Tommy Thompson, it would seem, doesn't really know what to do with himself these days. After his four-year stint as a Bush crony (seriously: does anyone know why he was selected as the Secretary of Health and Human Services?), the last year has seen Thompson on constant parade, dispensing ambiguous answers to specific questions concerning his political ambitions. Recently, the former Wisconsin governor has driven both Democrats and Republicans crazy by leaving open his option to run for either Herb Kohl's U.S. Senate seat or — surprise — the governorship in 2006.
The possibility Thompson will throw his hat into the gubernatorial race has not been the only twist in the current contest for Wisconsin's top job. About three weeks ago, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker dropped out of the Republican primary, seemingly paving the way for Rep. Mark Green to take on Gov. Jim Doyle this fall. Considering the nature of Wisconsin's state Legislature, the idea of any Republican living in the governor's mansion is a scary one. Now, with Tommy Thompson contemplating a run, residents of Wisconsin might be forced to choose Doyle's opponent from a regrettable field of two.
For the past few years, Gov. Jim Doyle has essentially been held hostage by legislators unconcerned with the well-being of their constituents and hell-bent on imposing their radical ideology statewide. Doyle's veto pen has repeatedly saved Wisconsinites, as Republicans in the state Assembly and Senate have wasted time and money on the extreme and unproductive: concealed carry and the constitutional redefinition of marriage; the detrimental: a taxpayer bill of rights and medical malpractice caps; and the downright ludicrous: renaming U.S. highway 14 as the "Ronald Reagan Highway." Given the current mentality at the Capitol, if either Tommy Thompson or Mark Green becomes governor, one can expect common sense will soon face the death penalty — that is, if the recent Republican initiative to restore said penalty succeeds.
Portraying himself as an advocate of limited government, Tommy Thompson governs in a manner that blatantly contradicts his rhetoric. During his 14-year tenure as governor of Wisconsin, both state spending and taxation doubled. Further, his criticism of Gov. Doyle — he described the current administration to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as awful; literally spelling the word out — as fiscally irresponsible, is misdirected. It was Thompson himself (with the aid of his immediate successor, Scott McCallum — not a man to shy away from state-funded, recreational travel) who created the $3.2 billion deficit that Jim Doyle has since cleaned up.
Sadly, despite his poor record, when faced with the Republican alternative, Tommy Thompson actually looks quite favorable.
Rep. Mark Green could be summed up in one word: extreme. In fact, the congressman's radical crusade has earned him the befitting nickname, 'Extreme Green.' Since his arrival in Washington eight years ago, Mark Green's commitment to constituents has been questionable, but his allegiance to the fundamental faction of his party has never wavered. Green's voting history includes extremes such as support for eliminating $12 billion of student aid, opposition to stem-cell research, and even an attempt to end government funding for PBS. The very thought of Mark Green presiding over Wisconsin's ultra-conservative Legislature is enough to send shivers down the spine.
Should Mark Green survive the GOP primary, Wisconsinites could at least expect a comical gubernatorial race. The congressman is running a campaign supposedly based on ethics, aligning with his accusations of an unethical Doyle administration. In reality, Green's own ethics far from match his self-righteousness.
Mark Green's character is best exemplified by his legislative history on military issues. While he is hardly shy about showcasing his patriotism, Green — a hawk on Iraq — has voted repeatedly against measures to expand health care and job assistance for military personnel. As if that were not enough to exhibit his concept of 'ethics,' the Congressman refuses to return $30,000 given to him by corrupt, soon-to-be-former Congressman Tom DeLay. At least DeLay can be credited for knowing when to call it quits, rather than seeking a higher office, as Green is doing.
Looking beyond the obvious dangers of electing either Mark Green or Tommy Thompson, Wisconsinites must appreciate their opportunity to re-elect Jim Doyle.
Since his inauguration, Gov. Doyle has transcended the ideologically driven agenda of the Legislature and concentrated on the people's priorities. In accordance with his focus on eliminating the aforementioned $3.2 billion deficit left by his Republican predecessors, Doyle has demonstrated true fiscal responsibility through initiatives such as auctioning $670 million worth of the state transportation fleet — an auction including some of the planes that used to take Scott McCallum and his family on vacation. Further, unlike his potential opponents, whose campaigns would likely be based solely on radical rhetoric, the governor is the only 2006 candidate with a productive agenda for Wisconsin. Doyle has pledged to address issues such as health care, jobs, education and energy, via programs the likes of 'FamilyCare,' 'Grow Wisconsin,' 'Wisconsin Covenant' and 'Conserve Wisconsin,' respectively.
The people of Wisconsin face a 2006 gubernatorial election of unprecedented importance. Citizens of the state will have a chance to either vote for a moderate, reasonable candidate devoted to their well-being, or throw their fate to the wind and elect a dangerous ideologue capable of sending Wisconsin into a downward spiral of extreme legislation and fiscal chaos.
Nobody really knows whether Tommy Thompson will enter the race for governor, but the issue is an irrelevant one. Unless the people of Wisconsin re-elect Jim Doyle this November, you can expect conditions in the state to deteriorate rapidly.
Rob Rossmeissl ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism and political science.
