For a normally nonpartisan position, the race for attorney general this fall saw an extreme amount of rhetoric flying from both sides. Through the muck, one clear-cut choice emerged: Kathleen Falk.
Simply put, Falk has the experience necessary to be a superb attorney general. Her opponent, J.B. Van Hollen, has no such experience.
The attorney general has 370 distinct duties to perform. Van Hollen maintains that Falk lacks experience because she has never prosecuted a criminal, but he misses the big picture.
Criminal prosecution is just one of the many duties the attorney general performs. In fact, the Legislature puts all responsibilities for prosecution on district attorneys.
Van Hollen's thin resume would be more suited for a district attorney than attorney general. Falk, in contrast, has vast experience perfectly suited for the position.
As assistant attorney general for 14 years, she gained knowledge of the inner-workings of the Department of Justice, even getting in the way of former governor Tommy Thompson on occasion.
Starting in 1997, Falk served as Dane County Executive and managed a budget five times larger than that of the Department of Justice. Her management skills far outweigh those of her opponent.
She promises to fight gangs, solve the crime lab backlog, work toward campaign finance reform and protect Wisconsin's environment from polluters.
The only possible downside to electing Kathleen Falk is her close relationship with Gov. Jim Doyle. Part of the job of the attorney general is to challenge the governor on key issues, and, if Doyle is re-elected, we fear this relationship could facilitate a flippant view of this duty.
Peg Lautenschlager routinely quarreled with the governor, and this helped keep him in check. We hope Falk can continue this tradition. Conversely, if Green is elected governor, we feel Falk will adequately butt heads with the higher-ups.
Kathleen Falk is a strong leader and is more than qualified to be Wisconsin's next attorney general and we urge you to cast your vote for her tomorrow at the polls.
