McCallum readies for summer of grass-roots politicking By Melanie Fonder For The News-Chronicle This was a make-or-break weekend. Gov. Scott McCallum had to convince his base that he could tackle an unenviable job - fix a $1.1 billion budget crisis, stay far away from a caucus scandal in Madison and simply let ordinary voters know he existed now that former Gov. Tommy Thompson is in Washington. Many of the estimated 800 Republicans who attended this weekend's convention in Green Bay said he did what he had to do - they were pleased with McCallum's speech, his proposal for a constitutional amendment to create a rainy day fund, and the praise he received from party leaders like President Bush and even Thompson via video. Still, there were some missteps. At a $250-per-couple fund-raiser for McCallum Friday at the National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon, his entrance was slightly awkward when a ribbon fell down before he could "cut" it with a replica scissors. On Saturday, McCallum thanked supporters and asked them for their help all the way to Nov. 6. (The election is Nov. 5.) The governor was clearly more at ease after his major address by Saturday night, when he spoke at the banquet featuring William Bennett, the founder of Empower America, author and conservative veteran. When the microphone on the podium fell off, McCallum held it up and quipped, "Because you know I have had some problems with microphones," referring to an incident where he was caught on live TV cursing at a reporter. Political insiders also point to several other factors that could help McCallum this summer. First, the surprising result in Milwaukee County, where Republican Scott Walker was overwhelmingly elected county executive in a special election. Second, he benefits from a four-way Democratic primary that could turn negative while he can continue running a positive ad campaign. In addition, McCallum campaign insiders promise the convention is only the start of a summer of an old-fashioned, grass-roots summer of campaigning. McCallum will soon be traveling the state and politicking from a converted (and very decorated) school bus. Other political insiders noted that President Bush is "very likely" to return to the state at least once this summer to stump for McCallum, as may Thompson. BENNETT KEYNOTE The most recently released transcripts of Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11 reveal that passenger Todd Beamer can be heard saying that he and others on board planned to wait to rush the cockpit until they were over a rural area. "They knew they were going to die," conservative icon Bennett told Republicans near the end of his keynote address Saturday night. "There was something very distinctly American about that." Those people and the others who responded on Sept. 11 underscored the moral clarity that many Americans did not believe existed in the last 30 years, the former education secretary and drug czar told a packed ballroom at the KI Convention Center. "The bubble has burst - you can't not believe it now," Bennett said. "You saw the face of evil and you saw the face of good." Bennett said Republicans believed in three main ideals - an energetic, limited government, a traditional values system and strong foreign policy. Before Sept. 11, Bennett said when he talked around the country, his emphasis on foreign policy did not resonate like it does now. BARRETT ON THE FARM Taking full advantage of campaign time before he heads back to Washington this week, Rep. Tom Barrett, D-Milwaukee, spent time Sunday morning serving eggs at a "Breakfast on the Farm" outside De Pere before releasing the agriculture agenda he says he would pursue if elected governor. Dubbed RURAL - Responsible and Urgent Rural and Agricultural Leadership - the five-point plan focuses on economic development for family farmers, conservation of resources, taxes and financing of rural schools, health care and reform. Barrett, who developed the plan with the help of key advisers as well as from his statewide travels, said his dairy initiative is a core idea to his plan because four dairy farms are lost in theaverage day. "My belief is that if we're going to be competitive against states like Idaho and California - we're going to have to modernize," Barrett said, and proposed a 10 percent state investment tax credit to dairy farmers to help them with modernization. He also emphasized building a stronger relationship between the biotechnology community in the University of Wisconsin system and the state agriculture industry. Barrett proposed a voluntary conservation program that would reward producers who participate. Congress recently passed a new farm bill, but Barrett voted against it because of the funds that would go to corporate farmers. "It's good we're giving farmers in Wisconsin a quarter, but we're giving corporate farmers $5 for every quarter they get," Barrett said. Free-lance reporter Melanie Fonder covers state and national politics for the News-Chronicle. She is co-author of the newly released book, "Complete Idiot's Guide to American Government" published by Alpha Books. She can be reached at [email protected].