Green too busy to think about ethics

Rep. Mark Green caught a little flak for failing to respond to an ethics survey from three good government groups, or goo-goos, as I prefer.

So Green has "weighed in" on the six questions, the Journal Sentinel reports.

Actually, he sent his ethically-challenged campaign manager, Mark Graul, to explain his positions. Green, he explained, "did not have enough time to fill out the survey" -- which consisted of six yes/no questions. That's a busy man, indeed.

Could it have been that he knew the groups wouldn't like his answers? The JS reports:

[Green] does not support their plan for changing campaign finance laws or creating an independent body to draw legislative districts...

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle supported all of the causes backed by the groups...

As governor, Green would sign a bill that would require the state to ensure congressional and legislative districts are competitive when they are drawn. But Green would not support having a non-partisan agency draw the districts, Graul said. "That's what the Legislature is supposed to do," he said.

Critics say the districts -- drawn every 10 years after the federal census -- are often designed to protect incumbents.

Graul said Green would not embrace the reform groups' ideas about campaign finance reform because they include publicly funding some campaigns. "Congressman Green does not believe taxpayers should be funding politicians' campaigns," he said.

Graul said Green would back banning special-interest donations while the state budget is being written, but said normal citizens should be able to give during that period. He does not support eliminating campaign committees run by legislative leaders, as the groups want.

So Green would prefer the kind of legislative redistricting practiced by his good buddy, mentor and donor Tom DeLay, who went in and gerrymandered Texas House seats. A court ruling agreed that lines can be redrawn more often than every 10 years, so if Green were governor and the GOP controlled both houses of the legislature, you might prepare for some creative, partisan remapping.

And although he poses for holy pictures on campaign finance reform, Green would throw both the baby and the bathwater out because he doesn't like public financing of campaigns.

No wonder he didn't want to answer. Too busy rearranging his sock drawer.

UPDATE: Common Cause says Green stung by criticism.