state is not required to fund two-thirds of a child's private education.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is understandably incredulous about the whole affair. We have a fellow Democrat exposing Wisconsin's liberal stronghold to potential property-tax increases at a time when the governor has declared them frozen. On the other side, there's a firebrand big-government-hating conservative who wants a real property-tax freeze facilitating another tax hike while expanding a bloated government social experiment.

Don't worry about it, Tom. Nobody here is setting you up to be a scapegoat while trying to impress interest groups in their upcoming campaigns. After all, each side has given the Milwaukee mayor assurances that the impact of the vouchers will be considered in state budget negotiations a year from now. And if we know anything about the state budget, it is that each side always lives up to the promises they make.

So what is the difference between Mr. Doyle claiming Republicans shortchange public schools by refusing to guarantee funding now, and telling Tom Barrett he will consider helping Milwaukee pick up the tab later? I don't know about you, but this French toast sandwich with peanut butter and bananas in the middle topped with a warm ironic syrup is the greatest hypocrisy of a breakfast ever conceived. Care for a bite, Mr. Gard? Jim is already full.

I congratulate Mr. Gard for proving once and for all that however bad they are at governing, Republicans are way better at politics. By the time the repercussions of this compromise are evident, Mr. Gard will be out of the state Legislature and in Congress. (With Dick Cheney campaigning for him, how could he lose?!) Meanwhile, Mr. Doyle will have to address state financing issues like this in his re-election campaign.

While some politicians seem ever-willing to compromise an ideal when they believe voters won't figure it out, it's comforting to know Wisconsin has a national representative who refuses to make that sacrifice. In fact, his name has become so synonymous with this idea that you already know who I am talking about.

Sen. Russ Feingold , D-Wis., could have easily accepted the proposed Patriot Act compromise as a victory in defending civil liberties. Like the first Patriot Act, nobody would have read it. Although his filibuster attempt failed miserably (96-3), Mr. Feingold showed his constituents he is committed to his ideals and will not accept compromises that merely give lip service to his concerns. (If only all Democrats would follow this rule.)

As a former voucher student, I understand the value of the program, but as a Milwaukee native, I know that allowing some students to circumvent what is widely believed to be a failing system cannot come at the expense of families who send their children to Wisconsin's public schools.

While I applaud Mr. Doyle for recognizing the value of the program for those involved, his hypocrisy when it comes to funding education is more than evident.

What Gov. Doyle's spokesman should have told The Badger Herald in February last year is that Wisconsin's public schools should not be short-changed unless it becomes a political liability.

What congressional candidate John Gard should tell us is he believes in low taxes only when it doesn't interfere with his pandering to the Christian right. In the words of an anonymous Badgerherald.com commenter, "Huge government Republicans, unite!"

Bassey Etim ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science and journalism.