Uppity Wisconsin

An interesting piece of Wisconsin political history surfaced today, courtesy of the Democratic Party -- the audio of Tommy Thompson's "Stick it to 'em!" campaign to stick southeastern Wisconsin with the costs of Miller Park through a new tax.

You have to wonder how that would play in a Senate campaign if Thompson finally decides to run.

If Tommy were the GOP nominee for Senate and Scott Walker won the nomination for governor, they could do a tandem act, since both were up to their eyeballs in sticking it to the Milwaukee area on the stadium issue.

Walker, then a state legislator who hadn't yet seen the political value in posing as a tax cutter, enthusiastically voted for the new tax.

In fact, Walker not only voted for taxpayers to foot the bill for Miller Park, but consistently voted against amendments to the stadium bill that would have protected fans and taxpayers. He even voted against a proposal to give Wisconsin residents the first chance to buy the Brewers if the team went bankrupt or considered moving out of state.

Fortunately, the Selig family found an owner who could afford to own the team and was willing to keep them in Milwaukee.

Tommy Thompson for US Senate?

Really?

I'd like to think Tommy is more politically savvy than to take on Russ Feingold, but it's possible that, with enough encouragement and flattery from Republicans who don't like their current candidates, that he could talk himself into running this year.

One thing we know for sure: He likes to be touted. I've never known a political figure who didn't like to be mentioned for some higher office. Tommy takes it a step farther and starts the buzz himself.

There's a certain Brett Favre quality to it. At least half a dozen times since he left the governorship in 2001 -- and left Wisconsin in a deficit hole it has never been able to dig out of -- Tommy has floated the idea he might run for something. "Governor, US Senator, Mayor of Elroy," he likes to say. "Who knows?"

We can rule out mayor of Elroy, although he still owns a home there. And it's a little late for the governor's race, with Scott Walker and Mark Neumann already in, and most Tommyites already committed to one or the other.

Then there's the US Sente race, where the guy who appears to be the leading GOP candidate, multi-millionaire Terrence Wall, has only paid personal state income taxes once in the last 10 years. That could be a problem.

Tommy's departure from the presidential race (after visiting 99 counties to get 1,039 votes) has sparked some amusing comments, including a post at Daily Kos that includes this poll:

Thompson Pulls Out: What Does It Mean?

Tommy Thompson is out.  In other world-changing news, I'm out of milk.

Well, it was entertaining while it lasted.....

-- Photo from Cyclone Conservatives.

Tommy said he would be "shocked" if he didn't win. Here's the shocking result:

1. Mitt Romney –32 percent

2. Mike Huckabee – 18 percent

3. Sam Brownback – 15 percent

4. Tom Tancredo – 14 percent

5. Ron Paul – 9 percent

6. Tommy Thompson — 7 percent

Fat chance, for a variety of reasons.

A Capital Times editorial correctly says that the Rs have no credibility on the issue, having never complained for the 16 years that Tommy Thompson and Scott McCallum were using the same veto power Doyle now wields.

Good point. In those days, the GOP liked the idea of three branches of government with checks and balances.

In fact, Thompson, in his ridiculous campaign for president, brags that he used his veto more than 1900 times.

Good for the goose ...

Tommy Thompson: Pack it up. Go home. Consider a Senate run in Wisconsin or something. If this Thompson stays in future debates, I may plan my bathroom breaks during his answers, since nothing he says stands out… ever.

Tommy Thompson says he will be "shocked" if he doesn't win the Iowa presidential straw poll. Pajamas Media has the interview.

One of us is out of touch with reality.  I haven't been in Iowa, and he's been there a lot.  But I still don't think it's me who's off.

First, there's the great fundraising news.

While John McCain is downsizing his campaign and trying desperately to stay afloat after raising only $11.2-million in the last three months, Tommy's bragging about raising less than $500,000.

His campaign says it's great news, since he raised even less the three months before that. His total is now about $800,000. McCain has raised 31 times as much in the last six months, and he's the one in trouble???

Steve Grubbs, Senior Advisor to the Thompson campaign said, “We saw a strong growth in fundraising. Granted, we're not swimming in Barack Obama money, but we have what we need to execute our strategy. We asked our supporters to give us a chance to run the type of campaign we need and they came through for us.”

It makes you wonder if the Thompson campaign can afford all of the ice cream, doughnuts, and other junk food it's promising voters in the next month.

Mary Ann Akers on her Washington Post blog:

"I happily voted against [Tommy] Thompson in all four of his gubernatorial campaigns. I even voted against him when I couldn't pronounce his opponent's name." -- Michael King, in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel op ed.

There really is no polite way to say this, so let's be blunt: Tommy Thompson is running the most pathetic presidential campaign this side of a Prohibition Party bid in Las Vegas.