Breaking News: Governor Doyle to Wisconsin Realtors, endorse me or else!

I have obtained a fund-raising memo sent out to Wisconsin NAIOP members. From their website, the NAIOP is "a national association with an extensive chapter network that represents the interest of developers and owners of industrial, office and related commercial real estate throughout North America"

In this memo Wisconsin Chapter NAIOP President Michael Mooney makes a startling allegation in regards to Governor Doyle while he was doing a fifteen-minute presentation in front of The Wisconsin Realtor's Association (WRA) political board that Mooney also serves on.

The WRA political board interviewed Governor Doyle and Congressman Mark Green in order to determine which candidate to endorse.

The following paragraph is directly from this memo: The short story is that Green would be as good for our state’s economy and, therefore, our industry, as the best years of Tommy Thompson. Doyle would be the opposite. He obviously knows his case with us is weak because he both began and ended his presentation to the Committee with threats that if the real estate industry didn’t support him, or at least stay neutral, we would be on the outs with his entire administration.

You read that right. According to Mooney, Jim Doyle threatened the WRA board saying if they did not endorse them, or stay neutral on the matter, they would not receive any positive treatment from his administration.

These people are the business development and real estate development professionals of this state. This is how our Governor treats them, with threats?!? He should be bending over backwards to find ways to work with the WRA, not to threaten them.

This activity on behalf of Jim Doyle is outrageous.

I spoke with Michael Theo of the WRA about this matter; he declined to comment on the Governor's statement but did confirm that the entire board voted to endorse Congressman Green by a 35 to 2 margin.

Mooney's memo said the same thing: After thorough review of the entire picture of each candidate, and despite the political blackmail threats, the Committee and, later the full WRA Board, overwhelmingly (35-2) voted to endorse Mark Green for Governor. The Wisconsin Builders and the Metro Builders have done the same. Threats or not, it was quite clear that this was the right choice for our industry and, really, the right choice for the economy of our state.

This seems eerily close to pay for play to me. You ask for an endorsement, you make your case for an endorsement, you sell your case for an endorsement, you do NOT threaten business leaders into an endorsement.

I've had this story for a week. I understand this came from a fund raising letter and that in itself made the story suspect to me. I took my time and confirmed every step of this and believe it to be true.

This is your Governor, Wisconsin. One whose relationship is so bad with business leaders in this state that he has to attempt to threaten them into an endorsement. Thankfully the WRA board was strong enough to not bow down to this blackmail.