State Rep. Brett Davis, R-Oregon, deserves some credit for speaking out against campaign ads that an outside special interest group are circulating in the 80th Assembly District.
The ads, from a Grand Rapids, Mich., organization called All Children Matter, attack the health care proposals from Davis' challenger, Monroe Democrat John Waelti. There also are similar ads being broadcast on the radio, and a reader told the Times on Wednesday that another group is sending out "issue ad" mailers in the district.
The ads claim Waelti would "give illegal aliens free health care," among other things. Presumably, the claims are made based on Waelti's support for "some version of the previously proposed 'Healthy Wisconsin' plan." They make many of the same misleading and distorted claims about Healthy Wisconsin that Republicans made when Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, unsuccessfully pushed the proposal last year.
Davis, while not specifically addressing the content of the ads, was critical of their existence. He told Times reporters and editors that he didn't think ads from outside special interest groups have any place in local elections like the one between Davis and Waelti.
In a letter to the editor in today's Times, Davis says such ads limit his ability to campaign positively and on the issues.
"Candidates themselves should run on issues and let you decide which person can best serve you," Davis said.
Unfortunately, Davis can't personally ask All Children Matter, or any other outside group, for that matter, to stop the ads. Doing so would violate election law. But he did say publicly that all groups should stay out of the race. He should be commended for that.
If and when Davis faces attacks from outside groups, Waelti would do well to speak similarly.
Davis can set a further example by, if he's re-elected, rejecting future campaign donations from people affiliated with All Children Matter. As recently as June but long before the ads against Waelti surfaced, Davis received campaign contributions from the group's leaders and others affiliated with the organization. Davis thinks those donations mostly were for his support of virtual school legislation earlier this year, and the timing of the contributions seem to coincide with the timing of that effort.
The public also has a responsibility in all of this. That's to examine closely where ads in your mailbox and newspaper or on your radio or television come from. Don't assume the groups and candidates are coordinating their efforts, because by law they can't. Be an informed and engaged voter.
The ads, from a Grand Rapids, Mich., organization called All Children Matter, attack the health care proposals from Davis' challenger, Monroe Democrat John Waelti. There also are similar ads being broadcast on the radio, and a reader told the Times on Wednesday that another group is sending out "issue ad" mailers in the district.
The ads claim Waelti would "give illegal aliens free health care," among other things. Presumably, the claims are made based on Waelti's support for "some version of the previously proposed 'Healthy Wisconsin' plan." They make many of the same misleading and distorted claims about Healthy Wisconsin that Republicans made when Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, unsuccessfully pushed the proposal last year.
Davis, while not specifically addressing the content of the ads, was critical of their existence. He told Times reporters and editors that he didn't think ads from outside special interest groups have any place in local elections like the one between Davis and Waelti.
In a letter to the editor in today's Times, Davis says such ads limit his ability to campaign positively and on the issues.
"Candidates themselves should run on issues and let you decide which person can best serve you," Davis said.
Unfortunately, Davis can't personally ask All Children Matter, or any other outside group, for that matter, to stop the ads. Doing so would violate election law. But he did say publicly that all groups should stay out of the race. He should be commended for that.
If and when Davis faces attacks from outside groups, Waelti would do well to speak similarly.
Davis can set a further example by, if he's re-elected, rejecting future campaign donations from people affiliated with All Children Matter. As recently as June but long before the ads against Waelti surfaced, Davis received campaign contributions from the group's leaders and others affiliated with the organization. Davis thinks those donations mostly were for his support of virtual school legislation earlier this year, and the timing of the contributions seem to coincide with the timing of that effort.
The public also has a responsibility in all of this. That's to examine closely where ads in your mailbox and newspaper or on your radio or television come from. Don't assume the groups and candidates are coordinating their efforts, because by law they can't. Be an informed and engaged voter.
