Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle introduced earlier this month what he heralded a bipartisan triumph in comprehensive ethics reform, drawing charges from key reform Republicans of exaggerated rhetoric and questionable motives.

"This is a bipartisan reform package that will tighten restrictions on lobbying, increase public financing and eliminate fundraising during the budget," Doyle press secretary Melanie Fonder said.

Some Republican lawmakers, however, are charging Doyle's claims of comprehensive and bipartisan reform to be less than sincere — both in terms of misleading the general public and attempting to deflect recent controversy over questionable campaign donations.

"The reforms in the package are good. However, these are already reforms that Republicans have spearheaded in the Legislature, so he's really not introducing anything new," said Christine Mangi, communications director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Additionally, Mangi pointed to the possibility of questionable motives on the governor's part.

"The timing of it is a little suspect in that it seems he's trying to deflect heat away from the current investigation into his administration," Mangi said, referring to the ongoing investigation of Doyle's suspicious contract award to Adelman Travel after receiving campaign donations from the travel agency.

Conversely, the governor's office refutes any charges of wrongdoing.

"Throughout the governor's entire career, one of his strongest beliefs has been the importance of ethics in government, and he is hopeful this bipartisan package will become law," Fonder said.

One specific measure of the ethics-reform package is to prohibit former legislators, governors and gubernatorial appointees from lobbying their respective branches of government for a period of one year after leaving office.

The reform package also aims to push for the final passage of Senate Bill 1, a piece of legislation already granted State Senate approval in November 2005 but still awaiting an Assembly vote. Designed to create greater prosecutorial powers within a newly created Government Accountability Board, SB 1 would combine the state's existing Ethics and Elections Boards.

Additionally, the ethics package would provide 100 percent public funding for State Supreme Court races, a measure many legislative backers believe will help disconnect fundraising from the electoral process.

According to key Democratic supporter, Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, the ethics-reform package is comprised of a number of effective measures, most strongly defined by its measure banning any fundraising during the budget process for challengers and incumbents.

"There's definitely a problem with the public views of state government, currently given the caucus scandals and everything else," Pocan said. "This would go a long way, I think, to restore some of that confidence."

While some see the proposed ethics-reform package as a bipartisan success, others are expressing doubt and disappointment, which they say indicates the governor's statements of comprehensive reform may not be as honest as originally suggested.

"The one glaring omission in this proposal is that it doesn't address campaign fundraising by candidates for governor or by legislative candidates. It only addresses the Supreme Court," Common Cause in Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck said. "The corruption in Wisconsin politics is not in Supreme Court races — it's in the Legislature and it's in raising money to run for governor."

Heck added that Common Cause, though supportive of each specific measure of the ethics-reform package, is not convinced the individual parts make up the measure the governor claims, namely by excluding regulations on his own executive position's fundraising.

"[The proposed package] doesn't address the real problem, which is this perceived need to raise $12 to $14 million to run for governor — the reason why Doyle's in trouble," Heck said. "It almost suggests that what Doyle is saying is, 'Well, we need to reform others, but I don't need to reform anything I'm doing.'"

According to Heck, such a lack of gubernatorial election reform is not limited to Doyle. Heck said two Republican candidates for the governor's office, Scott Walker and U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., have both demonstrated little leadership in reform.

"This is not an attack on Doyle by Common Cause," Heck said. "None of the candidates for governor are really addressing what the problem is."