RILEY - PLALE TO DEBATE ON WEDNESDAY -- But What's Left to Debate?

By Michael Horne
The Tamarack Waldorf School, 1150 East Brady St., participates in Milwaukee's School Choice program, and it will be the site Wednesday, August 16th 2006 for a debate between State Senator Jeff Plale (D-7th) and his primary challenger, Donovan Riley.
The face-off has been scheduled for weeks as part of the regular meeting of the Brady Street Association.
Thanks to recent developments, it should prove to be a fitting location for the candidate forum, since Plale's support of the Choice program is one of the issues that brought Riley into the race.
What makes the event particularly tantalizing is that Riley has been accused of voting "early and often" in the 2000 presidential election -- once in Oconomowoc, where he then lived, and again, the same day in Chicago, where he also lived.
This allegation was brought by George Mitchell, a Choice proponent and Plale supporter, and it has thrown a monkey wrench into the Riley campaign.
Riley issued a statement yesterday explaining his double voting, saying "special interest contributors have chosen to attack me personally instead of conducting a serious discussion of issues that matter to the people of the 7th district."
He then goes on to make his own personal attack, saying, "I understand George Mitchell and his organization -- a voucher special interest group -- have accused me of voting in two jurisdictions in an election six years ago.
"My best recollection is that I was splitting my time between Wisconsin and Illinois and it's possible I made a mistake."
Let's see. The November 2000 election was the closest one in American history, and also one of the most polarizing and anticipated elections. [For those just emerging from a coma, this is the election that gave us George W. Bush as president.]
Riley's "best recollection" is that he, then 63 years old, was in some sort of limbo, transporting himself between Wisconsin and Illinois on election day, where he was so overwhelmed by his busy schedule that he may have "made a mistake" and found himself voting in two different states on the same day.
Waukesha District Attorney Paul Bucher is looking into the "mistake," and promises we will hear before election day (September 12th) whether the mistake was indeed a crime. I have a feeling Bucher, a Republican candidate for Attorney General will make his decision known in plenty of time before the election.
If Riley indeed voted in the two jurisdictions, it would be sufficient to excuse voters from casting their ballots for him, even if they are in political harmony with his views. This is a case where a personal attack appears to be entirely warranted, since Riley has shown a personal flaw not only with his alleged double voting, but with his disingenuous excuse.
We will see if tomorrow's debate will focus on the substantive issues that Riley feels such a great need to address, but I think for many of his potential supporters the most substantive issue is one of character and integrity in the political process.
Plale is accused of being a Republican in Democratic clothing, and his opponents cite his support of choice, his pro-concealed-carry vote and his opposition to abortion as evidence.
Give the man a break! He's from South Milwaukee already! What do you expect?
Two years ago, Plale faced a recall from right wingers upset that he voted to uphold Governor Jim Doyle's veto of a republican tax freeze measure, support for the governor's position that seems to have been forgotten. The recall went nowhere, not even on the east side, where Plale is considered vulnerable (see South Milwaukee comment, above.)
We'll find out tomorrow if there is anything left to debate between Plale and Riley. Chances are Plale will take the high road and refuse to let his opponent's felony be an issue in the campaign.
The successful candidate in the primary will face Dimity Grabowski (R) of Oak Creek, and Claude VanderVeen (Green Party) of Cudahy in the November general election.