Green gets a pass on spending record

Lest you think that the Journal Sentinel will hold candidates accountable for their records as well as there rhetoric, this morning's story on Mark Green's tax stance should disabuse you of those silly notions.

Green, of course, is a big-time hypocrite when it comes to taxes and spending, having voted to roll up huge state and federal deficits during his time in the legislature and Congress.

The Democratic Party detailed Green's big-spending record in a release on Monday, and I was encouraged to see that Greg Borowski mentioned it prominently in the second paragraph of his story on Green:

But Democrats slammed Green's record on taxes in Congress, and Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle said a no-growth budget like the one Green proposed would force major cuts in state programs to make up for rising costs.

But the only other mention it gets is in the 27th and last paragraph of the story.

To be sure, there is some back and forth between Green and Doyle in the story. But Green's record is written off, apparently, as irrelevant.

Then there's this gratutitous editorial comment from Borowski, after noting that the state's high-tax ranking has dropped since Doyle became governor:

While the rankings make for good rhetoric, tax-weary residents are more focused on the bottom line for their wallets.

Thanks for that insight, Greg.

UPDATE: Carrie Lynch says Green gets a pass in State Journal coverage, too.

UPDATE 2: Grumps predicts a fun summer "As long as Mark Green is running against his record and his supporters keep saying we should just try to believe a little harder."