Back in about 2000 the Potawatomi wanted to build their big casino in the Menomonee Valley in Milwaukee. Very few public officials showed any balls back then. Only me, Mayor Norquist, D.A. Mike McCann and an Alderman or two said anything.

But now the GOP is whining that Governor Doyle is approving compacts with the tribes to allow gambling. The tribes are shelling out promises of cash in lieu of taxes and the cash strapped state has been salivating over casino cash for nearly a decade now.

So why is the GOP saying that Doyle is the bad guy for approving all of these compacts when former Governor Tommy Thompson (R) was approving a pile of them when he occupied the Guv’s mansion? Where was their concern about how gambling would infect our communities? Why now? It’s simple partisanship and these GOP jellyfish had no spine to stand up to the Guv when it was a member of their own party and now they’re just doing it to score political points.

In all fairness, there was one GOP Senator who showed some cahones back before the Pandora’s Box of gambling was opened in Wisconsin. He may be a right-wing zealot, but you’ve got to hold out a certain amount of respect for Senator Bob Welch. I shared a podium with Welch when we were opposing the casino and despite all of his GOP colleagues staying silent, Welch spoke out.