COMES TO POLITICS IN WISCONSIN,
FROM NEW VOTING MAPS TO THE
INFLUENCE OF DONALD TRUMP IN
ELECTIONS PAST AND FUTURE.
WE JUST HAD TO PULL OUR
POLITICAL PANEL OF TWO TOGETHER
TO TALK ABOUT IT.
REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST BILL
MCCOSHEN IS HERE ALONG WITH HIS
LIBERAL COUNTERPART, DEMOCRATIC
SCOT ROSS.
THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU FOR BEING
HERE AGAIN.
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WITH THE DUELING MAPS COMING
OUT FROM REPUBLICANS IN THE
LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR'S
PEOPLE'S MAPS COMMISSION, THE
COURTS WILL, AS WE SAID, ALMOST
CERTAINLY HAVE IT.
BILL, FIRST TO YOU.
WHAT DO WE THINK THE STATE
SUPREME COURT WILL DO WHEN IT
LANDS IN THEIR LAP?
>> WELL, I DON'T THINK THERE'S
ANY QUESTION, FRED, THAT IT IS
GOING TO END UP IN THE COURTS.
LET'S MAKE A COUPLE QUICK
POINTS.
ALL THE MAPS HAVE BEEN RELEASED
SO FAR, THE GOVERNOR'S PEOPLE'S
COMMISSION OR GOP MAPS OR EVEN
MOST OF THE MAPS SUBMITTED BY
CITIZENS GROUPS HAVE THE
REPUBLICANS MAINTAINING THEIR
MAJORITY IN THE LEGISLATURE IN
BOTH HOUSES.
THERE'S NO WAY TO DRAW MAPS
WHERE REPUBLICANS ARE NOT IN
CONTROL OF THE LEGISLATURE AFTER
THE 2022 ELECTION.
SO LET'S START THERE.
SECONDLY, IT'S COMMON IN
WISCONSIN FOR MAPS TO END UP IN
THE COURTS.
ONLY ONE TIME IN THE LAST FOUR
YEARS HAS NOT HAPPENED, IN 2011.
ULTIMATELY THE COURTS SAID THAT
THE MAPS THAT THE REPUBLICAN
LEGISLATURE AND GOVERNOR SCOTT
WALKER APPROVED WERE FINE.
THEY HAD TO MAKE A COUPLE MINOR
CHANGES IN THE MILWAUKEE AREA,
BUT THAT WAS IT.
SO I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A
LONG, PROTRACTED BATTLE IN THE
COURTS ON THIS AND THERE'S A LOT
MORE TO COME.
>> SCOT, DO YOU THINK THAT THE
REPUBLICAN MAPS WERE, QUOTE,
FINE?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
WISCONSIN DESERVES FAIR MAPS,
BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE RIGGED
MAPS, WISCONSIN PAYS THE PRICE
WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION,
HEALTH CARE, EQUALITY AND WAGES.
JUST TO NAME A FEW ISSUES.
THE FACT IS JUST LIKE TEN YEARS
AGO, REPUBLICANS WENT BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS WITH NO PUBLIC
INPUT AND PRODUCED THESE MAPS,
WHICH ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND
WHICH ARE UNLAWFUL AND WHICH RIG
THE SYSTEM IN FAVOR OF
REPUBLICANS.
ONCE AGAIN, IT'S GERRYMANDERING
2.0.
I'LL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW
BAD THE REPUBLICAN MAPS ARE.
DANE COUNTY GREW BY 15% IN
POPULATION.
THE AVERAGE IN THE STATE WAS
3.6%.
UNDER ROBIN VOS'S MAPS, THE
ASSEMBLY DEMOCRATS CONTINUE WITH
12 SEATS IN DANE COUNTY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY EXPANSION OF
POPOPOTENTIAL SEATS WHERE WE GRW
POPULATION FOUR TIMES WHAT THE
AVERAGE GROWTH WAS.
GOVERNOR EVERS IS GOOD TO SAY
THAT HE'S GOING TO VETO THESE
MAPS BECAUSE THEY'RE WRONG, AND
HIS PEOPLE'S MAPS COMMISSION DID
WHAT THE PROCESS SHOULD BE,
WHICH IS TRANSPARENT, FAIR AND
EQUITABLE.
I WANT TO ECHO WHAT THE DEM
LEADER SAID.
THE CONTEMPT OF THE REPUBLICANS
FOR DEMOCRACY CONTINUES TO AMAZE
ME.
>> QUICK COMMENT TO BILL AND
THEN I WANT TO MOVE ALONG.
>> THE INITIAL PEOPLE'S
COMMISSION MAPS WERE A CLEAR
VIOLATION OF THE VOTING RIGHTS
ACT, SHRINKING DISTRICTS FROM
SIX TO TWO.
EVEN LENA TAYLOR, LEADING
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, SAID THAT
THEY WERE EMBARRASSING AND
IRRESPONSIBLE TO BE RELEASED.
THE PEOPLE'S MAPS WERE DRAWN IN
PRIVATE.
THEY FAILED ON EVERY MEASURE.
>> THERE IS SO MUCH TO TALK
ABOUT HERE AND IT'S GOING TO BE
GOING ON FOR A WHILE.
BUT FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP THREW
FORMER CONGRESSMAN SEAN DUFFY
INTO THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR THIS
WEEK.
THERE'S SOME COMPETITION FOR YOU
FOR REBECCA KLEEFISCH.
>> WHOEVER DONALD TRUMP ENDORSES
WILL WIN THE PRIMARY.
REBECCA KLEEFISCH IS OUT FRONT.
SHE'S BEEN WORKING HARD FOR TWO
YEARS ON THIS.
BUT IF DONALD TRUMP ENDORSES
SOMEONE ELSE, WHO KNOWS, THAT
PERSON WILL INSTANTLY JUMP TO
THE FRONT OF THE LINE.
SO DONALD TRUMP CONTROLS -- HIS
SUPPORTERS CONTROL ALL OF THE
COUNTY PARTIES STATEWIDE AND
WHAT HE DID LAST SATURDAY FROZE
THIS RACE UNTIL ANOTHER
CANDIDATE EMERGES.
>> ARE YOU SAYING TOMMY THOMPSON
IS GOING TO THROW HIS HAT IN THE
RING?
>> I WOULDN'T RULE IT OUT.
I DON'T THINK HE'S CURRENTLY
CONSIDERING IT, BUT DON'T BE
SURPRISED IF THERE'S ONE FOR THE
THUMB COMING LATER ON.
>> WOW.
>> DONALD TRUMP JUST ENDORSED AN
88-YEAR-OLD GUY FOR U.S. SENATE
IN IOWA.
SO DON'T RULE IT OUT.
>> SCOT, THAT'S REALLY RIPE FOR
DISCUSSION.
BUT, SCOT, I WANT TO ASK WHAT
YOU MAKE OF DONALD TRUMP
REACHING OUT TO PLUCK SEAN DUFFY
FROM NEW JERSEY TO RUN FOR
GOVERNOR IN WISCONSIN.
>> LET ME JUST SAY THAT THE
TOMMY RUNNING FOR AN OFFICE IS
THE STORY OUT OF EVERY
REPUBLICAN CONVENTION SINCE I
MOVED HERE IN 1997 AND THAT WAS
WHEN HE WAS STILL RUNNING.
KLEEFISCH BEGGED TRUMP TO GET
INVOLVED.
SHE EMBRACED HIS BIG LIE,
DO-NOTHING APPROACH ON COVID.
SHE EVEN IS ENDORSING THE PLAN
-- IF SHE BECOMES GOVERNOR SHE
WILL SIGN A BILL THAT ALLOWS THE
LEGISLATURE TO OVERTURN OUR
ELECTIONS.
THIS IS A HUGE, HUGE SLAP IN THE
FACE BECAUSE SEAN DUFFY ISN'T
EVEN IN POLITICS.
HE SOLD HIS HOUSE IN WISCONSIN.
HE LIVES IN NEW JERSEY.
SCOTT WALKER HAS GROVELED AND
TRUMP'S FEET EVERY MOMENT SINCE
2016 AND WALKER'S KID IS WORKING
FOR KLEEFISCH AND HE STILL OUT
OF NOWHERE CAME AND SAID LET'S
MAKE SEAN DUFFY THE NOMINEE.
WHOEVER IS THE NOMINEE IS GOING
TO BE A RADICAL, OUT OF TOUCH,
EXTREME AND DANGEROUS TO THE
PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN.
>> I WANT TO GET TO THE MICHAEL
GABLEMAN INVESTIGATION INTO THE
LAST ELECTION.
IT'S OFF TO A FLYING START.
BUT, BILL, IS THE CRITICISM HE
IS GETTING FOR THE PROCESS JUST
PARTISAN BLOWBACK?
>> I WOULD HOPE THAT THE
GABLEMAN INVESTIGATION AND THE
HEARINGS AND HER REPORT FROM HER
ELECTIONS COMMITTEE WOULD MERGE
SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
THEY CAN'T BE ON TWO TRACKS.
IF REPUBLICANS WANT TO GET SOME
KIND OF OUTCOME, THOSE PROCESSES
HAVE TO BE MERGED.
THEY CAN'T BE SEPARATE.
>> SCOT, WHAT'S YOUR COMMENT ON
THE GABLEMAN INVESTIGATION?
>> BIDEN WON WISCONSIN.
EVERY INDICATION SHOWS IT'S BEEN
PROVEN TIME AND TIME EVEN.
EVEN TRUMP'S DOJ SAID IT WAS A
SECURE ELECTION.
THEY ARE EMBARKED ON A $700,000
TAXPAYER-FUNDED AND THE BIG LIE.
HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW ELECTIONS
WORK.
THE THINGS HE SENT OUT, THE
GOING BACK AND FORTH ON HIS
SUBPOENAS AND THEN FINALLY
COMPARING TWO REPORTERS AT
>> I'M NOT TELLING YOU THAT.
IF HE GOT RECRUITED, YOU KNOW, I
THINK THERE'S A POSSIBILITY HE
WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER IT.
BUT I THINK HE WOULD ALSO DEFER
TO SEAN DUFFY OR JOHN MOCHO.
THERE WILL BE AN ALTERNATIVE TO
REBECCA KLEEFISCH BY THE 1ST OF
THE YEAR.
>> WE LEAVE IT THERE.
BILL MCCOSHEN, SCOT ROSS, THANKS
A LOT.
>> THANK YOU.