Posted on 03/25/2016 3:04:54 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has won the support of state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, the latest member of Wisconsin's Republican establishment to back the Texas senator.
Meanwhile, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's campaign said she will hold events across the state starting Monday. Details were not immediately available Friday afternoon, but a stop in Madison is expected on Monday or Tuesday.
Clinton joins her Democratic rival Bernie Sanders in the Badger State. Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, plans a rally Saturday at the Alliant Energy Center.
Vos, R-Rochester, announced his Cruz endorsement on radio host Charlie Sykes' program Friday morning.
Cruz is vying with GOP front-runner Donald Trump and Ohio Gov. John Kasich in Wisconsin's April 5 presidential primary. The primary is taking on increasing national significance, as Republicans across the country who oppose Trump are viewing it as one of their last chances to thwart Trump's quest for the party's nomination.
Vos acknowledged Friday that Cruz was not his first choice. He previously endorsed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who since has dropped out.
But Vos said he was encouraged when Cruz struck a more optimistic note in his first Wisconsin event earlier this week, an on-stage interview with Sykes at his Insight 2016 event.
In a separate statement, Vos said Republican primary-goers need to focus on which candidate can both win the nomination and win the general election.
"Ted Cruz has the most viable chance to beat the Democratic nominee," Vos said in the statement.
Other Wisconsin Republicans who previously endorsed Cruz include Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke and Congressman Glenn Grothman.
Gov. Scott Walker, who dropped out of the presidential race in September, has not endorsed anyone. He said earlier this week that Cruz is the only Republican beside Trump who has a path to the nomination.
A new poll of the Wisconsin primary released Friday shows Cruz leading Trump, 36 percent to 31 percent, with Kasich at 21 percent. The poll, conducted by Basswood Research and sponsored by the conservative Washington Free Beacon website, has an error margin of 4.4 percent
Also Friday, Cruz and Clinton foreshadowed their contributions to the coming campaign war on Wisconsin airwaves. Both campaigns announced six-figure ad buys with positive messages about the candidates.
One of the Cruz ads focus on his proposal for a flat tax and abolishing the IRS. Another features a fictional small business owner criticizing Trump's "empty promises."
"Our next president needs to be a principled leader with a real plan to turn things around," the business owner says.
One of the Clinton ads features a clip of her vowing to go after pharmaceutical companies that price-gouge. Another, voiced by actor Morgan Freeman, cites Clinton's public references to the killings of African-Americans such as Milwaukee resident Dontre Hamilton, Travyon Martin and Sandra Bland. and The ad also links Clinton to President Barack Obama.
Clinton "stands with the president against those who would undo his achievements," Freeman says.
Ole Cruzie hiding the destructive VAT tax. What a scum bucket.
Well, I live in Wisconsin and he’s NOT getting MY endorsement.
Well, I live in Wisconsin and he’s NOT getting MY endorsement.
Trump needs to suspend his campaign. All the recent polls (polls that Trump has cited before) now show him going down in flames to Hillary. We must stop Trump before he allows Hillary a landslide and with that careens our nation over into the abyss. The con artist and snake oil salesman has been shown for who he is.
Imagine if PT Barnum had run against Lincoln or Grant.
PT Barnum would probably be a better president than Grant
That’s kinda what we have now!
“Trump needs to suspend his campaign.”
Oh pipe down.
It’s one thing to support your candidate. It’s another to post absurd bull$hit just to see if you can get a reaction.
Thank you!
I think you have Trump’s name mixed up with Cruz.
Hello.....Wisconsin! Conservatives there are wise to liberal treachery and have no love for Das Don.
Were these endorsements before or after Cruz’s “rat copulation” statement?
Bye Yeb Cruz <[P> Fall by the way of John Edwards and Gary Hart
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