An objective source

Jessica McBride has a new litmus test for how you tell if a Democrat is a moderate: You ask a conservative.

If it's Jim Doyle you're asking about, you don't just ask any random conservative. Jessica turns to an objective source -- her husband, Paul Bucher, the failed AG candidate.

SATURDAY, Oct. 21, 2006, 10:55 p.m.
Sunday's slanted stories on the governor's race

In big A-1 Sunday stories, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel dubs Jim Doyle a moderate and Mark Green a conservative partisan.

This is typical. Liberals are painted as moderates and Republicans as extremists in the MSM (Russ Feingold, for example, always comes across as sort of a maverick Independent in the media). Many reporters are liberal. To them, liberalism is the norm - the sensible middle. They don't see themselves as extremists, so they see other liberals as moderates too.

See, here's the test: A conservative would never consider Doyle a moderate. Just for kicks, I turned to my husband before I wrote this posting and tested my premise. "Do you think Gov. Doyle is a moderate?" I asked. He started laughing. Most conservatives will probably have the same reaction. I know I did.

These two stories have to be read to be believed. If Doyle himself had written them, they couldn't be any better for him. Painting Doyle as a moderate is a MATTER OF OPINION, not objective reporting. Further, why is Doyle not labeled a partisan, but Green is?

Her hubby, of course, is the guy who is investigating whether Doyle "rigged" the Elections Board vote. The Elections Board, Ethics Board and apparently the Dept. of Justice have determined there were no violations, but Bucher is still "investigating" and no doubt will be until after the election, so the GOP can keep claiming Doyle is under investigation.

So, next time she's wondering whether some Republican is a moderate, I assume she'll ask some objective Democrat, like me. Fair's fair. And no, Paul Bucher is not a moderate.