I'd like to thank the Dane County Democrats...

...for being so good as to support Peg Lautenschlager.

Lautenschlager's big claim to fame - other than suing the federal government to release Plan B, suing cranberry farmers, suing...well, a lot of other innocent people - is her conviction for drunk driving. Not just any old drunk driving. Drunk driving in a state-owned vehicle. While being the sitting Wisconsin Attorney General.

I thought Dane County would be solidly behind their own County Executive, Kathleen Falk, who - despite no previous law enforcement experience - is challenging Lautenschlager in the Democratic primary.

I guess I was wrong.

Lukewarm reception

Party faithful ask Falk why she's taking on AG

Members of the Dane County Democratic Party didn't turn cartwheels for Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk the same way they did for Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager when she spoke to the group six months ago.

And even though Falk addressed why she is running for Wisconsin attorney general during her 15-minute stump speech before Wednesday night's membership meeting - "Democrats around the state encouraged me to run because this office is just too important to lose" - a number of audience members politely challenged her decision to force a primary in the race.

Richard Russell told Falk she made a good case to run against the Republican candidates but not against an incumbent attorney general who essentially stands for the same things.
...
Falk responded that the party's strongest candidate needs to go up against the Republicans and the primary will determine who that person is.

Second, she said, there needs to be leadership in the attorney general's office on issues of the environment as well as economic and social justice.

Third, she said, was "the practical reality of the vulnerability of my friend and your friend and why Democratic leaders all across the state urged me to run."
...
Afterward, Russell called Falk's response "kind of wishy-washy."

"Basically what she said was that Peg's drunk driving problems would be an electoral liability. I think she needs to hang out at the State Street Halloween party," Russell said, chuckling. "Being drunk in Wisconsin is not that big a problem."

"Being drunk" may not be a problem to most people in Wisconsin, but "drunk driving" is.

If Lautenschlager wins the primary, I can't imagine she'd win the general. Wisconsinites would be crazy to elect her. But then, I've seen stranger things.

Also, "issues of the environment" and "economic and social justice" issues are NOT number one on the list of priorities in the AG's office. I'm all for prosecuting white collar crime. I'm all for prosecuting crime in general. But I'd rather see the meth dealers in Western Wisconsin put away where they can't ruin another life than see a cranberry farmer prosecuted for supposedly violating a watershed requirement.

But, maybe that's just me.