Free Republic

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...

A state appeals court says it found two cases that seem to back the Dane County DA’s position in the collective bargaining bill complaint and two that support the secretary of state’s argument. The 4th District Court of Appeals wrote in its certification to the Supreme Court on the complaint that it would be appropriate for the justices to take the case because there are issues they would ultimately consider on petition for review anyway. Taking it up directly would “reduce the burden and expense of the appellate process on both the parties and the judicial system.” Assembly Minority Leader...

The FBI is investigating whether two political committees that prosecutors link to state Sen. Chuck Chvala violated federal money laundering laws. According to a criminal complaint filed last year, here is one example of how Chvala is accused of skirting state campaign finance laws: Chvala told lobbyist Bill Broydrick to have his clients contribute money to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C.The DLCC then funneled money back to a phony independent group in Wisconsin called Independent Citizens for Democracy Inc. Chvala is accused of creating and controlling that group.That group spent more than $800,000 during the 2000 campaign...