Dems push back hard on vetoes

Wisconsin Democrats, showing more spunk than they have in some time, have started to fight back against Republican attacks on Gov. Jim Doyle's budget vetoes.

State Chair Joe Wineke, in a release headlined, "Republicans Huddle with Lawyers to Plot $400 Million Property Tax Increase," says the GOP challenge to Doyle's action, if successful, would take $400-million in state aid away from public schools and put it on the backs of property taxpayers.

His point, besides trying to put the Rs on the defensive, is that the game legislative Republicans are playing is not some intellectual pursuit. It could have real, serious consequences -- consequences the GOP might not enjoy defending come election time.

Wineke, who served in both houses of the legislature in a former life, has always liked to mix it up with the other side.

State Sen. Judy Robson, the Dem minority leader, doesn't have that rep. She is more the voice of reason, so her opinion column was a little bit of a surprise:

Legislative Republicans love their lawsuits. Every time they can’t get their way in the legislative arena, they run to the courts.

As soon as Governor Doyle used his veto power to restore enough school funding to freeze property taxes, Republicans started talking about suing. “The Governor illegally increased school funding!” the Republicans wailed. Which begs the question: Who are they looking out for, anyway?

They’re not looking out for property taxpayers. They’re certainly not looking out for schoolchildren. They seem to be looking out only for their special interest friends.

Tough talk from Robson means the Dems aren't going to roll over and play dead on this issue. If the Repubs were successful at undoing Doyle's budget action and taking that money away from the schools, there could be a very high political price to pay. The Rs should be careful what they wish for.