Greater Wisconsin Committee's Bankrollers

Jim Doyle's campaign slime machine, the Greater Wisconsin Committee, is being pulled out of the shadows, at least a little bit.

From WisPolitics:

The Democratic Governors Association sent the Greater Wisconsin Committee $282,000 between May and June of this year, about the time the Dem-leaning group began running a TV ad attacking GOP guv candidate Mark Green for his votes in Congress, according to a report filed with the IRS.

According to the DGA report, the national group received $167,000 from Wisconsin interests in the first half of 2006, including $2,000 from Dem Gov. Jim Doyle's campaign. Other donors include the Wisconsin Education Association Council PAC, the Credit Union National Association, Johnson Controls and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The largest Wisconsin donor was Lynde B. Uihlein, who gave the DGA $100,000 in February.

The DGA donations to the Greater Wisconsin Committee came in May 11 and June 7. GWC began running the anti-Green spot May 22.

GWC executive director Michelle McGrorty declined to answer questions about the money but read a statement saying the DGA is one of "many organizations and individuals that support the work the Greater Wisconsin Committee does. The DGA supports a progressive public policy agenda in Wisconsin. That's what we promote at GWC, and we welcome their support."

Green campaign manager Mark Graul said the IRS information is another example of Doyle's pursuit of special interest money to win the election.

...GWC is not required to report its donors or its expenditures under state law, but the DGA report sheds some light on the organization. The DGA also sent the GWC committee $300,000 last year as it collected $104,000 from Wisconsin donors, according to reports filed with the IRS.

That's what I find so infuriating about the GWC's ads slamming Mark Green for supposedly being owned by special interests.

Doyle's GWC hit squad is fed by special interests, and we know that Doyle is rolling in stacks of casino money.

The DGA donations are just a part of Doyle's dependency on out-of-state contributions.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign reports:

Democratic Governor Jim Doyle raised a record $415,113 from outside Wisconsin in 2005 and surpassed the $1 million mark in total out-of-state campaign contributions since 2002 when he was elected governor, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.

The WDC review found Doyle has raised $1.15 million from out-of-state individuals in four years, from 2002 through 2005, and is only about $42,000 shy of raising more out-of-state contributions than former GOP Governor Tommy Thompson accepted during his last eight years in office – $1.19 million from 1993 through 2000.

OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS!

Compared to Doyle's funds, Mark Green's out-of-state contributions are chump change.

[M]ark Green, raised $117,000 in out-of-state funds since 2002, including $72,163 he accepted from 2002 through 2004 as a congressman and later transferred from his congressional campaign account to his state account to run for governor. Green’s largest annual out-of-state contributions since 2002 came last year – $44,837 – when he formally entered the race for governor.

Enough with the characterization of Mark Green as a special interests lackey!

It's so hypocritcal.

I really think that the Greater Wisconsin Committee should consider a name change.

Perhaps "Jim Doyle's Greater Out-of-State/Special Interests Committee" would be more fitting.

That name is a bit long and awkward, but it's much more aboveboard and honest.