Says David Blaska, who used to work for Thompson.
My old mentor will have beaucoup de competition in the Republican primary for Herb Kohl’s U.S. Senate seat this time around. He can bring in boatloads of national cash, name I.D. up the wazoo, and residual good will. Question: Will he be outflanked from the Right and if so, by whom?
I vividly remember
hearing Thompson say, a year ago, that he shouldn't be the one to challenge Russ Feingold:
Thompson took a lot of credit for his work as Governor and claimed to have instituted many of the Tea Party values. But, he said, it's time for a new generation to take over, and, besides, he promised his family...
Ron Johnson accomplished the task of defeating Feingold. Now, looking at an empty seat, Thompson no longer wants to leave things to the younger generation? Why not?
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Because he's bored and like most politicians a narcissist who believes his own bullshit.
Because the proved they can screw things up.
Thompson: Winning!
Garage Mahal: Whining!
The rest of the script writes itself.
As I recall, Thompson, when he was HHS Secretary, didn't exactly cover himself with glory.
He might be better off staying home.
He's got some pretty dull-sounding "jobs" currently. Is he married? If so, he's getting on his wife's nerves.
Younger generation? Who? Feingold? Yuck!
We can do better.
He's been envious of the perks of Congress ever since he saw those Weiner photos taken at the gym.
edutcher said...
As I recall, Thompson, when he was HHS Secretary, didn't exactly cover himself with glory.
Wisconsin loved him enough to return him four times as Governor. As HHS, he couldn't possibly be worse than Shalala.
Plus if he helps tip the balance in the Senate to counter Obama's reerection, that's a plus.
TT was a debt builder. Tea Party values? Ha!
It's plain easier running for an open seat than against an incumbent.
TT was popular because he gave money to everyone. I don't think he will work hard enough to win in today's political world. Can't good ole boy around the state anymore.
meh.
Plus Feingold needs to wander and ponder in the wilderness a while longer.
And don't even suggest Tammy what's-her-name, whose claim to fame does not exceed Dane County.
He's too old.
Would Thompson run as a Republican?
This might be a deal killer. ObamaKKKare!?
It would be a pretty sad spectacle watching TT run against many popular and progressive reforms he brought to the state. That Gov douchnozzle is dismantling.
The world has changed too much.
Thompson knew how to out Dem the Dems in social welfare give aways.
That skill is not needed now. The bubbles are all burst and the borrowing power is kaput.
We need a Senator skilled in governing with less money being spent by less government. Thompson cannot change his stripes to do that.
Why not?
1. He can win.
2. He has a chance to be part of a historic shift that is consistent with his principles.
3.He's kinda bored.
4. His family is thrilled with the idea.
The plus for TT running is that he's so old -- not Fred Risser old, but old -- that he wouldn't be able to hold the seat for very long.
Politicians always have a great noble sounding bon mots about stuff like that. Until they see an opening.
Is Paul Ryan or Scott Walker running?
Who are the Republican dark horses?
What about that hot LT Governor chick?
It would be a pretty sad spectacle watching TT run against many popular and progressive reforms he brought to the state. That Gov douchnozzle is dismantling.
Then you of all people shouldn't be bitching.
Don't tell me you're a big Tammy "I ♥ Eric Holder" fan?
Trooper York said...
What about that hot LT Governor chick?
Ruled out by litmus test.
He's made a crap-load of $ at Akin, Gump - so why not?
I used to live in Maple Bluff and would occasionally see Tommy running near the Governor's mansion. Not real fast, but running. With a security entourage riding alongside in an SUV.
Back in the early 90's I was at a Brewer's game and a huge round of applause started. Nothing was announced and I looked all over the stadium, until it became clear that Tommy T. walking to his seat was the reason. I do not understand his appeal, but it works for people in Wisconsin. I think it will be a cakewalk for him.
I would say that it all means that Tommy Thompson didn't think he could beat Feingold but he does think he can beat whoever he runs against this time.
All this time I thought his name was Fred.
Don't tell me you're a big Tammy "I ♥ Eric Holder" fan?
I like her. Would be a night and day difference over our other imbecile senator who we are embarassingly stuck with for 6 yrs.
I can't say if he would be better than a caucus only Repubs like Snowe and Collins, for example, But better him than what happened in Deleware and Nevada he would be.
garage mahal said: I like her. Would be a night and day difference over our other imbecile senator who we are embarassingly stuck with for 6 yrs.
The Senate doesn't need someone like Baldwin who appears to be to the left of Obama.
I can't wait to see how Thompson polls against Baldwin.
Please please PLEASE run Tammy Baldwin as the Democratic nominee, garage. DOA outside Mil-Madistan.
This is bad news for the Republicans. Thompson is too old and not really conservative enough. I'd like to see Mark Green get back into politics and run for the seat.
I don't enjoy saying this but Tommy's time has passed.
He was spend-happy governor who left the state in debt and while I won't call him a RINO he is damned close to being one.
I take no joy is writing this but Tommy's time has passed.
He was a spend-happy governor and left Wisconsin in debt.
I won't call him a RINO but he is damned closed to being one.
RINO stay home.
As long as he gets a strong primary challenger and goes through a vigorous primary campaign. I'd have no problem with him as the nominee, but he must be made to earn it.
Calypso
I think Thompson would probably beat Baldwin. He is still pretty popular, people remember the good times.
You watching the Brewers? Great game
Is it 8 in a row now?
Hopefully 8 in a row. 7-7 bottom of the 8th.
Bush league by LaRussa, yet again, throwing at Braun.
Garage -- If it makes you feel any better, all the people who comment in the St. Louis paper hate La Russa, too.
I don't understand it. All the guy does is compete for the division every single year, like clockwork.
Consider the prospect of two non-Leftists from Wisconsin in the US Senate. A few years ago we couldn't have dreamed it possible.
If Tommy can beat the most radical leftist in the House of Representatives who is likely to run - namely, Tammy Baldwin - then I'm all for it. Better a moderate or RINO than a Dane County Pinko - we got rid of that (Feingold) let's not have another.
Don't care. Don't care. Don't care.
NEXT!
Ted Kanavas will probably declare soon; he will be the Tea Party choice.
It's a beauty contest, now.
Name recognition in one corner may not be enough?
It may not even be enough to put someone over the top in a TV series?
I'm also not writing obama off! This whole show with the ceiling paint was obama's early start!
Will it be said "you're never to early to start the race?"
There's a Tommy Thompson story I remember. A California kid, in his senior year of high school. And, with the best grades, thought he'd make harvahd or stanford. And, he made neither. So he went to Wisconsin.
His mom said she had a real depressed teenager on her hands. When, on Halloween she got a call from her son. And, he said his head was inside Tommy Thomspon's refrigerator. In the governor's mansion!
He had gone down to campus. And, connected with the kids ... who were homesick. And, he invited them back "to his place."
The kid got hungry.
He did what teenagers do.
But he added the phone call to his mom. Because he thought "can you imagine THE GOVERNOR has invited me to his home. And, because I'm hungry, he said I could look inside the fridge. To see if there's something there I'd like to eat.
Can you imagine the governor of California EVER doing that?
So, Thompson didn't race against Russ Feingold.
Do you know Russ Feingold was the most surprised man on this earth the night he didn't win re-election?
There are opportunities out there!
Tommy just has to separate himself from FRED.
It's a horse race. Pick a number.
Doctor:
He seems to be completely unreceptive.
The tests I gave him show no sense at all.
His eyes react to light the dials detect it.
He hears but cannot answer to your call.
Tommy:
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.
Doctor:
There is no chance no untried operation.
All hope lies with him and none with me.
Imagine though the shock from isolation.
When he suddenly can hear and speak and see.
Tommy:
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.
See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.
Doctor:
His eyes can see
his ears can hear his lips speak
All the time the needles flick and rock.
No machine can give the kind of stimulation,
Needed to remove his inner block.
Go to the mirror boy!
Go to the mirror boy!
Father:
I often wonder what he's feeling.
Has he ever heard a word I've said?
Look at him now in the mirror dreaming
What is happening in his head?
Tommy:
Listening to you I get the music.
Gazing at you I get the heat
Following you I climb the mountain
I get excitement at your feet!
Right behind you I see the millions
On you I see the glory.
From you I get the opinions
From you I get the story.
Father:
What is happening in his head
Ooooh I wish I knew, I wish I knew
Why is he running? Vanity and boredom - and the feeling that the seat is a Republican lock in 2012.
Why shouldn't he run?
He'd be 71 when he takes office. That's too blinking old.
Brewers lose in 11. Damn.
Won't Feingold run again anyway? Tommy'll be right back up against him.
Tommy was a family friend when I was growing up (before his term as governor, as well as during it), and I don't want to get into details but I do want to say he is a good, good man.
Whether that means anything in politics anymore, I don't know.
I cannot be arsed right now. I'm in Paris helping this guy find a pizza he dropped onto his matching shirt and short pants outfit.
I go, "Mec, qu'est-ce qui se passe avec les manches longues?"
And he goes, "J'ai un cas grave de psoriasis." Now I feel bad for the guy.
If Tommy makes it a serious run, someone needs to go into the Wisc State Journal and Milw JS comments and find the Democrats who said "I sure miss Tommy. He was the kind of Republican I could support".
Kind of like in 2000 all those Democrats saying "If the Republicans ran John McCain, I would vote for him". Right. We saw what happened with the Republicans did run McCain.
Lombardi Chick....Tommy is from my youth. I remember him standing up to the Democrats in the state house. And then he ran for Gov'r and did a fine job. He even carried old-school-Democrat Douglas county in each of his three re-elections.
And his nice family.
I would not condemn Tommy for being a RINO. As much as I wish I could, I can't rip too much on Herb "don't look in my closet" Kohl. Replacing a relatively moderate do-little Democrat with a relatively moderate tired Republican is still a win for the state.
Not a fan of Tommy. He did look incompetent during Anthrax and HHS. But..."He'd be 71 when he takes office. That's too blinking old." Really?...he will sleepily rubber stamp his side of the aisle as well as Kohl did his.
I will say however, that Tommy seems pretty much wyswyg, whereas Tammy is a polite sweetheart in one instance and a partisan/militant tiger in others. I simply don't trust her presentation of herself.
But c'mon....isn't there sum one better than either?
Kind of like in 2000 all those Democrats saying "If the Republicans ran John McCain, I would vote for him". Right. We saw what happened with the Republicans did run McCain.
If you read this blog, you know how McCain lost those votes. He decided to focus on the base and selected Palin and the rest is history.
Ted Kanavas is a WYSIWYG, reliable conservative. He loves rather than loathes government as a mechanism to effect policy instruments. He is also keenly aware of and will adhere to the constitutional limits to government power.
A product of the Wisconsin geographic and philosophical middle, Tommy Thompson has not always been the most reliable conservative.
Our nation desperately needs reliable conservative leaders (especially fiscal conservatives) to reverse the growth and reach of government in our economy and in our lives.
He NEEDS to be outflanked from the Right. It's just a question of who does the Tea Party have in Wisconsin to do the job.
Tommy you'd get my vote but please don't.
Ted Kanavas would make a fine Senator.
Remember Dick Leinenkugel's brief flirtation with running against Feingold? That's likely to be Tommy Thompson's fate too. He has little chance of getting Tea Party support so he wouldn't make it out of a primary.
The Republican annual convention is certain to be very interesting but Ted Kanavas will have the Tea Party, and more importantly, talk radio support.
He decided to focus on the base and selected Palin and the rest is history.
you geniuses saved us from having a moron as VP.
you geniuses saved us from having a moron as VP
Nope. We definitely got a moron as VP.
If it is a Tammy/Tommy race, I sure home Tim Michels runs as a third-party candidate, so it's a Tammy/Timmy/Tommy race, and that it's a nailbiter that makes everyone's tummy hurt.
Tim Condon said...
"He NEEDS to be outflanked from the Right. It's just a question of who does the Tea Party have in Wisconsin to do the job."
I nominate David Blaska.
71 is not a problem! (The bush's thought it would be one for Reagan. And, they were WRONG!)
What would be awesome is if one of the GOP state Senators lost a recall, and the won the open seat for US Senate.
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