I don’t know if I can take 22 and a half more months of this. If you thought the last campaign season was stupid, the NRSC is trying to blow your mind. Fresh off a couple of November attacks on Sen. Herb Kohl that could have only fallen on campaign-weary deaf ears, the NRSC was moaning yesterday that Kohl “refuses to tell Wisconsinites where he stands” on the vote to extend the Bush tax cuts.
Bear in mind:
- GOP senator-elect Ron Johnson won an election by refusing to talk to the media.
- The controversial aspect of extending the Bush tax cuts are the provisions on the “rich” which includes Kohl more so than nearly any other senator.
And the kicker:
- Kohl voted for the package yesterday, saying it “protects the middle-class from tax increases and preserves critical unemployment benefits. It is a reasonable compromise to get past the partisan bickering and support our struggling economy.”
Ultimately Senator Kohl took the Republicans’ preferred position when it came time to vote. What now?
The Republican Party of Wisconsin is blogging with glee over Dem pollsters Public Policy Polling calling Kohl’s seat safe, noting Feingold’s seat was considered solid in 2009. The RPW is forgetting the Republicans actually have to do some governing over the next two years, instead of just campaigning on “NO!” a luxury they had from 2009-10. It’s doubtful Kohl and all his money will go down following the divided-government-mess this 112th Congress will no doubt prove to be.
The NRSC may be doing this premature Kohl-bashing in an attempt to recruit a candidate. It will not be an easy task. The Sconz points out Kohl won by 18 points even during the Republican Revolution of 1994. In 2006 Kohl stomped his competition 2-1. That was admittedly a good year for Democrats, but 2012 will not be the cakewalk Republicans had this year. The 2010 midterms showed voters have a short attention span and are results-oriented, being the party of no won’t cut it this time.
Maybe the NRSC is trying to get a candidate before anyone figures this out?
And the Journal Sentinel, with its unbelilevably bad PolitiFact operation, adds fuel to the fire with an “investigation” finding Kohl hasn’t been a deficit hawk every moment of every day for 22 years, although his record is solild. Give us a break.
I had to quit reading the JS version of Politifact. You just described why. When I start to miss it I beat my head against a solid object.
The GOP might also consider that Kohl has higher favorables in the most recent public poll than Johnson, Walker, or anyone else. He has almost always been the most popular elected official in the state since 1998. And he has unlimited personal funds for a campaign. I think I’d look elsewhere for someone beatable.
Kohl’s chances in 2012 are worse than Feingold’s where in 2010. Maybe Kohl can wake up from his nap and FINALLY DO SOMETHING!!!!!!!!