Walker campaign in wonderland

WisPolitics asked the Scott Walker and Mark Green campaigns for gov to give 10 reasons their candidate was better than the other and should win the primary.

My favorite, from the Walker camp:

8) Walker has already beaten the Doyle team. Fearing the looming Walker-Doyle match-up, the governor hand-picked David Reimer, his budget director, to challenge Scott. Bill Christofferson, Doyle's right-hand political strategist, ran the race. Reimer was crushed.

I've read it carefully, and I can only find one true sentence: I did, indeed "run" the race as the general/media consultant for Riemer.

As for the rest: Not a word of truth. They couldn't even spell Riemer right.

Doyle certainly does not "fear" a matchup with Walker. Personally, I think Dems who crossover to vote in the GOP primary next year should give Walker a boost; he's very beatable statewide.

Doyle not only did not "hand pick" Riemer, but did not find out Riemer was running until the night before Riemer told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Riemer, a first-time candidate running against a well-funded incumbent, lost the race. No surprise there. Walker got 57%. Decisive? Yes. Surprising? No. Crushed? Not exactly. It may have been closer if the news media had not been so preoccupied with the mayor's race. The Journal Sentinel didn't report until after the election on Walker's failure to keep his promises on pension reform and his attempt to cover that up and violate the open record law.

Finally, I am not part of the "Doyle team" for 2006, as everyone (except Walker, I guess) has known for a long time. I have retired from candidate campaigns and am focused on issue advocacy. Riemer is a longtime friend, and I helped him a year ago, but have not worked for any candidates since. Walker & Co. have never faced, let alone beaten, the Doyle re-election team, which will be formidable.

But never let the facts get in the way of a spin job.