>> THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF
WISCONSIN RECENTLY CHANGED
LEADERSHIP AGAIN, WITH THEIR
FOURTH CHAIRMAN IN THE LAST FOUR
YEARS.
THE NEWEST CHAIRMAN IS NOT NEW
TO THE PARTY.
BRIAN SCHIMMING HAS BEEN HEAVILY
INVOLVED IN G.O.P. POLITICS IN
WISCONSIN FOR A LONG TIME.
AND JOINS US NOW.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
>> THANKS FOR INVITING ME.
>>
>> THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS BEEN
A POWERHOUSE.
HAS THE TURNOVER AFFECTED
ELECTION OUTCOMES?
>> OH, I DON'T THINK SO.
WE DON'T SEE ANY SENSE OF THAT.
WE JUST RE-ELECTED RON JOHNSON
AFTER THEY DROPPED $150 MILLION
OF THEIR MONEY ON HIM, AND
CAPTURED A FEW NEW DEMOCRAT
SEATS IN THE ASSEMBLY, PICKED UP
A SUE M SUPERMAJORITY IN THE SE,
ELECTED A NEW REPUBLICAN FOR
CONGRESS SO I'D SAY BASED ON THE
DOLLAR THAT WE'RE DOING PRETTY
WELL FOR OURSELVES.
AND SOME DISAPPOINTMENTS THIS
YEAR BUT I'LL BE CERTAINLY
SPENDING SOME TIME RAISING MONEY
AS WELL, OF COURSE WITH THE
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
COMING TO MILWAUKEE, WHICH WE'RE
VERY EXCITED ABOUT, IT WILL BE
GREAT TO HAVE THAT MUCH FOCUS ON
WISCONSIN.
>> YOU WERE IN WASHINGTON LAST
WEEK, SPEAKING OF OUR NEW
CONGRESSPERSON.
KEVIN MCCARTHY HAD TO GIVE UP A
LOT OF POWER TO GET THE GAVEL.
WILL IT AFFECT HIS FUNCTION?
>> I WAS THERE THREE DAYS LAST
WEEK.
MY SENSE OF IT WAS NO, I THINK
THEY GOT SOME CONCESSIONS IN
KIND OF THE BACK AND FORTH OF
THE LEADERSHIP ELECTIONS THERE.
BUT LOOK, THE PLAY BOOK FOR THAT
WAS SET BY THE DEMOCRATS.
NANCY PELOSI THE LAST TWO TIMES
HAD TO STRUGGLE TO GET THE VOTES
TO GET ELECTED SPEAKER.
MADE A NUMBER OF CONCESSIONS TO
THE A.O.C. WING OF THE PARTY,
AND IT SHOWED.
AND IT FINALLY GOT TO THE POINT
WHERE SHE LEFT.
SO I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT,
AND ANY ACTIONS THAT THEY'VE
TAKEN SINCE KEVIN MCCARTHY WAS
SELECTED SPEAKER, THERE'S UNITY.
A LOT OF IT.
>> IN WISCONSIN, THE GOVERNOR
AND REPUBLICANS IN THE
LEGISLATURE ARE TRYING TO MEET
AND BUILD UP TRUST THAT'S BEEN
LACKING.
WHAT DOES COMPROMISE LOOK LIKE
IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, ESPECIALLY
FROM A REPUBLICAN BASE POINT OF
VIEW?
>> WITH THE LEGISLATURE
OVERWHELMINGLY REPUBLICAN,
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IN DEMOCRAT
HANDS, I WORKED THERE A NUMBER
OF YEARS AS CHIEF OF STAFF TO
THE SPEAKER AND OTHER POSITIONS
THERE.
THE GOVERNOR NEEDS TO COME
AWAYS.
I THINK REPUBLICANS ARE WILLING
TO COMPROMISE WITH THE GOVERNOR
ON SOME ISSUES, NOT ON PRINCIPLE
BUT ON SOME BIG LEGISLATIVE
ITEMS, I THINK THEY'RE WILLING
TO COMPROMISE BUT IT'S GOING TO
TAKE THE GOVERNOR COMING IN TOO.
THE GOVERNOR JUST FLATLY REFUSED
TO MEET WITH THE LEGISLATIVE
REPUBLICANS SEVERAL TIMES, MOST
OF THE TIME, DURING THE LAST
FOUR YEARS.
I HOPE THE GOVERNOR NOW REALIZES
THAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE HERE TO
STAY IN THE LEGISLATURE.
THEY CAN GET SOME THINGS DONE.
I HOPE THEY DO.
>> WE JUST SAW REPUBLICANS
INTRODUCE A NEW FLAT TAX
PROPOSAL BUT THEY DID IT AS A
STANDALONE BILL, WHICH OBVIOUSLY
IF IT'S PASSED, IT CAN BE VETOED
BY THE GOVERNOR.
DOES THAT MEAN IT'S MORE OF A
STATEMENT OF VALUES TO PUT IT
THAT WAY OR DO YOU THINK IT WILL
STILL GO INTO THE BUDGET AS A
FLAT TAX?
>> I THINK SOME TYPE OF TAX
REFORM WILL PROBABLY END UP
GOING INTO THE BUDGET.
THAT WILL BE DEPENDENT ON THE
GOVERNOR.
THE FLAT TAX IS ONE PROPOSAL,
THERE WILL BE OTHERS I'M SURE
BOTH IN THE SENATE AND THE
ASSEMBLY.
SO THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT IDEAS
OUT THERE.
I TRUST OUR LEGISLATORS TO GET
THAT RIGHT.
BUT IT WILL TAKE THE GOVERNOR
SAYING LOOK, I'M WILLING TO LOOK
AT WHAT IS HISTORICALLY A HIGH
TAX STATE AND FIGURE OUT WAYS TO
MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR
EVERYONE WATCHING THIS PROGRAM
AND THE 6 MILLION PEOPLE IN THIS
STATE.
SO I HOPE THE GOVERNOR COMES TO
THE TABLE AND WORKS PRODUCTIVELY
ON IT.
>> SO IF THE BUDGET IS PASSED,
IS THAT A WIN, KEEPING THE
GOVERNOR FROM VETOING IT
ENTIRELY, IS THAT A WIN?
>> WELL, REMEMBER, THE LAST
BUDGET, THE REPUBLICANS PASSED
IT OVER MONTHS OF OBJECTIONS BY
THE GOVERNOR, THEN HE ENDED UP
SIGNING IT.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S IN THE
GOVERNOR'S MIND RIGHT NOW, BUT
WE'LL SEE.
I'VE BEEN THROUGH A NUMBER OF
BUDGETS AS YOU HAVE, WATCHING IT
AND PARTICIPATING UP IN THE
CAPITOL.
A LOT OF MONEY SLOSHING AROUND.
I KIND OF ALWAYS SAY TO
REPUBLICANS IN THE LEGISLATURE,
IF THERE'S TOO MUCH MONEY IN
MADISON, GET IT OUT OF HERE.
AND SO I HOPE THAT'S THEIR
EMPHASIS, IS FIGURING OUT WAYS
TO GIVE MONEY BACK TO TAXPAYERS,
BECAUSE IT'S THEIR MONEY.
>> ROBERT SPINDELL, A REPUBLICAN
APPOINTEE TO THE WISCONSIN
ELECTIONS COMMISSION, RECENTLY
SENT AN EMAIL THAT'S GOTTEN SOME
ATTENTION.
URBAN MILWAUKEE QUOTES SPINDELL
AS WRITING, THIS GREAT AND
IMPORTANT DECREASE IN DEMOCRAT
VOTES IN THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE
WAS DUE TO A WELL THOUGHT OUT
MULTIFACETED PLAN.
DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING THAT'S
VOTER SUPPRESSION.
>> I TELL YOU WHAT THE
MULTIFACETED PLAN IS, AND THAT
IS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF
WISCONSIN AND THE REPUBLICAN
NATIONAL COMMITTEE OPENING
OFFICES ON THE NORTH SIDE AND
PREDOMINANTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN
NEIGHBORHOODS, AND ON THE SOUTH
SIDE, IN PROMINENTLY LATINO
NEIGHBORHOODS, STAFFING THEM
WITH PAID STAFF, WITH
VOLUNTEERS.
WE'VE BEEN AS ACTIVE IN
MILWAUKEE, AND I'VE BEEN ON THE
BOARD WITH BOB SPINDELL FOR A
LOT OF YEARS.
HE'S BEEN THE CHIEF PROPONENT OF
INCREASED ACTIVITY IN MILWAUKEE
IN THE MINORITY COMMUNITY, SO
PERHAPS THE STATEMENTS WEREN'T
AS ARTFULLY PUT AS THEY COULD
BE, BUT I DON'T DOUBT THAT HE
MEANS THAT -- WHAT WE ALL MEAN
AS THE PARTY AND I CERTAINLY
MEAN AS THE PARTY LEADER, AND
THAT IS THAT WE ARE ARE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO WORK THOSE
NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER
NEIGHBORHOODS IN MILWAUKEE.
I HAVE AN OFFICE IN MILWAUKEE
FOR YEARS.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK
THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AND FRANKLY
WE UPTICKED A LITTLE BIT,
REPUBLICANS DID GENERALLY IN
MILWAUKEE, AND THAT'S GOING TO
CONTINUE AND FRANKLY I WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT MILWAUKEE AS THE
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
COMES TO TOWN.
SO IN FACT, I'VE BEEN MEETING ON
THIS IN THE LAST COUPLE DAYS, I
WAS IN MILWAUKEE THE LAST COUPLE
OF DAYS, SO WE'RE GOING TO
CONTINUE OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS IN
MILWAUKEE, AND I'M NOT GOING TO
GET DISTRACTED BY THOSE KIND OF
STORIES.
>> THERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT
SUPREME COURT ELECTION COMING
UP, TWO LIBERALS, TWO
CONSERVATIVES RUNNING.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE PARTY
GETTING INVOLVED IN THE PRIMARY?
>> NO, I CAN'T IMAGINE A
SITUATION IN WHICH WE GET
INVOLVED IN THE PRIMARY IN THE
SUPREME COURT RACE.
OF COURSE THE PRIMARY COMING ON
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST.
I THINK OUR ROLE AS THE PARTY
AND MY ROLE AS THE PARTY
CHAIRMAN STATEWIDE IS TO MAKE
SURE, PAST THAT PRIMARY, THAT
ONE OF THE CONSERVATIVES THAT WE
HOPE WILL GET THROUGH, EVERY
MODERATE TO CONSERVATIVE VOTER
IN THIS STATE OUGHT TO KNOW
ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
THE CONSERVATIVES IN THIS RACE
AND THE LIBERALS IN THIS RACE,
AND THEY ARE, IN FACT, VERY,
VERY LIBERAL.
WE SAW THAT IN THE DEBATE, THAT
HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEK, WHERE
THEY WERE COMMENTING ON CASES
THAT HAD BEEN BEFORE THE COURT
OR MAY BE BEFORE THE COURT
AGAIN.
THAT IS -- NUMBER ONE, THAT'S
FLAT OUT INAPPROPRIATE FOR THEM
TO BE COMMENTING ON THOSE CASE,
THE LIBERALS.
SO THAT'S NUMBER ONE.
BUT NUMBER TWO, I WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT FOLKS ALL ACROSS THE
STATE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN THE TWO CANDIDATE AND
THAT'S A ROLE WE'LL HELP PLAY.
>> WE'VE GOT ABOUT A MINUTE LEFT
HERE.
IN PAST SUPREME COURT ELECTIONS,
IT'S RARE TO SEE TWO
CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES GO HEAD
TO HEAD.
IS THERE A CONCERN THAT THEY MAY
UP EACH OTHER'S NEGATIVES BY
SOME OF THE SNIPING THAT'S GOING
BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THEM AND
THEIR OPPONENTS AND EVEN THEIR
SUPPORTERS?
>> RIGHT.
THERE'S PROBABLY AS MUCH CONCERN
ON THE LIBERAL SIDE BECAUSE
THEY'RE HAVING QUITE A SHOOTOUT
ON THEIR SIDE AS WELL, KIND OF A
MILWAUKEE-BASED CANDIDATE VERSUS
A MADISON-BASED CANNED TATE.
CANDIDATE.
SO I DON'T GET A LOT OF THAT
CONCERN OUT THERE YET.
THERE MAY BE AS WE'RE A NUMBER
OF WAYS OUT FROM THE PRIMARY
YET, BUT I SUSPECT THE LIBERALS
ARE STARTING TO CUT AT EACH
OTHER A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
BUT WE'LL BE UNIFIED AFTER
FEBRUARY 21ST, THAT, I CAN TELL
YOU.
>> ALL RIGHT.