TO CHALLENGE DERRICK VAN ORDEN
IN THE FALL.
>> WILD TWISTS AND TURNS.
AND BETTING OUR POLITICAL PANEL
HAS SOME TAKES ON THIS,
REPUBLICAN BILL McCOSHEN AND
DEMOCRAT SCOT ROSS.
>> GOOD TO BE HERE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR TAKE, BILL, ON
THE ESTABLISHMENT REBECCA
KLEEFISCH LOSING TO
TRUMP-ENDORSED TIM MICHELS?
>> A COUPLE THINGS, NUMBER ONE,
DONALD TRUMP'S ENDORSEMENT, NO
QUESTION THAT WAS A MAJOR FACTOR
ON TUESDAY, AND OUTSIDER STATUS,
NEVER HELD PUBLIC OFFICE BEFORE.
HE RAN FOR U.S. SENATE IN 2004
BUT HAS NEVER HELD A PUBLIC
OFFICE AND THAT WAS APPEALING
AND I THINK THE THIRD PIECE WERE
THE RESOURCES, RIGHT.
HE HAD THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF
RESOURCES TO GET HIS MESSAGE OUT
THERE AND HE HAD A MESSAGE THAT
RESONATED.
THERE WILL BE LOTS AND LOTS OF
PEOPLE WILL SAY ONE, HE SPENT
$13 MILLION OR WHATEVER THE
FINAL NUMBER IS.
IF MONEY WAS THE DECIDING
FACTOR, ALEX LASRY WOULD BE THE
NOMINEE FOR THE SENATE.
>> TIM MICHELS FLEW IN FROM HIS
PRIVATE JET FROM CONNECTICUT AND
BOUGHT THE ELECTION.
AND THE FACT REBECCA KLEEFISCH
IS THE STANDARD BEARER UNDER
WALKER DOING THE RUBBER CHICKEN
CIRCUIT, MAKING ALL THE ATTACKS
ON DEMOCRATS, RAISING MONEY FOR
REPUBLICANS AND THEN SHE LOSES
THIS?
TO A GUY WHO CAME IN AND
BASICALLY TOOK TRUMP'S
ENDORSEMENT AND RAN WITH IT?
I MEAN, I THINK THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY HAS TO DO A LOT OF
HEALING.
MIGHT -- THEY MIGHT FINALLY ASK
FOR THE MEDICAID MONEY SO THAT
THEY CAN GET HEALTHCARE ACCESS
TO HEAL THESE WOUNDS.
>> AND BILL, DOES THIS MEAN THAT
SCOTT WALKER IS NO LONGER THE
STANDARD BEARER FOR THE
WISCONSIN GOP?
>> LISTEN, SCOTT WALKER WILL
HAVE A PLACE IN HISTORY, AND
ONLY GOVERNOR IN AMERICAN
HISTORY WHO SURVIVED A RECALL.
SO, HE WAS A TWO-TERM GOVERNOR
HERE, DID A LOT OF MAJOR
REFORMS.
HIS BRAND WAS CLEARLY NOT AS
STRONG AS DONALD TRUMP, AND
TOMMY THOMPSON.
AND TIM MICHELS WAS ALSO
ENDORSED BY TOMMY THOMPSON.
HIS BRAND WAS NOT AS STRONG AS
THEIRS WAS, AND HE'S 54 YEARS
OLD.
DONE IN POLITICS, I HIGHLY DOUBT
IT.
I THINK WE WILL SEE SCOTT WALKER
BACK AT SOME POINT BUT YOU KNOW,
HE WAS NOT ABLE TO PULL REBECCA
OVER THE FINISH LINE.
>> SCOT.
>> HAVE YOU SEEN ANYWHERE AROUND
THE COUNTRY WHERE A FORMER
GOVERNOR GETS INTO A
GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY TO ATTACK,
YOU KNOW, OTHER CANDIDATES AND
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT SCOTT WALKER
DID.
I THINK THE GUY'S EGO -- HE'S
JUST LOST IT IN TERMS OF THAT,
AND IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM AND IT
WAS TO THE DETRIMENT OF REBECCA
KLEEFISCH.
HE SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE
ADS.
AND 2018, PEOPLE WERE SICK OF
HIM, AD AFTER AD AFTER AD.
SCOTT WALKER, I KNOW YOU DON'T
TAKE ADVICE FROM ME, GET AWAY
FROM THE PARKING LOT, GRADUATED
FROM HIGH SCHOOL, MOVE ON TO THE
NEXT PLACE.
>> WE AGREE ON THAT.
OUTSIDE OF TOMMY THOMPSON, THE
MOST HARD WORKING REPUBLICAN,
SHE GOT SOME BAD ADVICE DOWN THE
STRETCH AND WORKED AGAINST HER.
>> BILL, ARE REPUBLICANS AT ALL
SKITTISH RIDING THE COAT TAILS
OF DONALD TRUMP WITH WHAT HE'S
GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW?
>> MICHELS RAN ADS WITH TRUMP'S
PICTURE IN IT, I DON'T KNOW IF
HE WOULD BE BACK IN THE GENERAL,
IF HE DOES COME BACK, IN THE
WAUSAU OR GREEN BAY AREA WHERE
HIS SUPPORT IS ENORMOUS, I DON'T
THINK YOU ARE GOING TO SEE HIM
HIGHLIGHTED IN THE GENERAL
ELECTION.
TIM MICHELS WILL FOCUS ON THE
CONTRAST BETWEEN HIM AND TONY
EVERS.
>> HE TOOK THE ENDORSEMENT FROM
DONALD TRUMP OFF OF HIS WEBSITE
AND THEN AFTER A REPORTER FOUND
THAT OUT, HE PUT IT BACK UP.
DONALD TRUMP IS TOXIC TO SWING
VOTERS AND TOXIC TO INDEPENDENT
VOTERS AND TOXIC TO DEMOCRATIC
VOTERS.
EVERY WOMAN IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN HAD HER STATUS MADE
SECOND CLASS BY THE DONALD TRUMP
SUPREME COURT.
>> SO SCOTT, PRESIDENT JOE
BIDEN'S POLLING NUMBERS ARE IN
THE TANK.
HOW MUCH DOES HE HOLD BACK
CANDIDATES IN HIS PARTY?
>> I DON'T REALLY THINK HE HOLDS
THEM BACK.
HIS -- YOU KNOW, HE IS A MAKING
OF WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE
RIGHT NOW.
INFLATION IS TOUGH, AND
DEMOCRATS ARE TAKING STEPS TO
SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
BUT THE CHALLENGE IS THAT HE'S
IN CHARGE SO HE GETS HIT WITH
THAT.
I DON'T THINK THE TOXICITY THAT
DONALD TRUMP HAS COMPARES IN THE
SOLAR SYSTEM TO JOE BIDEN.
JOE BIDEN, YOU LOOK AT HIM, YOU
KNOW HE'S TRYING TO HELP YOU.
>> I DISAGREE.
I THINK HE'S GOING TO BE A MAJOR
DRAG ON DEMOCRATS, TONY EVERS
AND MANDELA BARNES BUT NOT JUST
THAT.
THE PRESIDENT'S NUMBERS ARE OK
HERE, I THINK HE'S AT 42%, NOT
GREAT, HE'S UNDERWATER FOR SURE.
THEY ARE IN THE 30s NATIONALLY.
THE OTHER THING WORKING AGAINST
DEMOCRATS IS THE RIGHT
DIRECTION, WRONG TRACK NUMBER,
IN MANY SURVEYS NATIONALLY IS
80% OF THE PEOPLE THINK THE
COUNTRY IS ON THE WRONG TRACK.
THAT ULTIMATELY SAYS CHANGE.
SO INCUMBENT DEMOCRATS RUNNING
THIS YEAR ARE IN A TOUGH
REQUIREMENT BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND TONY EVERS, ONLY ONE
INCUMBENT EVER RE-ELECTED WHEN
HIS PARTY CONTROLLED THE WHITE
HOUSE, AND THAT WAS MY OLD BOSS,
TOMMY THOMPSON.
>> TIM MICHELS HAS BEEN IN
CONNECTICUT.
WHAT TONY EVERS IS DOING IS WHAT
WISCONSINITES NEED HIM TO DO,
GETS THE MONEY FOR SMALL
BUSINESSES, LOCAL TAVERNS,
COMMUNITIES ARE NOT LOSING
BUSINESS BY GETTING MONEY FROM
WASHINGTON, D.C. DURING THE
GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT HAS GONE ON
FOR YEARS.
IF THE REPUBLICANS WERE IN
CHARGE WE WOULD NOT HAVE THAT
MONEY.
BUSINESSES ALL OVER THE PLACE
WOULD CLOSE DOWN.
THANK GOODNESS TONY EVERS IS IN
THERE AND TALK TO VOTERS OUT
THERE AND SAY IS TONY EVERS ON
MY SIDE, ABSOLUTELY HE IS.
I MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH
EVERYTHING BUT HE'S ON MY SIDE.
>> RON JOHNSON'S BASE IS ALL IN
ON THE SENATOR.
IS HE VULNERABLE?
>> HE'S IN BETTER SHAPE NOW THAN
A YEAR AGO.
AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF SMART
VIEWERS FOR YOUR SHOW.
WHEN TRUMP WON HERE IN 16, THE
FIRST TIME A REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATES HAD WON SINCE 1984.
JOHNSON GOT MORE VOTES IN 2016.
POPULAR POLITICAL FIGURE IN THE
BASE AND DOES PRETTY WELL WITH
INDEPENDENTS AND HE'S A STRAIGHT
SHOOTER, TELLS IT LIKE IT IS.
ULTIMATELY I THINK THE RACE IS A
FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION.
IF YOU LIKE THE DIRECTION OF THE
COUNTRY OR THE LEADERSHIP OF JOE
BIDEN, MANDELA BARNES IS YOUR
GUY.
A DIFFERENT TAKE, IT'S RON
JOHNSON.
>> LISTEN, RON JOHNSON, HIS
APPROVAL IS 36%.
THAT IS AWFUL, THAT IS TERRIBLE.
HE, YOU KNOW -- HE HAS NOT BEEN
ALL THAT VISIBLE UNTIL THE LAST
COUPLE YEARS AND IT'S ALL BEEN
NEGATIVE.
HE WANTS TO GET RID OF SOCIAL
SECURITY AND MEDICARE, PUT IT ON
THE CHOPPING BLOCK FOR A
PARTISAN CONGRESS.
IF YOU ARE A SENIOR OUT IN RURAL
WISCONSIN, OR A SENIOR ANYWHERE,
HOSPITALS WOULD BE SHUT DOWN
ACROSS WISCONSIN IF WE LOSE
MEDICARE.
RESTAURANTS, GROCERY STORES,
THEY ARE GONE IF RON JOHNSON
GETS HIS WAY ON SOCIAL SECURITY
AND MEDICARE AND DEMOCRATS ARE
GOING TO HANG THAT AROUND HIS
NECK AND THEY SHOULD BECAUSE
HE'S WRONG ON IT.
>> SO MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT
HERE BUT I WANT TO GET TO THIS,
HOW ROBIN VOSS JUST BARELY SNUCK
OUT A WIN OVER A TRUMP-ENDORSED
UNKNOWN CANDIDATE AND HIS OWN
ELECTION INVESTIGATOR TURNED ON
HIM ENDORSING THE OTHER GUY.
NOW, VOSS THEN CALLED GEBELMAN
AN EMBARRASSMENT AND TODAY FIRED
HIM.
>> I'M GLAD, I THINK IT'S LONG
OVERDUE.
I THINK THE INVESTIGATION HAD
RUN ITS COURSE.
WE HAVE TWO MORE CREDIBLE
INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE WISCONSIN
INSTITUTE FOR LAW AND LIBERTY
AND THE AUDIT BUREAU, A CLEAR
ROAD MAP ON THINGS TO GET DONE,
LEGISLATURE HAS TRIED TO ADDRESS
IT TWICE AND EVERS HAS VETOED
IT.
>> YOUR REACTION TO THE FIRING?
>> THIS WHOLE INVESTIGATION HAS
BEEN CORRUPT, CIRCUS, AFRONT TO
DEMOCRACY.
REPUBLICANS WANT TO ATTACK YOUR
RIGHT TO VOTE, PREVENT YOU FROM
GOING OUT TO VOTE.
DEMOCRATS ARE EMBOLDENED BY
THIS.
AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY WHO HAS
THE RIGHT TO VOTE GETS OUT AND
VOTE.
A GOOD ELECTION NIGHT FOR