Most public officeholders are pretty careful these days about separating their campaigns from their official offices. But the word hasn't trickled down yet to Assembly Speaker Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald, considering a US Senate run, has repeatedly used his taxpayer-paid spokesman, John Jagler (pictured), to comment on his potential candidacy.
This, from WisPolitics.com today, is just the latest in a series:
A spokesman for Jeff Fitzgerald says the Assembly speaker hasn't formally entered the race despite a headline over a Wausau Daily Herald editorial that read: "Jeff Fitzgerald: I'm running for Senate."
"Nothing has really changed," said spokesman John Jagler. "They asked if he's running. He said, 'Well I can't make a formal announcement because I don't have a campaign committee in place, but, yeah, I'm looking at running.'
"He's still like he said 99 percent there, but he's not ready to formally announce."
Fitzgerald should know better, and so should Jagler, a former radio news guy. So, for that matter, should the news media, who keep going to Jagler and quoting him.