Green Campaign Proposal

Press conference is going on right now.

Smart political move.

Policy wise, I dislike the spending limits. But the press damn well better applaud it. They applauded Neumann-Feingold's agreement years ago.

Don't hold your breath, though, if you are hoping Green will receive an even break from the MSM.

Walker Supports Green – Ends GOP Primary

Green starts off general election by calling for clean campaign and spending limits – wants a campaign “the people of Wisconsin deserve.”

WEST ALLIS – In a show of unity, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker joined Republican gubernatorial candidate Congressman Mark Green and other GOP officials at a joint press conference in West Allis Monday afternoon.

“Mark Green shares my commitment to lower taxes and higher standards. He’s a proven common sense conservative leader, and he’s going to make a great governor,” said Walker. “I’mproud to support him, and look forward to working with him to restore integrity and fiscal responsibility to Madison.”

Green heaped praise upon Walker, calling him a “leader of a movement,” and said he was certain both of them would serve as governor in the future.

“Scott’s campaign and my campaign have always had the same goal – to give the good people of the state of Wisconsin a governor who shares their values and their priorities,” said Green.

“Thanks to Scott’s selfless act, we are now closer to achieving just that goal. And, as I told him,we are not going to let him down.”

With the primary ended, Green used the occasion to challenge incumbent Governor Jim Doyle to agree to a “clean campaign pledge” that includes spending limits and restrictions on attack ads by independent organizations. Green said there are more than enough issue-based differences between him and Doyle that neither camp should “resort to personal attacks and distortions of the truth.”

“Jim Doyle and I disagree on the Taxpayers Protection Amendment, we disagree on lawsuit reform, we disagree on education reform, we disagree on the perpetual gaming compacts, we disagree on requiring a photo ID to vote, we disagree on the death penalty and we disagree on law-abiding citizens’ right to use a firearm to protect themselves and the people they love,” said Green. “And that just touches on a few of the differences between Jim Doyle and I – voters should be able make their choice based on those issues, not mudslinging.”

Under the terms of Green’s “clean campaign pledge” he and Doyle would agree to:

• Limit spending in the race to $5,536,200 – that’s $1 for every man, woman and child in Wisconsin.
• Request that independent organizations refrain from running negative attack ads aimed at defeating either one of the candidates.
• Each candidate would agree to publicly repudiate any attack ad aired against their opponent by an independent group.
• Each candidate would also agree to reduce their spending limit by the costs of the advertising associated with a negative independent attack against their opponent.

“More than any election in recent history, we have an obligation to set a higher standard for the conduct of our campaign,” Green wrote in a letter to Doyle. “Committing ourselves to reducing the amount of money involved in the governor’s race and keeping to an issue-oriented debate will demonstrate to the public that we are sincere in our efforts to restore their faith in their elected leaders. Wisconsinites deserve no less.”

In October of 2002, then-candidate Doyle called for a clean campaign pledge when that year’s race for governor had become what many described as the most negative campaign in state history. More recently, Doyle said in a January 8, 2006 Appleton Post-Crescent article that he would agree to clean campaign pledge.

“During your 2002 run for governor, you called for a clean campaign pledge in October of that year because the tone of that campaign had became so overwhelmingly negative. Political pundits are already predicting our race will follow the same path,” Green wrote. “Let’s prove them wrong. Let’s take action today to ensure the 2006 campaign for governor meets the high standards and ideals of the office which week seek.”

Green said he realizes neither candidate can stop an independent group from airing negative ads, but he believes the spending limit and the corresponding reduction to that limit for independent attack ads will have a strong effect, writing “those who think they are ‘helping’ us will know their actions will have a detrimental impact on our campaigns.”

“Governor Doyle, let’s give the people of Wisconsin the kind of campaign they deserve,” Green wrote. “Instead of negative ads and nasty rhetoric, let’s focus on our differences of opinion on important issues. You and I offer voters real choices – and that is what we should spend the next seven months discussing.”