A few days ago, on one of our Three Martini Lunch podcasts, Greg Corombos observed how reassuring it was that the Republican bench of potential Senate candidates in Wisconsin finally included some fresh faces beyond former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who last won a race in 1998 and who has been briefly mentioned and quickly turned down almost every statewide race in that state since then.
From Mike Allen’s morning newsletter today:
Tommy Thompson, the Republican former Wisconsin governor and George W. Bush’s first HHS secretary, has told friends he plans to run for the open Senate seat in Wisconsin. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) said Friday that he won’t seek a fifth term in 2012. Thompson’s announcement gives Republicans a popular former two-term governor of state to seriously challenge for this toss-up seat. There’s no chance Thompson would run against Paul Ryan, so the former Wisconsin Governor will await the Budget Chairman’s official announcement on the race before jumping in. Ryan has suggested in private conversations with GOP officials in recent days that he will take a pass on the race and focus on his House chairmanship.
Thompson has been meeting with political associates and telling them he wants back in the game. He is working behind the scenes on campaign, fund-raising and staffing plans — and would enter as a very strong front-runner for the GOP nomination and the seat. There is one reason to think this isn’t an absolute done deal, regardless of what Thompson’s telling friends this week: He has flirted with political runs in the past, including the Senate in 2010, only to bail.
Thompson’s presidential bid in 2008 was short-lived and unfocused, but he would immediately be a top-tier Senate challenger who knows the state well and who is well-versed in health care policy. But will Bush’s HHS guy – running health policy when the Bush administration and a GOP Congress enacted the unfunded entitlement of the Medicare prescription drug benefit – be acceptable to the Tea Parties in Wisconsin?
UPDATE: If Thompson jumps in, he will be the first Wisconsin Republican to announce a bid. Kohl only announced his retirement Friday, but I’m a bit surprised to see that according to Green Papers, no Republican has filed papers to run for this seat yet, not even any little-known gadflies.
How much control over that do you think he actually had? That unfunded entitlement was probably a Rove/Delay job....
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"But will Bush’s HHS guy ... be acceptable to the Tea Parties in Wisconsin?"
Three words. Not Russ Feingold. We'll vote for him.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTommy is a big spender. Wanted the DOT post instead of HHS so he could hand out money for trains.
He's a popular figure but he's not the conservative that GOP voters should be pushing for to get the nomination.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's a hard question to answer because there is a certain divergence between southeast Wisconsin (the heart of the RPW) and the rest of the state. Thompson's spending record in Wisconsin is hardly consistent with the Tea Party, yet one of his former campaign managers invited him to the 2010 Tax Day Tea Party to make his announcement of non-candidacy.
At that, there were at least as many people encouraging him to run as not when he came up to the podium.
What it does is keep Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and the Brothers Fitzgerald out of the race. Unless another Ron Johnson type shows up, it looks like it will be Thompson, former Congressman Mark Neumann and former state Senator Ted Kanavas (and possibly former candidate Tim Michels).
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHe's certainly a formidable candidate - and if he gets the nomination I think he would win the seat. But I'm holding out for someone a little less inclined to spend so much of other people's money.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTommy isn't the most conservative guy out there, but I am glad he is running. Feingold is, or was, running. He would be REALLY tough to beat again. The state was whipped up by the union stuff, and to win this time, we need a strong candidate. That could have been Ryan, but he does not want it. I think Thompson will be unbeatable, even against Feingold.
Don't forget, Tommy was a trailblazer on a lot of things, like vouchers. He will five hundred percent better than Feingold, who was always vying for the most liberal senator spot. I think Tommy will be a solid conservative. We in Wisconsin also remember that during surplus years Tommy did not take the extra dough and expand government, he sent the money back to the people. The right thing to do.
So having lived under Tommy, I say, go Tommy. He will be a very good senator.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWho's the Tea Party going to support? Russ Feingold?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI appreciate the comments which seek somebody more conservative, but with Obama on the ticket Thompson might be what we need to counter turnout.
I do hope Walker gets voter ID implemented in time.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt is funny how serving in Bush 43's cabinet is a scarlet letter to both conservatives and liberals, but for opposite reasons. Per #Drake's Fortune, he was a more-than-decent governor.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOne of the reasons I dislike Tommy Thompson (aside from the fact he is a big-spending leftist) is that he has pulled this sort of tease before. He gives off strong vibes that he will run for some particular office, and then he suddenly drops out. Lots of ego, but not much brains.
Geraghty says Thompson's 2008 presidential bid was "short-lived and unfocused", but that is the sort of candidate Thompson naturally is. If he gets the nomination (I am still not convinced he will run), then he could very well lose in November 2012, even to a no-name Democrat. And if he does win - that might be worse. Does the GOP really need another Arlen Specter wannabe in the Senate?
I hope Wisconsin Republicans will look for a fresh face for 2012. Unfortunately, I suspect many will take the bait and vote for Thompson.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTT will fit in nicely in the club of 'governing elites' known as the US Senate.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf I were Thompson, I would have waited until Scott Walker got recalled then ran again for Governor.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOne more point, hasn't Thompson repeatedly endorsed the ACA?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"If I were Thompson, I would have waited until Scott Walker got recalled then ran again for Governor."
Scott walker is not going to get recalled. So tommy would be waiting for nothing.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThompson was a disaster for Wisconsin. His budget voodoo is what has caused our long term problems. He was no friend to the the environment and is the poster boy for money-for-favors politics. True, Scott Walker has managed to make him look good by comparison.
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