The second shoe

Jim Doyle gets both Madison papers, a rare feat. Today's Capital Times:

Editorial: Doyle for governor

Over the past four years, no governor in the United States has more consistently and effectively challenged the agenda of the Bush administration, its congressional allies and their amen corner in the state legislatures than Wisconsin's Jim Doyle.

When the Bush administration and its allies in Congress began to erect barriers to meaningful stem cell research, Doyle developed a $750 million strategy to ensure that Wisconsin would continue to lead not only in stem cell research, but biotechnology, biomedical and health sciences research.

When the Bush administration and its allies in Congress sold out prescription drug policy to the big pharmaceutical companies, Doyle established a pioneering Web site to help Wisconsinites learn how to fill their prescriptions through Canadian pharmacies safely and at a fraction of the cost.

When the Bush administration and its allies in Congress sold out energy policy to the big oil companies, Doyle doubled Wisconsin's commitment to heating assistance for low-income families and took steps to make tens of thousands of additional families eligible for state aid to help pay skyrocketing home heating bills.

When the Bush administration and its allies in Congress refused to increase the minimum wage, Doyle overcame legislative opposition and hiked Wisconsin wages.

When Republican legislators attempted to undermine grass-roots democracy in Wisconsin by dramatically restricting the ability of local elected officials to create budgets designed to meet the needs of their communities, Doyle vetoed the measure.

When Republican legislators sought to overturn a state Supreme Court ruling protecting rights of victims of corporate wrongdoing to seek fair compensation for their pain and suffering, Doyle vetoed the legislation.

When Republican and Democratic legislators voted for a mean-spirited "marriage" bill that was designed to exploit stereotypes and enshrine discrimination against gay and lesbian couples and families, Doyle vetoed the bill.

When Republican and Democratic legislators voted for legislation that would have made it possible to carry concealed weapons into public spaces despite the fact that the legislation was opposed by public safety, domestic violence and community groups across the state Doyle vetoed the proposed law.

Reading a list like this one makes it sound like Doyle has been a perfect governor. Unfortunately, that's not the case. As readers of this newspaper know, we have disagreed bitterly with his moves on tax policy and business regulation.

We think he should be far more supportive of Wisconsin's best-in-the-nation state employees. And we fear that he has taken too many bad lessons on ethics and campaign finance from one of his predecessors, Tommy Thompson. On many of these issues, we like what Green Party nominee Nelson Eisman has to say.

But the close race for governor is not between Doyle and Eisman. It is between Doyle and U.S. Rep. Mark Green, a Green Bay Republican who gave unquestioning support to the Bush administration on every one of the issues listed above and who would have signed every piece of legislation that Doyle vetoed.

The choice is a stark one. And, as such, it is easily made.

Voting to re-elect Jim Doyle as governor is not merely the wise choice. It is essential if Wisconsin is to resist the most dangerous policies of the Republican right, which neither understands nor respects Wisconsin values.