AND HOW 2022 IS SHAPING UP FOR
GOP CANDIDATES.
THERE'S ONLY ONE REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE SO FAR WHO HAS
ANOWNSZED HIS INTENTION TO RUN
FOR GOVERNOR.
JONATHAN WICHMAN IS A SMALL
BUSINESS OWNER.
OTHERS INCLUDE LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR REBECCA KLEEFISCH,
KISKACHRISKAPENGA AND FORMER GOP
STAFFIST BILL MCCOSHEN, WHO IS
ALSO A "HERE AND NOW" POLITICAL
PANELIST.
ANDREW HITT IS THE CHAIR OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN
AND HE JOINS US FROM APPLETON.
SO THAT'S QUITE A SLATE OF
CANDIDATES, ANDREW.
BUT WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO
TONY EVERS RUNNING FOR
REELECTION?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK
IT'S REALLY A BIG SURPRISE THAT
GOVERNOR EVERS WOULD RUN FOR
REELECTION, ENTERING -- TRYING
TO ENTER INTO A SECOND TERM.
MY REACTION, THOUGH, IS WHAT IS
GOVERNOR EVERS GOING TO RUN ON?
HE REALLY HAS NO RECORD OF
ACCOMPLISHMENT OVER THE LAST TWO
YEARS.
WE'VE SEEN MISMANAGEMENT AND
INCOMPETENCE FROM THE GOVERNOR.
I THINK THE ONE THING THAT HE'S
REALLY GOOD AT IS BLAMING
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING
TO SEE AS THEY DEVELOP A
REELECTION MESSAGING STRATEGY,
BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE REALLY WHAT
HE'S GOING TO RUN ON.
>> WELL, HE HAS BEEN AT THE HELM
OBVIOUSLY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC
AND VERY PROTECTIVE OF PUBLIC
HEALTH.
IN YOUR MIND, TOO PROTECTIVE?
>> WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF
WE GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF
THE PANDEMIC, AND JUST THE
UNEVENNESS, WHERE YOU COULD GO
TO WALMART AND BUY FURNITURE,
BUT YOU COULDN'T GO TO YOUR
LOCAL FURNITURE STORE ON MAIN
STREET.
PEOPLE SAW A LOT OF IN
CONSISTENCIES ACROSS OUR STATE
AND ACROSS THE SPECTRUM IN TERMS
OF THE RULES AND LOCKDOWNS.
I THINK PEOPLE WERE VERY
FRUSTRATED BY THAT.
PEOPLE SAW A WILLINGNESS TO
EXCEED THE LEGAL ABILITY, THE
LEGAL RESTRICTIONS AND THE
POWERS OF THE GOVERNOR.
THEY'RE ALSO FRUSTRATED BY THAT.
BUT I THINK, MOST IMPORTANTLY,
HE WAS THE FORMER DPI
SUPERINTENDENT AND HE DIDN'T GET
OUR SCHOOLS OPEN.
HE COULDN'T GET OUR SCHOOLS
OPEN.
AND HE HAD ALL THE RESOURCES IN
THE WORLD WITH THE STIMULUS
DOLLARS IN ORDER TO TRY TO
ACCOMPLISH THAT AND HE REALLY
DIDN'T EVEN TRY.
AND WE SAW ACROSS THE STATE
THERE WERE SOME SCHOOLS THAT
OPENED AND DID SO EFFECTIVELY.
THEY DID SO SAFELY AND SHOWED
THAT IT COULD BE DONE, BUT HE
COULDN'T MUSTER THAT.
HE COULDN'T MARSHALL THAT ON A
STATEWIDE BASIS.
>> HE KEEPS TRYING TO EXPAND
MEDICAID AND REPUBLICANS KEEP
BLOCKING IT.
WHY IS THAT MOVE RESONANT WITH
VOTERS WHEN POLLING SHOWS THAT
WISCONSIN SUPPORTS EXPANDING
MEDICAID?
>> SO I THINK, YOU KNOW,
MEDICAID, IF WE GO BACK TO THE
REFORMS THAT GOVERNOR WALKER PUT
IN, WE ARE ONE OF AT THAT TIME
THE ONLY STATE IN THE COUNTRY
THAT DID NOT HAVE A COVERAGE
GAP.
THERE WAS COVERAGE FOR THOSE
PEOPLE THAT NEEDED MEDICAID
BELOW 100% OF THE POVERTY LINE.
ANYBODY OVER 100% OF THE POVERTY
LINE HAD ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
THROUGH THE EXCHANGE.
REPUBLICANS ARE VERY CONCERNED
THAT THE MONEY BEING OFFERED BY
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GOING
TO DISAPPEAR AT SOME POINT AND
THEN THE MAINTENANCE AND EFFORT
REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE
ARE GOING TO SACK THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN WITH A HEFTY, HEFTY
BILL.
THERE IS NO COVERAGE GAP IN
WISCONSIN.
THERE ARE CERTAINLY MORE THINGS
WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE HEALTH
CARE, AND WE SHOULD DO THAT, BUT
EXPANDING MEDICAID DOESN'T HAVE
TO BE ONE OF THEM.
>> BUT THIS SOUNDS LIKE ANOTHER
EXAMPLE OF THE GOP KIND OF
TURNING AWAY FEDERAL DOLLARS,
BIG FEDERAL DOLLARS, COMING INTO
WISCONSIN.
>> WELL, THE CONCERN WITH THE
FEDERAL DOLLARS COMING IN, A
COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, THOSE AREN'T JUST MAGICAL
DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING IN FROM
NOWHERE.
THOSE ARE TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
AND UNDER THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION, WE HAVE SEEN AN
UNPRECEDENTED INCREASE AND
PROPOSED INCREASE IN FEDERAL
SPENDING AND EXPANSION OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WE AS REPUBLICANS DON'T AGREE
WITH THAT.
WE'RE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE
STRINGS THAT COME ATTACHED WITH
THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS, THE FACT
THAT THOSE FEDERAL DOLLARS WILL
GO AWAY AT SOME POINT, LEAVING
THE STATES WITH TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT HOW TO GRAPPLE WITH THIS.
WE NEED A WISCONSIN SOLUTION,
NOT ONE FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
>> I WANT TO TURN TO ELECTORAL
POLITICS AND ASK YOU WHAT HAS
SENATOR RON JOHNSON TOLD YOU
ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT HE WILL IN
FACT ANNOUNCE THAT HE IS RUNNING
AGAIN?
>> SO AS I'VE SAID MANY TIMES
BEFORE, SENATOR JOHNSON IS NOT
GOING TO MAKE A DECISION ANYTIME
SOON.
I DON'T EXPECT A DECISION, TO BE
HONEST WITH YOU, THIS YEAR.
I THINK WE WILL SEE SENATOR
JOHNSON'S FINAL DECISION
SOMETIME IN EARLY 2022.
HE IS GOING TO DO THINGS AND HAS
DONE THINGS ALREADY AS THOUGH HE
HAS DECIDED TO RUN FOR
REELECTION, LIKE LAYING
INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE CONNECTING
WITH THE GRASSROOTS ALL OVER THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN AND TRAVELING
AND, IMPORTANTLY, RAISING MONEY.
HE'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO
THAT, BUT HIS FINAL DECISION
WILL COME EARLY NEXT YEAR.
>> GOOD TO KNOW.
ANDREW HITT, THANK