Jim Doyle's DNC Speech and State's Ethics Code

Jim Doyle's "electrifying" speech last week at the Democratic National Convention may have been in violation of Wisconsin's ethic code.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Gov. Jim Doyle used a state aide to help write his speech before the Democratic National Convention in Denver, a move that may have violated the state's ethics code.

A lawyer for the board that oversees the ethics code said using a state aide to write a speech for a political convention could violate a law that bans using state resources for private gain.

“It’s not state business,” said Jonathan Becker, counsel for the Government Accountability Board. “So if I was having my staff write a speech to read at a political convention, that would be bothersome to me.”

He cautioned that such a speech might not violate the ethics code if it focused on state issues and policy matters rather than partisan attacks.

Becker would not say whether the board is investigating the matter.

Doyle aide Lee Sensenbrenner said he spent a couple of hours working on the speech. He said he and Doyle thought it was appropriate for Sensenbrenner, rather than a Doyle campaign worker, to do the work because Doyle was given a national stage to showcase Wisconsin.

“There are many occasions where he is representing and speaking for Wisconsin,” Sensenbrenner said. “This is part of his duties as governor. . . .

“This is him representing Wisconsin, advancing what he thinks is in the interest of people who live here.”

Doyle was NOT speaking for Wisconsin at the Democratic Convention. He certainly wasn't speaking for me.

He was speaking for his political party and promoting Barack Obama. He was representing Wisconsin Democrats, not the citizens of Wisconsin.

Is that part of his duties as governor of the state?

Will he be "representing and speaking for Wisconsin" at the Republican National Convention?

No? That's not on his schedule? Really?