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**Written by Doug Powers

I can think of a dozen alternate answers that would have been better reasons Obama could have given for why he didn’t go to Wisconsin to personally support Tom Barrett and the unions.

“I didn’t want to meddle in a state election,” “Wisconsin Dems who remember the fate of some others I’ve campaigned for will understand that I did them a favor by staying away” or even “I have a nasty cheddar allergy” would have been better excuses than this:

President Obama says he would have “loved to have seen a different result” following last week’s recall election in Wisconsin but other matters kept him from hitting the Badger State.

“The truth of the matter is that as President of the United States, I have a lot of responsibilities,” Obama told ACB affiliate WBAY of Green Bay during an interview at the White House on Monday.

Obama has been attacked by some Democrats for not campaigning for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett during his battle with Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Some of those responsibilities have included 160 fundraisers since filing for re-election. Obama attended nine fundraisers in the four days leading up to the recall election, and he attended three “Barack on Broadway” fundraisers in New York City with Bill Clinton the day before Scott Walker retained his job. In the few days before the Wisconsin vote, Obama was in Minnesota and Illinois, which, last time I checked, were reasonably proximate to Wisconsin. I figured Obama would have at least dropped a few “Vote Barrett” leaflets from AF1 as he flew over, but, tepid Tweet aside, he steered clear.

I’m no political strategist, but telling voters in a state where your lead is narrowing that you were just too busy to go weigh in on one of arguably the most important state election with national implications in recent memory — after you were spotted golfing less than a week-and-a-half before it — seems like bad politics. The Romney campaign certainly hopes he keeps this up:

**Written by Doug Powers

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