The Republican plan would:

• Cut aid to counties by 5% and cut aid to four Democratic-leaning municipalities - Milwaukee, Racine, Beloit and Superior - by 12.5%. Milwaukee would lose $28.7 million. Republicans said the four cities were getting more in per capita state aid than other cities.

• Provide $150 million in new school aid, $85 million less than what Democrats want. Current annual school aid is $4.7 billion.

• Limit tuition increases at UW schools to 4% a year through the 2010-'11 school year. It would provide $119 million less over two years than what Democrats sought.

• Eliminate Doyle's proposed Wisconsin Covenant, which would guarantee higher education opportunities for students who maintain B averages, stay out of trouble and take college prep courses.

• Make the Milwaukee school choice program available to all Milwaukee County high schools, instead of just those in Milwaukee, starting next school year. It would create a Racine County choice program in 2009.

Choice programs provide students with taxpayer money to attend private schools, including religious schools.

• Block $52.6 million in higher child-care subsidies for poor residents, which Democrats said would most hurt Milwaukee.

• Eliminate Doyle's plan to create BadgerCare Plus, which would increase health coverage in the state, and to expand Family Care, which helps the needy remain in their homes rather than move to nursing homes.

• Cut yearly spending on the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund from $60 million to $25 million. Democrats want to increase the land conservation program to $105 million.

• Create tax cuts but stop single people younger than 65 from qualifying for the Homestead Tax Credit.

If the last group of CNN-hosted debates for both the Democratic and Republican parties are any indication, there’s a good chance the loose enforcement of the objectives of what we human beings call “debate” will continue. Of course, when there’s more than half a dozen candidates on stage trying to hammer out talking points in a limited amount of time, it’s understandable that canned, shallow messages are all one can glean from the pricy productions. Unfortunately, the moments of overtly embellished commiseration among presidential hopefuls while onlookers understand very well each resents the other doesn’t help matters much. Not enough mud (infused with at least a modicum of intelligent attack) is flung among the finely-pressed suits. In that way they can learn a thing or two from British Parliamentarians and others around the globe.

The fact that YouTube is to be a co-host of the July 23rd debate, however, might actually shuffle things about for the better. All depends on how much more “open” the forum indeed is than is typically the case in the political arena today.

The New York Times described the methodology to be used for preparation for the debate: YouTube users would be allowed to submit videos requesting candidates’ answers on issues the users deem important. Presumably, the videos will be voted on by fellow YouTube members prior to the debate in Charleston, South Carolina, and the most popular will be channeled (through CNN's Anderson Cooper) to those onstage.

How much the chosen inquiries will be vetted for “improprieties” will reveal just how safe the events organizers wished to tune the atmosphere and, subsequently, how “successful” this particular old-media-new-media joint venture really was. Those at polar opposites of the political spectrum will of course find reason to denounce the goings on. The middle majority however can only wait to see just how substantive, or adversely, unsubstantive the experiment turns out to be.

Did we mention that the debate will be held just for those yearning for the Democratic Party nomination? (And some hoodlums who just like to travel freely throughout the US, have their names plastered into headlines week after week, month after month, and generally waste peoples’ time – which, as it so happens, was reserved for wasting anyhow.) Yes, it’s true. YouTube intends to hold a separate event for Republicans in Florida on September 17th. No word on whether it will promote the GOP debate alone or with a partner.