Patrick Marley, Hero! Maybe...(Updated)

Three-Card-Monte Doyle has ALREADY ordered Wis Dept of Revenue to "back off" on the cigarette-tax collection effort.

Doyle had to have known that DofR had the plan in the works, and obviously gave them at LEAST tacit approval. Most likely, he also had a few scripted remarks to make when questioned about the JBT effort.

But none of his remarks anticipated the possibility that Patrick Marley of the J-S would interview a 77-year-old woman who 'was just saving money' and who had coughed up (heh) tax payments to the State until she finally stopped working at age 72.

Understanding full well that both: 1) alienating smokers AND the elderly and 2) appearing to be a tax-revenue hog are NOT good ways to get re-elected, Doyle went into full-reverse, and articulated a new theory on Internet/Interstate purchases of goods: "If it's just for personal use, who cares? [We'll] go after the real bad-boys instead: the EEEEVILLLL COMPANIES who sold the goods." It remains to be seen whether this action will get Doyle more than 40% of the popular vote.

Patrick Marley not only saved that old woman from distress--he forced the Governor of the State to enounce a very interesting new Tax Policy.

Kudos, Pat.

Alternative Theory, however, was brilliantly exposed in Boots and Sabers ( http://bootsandsabers.com/) by SteveEgg, a proud member of FR as well as a fine analyst.

Steve thinks that Doyle wrote the script from the beginning to the end to position himself as a "nice guy." That is, (per the above) Doyle knew about DoR's plans and tacitly or explicitly approved them, and knew IN ADVANCE that he would order DoR to cease their effort.

All it took was the right kind of mention in the newspaper.

The only unknown (we hope) was what kind of story would be printed. When Marley found that little old lady, Doyle ordered DoR to back off.

What if Marley had found a middle-aged-white-male living in, say, Brookfield?

Hmmmmmmm?