Posted on 01/21/2010 7:47:00 PM PST by Red Steel
Former Wisconsin Gov. and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson is still considering a challenge to Sen. Russ Feingold (D).
In a brief interview Wednesday about the possibility of a Senate run this year, Thompson, a Republican, would only say: "I'm not saying no."
The former governor mused last fall about a potential gubernatorial or Senate run, but if he does mount a campaign this year, it's now almost certain to be a run against Feingold.
A Thompson-Feingold contest could become one of the country's marquee matchups. Republicans have so far been unable to recruit a top-tier challenger to take on Feingold, who is one of the body's most liberal senators.
That Thompson is seriously weighing a bid against Feingold illustrates how promising Republicans believe this November could be for the party. After Scott Brown's shocking win Tuesday in the Massachusetts special Senate election and victories in the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial contests last November, GOP officials believe it will become easier to woo potential candidates.
A pioneering governor in his 14 years in Madison, Thompson left his post in 2001 to serve in President Bush's cabinet. Thompson launched an ill-fated run for the his party's 2008 presidential nomination. Drawing little support in first-in-the-nation Iowa, he dropped out of the primary after a poor showing in the state GOP's 2007 straw poll.
Since then, Thompson has worked in the private sector on health care issues, representing clients of the Washington office of the law firm Akin Gump, where he's a partner, and on the board of a number of companies.
Thompson, 68, has been involved in Wisconsin politics for more than 40 years, having first won a seat in the state House in 1966.
Go Tommy Go! He’s a good man.
Quick! Someone find some information that he isn’t conservative enough! /s
Wasn’t Thompson one of the pioneers of Welfare reform that was adopted by many other states and Clinton in 1996? It was wildly successful, getting millions off the welfare rolls and contributing to the balanced budget.... so of course the Democrats have dismantled the program
Yep. And Wisconsin was booming economically under his governorship
TT PING
Tin ears.
Former HHS under 43.
Good man is right: he is probably the only one who could beat Feinnuts.
Right - Scott Brown already sucks, so why not Thompson?!?
I’m being sarcastic, by the way.
I’d love to see TT run, but he’s “thought about running” for either Senate or Guv every election for the past decade.
Tommy isn’t perfect. But put him on the ballot and the Rassmussen polls would probably show him up 58-42 over Feingold at the moment.
Tommy gave me an FDNY cap soon after 911.
FR is becoming so understated when it comes to conservatism.
I hope he runs and stops teasing us like a former GB quarterback. He is a good man.
He hasn’t ruled it out, but it’s still improbable. But if Thompson were to run, he’d be at least an even bet.
Or would he be?
Is Scott Brown an upgrade over Ted Kennedy or Marcia Coakley? Some “conservatives” on here would say no. I think some of the “conservatives” on here are liberal plants. I've thought so for a while and after seeing the bilge spewed at Scott Brown BEFORE THE MAN IS EVEN SWORN IN, makes me think my instincts are spot on.
Go Tommy Go!!!
goodness gracious- won’t the good news stop
i almost feel sorry for the rats.
No safe seats!!
It would be fitting to see McCain & Feingold retired by the voters in the same year much of their asinine legislation was struck down by SCOTUS.
God help us. He needs to just go quietly into the night.
Thompson has come out in support of the Senate HC bill. He is the last person we need in government representing conservatives.
He is a big government republican and was a big spender.
He talks more about his views on healthcare here during one of his presidential debates.
http://www.speculativebubble.com/politics/tommy-thompson.php
Tommy is now claiming that his comments were taken out of context. Uh huh. Sure they were. Now that he is considering a run in this climate those words may not bode well for him.
The other side of the coin is that the two other candidates, although more conservative, are not thought to be likely to best Feingold out of his seat. So things do not look good for WI right now in that senate race.
Tommy Thompson is pro-choice for states on abortion, just like Gerald R. Ford, John McCain, and Ron Paul. I’ll never support him.
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