The Mark Green, Scott Walker dichotomy

Mark Green and Scott Walker both issued responses to Governor Doyle's illogical veto of concealed carry late last week. (Actually, in the former candidate's case, the expected veto, which is perfectly reasonable considering that Mr. Doyle managed to save this news until as late as possible in the 11th hour. I'm starting to appreciate that Wisconsin isn't a death penalty state since, given this tactic of the governor's, you'd have to wonder how many pardons and commutations would fall into the Alanis Morissette horror of “two minutes too late.”)

And while both GOP candidates wisely beat up on Mr. Doyle for this reckless veto, the distinction between the two is remarkable. Mr. Green issues a sharp, informed policy statement that shows a certain relationship with the electorate. Mr. Walker, conversely, chooses to fight his battle on the governor's inept set of terms.

Consider Mr. Green's statement first:

Forty-six states trust their citizens with the right to carry a firearm to protect themselves and the people they love from harm. Clearly, Jim Doyle doesn't believe law-abiding Wisconsinites can handle this responsibility. I couldn't disagree more.

Our streets and our communities will be safer if criminals know they're not the only one with a gun. Governor Doyle can make all the excuses he wants for his veto, but when you get right down to it, he doesn't trust the people of Wisconsin. Is it any wonder so many don't trust him?

He identifies the two critical issues: criminals will have guns regardless of this legislation, and law-abiding Wisconsinites are certainly capable of bearing the same responsibilities entrusted to the residents of nearly every other state in the union.

This is a smart, simple, honest and decent argument for concealed carry and, implicitly, against Mr. Doyle's disturbing veto. Unfortunately, Mr. Walker seems incapable of making a similarly intelligent presentation. In his blog, he writes:

Governor Jim Doyle vetoed the Personal Protection Act on Friday night. His statement said:

The bill does not create a single job, help a single Wisconsin citizen afford health care, or improve schools for a single Wisconsin child,” Doyle said in a statement. “The Legislature should spend more time trying to get jobs into our communities instead of more guns.”

First, government does not create jobs, the private sector does. Doyle has no plan to address the largest factor hurting our ability to attract more jobs to this state - our tax climate.

Second, he vetoed legislation to help provide affordable health care options to employees of small and mid-size businesses and farmers when he vetoed the repeal of the state tax on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

Third, he vetoed legislation to lift the cap on the school choice program THREE times. This may cause some 4,000 kids not to be able to attend the school of their choice next year.

Finally, on the issue of safety. Our neighbors to the west - Minnesota - passed a similar law more than four years ago. They have a similar population. How many people in that state have committed a crime with a firearm who had a permit to carry? ONE.

How many people who once thought about attacking another person in that state now will not because they are afraid that person might be legally carrying a firearm to protect themselves and their families? LIMITLESS NUMBERS.

Doyle needs to look at the facts and not his liberal talking notes.

What does Mr. Walker do first? Rather than merely mocking the ludicrous rationale provided by Mr. Doyle, he actually engages it. Make no mistake, any language dedicated to this absurdity is rhetoric expended on Mr. Doyle's own turf. And Mr. Walker doesn't just address this initial point but, indeed, a whole trifecta of arguments – using the vast majority of his message to speak to the wild tangent of anti-logic employed by Mr. Doyle. It is only at the very end that Mr. Walker gets around to the obvious point, and by then it is nearly an afterthought.

Now, don't get me wrong, there is plenty of cause to mock the governor for this absurd statement. I certainly enjoyed doing it on this very blog.

But Mr. Walker is a candidate for the State House. In a governor, the voters need to know what they are getting – not just how the candidate is different from the status quo. Congressional Democrats have continuously humiliated themselves by having no agenda of their own, merely a “We're not Republicans” message. The American people reject this because they want substance.

And so the juxtaposition is clear. In Mr. Green there is a candidate rife with substance – a clear, concise comment on why concealed carry is necessary and how this state would handle such meaningful legislation. In Mr. Walker, there is a rambling reminder that what he stands for – above all else – is not being Mr. Doyle.

While that certainly is an admirable trait, the people of Wisconsin deserve more. And that is precisely what Mr. Green is offering.