Commentary Update for October 28, 2002: Litjens/Wyman, Post Crescent Letters, McCallum, Feldman Op-Ed, Wellstone Obits (Palmeri and Rylance)

Dear Friends of Commentary:

As we head into the final week before the all important November 5th elections, Commentary features Michelle Litjens (Winnebago County Republican Party Chair) and Don Wyman (Democratic Party and Labor Union Activist). Mr. Mather and I ask the guests to talk about why they support McCallum/Doyle, Biskupic/Lautenschlager, Lennon/Priebe, Brooks/Hughes, and Underheim/Genisio. The interviews were quite civil and I think Don and Michelle reflected the views of most Democrats and Republicans as regards these races.

Actually, some of the arguments can be found in today's Appleton Post Crescent. Letters from Mike Hert (Republican) and Dick Sampson and Woody Weber (Democrats) give a good sense of the major party thinking in the Fox Valley, at least about the governor's race.

Meanwhile, the Madison press was reporting this weekend that top level Republicans have already given up on McCallum. No sooner had the ink dried on those reports when a UW Milwaukee poll was released today essentially calling the race too close to call. The Doyle camp dismissed the poll results.

Apparently, Doyle is so confident that he doesn't feel he needs to participate in the Tuesday night Wisconsin Public Television forum at 7 p.m. Jim Young, Green Party candidate for Governor, will take part in the forum, as will Ed Thompson and Scott McCallum. Doyle sure is making it easier for people like me to vote for Jim Young!

The New York Times had a great op-ed by Michael Feldman on our state's corrupt politics. Many thanks to the SIX (you know who you are!) people who forwarded this op-ed to me.

Finally, the US Senate lost a great one last Friday in Paul Wellstone. Below are two memorial pieces, one by Dan Rylance written specially for Commentary and one by me.
http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/commentary/rylanceonwellstone.htm
http://www.uwosh.edu/faculty_staff/palmeri/commentary/thankyoupaulwellstone.htm