Staff Reports
U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany survived a frightening emergency water landing in Lake Wausau this week. The small plane lost power on approach, Tiffany and his pilot climbed onto the sinking aircraft, then swam to shallower water and were rescued. Federal authorities from the FAA and NTSB opened inquiries, and crews later recovered the plane. What followed was the predictable mix of praise, partisan hand-wringing, and media hair-splitting — and a reminder that voters should care about leadership, not spin.
The emergency landing in Lake Wausau
Here are the solid facts: Tiffany and his pilot, Leonard “Lenny” Boltz, were on board a single‑engine Beechcraft when the engine lost power on final approach. They ditched the plane in Lake Wausau, escaped, swam to a shallow area, and were treated for minor injuries. Federal investigators were notified and have opened inquiries into the cause. That is the story people should start with before anyone turns a near-tragedy into a political talking point.
Media spin and the Capital Times op‑ed
Why the press missed the point
Once the human facts were clear, some outlets went straight to editorializing. The Capital Times ran an op‑ed arguing the near‑tragedy “doesn’t make Tiffany a better candidate.” Fine — an opinion is an opinion. But a handful of reporters also tried to minimize the danger with deleted tweets about lake depth, and others seized on the moment to score political points. Meanwhile, conservative hosts praised Tiffany’s calm and credited the pilot’s training. Voters can read both takes and decide which is closer to reality: a man who helped get himself and a pilot out of danger, or a manufactured campaign talking point.
Campaign tactics and press access
There’s a separate but related headline: Tiffany’s campaign barred a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter from a veterans event, citing biased coverage. That raised legitimate questions about press access. Campaigns have a right to manage events, and newsrooms have a right to push back. But let’s not pretend this is a smoking gun. The bigger question for voters is whether a campaign’s media decisions are defensive or principled — and whether those decisions hide anything about a candidate’s record.
Why voters should focus on record and leadership
A crisis can reveal character. Tiffany’s public account showed calm under pressure and gratitude to first responders. That matters. But it’s not a substitute for policy debate. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley offers a different record and different priorities, and voters should weigh taxes, public safety, and government performance alongside this headline. The FAA and NTSB will sort out the technical cause of the ditching; Wisconsin voters get to decide who will run the state.
In the end, the Lake Wausau landing is both a human story and a political test. U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany handled a dangerous situation with clear action. The media can argue about whether that makes him a better candidate — and the Capital Times can write whatever it wants — but voters deserve the full picture: verified facts, the ongoing federal investigation, and a clear comparison of records. That’s how you judge a leader, not by which op‑ed gets the loudest cheers.
