Endorsement Raises More Questions on Campaign Reform Survey

Endorsement Raises More Questions on Campaign Reform Survey
Anti-reform group backs Pung Leschke

OSHKOSH – The recent endorsement of Republican Assembly candidate Julie Pung Leschke by an organization that publicly opposes election reform calls into question the candidate’s true position on clean government. It also contradicts her original response on why she failed to answer the League of Women Voter’s reform survey.

When asked by the Oshkosh Northwestern why she failed to fill out a six question survey on political reform distributed by three non-partisan groups, including the League, Pung Leschke, a former County Board Supervisor, said “I have surveys piled up a mile high.”

The ignored survey was distributed by the League of Women Voters, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, and Common Cause.

“For someone who says she doesn’t want to be a politician, this former elected official ducks questions with the ease of a veteran, out-of-touch legislator,” said Jef Hall, Chair of the Winnebago County Democratic Party. “We need candidates who are straight forward with voters about where they stand on key issues. Gordon Hintz has supported campaign and ethics reform since day one.”

Wisconsin Right to Life announced their endorsement of Julie Pung-Leschke last week after reviewing their completed candidate survey.

“She ignored a non-partisan, six-question, yes-or-no survey” said Jef Hall. “It is tough to believe that she found the time to return a survey from an anti-reform interest group but not the survey from the League of Women Voters, in which she claims membership. Who snubs the League of Women voters?”

When pressed for a position on campaign and ethics reform in Saturday’s Oshkosh Northwestern, Pung Leschke ducked the question and once again offered no position, stating “I will devote myself to making something happen.”

However, Wisconsin Right-to-Life, who vehemently opposes potential life saving stem cell research and emergency contraception for rape victims, also opposes campaign finance reform. In fact in their survey, they state they are “opposed to any legislation which would require a citizen organization to provide the State of Wisconsin with information related to their issue advocacy activities or information related to their organization.”

“It is not surprising to get some-double speak from a Republican Assembly candidate trying to appeal to voters who want reform, while not alienating right-wing interest groups and anti-reform legislators like Majority Leader Mike Huebsch who are backing her campaign,” said Hall.

2006 Wisconsin Right to Life Candidate Survey Questions on Campaign Reform:

Question 13:
Will you vote against legislation which would restrict or regulate the constitutional right of citizen groups (such as Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc.) to engage in issue advocacy? (Please see enclosed explanation.)

Question 14:
Will you vote against legislation which would force Wisconsin taxpayers to fund the campaign expenses of candidates? (Please see enclosed explanation.)

13 explanation:
Various campaign finance reform proposals would place severe and unprecedented restrictions on the right of citizen organizations, like Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., to communicate with the public regarding the positions of those who hold or seek public office. Proposals such as these are gross infringements on a particular type of political speech, called issue advocacy.

Some argue that restrictions on issue advocacy are justified in order to diminish "special interest" influences. But "special interest" groups, like Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., are made up of ordinary citizens who come together in order to advance the policy positions they favor. In doing so, these citizens have chosen to exercise their First Amendment constitutional right to associate.

Wisconsin Right to Life is opposed to any legislation that would restrict or regulate in any way the dissemination by citizen organizations of printed or broadcast issue advocacy communications that comment on the positions and voting records of office holders and office seekers, including any restrictions on the timing, amount, or funding sources of such speech. Wisconsin Right to Life is also opposed to any legislation which would require a citizen organization to provide the State of Wisconsin with information related to their issue advocacy activities or information related to their organization.

14 explanation:
Some lawmakers lament the fact that an insufficient number of Wisconsin taxpayers "check off" the sum of one dollar on their state income tax forms to fund the campaign expenses of candidates. These lawmakers have proposed legislation that would force taxpayers to pay for these campaign expenses by using taxpayer dollars for this purpose. This would result in taxpayers being forced to pay for the campaigns of candidates they may not want elected or with whom they may strongly disagree on issues of importance to them. Members of Wisconsin Right to Life, for example, do not want to be put in the position of funding the campaign expenses of candidates who are pro-abortion or in favor of assisted suicide.

Wisconsin Right to Life opposes legislation that would allocate any taxpayer dollars to fund the campaign expenses of political candidates.