Free passes all around

Xoff notes today that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel didn't bother to mention that Rep. Mark Green, Republican candidate for governor, has a horrible record on spending and deficits while they were covering his press conference on spending limits for state government. The Wisconsin State Journal didn't bother to mention it either.

To be fair, the paper did not write a glowing puff piece about Rep. Green either. The article comes off more like a fight between Governor Doyle and Rep. Green. The author also didn't Rep. Green a pass on the fact that he is calling for spending limits but didn't mention a single cut he would make if the spending limits were in place.

But why is the press looking the other way while Rep. Green tries to make people believe he is for less spending? Rep. Green and his Republican colleagues controlling Congress have spent more money in the last couple of years than Democrats could have dreamed of spending. Yes, some of it was important new spending on anti-terrorism measures but let's not wrap the flag around this stuff listed by Citizens Against Government Waste in their Congressional Pig Book.

Not only has Rep. Mark Green stood by while the cost of pork in the federal budget went up about thirty percent, he has been unwilling to question when companies like Haliburton walk away with billions of dollars without giving the taxpayers a single service or product. They can't account for billions of dollars and Rep. Mark Green doesn't seem to think that is a big enough problem to demand accountability. Is that someone we want in charge of our state tax dollars?

There is a long way to go in the campaign for governor. I'm hopeful Rep. Green's record will get a complete vetting in the press. The voters deserve no less.