What We Learned

What We Learned:

from Hotline On Call by Hotline Staff

What we at The Hotline learned this week:
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is running a smart campaign. By rolling out endorsements from state Sen. Jon Erpenbach and Rep. Ron Kind this week, he demonstrated his appeal to both the liberal and moderate wings of the state party. And his proposal that the Democratic candidates all sign a pledge to stay positive during the primary makes sense for a contender who enters the race with advantages in money and name ID. It also paints former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk into a corner: Attacking Barrett from the left makes sense, but if she goes that route, he can label her as a divisive force at a time when the state desperately needs an injection of unity.