Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Doyle Not Peace Corps Director-Nominee: GOP-Budget Manipulation Now Revealed As Bogus

I remember hearing during the just-concluded state budget discussions that a rumor was sweeping the State Capitol - - imagine that! A rumor at the Capitol!! - - that had Gov. Jim Doyle leaving for the Peace Corps directorship when the budget was done.

AM620 WTMJ radio morning host Charlie Sykes put it out there - - as a rumor that he hadn't confirmed - - and at the time I thought: what a load of bull.

The story was obviously nothing more than GOP sabotage from the Politics 101 playbook - - undermine an opponent with a rumor that makes the opponent look disinterested.

The New York Times has the details of whom President Barack Obama has nominated, and it's not Gov. Doyle.

Sure - - Doyle and Jessica Doyle were Peace Corps volunteers, but that was hardly enough of a hook to make the scenario credible or the rumor believable.

Both the Doyles have a lot in their resumes that would make either a worthy appointee in an Obama administration, but there never was anything to the Peace Corps story.

Except a little right-wing meddling that was political juvenile.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

How in the world did this rumor manipulate the budget process?

James Rowen said...

To Anon: The goal was to undermine Doyle at a crucial stage of the budget...to make it look like he wanted Dems to take tough votes, after which he would fly off to a new job.

Ron said...

I think the rumour was more of a hope than some "great conspiracy" to undermine Doyle. Doyle really doesn't need any help, he does a great job of undermining himself.