Before the primary, a popular analysis of the second congressional district election was that Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, would have some amount of trouble in the general election if Phil Alfonsi, a real estate broker from Waunakee, won the Republican nomination. However, if Alfonsi were to be defeated by Ron Greer, then Baldwin would easily win a third term.
This, all things considered, was a reasonable prediction. For one thing, redistricting gave the second district a sizable chunk of additional Democratic territory. As such, any Republican would face an uphill struggle to unseat a popular incumbent with a reasonably solid record. And yet, Alfonsi did possess the ability to overcome this deficit by presenting himself to voters as a reasonable conservative who could back up his positions'not with heated rhetoric, but with sound arguments. However, if Greer won, the opportunity to provide a moderate, rational alternative to Baldwin would be gone, primarily because of the fact that Greer's main claim to fame is his thinly veiled hatred for homosexuals.
This last item requires some explanation, especially for those who are new to town. Greer, an evangelical minister, served as a firefighter for the Madison Fire Department for 17 years. During that time, he compiled a lengthy disciplinary record. But Greer started to rack up the disciplinary frequent-flyer miles in 1996, when Debra Amesqua was appointed as the new chief of the Madison Fire Department. While Amesqua has never publicly disclosed her sexual orientation, Greer claimed that she was a lesbian. For that reason, among others, he staged a vehement and sustained protest of her installment.
After a public protest at Amesqua's swearing-in, he distributed a series of anti-homosexual leaflets at MFD firehouses. Finally, in April 1997, he publicly accused Amesqua of showing favorable treatment to a MFD training officer who, Greer claimed, was also a lesbian. (Like Amesqua, the officer has not publicly disclosed her orientation.) This accusation was the last straw. After a year-long disciplinary proceeding, the Madison Police and Fire Commission fired Greer. This led to a failed civil rights lawsuit and a failed run for Congress in 1998.
(This condensed account of Greer's activities is largely based on a description contained within the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals opinion in Greer v. Amesqua. The opinion can be found in the law books at 212 F.3d 358. Speak with your favorite reference librarian if you have trouble finding the case.)
Therefore, if the political analysis held, Baldwin was set for an easy ride after Greer's primary victory. However, despite his reputation, Greer's campaign has presented a somewhat thoughtful description of his conservatism. If he can successfully evade his past and present a well-reasoned alternative to Baldwin's progressive record, an upset is not impossible, though still unlikely. And if Baldwin were to vote against an invasion of Iraq, all bets would be off.
The plot thickened Friday, as Baldwin announced that she would oppose any congressional authorization of an invasion. This announcement bucks the generally accepted view that Democrats would do best to focus on the domestic issues that they have habitually addressed in the past decade'issues like the economy, the environment, education, Social Security and health care. On these topics, Democrats nationally still have a significant public opinion advantage over their Republican opponents.
And yet, Baldwin's decision to directly address the Iraq issue makes sense. For one thing, it is probably a good idea to declare her opposition at this point, rather than two or three weeks from now. This way, her campaign could concentrate on dealing with any backlash from invasion supporters now, and thereby use the last few weeks of the campaign for a detailed exposition of her record on core Democratic issues. Moreover, Baldwin's announcement would serve to motivate her liberal base and to display the courage and backbone that most voters like to see in their elected representatives.
Baldwin's opposition to the invasion plan is no surprise. But Greer's response was, in light of his apparent campaign strategy, rather curious. In a press release, he said that \Ms. Baldwin's extreme leftist views and her failure to support America's war on terrorism is an embarrassment to the voters of the second district.""
One can say what one likes about Greer's sentiments. Personally, I think he is flat wrong, as an invasion could stretch our resources to the limit, while possibly having the unintended consequence of enraging the Islamic world and inspiring some radicals to plot another attack on American soil. But leave that critique of Greer's standpoint to the side.
Consider, instead, whether or not Greer ought to be using terms like ""extreme"" or ""embarrassment"" in his criticisms of Baldwin. His past actions show, with total clarity, that he has absolutely no call to use those words in reference to anyone. And his fiery rhetoric may serve to resurrect the past that he desperately wants voters to ignore.
