After an extended Labor Day break, Gwyn is back in this special Tuesday edition of The Wheelercast. Key committee votes are on the docket for Foxconn and the state budget. She has the scoop. Don’t miss her straightforward reporting of the issues facing Wisconsin lawmakers’ in the jam-packed week ahead. https://audioboom.com/posts/6270785-the-wheelercast-episode-12-09-05-17?t=0
Earlier in the week a reporter asked me a series of questions about tonight’s GOP Debate. Here is what I sent her in response…
Trump will consume all of the oxygen in the room, and will be rewarded with a majority of the post-debate press coverage no matter what actually happens Thursday. With Trump in the debate, the regular expectations of debate decorum are out the window. That’s in part why the media loves Trump and gives him so much coverage. It will be interesting to see if any of the competitors try to mix it up with Walker, or if they ignore him. Trump has tried to say that Wisconsin is a mess, but his reliance on failed, generalized lefty talking points hasn’t hurt Walker. Perhaps Trump or others seize on specifics to which Walker would feel compelled to react. How he responds is important.
Governor Scott Walker and Senator Ted Cruz took vastly different approaches in their speeches at the Republican National Convention last week. The Capital Times asked me for my take. “However, it does sadden me to see Walker, a principled leader I respect and support, diminish himself by so wholeheartedly supporting and cheerleading for Trump. I…
More than a dozen Republicans (including at least 6 current and former state lawmakers) will contemplate running for the seat. However as supporters line up in different camps, only 4 to 5 will actually follow through, declare, and get on the ballot.
This whole notion that somehow #NeverTrump dies if it doesn’t result in a different candidate at the convention is ridiculous. Several media outlets have approached me over the last couple weeks to talk about this, one even calling me one of the “fiercest Trump critics in the state.” (I’ll take that as a compliment.)
That being said, the public is growing weary over the behind-closed-doors aspect of governing. Public discourse is the life-blood of a healthy democracy. When the public believes lawmakers are led by lobbyists, (or the oft-used ‘special interests’ ) faith in government plummets. I believe that’s why approval ratings for all levels of government are at record lows right now.
For a decade I’ve been a regular panelist on Sunday Insight with Charlie Sykes. The show’s final episode airs Sunday, but this past week, the panel discussed the Trump cabinet selections, the fate of Wisconsin’s transportation budget and more. You can watch the full episode here.
[View the story “Dailytakes Debate Coverage: As it happened” on Storify]
It’s likely your email in box is stuffed with last-minute political fundraising appeals. In today’s podcast we examine 11th hour fundraising. Is it a scam or can campaigns actually spend money right up until Election Day…
Ousted White House Strategist Steve Bannon’s super PAC announced it’s supporting Kevin Nicholson, a Delafield businessman and former Democrat over Republican State Senator Leah Vukmir. The Wisconsin State Journal called me looking for analysis of what this means to the US Senate race in Wisconsin. Fraley, who has opposed Trump, said he’s skeptical Bannon and his…