Tommy Thompson Run Looks Improbable Now

A Tommy Thompson run for governor now appears unlikely.

And Thompson won't run for U.S. Senate—forget Jonathan Martin's Politico story that he's weighing it; the eventual GOP Senate nominee is toast and I want what David Blaska, Owen Robinson, and Chuck Todd are smoking.

Thompson is on a trip to the Far East for at least a week, and it's-my-turn-to-run Scott Walker and here's-a-$1 million Mark Neumann aren't dropping out.

A Thompson run for governor announced in February or March would cause catastrophic unpredictability in what the GOP already fears will be a divisive primary in this volatile environment, and in a state known for bucking the establishments of both major political parties.

Sure, Sen. Herb Kohl can parachute in the primary like he did in June 1988, refuse to debate other candidates, and win by air war.

That won't work for Thompson now as too many Republicans are vested in their chosen champion who will face a strong Democratic opponent in Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett.

Thompson is a great cultural fit for Wisconsin; but running now would just make too many enemies and confuse the already blurred political lines.

Thompson's like Chinese food, you're ready for him again but not when other entrées are prepared and ready to serve.

Rightwing Activists: Filibuster Sotomayor

Bring it on.

The White Party says filibuster the first Hispanic Supreme Court nominee. [In Wisconsin, the White Party says: Do not gather racial profiling data.]

The GOP did well in the deep south and Appalachia in the last election. But I think even the religious right might be getting tired of these guys.

From the Politico, Manu Raju reports:

Conservatives are demanding that Senate Republicans take a harder line on Sonia Sotomayor, with new signs of tension between the Hill GOP and elements of the Republican base over the direction the opposition should move in the Supreme Court fight.

In a letter to be delivered to Senate Republicans Tuesday, more than 145 conservatives – including Grover Norquist, Richard Viguerie and Gary Bauer — call for a filibuster of Sotomayor’s nomination if that’s what it takes to force a 'great debate' over judicial philosophy.

But as is clear, the the White Party hates a debate.

Nearly nine in ten (89 percent) Republicans are white with the vast majority of those people describing themselves as 'conservative' (63 percent). Just seven percent of Republicans are either Hispanic (five percent) or black (two percent).

The more the GOP listens to its base, the more it isolates itself.