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fleshwound, this month-old press release has just come to my attention:

Sen. Zien & Rep. Suder: Pro Life Republicans Should Rally Around Welch
3/3/2004

For Immediate Release March 3, 2004
Dave Zien: 715-874-6450
Scott Suder: 715-223-6964

Darrow, Michels past financial backing of Pro-Abortion Democrats make them unattractive GOP candidates

State Senator David Zien and State Representative Scott Suder today encouraged fellow prolife Republicans to rally around their colleague, proven pro-life Republican Senator Bob Welch in his race for US Senate. The two say past financial backing of pro-choice Democrats make them question the conservative and partisan credentials of Tim Michels and Russ Darrow who are also running for the post.

"Bob Welch has a proven track record as a champion of the right to life issue," they said in a joint statement. "While others running for the Republican US Senate nomination claim to be pro-life, and would be better than Russ Feingold, their past actions make us and a lot of other pro-life Republicans extremely leery of those claims."

Amazingly, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Darrow gave three contributions totaling $1,000 to Senator Russ Feingold in 2002 and 2003, and hosted two fundraisers for him on May 6, 2002 and April 25, 2003, which raised him even more money. According to data listed at the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign website, www.wisdc.org, this was not the only time Darrow helped finance the campaign of a pro-choice Democrat. Since 1996, when he was Attorney General, Darrow has contributed $3,000 to Governor Jim Doyle, Including a $1,000 gift to his gubernatorial account in January of last year.

Michels, who ran a vigorous campaign against pro-life stalwart Senator Scott Fitzgerald in 1998, helped Doyle in the heat of his campaign against former pro-life Republican Governor Scott McCallum. Again, according to information available at the Democracy Campaign website, in August of 2002, Michels cut the Democrat a $1,000 check.

"Actions speak louder than words," Suder and Zien say. "While they all claim to be pro-life, Bob Welch’s actions prove that he is, and Darrow's and Michels' past actions raise a lot of serious questions. We are pleased that pro-life Republicans are rallying around the campaign of Bob Welch. Bob Welch is the only Republican who can beat extreme pro-abortion Senator Russ Feingold and he will make a great United States Senator."

-end-

Paid for by Friends of Dave Zien and Taxpayers for Suder, Pink Van Gorden Treasurer

http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=11941

Have you heard anything about this? Darrow didn't just give money to Feingold, he hosted two fundraisers for Feingold's Senate candidacy, the most recent less than a year ago? I know businessmen sometimes need to "play both sides," but it certainly isn't necessary to host fundraisers for Senators you are thinking of running against in less than a year.

As for Michels, he's not without sin either, giving $1,000 to Doyle in 2002, but that could well be one of those "businessman" contributions. The fundraising allegations against Darrow are much more serious.