Rock. Mark Green. Hard place. That is where gubernatorial hopeful Mark Green finds himself two months from the November election and his image in the media will pay as a result.
The state Elections Board ruled Aug. 30 that Green had to return nearly $468,000 in PAC contributions converted from his federal to his state campaign fund, which would further widen the money gap between Green and incumbent Gov. Jim Doyle.
Now, Green has chosen to take this issue to court by officially appealing the decision. This is the wrong choice because it does nothing but highlight his own questionable ethics, something he does not want voters focusing on.
State law is very clear with regards to transferring funds from federal to state accounts. On the books since 1974, the law says PACs must be registered in Wisconsin in order to contribute to a candidate. This case was affirmed in 1977 and again in 2000. The money Green transferred came from PACs not registered in Wisconsin.
So what is Green complaining about? Well, the Elections Board hasn't exactly been clear in its interpretation of the law.
In 2002, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, then running for governor, made a similar transfer and the board unanimously agreed to allow it. The Green case reversed precedent and immediately the Green team bellowed cries of partisanship and cronyism.
""It shows a campaign that is desperate,"" said Green. ""Jim Doyle has introduced corruption into the Elections Board.""
Using this issue to parlay accusations of partisanship is not a good idea. Not only are voters sick of hearing the word ""partisan"" because ethical lapses seem so common these days, but also, the facts speak for themselves.
The only Libertarian member of the board actually led the charge to force Green to return the money. He was not on the board four years ago and would have likely made the same decision in the Barrett case.
Also, as Joe Wineke, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, points out in a Sept. 5 Op/Ed on Wisopinion.com: ""The original complaint with the Elections Board was filed by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a non-partisan campaign watchdog group ... And the ruling has been supported by Comman Cause Wisconsin, another non-partisan group.""
By all accounts it seems as though it was not the work of Democratic cronies, and appealing the non-partisan decision will severely hurt Green.
With all the talk of ethics problems in government, the Elections Board finally decided to enforce the law. This decision is a message to Wisconsin politicians that enough is enough; the decision is not a political ploy to hurt Mark Green.
If Green really wants a chance to win the election, he needs to consider how he is portrayed in the media.
With existing connections to Tom DeLay, drug companies and Big Oil, refusing to return this illegal money just adds to his already tarnished image.
It takes the focus off his opponent's own questionable ethics, something UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin warns against.
""What Mark Green needs to do is keep the advantage on this issue versus Doyle,"" Franklin said.
By appealing the decision, Green puts the focus back on his own ultra-conservative, ethically-challenged self. In fact, Doyle released an ad yesterday already criticizing Green's decision.
He should return the money, not only because it is the right thing to do and follows the law, but because it puts off an ethical image, which Doyle seems to lack, in a political world starved for just that. That image may not be reality, but I am sure it would convince a few.
