Green Drops Out Of Race

Green Bay - In a shocking turn of events, Mark Green announced today that he was withdrawing from the race for Wisconsin Governor. The Republican Party of Wisconsin has given no indication of offering a different opponent, giving Doyle a free ride to his second term as Governor of Wisconsin.

When Governor Doyle took office, he inherited over 15 years of fiscal mismanagement from Republican governors. Wisconsin was a "tax hell" with one of the highest tax rates in the country while racking up an all-time-record $3.2 Billion budget deficit.

In his three years as governor, Doyle has:

• continually lowered the budget deficit without raising taxes
• held property tax increases to a lower rate than GOP proposals
• continually lowered the overall tax burden every single year in office
• prevented drastic cuts to prisons, schools and UW

The Republican Party of Wisconsin, however, recently learned that Wisconsin still has a budget deficit, is still above average on tax burdens despite the positive trend, and still has a few more difficult budgets ahead.

"It turns out," said Rick Graber, "that we screwed things up so damn bad, it's going to take Doyle another term to get everything straightened out."

With an expected $1.6 Billion deficit, Doyle has cut the shortfall in half over two budgets. At this rate, it is expected to be completely eliminated after passage of the 2009-2011 biennium budget, just in time for the next Republican Gubernatorial winner of the 2010 election.

"Apparently we were little too quick to jump on him," noted Green. "Another four years of tough budget cuts should finally be enough for Doyle to get things straightened up and in order... then we can help him fall on his own sword. Besides, I sure as hell don't want to write a budget starting with a $1.6 Billion deficit, are you crazy?"

GOP strategists agree that a Republican governorship should only be implemented when the state is back "in the black." It is also expected to make the campaign easier the next cycle. In another four years GOP strategists will have twice as many tough decisions Doyle had to make that they can hammer him for.

Green concluded: "It would just be more fun to be Governor and not have to make any tough decisions. I'd rather let Doyle clean up our mess and then we'll hammer him for all the decisions he made while fixing things.