Acting Alone

You know the Dems' plan for the 2006 elections in local, state, and national races -- run against Tom DeLay and focus on the "Culture of Corruption."

That's going to be very tough for Jim Doyle to do.

Thanks to the guilty verdict in the Georgia Thompson trial, it will be nearly impossible for Doyle to get rid of the stench of corruption permeating his administration and campaign staff.

As a result, the Doyle machine is in full spin cycle.

A letter from Doyle campaign manager Dan Schooff was released in a damage control effort, using Thompson as a scapegoat for Doyle's dirty and corrupt practices.

Thompson is being completely abandoned by Doyle and the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

They are insisting that "she acted alone." They make Thompson sound like Lee Harvey Oswald. In addition to Thompson being cast as a renegade, they are claiming that her crimes are just an isolated incident.

The corruption supposedly stops with Thompson.

Why would we believe that?

To verify such an assertion, further investigation is necessary.

I don't think the verdict is the end of the scandal, although it may be the beginning of the end of Doyle's re-election chances.

That's the big question: Will this impact the governor's race?

Dems certainly hope not. Republicans, however, have legitimate concerns and need to press for further investigation into Doyle's dirty dealings.

That's not political maneuvering. It's simply what needs to be done.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial board has an idea on how to make this all go away.

They call for Doyle to return the tainted money.

Naturally, the board believes that Thompson acted alone and Doyle is blameless. Nonetheless, they admit that "an odor hangs over all this."

In other words, the board thinks that by returning the ill-gotten cash, the air would magically clear for Doyle.

I don't think so. Spraying a room with air freshener doesn't take away unpleasant smells. It masks them, making them sort of less noticeable, if you're lucky. Similarly, the simple act of returning funds doesn't eliminate the air of corruption that engulfs the house of Doyle. It would be a political stunt that wouldn't address the extent of the possible wrongdoing.

The board notes:

Biskupic, an appointee of President Bush, has moved carefully in this politically explosive case. Asked if other Doyle administration officials or others would be targeted, Biskupic demurred, saying, "I don't want people to read too much into it, other that we are trying to be careful in what we do."

How stupid is that? Steven Biskupic is a Bush appointee. So what?

Is that a suggestion that he won't be fair, that he's driven by a "destroy the Dems" agenda?

I don't think Biskupic has done anything to deserve that swipe.

The fact is if Doyle returned the money, nothing would change. The corruption wouldn't go away. It might shift a little here and there, but nothing more.

Never again can Doyle claim to occupy the high ground when it comes to issues of integrity and clean government.

Mark Green and Republicans don't have to create an aura of Dem corruption to challenge Doyle, because it's there. It's real.

Doyle is in a fine mess.

To clean it up, he needs a HAZMAT crew, not air freshener.