Doyle, unengaged

Wispolitics.com:

Gov. Jim Doyle left this afternoon for Washington, D.C., where he is scheduled to meet with U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, and U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Milwaukee, to talk about federal re-authorization of the SCHIP program. Traveling with Doyle, spokesman Matt Canter said the governor has been in touch with budget negotiators throughout the day. "SCHIP re-authorization is an enormous federal issue right now, and Wisconsin has a critical stake in the program," Canter
said. He also defended Doyle against charges by some Republicans that he
has been absent in budget negotiations. Doyle hasn't sat down at the
bargaining table since Monday morning, but top aides like Deputy Chief
of Staff Katie Boyce, Budget Director Dave Schmiedicke and DOA Executive
Assistant Pat Henderson have been on hand.