Robin Makar announced today that she has resigned as campaign treasurer for Julie Pung-Leschke. The Oshkosh Northwestern quotes her as saying, "I'm not resigning to try to hurt Julie, I'm resigning to make a statement about how nasty this process is. I think voters deserve better than that."
Makar, who has been active in opposition to the marriage amendment referendum question that will appear on the November ballot, apparently decided to resign publicly after a group called Wisconsin Family Action mentioned the amendment in a postcard attack ad against Democrat Gordon Hintz. Makar's opposition to the amendment has been in the open (she spoke publicly against it at a UW Oshkosh rally); I was shocked she was able to stay in the Pung-Leschke campaign as long as she did.
The treasurer resigning from the campaign does not change the fact that an awful lot of money is being spent by outside special interests on Leschke's behalf, much of it primarily attacks against Hintz. The Hintz campaign estimates that $130,000 in special interest money has been spent on Leschke's behalf, including:
*Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce: $20,000 in cable TV.
*Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce: $20,000 in radio.
*Wisconsin Home Owners Alliance: $20,000 in TV.
*Wisconsin Home Owners Alliance: $28,000 for 4 district wide mailings.
*All Children Matter (a pro school voucher group based in Michigan): $21,000 for 3 district wide mailings (2 negative, 1 positive).
*Wisconsin Right to Life: $14,000 for 2 district-wide mailings.
*Wisconsin Family Action, Inc.: $7,000 for 1 district-wide mailing.
According to the Hintz campaign: "These totals are estimates based on average rates for TV time political purchases, printing, and mailing costs. Since these groups do not have to disclose their financing, we are not able to know the exact amount being spent."
Senators Ellis (R) and Erpenbach (D) today announced that they would be sponsoring reform legislation to curb the influence of special interest groups that have hijacked campaigns. According to Wispolitics.com:
“Our elections are being hijacked,” Ellis said. “The public is being shoved aside by a few special interests who flood the airwaves with garbage and negative ads. As a result, campaigns become negative and personal. They avoid discussion of the issue that matter to most voters. Even worse, they threaten to turn off voters and endanger democracy.”
“Our bill will once again put the public interest front and center,” said Erpenbach.
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