The Doyle administration has hired Tanya Bjork , with links to the 7-year-old State Capitol scandal that brought down her old boss, ex-State Sen. Brian Burke.

Republicans, predictably, are critical and posing for holy pictures.  And JS reporter Steve Walters solicited comments from two goo-goos who can be relied upon to view with alarm almost anything involving politics, government, money, or some combination of those elements.  They did not disappoint him.

Bjork's role and involvement in the Burke mess were wrong; no doubt about it. I've disagreed over the years with many Dem friends and insiders who have sought to minmize the whole mess -- nor just Burke but the caucus scandal which involved leaders in both parties -- as "everybody did it." If everybody did it, everybody also knew it was wrong. And "everybody" didn't do it.

However, it is now 2009. Bjork's sins are years behind her. She paid a price for her involvement.

Burke himself now has his law license back. So does Chuck Chvala, the poster boy for pay-to-play.

And Scott Jensen, who achieved new heights of chutzpah by putting a full-time Republican fundraiser on nthe state payroll, is still at liberty seven years later, despite being convicted once. His lawyers are hoping to put any further trial or punishment off until after his death, and he's still a relatively young man.

SO, please, spare us the hand-wringing about Bjork. She's entitled to get on with her life.

What's WMC really up to?Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, having won two bare-knuckle campaigns for the State Supreme Court, resulting in a conservative majority, claims it is sitting out this spring's race between Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson and Jefferson County Circuit Judge Randy Koschnick, WisPolitics reports.

WMC President Jim Haney says the group won't spend any money this time, after spending $4-million-plus in the last two races, and doesn't have a favorite candidate.

Pardon our cynicism, but do we think Koschnick would have run if he thought that were the case?

Most likely, Koschnick had assurances that there would be considerable spending on issue advocacy media that would tear down Abrahamson and help him.

If it doesn't come in the name of WMC, look for Coalition for America's Families or All Children Matter or one of the other right-wing groups we've seen in recent elections.

WMC claimed to do nothing but positive messages in last fall's legislative races, but other conservative advocacy groups filled the void. The unanswered question is where the money came from. Did WMC fund those other groups, either directly or by directing its donors to give to them instead? You do not need to be a conspiracy theorist or wear a tinfoil hat to think that is a real possibility.

It may be that with a majority of the court pretty much in its pocket that WMC is backing off. It has taken some serious hits to its public image, and has endured some internal strife, because of its bad behavior in past campaigns. But don't be surprised if the same check-writers whose deep pockets have funded WMC campaigns simply fill in the name of a different group as payee this time.

Meanwhile, public financing advocates are reintroducing a bill to provide woefully inadequate funding for Supreme Court candidates. Setting a $100,000 spending limit for the primary virtually eliminates the chance that an unknown candidate could become known by voters. That's not enough for a statewide media campaign, and barely enough for more one piece of mail. Tying the hands of the candidate's campaign will simply increase the influence of outside groups willing to spend money. That, of course, is the opposite effect sponsors of the bill are trying to achieve.