Sorting out the governor's race: Spencer Black vs. Mike Ellis?

State Rep. Spencer Black, the Madison Democrat who says he's being encouraged to run for governor as an independent, sounds like someone who is a long ways from doing that.

The Capital Times reported Thursday that some unidentified liberals, unhappy with Gov. Jim Doyle, had asked Black to run, and he was considering it. I predicted that Black was smarter than that -- and too good a Democrat -- and would not want to help elect a Republican governor by taking votes from Doyle.

Friday's Wisconsin State Journal reports:

"Black acknowledged any move against his fellow Madison Democrat could hand Republicans a political wedge they could use to regain the governor's office in 2006, a critical factor he said he needs to consider.

"I need to ask, 'What is the best way to advance the causes and issues I'm concerned about?' " Black said. "I'm not at all convinced that running for governor is the best way to do that."

Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, whose core constituency is many of the same liberals who think Doyle is too moderate, also spoke up.

Lawton said Democrats' top priority should be to take back some legislative seats. Republicans control the Senate 19-14 and the Assembly 60-33.

"Both (Black) and we would be in a far better position to govern well if we had a whole group of legislators like him," said Lawton, who praised Black for advocating for stronger environmental protection, collective bargaining rights and women's reproductive rights.

Meanwhile, some moderate Republicans (Didn't think there were any, did you?) are telling State Sen. Mike Ellis of Neenah that he should run for governor. Bob Williams and Bill Kraus, who engineered the stunning Lee Dreyfus upset in 1978, think Ellis is the kind of candidate who could do it. Even Ed Garvey and Mike McCabe, who don't like anybody very much, said good things about Ellis. Isthmus Editor Marc Eisen promotes the idea in a column.

YESTERDAY'S XOFF POST: "Dissident lefties look for spoiler to run against Doyle as independent."

UPDATE: Conservative blogger Dennis York is having none of this Ellis for governor talk. Read his post, "Mr.Irrelevant: Mike Ellis Battles Oblivion."