GOP front group launches negative media

Just the other day, Republican operative Brian Fraley was sounding the alarm about negative media campaigns sure to come soon against Mark Green, from those bloated (hence the illustration from his post) left-leaning groups:

I have no confirmation that this will happen. No little birdie chirping in my ear. No deep-background email lurking in the in box. Just a sick feeling...

Enough time has passed since Scott Walker's departure from the Governor's race for the Greater Wisconsin Committee or some other misnamed 'independent' group to start airing television spots to try to peel the bark off of Mark Green.

I know it's early, but a lot of 'swing' voters will take the summer off. They won't pay attention to the political tug of war...

There are six weeks until Memorial Day and I would be shocked if we didn't hear from the shadow groups before then. I would not be surprised to see spots run before May 1st...

Well, Fraley was right. There is a negative, statewide paid media campaign going on the air before May 1, paid for by one of those "shadowy" groups everyone's warning voters about.

The thing is, it's being financed by a right-wing group, and it attacks Jim Doyle, not Mark Green.

The radio ads are paid for by the same people who brought you those tasteful TV spots last summer on the state budget, bashing Doyle by saying he supported programs to help gays and immigrants. Steve King, former state Republican party chair and onetime GOP Senate candidate, is the front man. He's also a co-chair of the Bucher for AG campaign.

And this will susprise you: It distorts Doyle's record. WisPolitics reports:

The 60-second radio ads, paid for by the Coalition for America’s Families, tout a recent report that found Wisconsin’s state and local taxes are seventh-highest in the country and praise Green for “leading a drive to cap all taxes in Wisconsin.” It accuses Doyle “and the teacher’s union in Madison” of “scheming to kill property tax relief.”

The narrator says Doyle has vetoed three property tax “freezes” and doesn’t want to stop taxes from going up; it doesn't mention that Doyle used his veto pen in the last budget to craft his own limits on property taxes.

So, please, no more crocodile tears for the poor conservative candidates who fear their records will be exposed by an issue campaign.

The gloves are off. And let's recall that King and Co. threw down first, way last summer.

UPDATE: News release and script.