WisPolitics Budget Blog

A compelling story, even if factually inaccurate, can be more
emotionally compelling than a dry recitation of the truth.

GOP Strategist Frank Luntz

Can any Republican operative argue this DeLay thing is not a compelling story?

It was recently reported that Delay met with Republican U.S. Senators:

The officials who described DeLay's brief remarks noted that the session, a regularly scheduled weekly lunch, was held under rules of secrecy...

When embattled Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum made statements implying Democrats were behind the Delay vendetta (which they are), the content of the secret meeting was exposed -- counterattack.

But hey, I defer to my favorite Republican, and future Presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich;

"DeLay's problem isn't with the Democrats; DeLay's problem is with the country."

Frank and Newt should get on the same page, after working so closely on the 1994 Contract With America.

The result of this most compelling story is the issue of Who do you trust more, the Republican X or the Democrat Jim Doyle is being taken off the table for 2006.

He said, She said issues don't carry elections.

I suspect with every campaign issue topic, the underlying emotional response will be, Oh yea, do you trust him to do as he says and not be bought-off?

The water, and credibility, is muddy for all candidates - Democrats and Republicans.

Illinois donations to candidates panned
Activist cites investigations of donors, firms
By Steve Walters

Madison - Wisconsin's three candidates for governor have accepted $22,513 from Illinois executives who are charged with crimes or under investigation or whose companies have been investigated - donations that should be returned, the head of a campaign watchdog group said Monday.

Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said his group computed that total because Illinois has had major corruption scandals involving campaign cash, and Illinois is a major source of donations for Wisconsin candidates.