The Public Service Commission, once an independent watchdog over state utilities, rewards the mismanagement of Wisconsin Electric with a huge public rate increase. The Department of Natural Resources, another formerly fierce watchdog neutered by Thompson, becomes a cheerleader for mining and pollution. The mainstream press have perfected the hypocritical double back-flip of editorially viewing with alarm the corruption of politics by dirty money while simultaneously sucking up to any Republican candidate who has a lot of it. The press, following the lead of the Republican Party, oddly enough, seems most concerned about money raised by Democrats. They just think there's something fishy about money going to Democrats.
Republicans are the party of money.
Money does corrupt politics. It does it every day. And absolutely nothing else matters. One of the more ironic couplings is the mating of Thompson and Kenneth Starr, the special prosecutor who is blind to his own financial conflicts, but who is deeply morally concerned about government officials who engage in sexual activities out of wedlock. Thompson is in effect paying Starr and his law firm hundreds of thousands of dollars to represent you and me, using funds directly from the right-wing Bradley Foundation.