TPMDC
Russ Feingold

Tommy Thompson Could Run For Senate, Or Governor -- Or Small-Town Mayor

Eric Kleefeld | November 18, 2009, 1:04PM

Former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI)

Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson appears to be considering any number of political comebacks, ranging from a return to the state's open governorship, to a Senate run -- in which he would likely be a very strong challenger to Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold -- or perhaps even mayor of a small town.

"I haven't said no," Thompson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I'm looking at it. I'm looking at governor, I'm looking at senator and I'm looking at mayor of Elroy. One of the three."

For your information, Elroy is Thompson's home town. I just called the city hall, and they told me the population is approximately 1,500 people.

Thompson was elected to four terms as governor, starting in 1986 and only left when President George W. Bush appointed him as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He ran for the Republican nomination for president in 2008, but dropped out in the face of bad poll numbers and fundraising in the middle of 2007. He was frequently talked about as a potential Senate candidate in the 1990s and 2000s, but has never run.

(Via Political Wire)

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Topics: Russ Feingold, Senate '10, Tommy Thompson, WI-GOV, WI-SEN

Roundup

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | October 25, 2009, 1:02PM

Schumer: Dems 'Very Close' To 60 Votes
Appearing on Meet The Press, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that Democrats are approaching 60 votes for a compromise public option: "The liberals, they like it stronger, but they're willing to live with level playing field, opt-out. The more moderate Democrats, there are some who actually like it. As long as it's a level playing field, they're comfortable with it. There are others who say that, 'I'm not sure I like it, but I won't hold up passage of the bill.' I think we're very close to getting the 60 votes we need to move forward, and my guess is that the public option level playing field with the state opt-out will be in the bill. But Leader Reid will make that decision after he talks to everybody several times.

Abdullah Calls For 'Dramatic Increase' In American Troops In Afghanistan
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Afghan presidential candidate Dr. Abdullah called for a "dramatic increase" in the number of American troops in his country: "If the situation is not reversed from deteriorating further the security situation, so the future of this country will be at risk, and the future of the engagement of the international community will be at risk. So this situation requires a sort of dramatic increase in the number of troops in order to stop -- stop it from further deteriorating and reversing it. The permanent solution is in a road map that Afghanistan stands on its own feet in a few years down the road, troops -- number of troops could be decreased in Afghanistan, finally, and eventually will stand on its own feet."

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Topics: Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan, Bob McDonnell, Chuck Schumer, Claire McCaskill, Creigh Deeds, Dick Cheney, Health Care, John Cornyn, John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Public Option, Roundup, Russ Feingold, VA-GOV

Sunday Shows

The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | October 23, 2009, 5:34PM

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO).

• CBS, Face The Nation: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI).

• CNN, State Of The Union: Dr. , Afghan presidential candidate; Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA).

• Fox News Sunday: Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Afghan presidential candidate; Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ).

• NBC, Meet The Press: SEn. John Cornyn (R-TX), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY.

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Topics: Abdullah Abdullah, Ben Nelson, Chuck Schumer, Claire McCaskill, Jim Webb, John Cornyn, John McCain, Jon Kyl, Mitch McConnell, Orrin Hatch, Russ Feingold, Sunday Shows

Pres '12

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | September 18, 2009, 9:00AM

Values Voters Summit Begins Today, To Feature GOP Presidential Straw Poll
The Values Voters Summit is kicking off today in Washington, and will feature such conservative politicians as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), and others. Most notably, the event will have a 2012 presidential straw poll, which will test the current appeal of various Republican politicians among religious right activists. The results of the straw poll will be announced on Saturday.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama does not have any public events scheduled today. At 1 p.m. ET, he will have a closed-press meeting with recipients of the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award.

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Topics: Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Health Care, Joe Wilson, Pres '12, Russ Feingold, SC-02

Mark Sanford

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | July 3, 2009, 8:59AM

Sanford's Book Deal Falls Through
Gov. Mark Sanford's (R-SC) book publisher, Sentinel, has released him from his contract. Sanford had been set to write a book on fiscal conservatism, entitled Within Our Means, to be released in March 2010. However, the deal fell through after Sanford got in trouble for disappearing to Argentina to visit his mistress, and he and publisher have agreed to part ways.

Obama At Camp David Today
President Obama has no public events scheduled, but is spending the day at Camp David. He will return to the White House tomorrow.

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Topics: Barack Obama, Henry Waxman, Jeff Sessions, Jim DeMint, John McCain, Mark Sanford, Russ Feingold, Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court

Russ Feingold

Feingold To Obama: Preventive Detention Is Unconstitutional

Brian Beutler | May 25, 2009, 10:51AM

After Barack Obama wrapped up his big security and civil liberties speech last week, Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) issued a strong statement of support for the President in which he drew a stark contrast between the new administration and the previous one.

But Feingold was either holding fire, or the words he'd just heard hadn't settled in immediately. Because by the end of the week, a reservation had emerged. In a gentle, but resolute, letter to Obama dated Friday, May 22, Feingold says a key aspect of Obama's outlined detention policy is likely unconstitutional.

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Topics: Barack Obama, Civil Liberties, Guantanamo Bay, National Security, Russ Feingold, Senate Judiciary Committee

Barack Obama

Feingold Praises Obama Speech

Brian Beutler | May 21, 2009, 3:31PM

Civil libertarians outside of Congress might have serious reservations about the outline of the President's Guantanamo policy. But on Capitol Hill they're less critical. "I welcome the president's emphasis on congressional oversight and the need for collaboration with Congress, for which the Bush Administration held such contempt," said Sen. Russ Feingold.

The president's remark on reforming the way the state secrets privilege is used also seems to indicate he is moving in the right direction. And I am also pleased that the president echoed the same point I recently made regarding claims by the former vice president: that I had seen nothing to indicate that the torture techniques authorized by the last administration were necessary or the most effective way to get information from detainees.

The president has taken some important steps in his first four months. He has banned torture, increased transparency, and focused on the crucial threat to our national security emanating from al Qaeda's safe haven in Pakistan. And he has pledged to close Guantanamo, which is being used as a recruiting tool by our enemies. But nobody expected the president would be able to undo the eight year assault on the rule of law by the last administration in just four months. So I look forward to continuing to work with him to restore the rule of law and put in place policies that will keep America safe and reduce the threats to our country that have grown more challenging because of the missteps of the last administration.