In infomercial, Green runs from his record

In a half-hour infomercial thinly disguised as Charlie Sykes's "public affairs" show on WTMJ-TV, Rep. Mark Green tried Sunday to run away from his record.

WisPolitics, which covered the 30-minute political program as though it were news, reported:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green on Sunday distanced himself from Washington Republicans on fiscal matters and reiterated his support for a constitutional amendment in Wisconsin to limit taxes...

Green describe himself as a "leader in budget reform" who voted against two-thirds of the appropriation bills that came across his desk. "I'm not afraid to run on my (fiscal) record," Green said.

Although pointing to circumstances like the war in Iraq that has led to increased deficit spending, Green said: ``Clearly we have not done what we need to do or what we can do with respect to spending."

It's nice to hear Green say that he is "not afraid" to run on his record. But he actually is very, very afraid to do that -- as he should be.

As a state legislator in those halcyon days of Gov. Tommy Thompson, Green voted for ballooning budgets that eventually left the state with a $3.2-billion deficit -- one from which Gov. Jim Doyle is still working to dig out.

Green voted for a 13.4% spending increase in one budget alone, and voted to raise gasoline and cigarette taxes, and for a long list of fee increases.

In Congress, where he describes himself as a budget reformer, Green has been a reliable Republican vote 93% of the time, going along with the party line.

Green has supported Bush's massive tax cuts for the richest people in the country, while increasing the federal deficit by $2.4-trillion.
During his time in Congress, Green has helped Bush and Republicans increase federal spending by 45 percent.

When Mark Green does get tight-fisted and slash spending is when it is time to spend money on some programs that actually help people and improve their quality of life.

In an early morning vote on Dec. 19, 2005, Green voted for a Republican five-year budget plan that would cut $41.6 billion in spending, including billions in cuts from Medicare, Medicaid, federal student loans and farm programs. It was estimated to cost state governments $8.4 billion over the next five years to finance welfare-to-work programs.

That's Green's idea of how to cut spending. Take it out of the hides of those who can least afford it.

But while he wants cap state spending and cut local services, he is a major war hawk on Iraq, and supports federal spending of $10 billion a month on a war most people don't support, don't think has made us safer, and don't think Bush is handling well.

Annual war spending in Iraq is set to double since the U.S. invasion, having risen from $48 billion in 2003 to $59 billion in 2004 to $81 billion in 2005 to an anticipated $94 billion in 2006. The administration is now spending nearly $10 billion a month in Iraq and Afghanistan, up from $8.2 billion a year ago.

Green's not the first candidate to try to change his spots. He's going to do and say whatever he thinks people want to hear in his bid to become governor.

The problem for a career politician like Green is that there is a record, and no amount of posturing and rhetoric will make it go away.

Green's going to try to be someone he's not. Doyle and the Democrats can't let him get away with it.

Green will have an opportunity to redeem himself with a flip-flop on another budget proposal that would drastically cut health care, student loans, child care programs and more. A group opposing the cuts is asking Green to sign a pledge.

That's not likely, but given Green's attempt to try to disguise himself as someone he's not, anything is possible.

UPDATE: The Capital Times asks, in an editorial, "...whether it makes sense to invite a man who has been a solid "yes" vote for the Republican spending spree in Washington, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, to come home and lead a move by Republicans to take over all branches of government and impose this D.C. brand of fiscal extremism on Wisconsin."