WisPolitics Budget Blog

Charlie has only a slightly better batting average than Mark Belling in predicting races that are not in his immediate backyard, yet his insight into issues that will impact races is dead-on.

His radio show serves as a giant town hall meeting (as are blogs) so his ability to ID issues presents itself. However, some issues are not really issues until seen in their entirty, and here is where Charlie is deeply insightful.

On their own, Med-mal, product liabilty, or zealous litigation are not sexy campaign issues, like, say, TABOR. But replace the or with an and, and now we have the governing character of the Doyle Administration.

Charlie Sykes
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9, 2005, 7:32 a.m.
FLASHBACK: SLEEPER ISSUE

Back in August, I wrote this:
Expect the Legislature to address the problem this fall, with a package of bills addressing the court decisions on malpractice, product liability, and punitive damages.

That, in turn, will force to Doyle to choose between his buddies in the trial lawyer lobby and the state's business community. It's likely he's already made the choice.

"This could be the issue," says one insider, "that causes business to finalize its divorce from this governor."

It would take only one major company, ala Kimberly-Clark, announcing that it is leaving to transform the political landscape and the 2006 campaign.