No one wins Wis. GOP endorsement for Senate race
None of the four Republican candidates for U.S. Senate were able to capture 60 percent support at the state party convention Saturday, meaning no one will get the party's official endorsement.
The vote was an especially tough blow to former Gov. Tommy Thompson — who was first elected to public office in 1966 — as he was eliminated in the second round of voting after getting just 18 percent support. It also served as a stinging rebuke to political newcomer Eric Hovde, who was eliminated in the first round of voting with 16 percent.
Saturday provided a boost to state Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, who has dramatically trailed both Thompson and Hovde in fundraising but emerged with the most support from Republican Party faithful after the third and final round of voting. Still, he couldn't reach the threshold required to get the endorsement and the money, access to the party's grass roots network and other support that comes with it. Former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann came in second behind Fitzgerald in the final vote.
Fitzgerald was jubilant about the surprise win even though it wasn't enough to secure the endorsement.
"It definitely breathes life into our campaign," he said.
Thompson and Hovde's campaigns were quick to downplay their early exits.
"You've got to take these with a grain of salt and move back onto the campaign," said Thompson campaign consultant Darrin Schmitz. "It's not indicative, necessarily, of where support lies."
Hovde's spokesman, Sean Lansing, also said the results were not indicative of what will happen in the Aug. 14 primary.
For example, Rebecca Kleefisch was the first lieutenant governor candidate to drop out of the endorsement race in 2010, but she went on to win the primary.
Fitzgerald gave the most fiery speech of the group Saturday, recounting the dramatic days last year when he helped push through Gov. Scott Walker's proposal curbing public workers' collective bargaining rights despite massive protests, death threats and a Democratic filibuster that lasted three days.
Calling himself an Irish guy who likes a fight, Fitzgerald said he proved himself last year as a conservative leader who also helped pass bills requiring photo identification be shown at the polls, legalized the carrying of concealed weapons and removed liability for homeowners who shoot intruders.
That record separates him from the other candidates, Fitzgerald argued.
Delegates appeared to agree.
He ended up with 51.5 percent of the vote in the final round, compared with 48.5 percent for Neumann.
Fitzgerald was first elected to the Assembly in 2000 and became speaker in 2011. He has never run for statewide office before.
The 70-year-old Thompson, who was elected governor four times but hasn't stood for election since 1998, told convention attendees that he's battle tested and the most prepared candidate. He was first elected to the state Assembly in 1966, the year that Fitzgerald was born.
"I'm the one you can trust to do the job in Washington D.C.," Thompson said. "Others can talk about what they may do if elected but I have a plan and I've walked the walk."
Thompson resigned as governor in 2001 to become President George W. Bush's secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. He left that post in 2005 and briefly ran for president in 2007 before dropping out due to lack of support.
In his speech to delegates, Hovde largely avoided talking about any issues in the race and instead spoke in generalities about how he believes the country's morals, ethics and standards — as well as its financial markets — are eroding and nearing collapse. Hovde, 48, said he has the energy to confront those problems.
Hovde, who relocated to Madison in July after living 24 years in Washington, D.C., is chief executive officer of Hovde Capital Advisors, a hedge fund management company, and he also has real estate investments and interests in community banks.
Accusations of wrongdoing were flying before the vote, with claims that Neumann supporters were aggressively signing up as delegates to skew the vote in his favor. A spokesman for Hovde's campaign accused Neumann of running an "AstroTurf" campaign, which means there is a manufactured appearance of grass roots support. Neumann's campaign maintained it was following the rules.
Campaign literature attacking Neumann and Hovde circulated among convention attendees before the vote was taken as well.
Neumann, who served two terms in Congress in the 1990s and is a home builder, said he was the most conservative Republican in the race. Neumann said he believed in a smaller government that is less obtrusive into people's lives.
"America is in deep trouble," Neumann said.
Neumann served in Congress from 1992 to 1996. He ran and lost for U.S. Senate in 1996 and also lost in the Republican primary for governor in 2010 to Walker.
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin is the only Democrat in the Senate race. The seat is open due to the retirement of Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl. It is seen as a key race for Democrats to win in order to retain control of the Senate.
May 14, 2012 at 10:14 a.m.
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Curious, did the Republican convention require photo voter ID, a $50 poll tax and a high school diploma to vote? That high school diploma requirement could be the reason no candidate was able to get enough votes to reach 60%.
May 14, 2012 at 9:15 a.m.
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MadeintheUSA twice you claimed Hovde and Thompson recieved not a single vote, go back and reread the article. Hovde was eliminated in the first round of voting and Thompson in the second.
May 14, 2012 at 8:08 a.m.
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No GOP candidate won enough endorsements Imagine that! Wislady You must not get many channels. BTW Falk is not in this article, so please stay focused if you are able.To still support walker and the GOP is crazy and being a woman you sure have no self worth IMO as he is taking everything from the women and you think this is Right GET A CLUE!Obama will walk circles around the GOP this election as Mittens has not a chance in ****. Your links are nothing but right winged sights and to read them is not realistic if you want the truth. Sarahb1 LOL I needed a laugh Is it Cell Block 99% you are watching What channel. Wislady only gets Fox. To keep any GOP is to have this country a Divide and Conquer Country But the exposure has opened up many GOP supporters eyes and wislady say goodbye to Walker for this one.
May 14, 2012 at 6:27 a.m.
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SB1
Where is your link showing the amount spent in the 45 days PRECEDING the primary that Walker spend on ads? Walker did NOT spend 20 million in the months you mention, you have your talking points mixed up.
May 14, 2012 at 6:22 a.m.
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SarahB1
Comparing 45 days to 4 months?
May 14, 2012 at 5:48 a.m.
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The Walker extreme agenda is hurting all Republicans and it is good to see support for Scotty and those in the senate race are being hurt. Good to see the RECENT change from the West Allis Police Association.
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/go...
May 14, 2012 at 3:35 a.m.
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I thought this article was about the Wisconsin Senate election, but apparently it's about whatever distraction wislady comes up with today.
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Expose the tactic, you deflate its power.
May 13, 2012 at 11:26 p.m.
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Silly Republican, did you forget that your guy Walker was recently endorsed by a labor union? Guess we'll see what happens with that one too! :-)
May 13, 2012 at 10:45 p.m.
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poobah said "there just being silly republicans who can't agree on anything Even amongst themselves." Was this an election? No! it was for the GOP endorsement. Elections decide who goes, afterall we seen what happened with the unions choice in the governors election didn't we
May 13, 2012 at 10:37 p.m.
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wislady, as I said before most Americans, with the notable exception of yourself, are smart enough to know what was going on there.
You are continuing the silly Republican gimmicks of trying to equate "motions" to table or reconsider as votes on a budget bill. Or you cite examples of when REPUBLICANS introduced resolutions and refer to them as Obama's budget bill. It's all gimmicks and most American's are smart enough to see through every one of them. The silly Republicans continue to waste time with these gimmicks.
In reference to your comment that, "Hard to believe that dems have not had a budget in 3 years, even though it is required under FEDERAL LAW." Obama has submitted a budget each of the three years he was required to by federal law. There is no federal budget law that Obama or the Democrats in Congress are in violation of.
"As per law, Obama has submitted a budget for each fiscal year he’s been president -- fiscal years 2010, 2011 and 2012, according to a quick check on the Government Printing Office’s website, where the documents are posted. It’s as simple as that." [ http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/... ] Just more of your silly Republican gimmicks, wislady.
May 13, 2012 at 10:08 p.m.
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Poo
I was referring to the 2011 budget that never happened. Hard to believe that dems have not had a budget in 3 years, even though it is required under FEDERAL LAW.
2011
Obama budget gets goose egg in Democrat-controlled Senate
"The Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to reject a $3.7 trillion budget plan that President Obama sent to Capitol Hill in February.
Ninety-seven senators voted against a motion to take it up.
Democratic aides said ahead of the vote that the Democratic caucus would not support the plan because it has been supplanted by the deficit-reduction plan Obama outlined at a speech at George Washington University in April."
http://hotair.com/archives/2011/05/26/ob...
2012
Every single Democrat in the Senate loves Barack’s budget except for all of them
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/05/26/every-...
2013
NOTHING so far (this is the one you are referring to). Just like Obama, you have overlooked the fact there the previous several years had NO budget.......America is waiting.
One commenter (from your link)....
"The U.S. national debt is 16 trillion dollars.
Senate Democrats have blocked a budget vote for three years.
Republican plan = cut, cap, balance
Democrat plan = lie, cheat, steal"
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/bu...
May 13, 2012 at 9:54 p.m.
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softail96 wrote, “ I find this rather amusing. The State GOP cannot even compromise on who they want to endorse within their own party. Now I know why they cannot compromise with the other party within our own state legislature or on the national level. This state and this country is in deep trouble when there is no compromise at all.”
Good job.
May 13, 2012 at 9:51 p.m.
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Best term of the week - "silly Republicans"
May 13, 2012 at 9:28 p.m.
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even the republicans voted none of the above to those clowns
May 13, 2012 at 9:05 p.m.
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wislady, that zero vote resolution you are referring to was introduced by a REPUBLICAN and was NOT the Obama budget bill. Most Americans, with the notable exception of yourself, are smart enough to know what was going on there.
'“But let’s be very clear: A vote on Congressman Mulvaney’s resolution is not a vote on the president’s budget. This is just a gimmick the Republicans are putting forward to distract from what the Ryan budget does: protects massive tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires while making the middle class and seniors pay,” White House spokeswoman Amy Brundage said.' [ http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/bu... ]
May 13, 2012 at 8:49 p.m.
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poobah
Obama "budget" got 0 votes.
May 13, 2012 at 8:38 p.m.
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I agree, Sarah. It's no wonder Obama hasn't been able to get a budget bill through Congress with those silly Republicans not able to agree on anything with each other, let alone with the Democrats. They can't even agree on THEIR OWN candidate for the US Senate! It used to seem like the Republicans in Congress were being obstructionists. Now we know they're just being, well, silly Republicans who can't agree on anything...even amongst themselves.
May 13, 2012 at 8:11 p.m.
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sorry mouse and Saah the joke was the unions endoresing Falk
May 13, 2012 at 1:40 p.m.
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No one wins is correct.
May 13, 2012 at 12:26 p.m.
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Anyone of them would be better than Tammy Baldwin.
May 13, 2012 at 11:26 a.m.
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dtb - after the 2010 elections, it's hard to believe your statement. In fact, the removal of Steele and getting Palin out of the limelight only helped the party.
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Not endorsing a candidate at the convention isn't a sign of disarray, in fact, it's not all that uncommon for a candidate who is endorsed at the convention to not even win the primary. At this point, Thompson is polling well above the 3 other candidates and unless something drastic changes, will likely win the primary. The endorsement is just that, an endorsement.
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Thompson continues to poll well ahead of Baldwin. http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/poll...
May 13, 2012 at 11:02 a.m.
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On a national level, the repub party is a mess right now. They couldn't organize a Sadie Hawkins dance if their collective lives depended on it. After the Sarah Palin circus, the removing of Michael Steele, etc. they are in a tailspin. The Koch bros. and their super wealthy ilk (Mitt Romney, Rush etc.) are the ones pushing the whole tea party agenda and have hijacked the party. The actual repub. party organization is a joke. It will truly be a miracle if Romney beats Obama in November and if he does win, it will be due to his own personal wealth and organization, not because of the party.
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The same is apparently true at the state level. They can't even agree to comprimise on a candidate and will probably end up losing what should be for them a golden chance to take back a senate seat to Tammy Baldwin. Neumann and Thompson are political has-beens, no one wants a hedge fund guy in the senate and people are tired of the Fitz & company scorched earth policies that have divided our state.
May 13, 2012 at 10:24 a.m.
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MadeinUSA - what are you talking about? Hovde and Thompson both received votes. Voting is done in rounds. Both Thompson and Hovde received votes in their respective rounds - the 51.5% to 48.5% was for the final round only.
May 13, 2012 at 9:18 a.m.
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wislady, Conservatives have a dangerous love of government when the gleefully pass laws that snoop in people's bedrooms, promote authoritarian legislation, support the bloated and excessive military industrial complex, support the current yet always failing drug laws because they think Jesus is whispering in their ear. There's a cure for that, it's called medication.
May 13, 2012 at 8:36 a.m.
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softail96
Not nearly as "amusing" as WEAC spending 4.3 Million in 45 days on a LOSER..Fawk.
May 13, 2012 at 8:33 a.m.
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What a great day, having coffee and watching Scott Walker speak on TV!
May 13, 2012 at 8:32 a.m.
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Young Liberals Have A Dangerous Love Of Government
http://www.forbes.com/sites/maurapenning...
May 13, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.
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I find this rather amusing. The State GOP cannot even compromise on who they want to endorse within their own party. Now I know why they cannot compromise with the other party within our own state legislature or on the national level. This state and this country is in deep trouble when there is no compromise at all.
May 13, 2012 at 7:45 a.m.
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Real deep trouble with the Re-FIB-licanS that are mentioned - NOT one is worthy of a vote. Although they do seem to fit right in with Scott "Divide & Conquer" Walker. Walker has the magical quality of being able to talk out of both sides of his mouth and tell those listening what he thinks they want to hear. Forbes magazine has a great video(plus all dialogue) of Walker one week before being elected explaining how he would negotiate with unions.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/20...
*Almost as funny as his "Divide & Conquer" video.*
May 13, 2012 at 6:46 a.m.
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"America is in deep trouble," Neumann said
Neumann served in Congress from 1992 to 1996
'nuff said.
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