Here's some friendly advice for Wisconsin's two featured speakers -- Gov. Jim Doyle and U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin -- as they step to the podium at the Pepsi Center tonight around 5:30 p.m.

For Doyle, who plans to talk about the economy:

• Be careful not to bash President Bush and the GOP too much for Wisconsin's sluggish economy. Remember that it's your economy, too -- one you'll have to defend if you seek re-election in two short years. And wasn't it just two years ago you were bragging about tens of thousands of new jobs created in Wisconsin?
• Slip in a plug for Wisconsin's high-tech business sector and scientists. Their work is taking off in part because politicians like you got out of the way and let them chase breakthroughs in biotechnology and medicine. Tell the world that your party's nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, is committed to bolstering this success.
• Don't try to pin recently announced job losses at the General Motors plant in Janesville on free trade. Remember that GM also announced plans to close plants in Mexico and Canada on the same day it announced the aging Janesville plant would shut down. And Wisconsin agricultural exports are soaring to places such as China.
• Tout education as key to economic prosperity. You do that well. And your presidential nominee seems genuinely committed to making sure anyone who works hard and wants to succeed can afford and graduate from college.

For Baldwin, D-Madison, who plans to talk about health care during her speech tonight:

• Mention your important work in trying to let individual states experiment and innovate in search of a better health care model.
• Don't pretend that everyone can have all the health care they want for free. Saving people's lives and developing medicine and high-tech procedures cost real money.
• Don't paint too bleak a picture. Remember that in Wisconsin, under Doyle's leadership, the availability of health insurance has dramatically expanded to virtually all children. And the vast majority of adults have coverage.

A final suggestion for both of Wisconsin's convention speakers is to not get bogged down in partisan sniping. Remember that Obama professes a desire to "get past the old way of politics."

Presumably blue is the color to wear tonight. And as far as we're concerned, sporting a lapel pin is optional.

Good luck to both of you. Represent your state well in the national spotlight.