The Sierra Club started running TV ads Tuesday targeting state Sen. and U.S. Senate candidate Bob Welch, R-Redgranite, and his co-sponsorship of the so-called Dirty Water Act.
State Republicans believe the ads are a ploy to increase the re-election chances of U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., in 2004.
\It's ironic that 'Mr. Champion Of Not Using Soft Money,' here on the first day out of season, has a soft money ad paid for by the Sierra Club,"" Welch said.
Brett Hulsey, senior Midwest representative of the Sierra Club, said their ads are independent, adding they made Welch the focus because ""he has been touting"" the issue during his legislative term.
The act, sponsored by Welch and eight other Republicans, would weaken water pollution regulations.
However, Welch said he was not one of the chief authors of the bill and only signed it after seeing it on his desk. He added state Sen. Mary Panzer, R-West Bend, and state Rep. John Gard, R-Peshtigo, are the two legislators most involved with the bill.
""There's no denying the intent,"" Welch said. ""It's ludicrous. [The Sierra Club includes] my mother as a person who will give me money so I will ruin environmental standards. That's ridiculous.""
Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Chris Lato said he thinks it is more than a coincidence that the Sierra Club singled out Welch when the bill had multiple sponsors.
""That's why we're seeing these groups surfacing now doing these lavish ad campaigns that target prospective Republican opponents,"" Lato said. ""This is only going to get worse.""
Kenneth Goldstein, UW-Madison political science professor, said the Sierra Club's ads are legal under the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, adding it is not certain Welch will be Feingold's opponent for the 2004 elections.
Feingold requested the Sierra Club cancel the ads.
Goldstein said he found Feingold's reaction interesting, saying Feingold is sending the message he wants the McCain-Feingold bill to have further restrictions on issues surrounding campaign finance.
He added Feingold did the same thing in 1998 when he was running for re-election and the Democratic Campaign Committee wanted to run soft money ads.
""One of the issues [Feingold has] talked about ad nauseum on his campaign is that influence of so-called independent groups must stop,"" Lato said. ""Russ Feingold, try and put your money where your mouth is.""
Feingold's campaign manager George Aldrich said in a press release the ads are independent and unconnected with the Feingold campaign.
Lato, however, said Feingold still benefits from the ads, because although he can denounce them, Lato said they still help Feingold's campaign.
""We urge people to make up their own minds,"" said Hulsey. ""Go and look at the Web site. Look at the ads. Look at the info. Make your own decision.""
