[h=3]By DOUGLAS BELKIN[/h]Three months ago, the Wisconsin Republican senatorial primary looked like a cakewalk for former four-term Gov. Tommy Thompson. Since then, Tuesday's contest has turned into a street fight, with Mr. Thompson's three competitors sinking their teeth into what once was his greatest strength: a history of compromise.
The key to Mr. Thompson's success in the 1980s and '90s, when he was the most popular politician in Wisconsin, was his ability to work with a bipartisan state legislature to pass several landmark pieces of legislation. But more than a decade since he last held elected office, the Republican Party's shift to the right has set Mr. Thompson up for accusations that he is a closet moderate.
APFormer Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson greeted supporters in December after formally launching his bid for U.S. Senate, at a manufacturing facility in Waukesha, Wis.
The broadsides have slashed the former governor's lead from close to 20 percentage points in June polls to a dead heat in several recent ones, as outside groups as well as his opponents have unleashed attacks. Before the final weekend of campaigning, one-fifth of likely voters remained undecided, according to a Marquette University Law School poll. The survey found Mr. Thompson still holding an eight-point lead over his closest opponent, Eric Hovde. Other polls have shown Mr. Hovde ahead.
Mr. Thompson said the changes in campaign politics have taken him by surprise. "I never expected to be outspent 10 to one," he said in an interview. The politics have "become much more vicious, much less truthful and there's no doubt the party has changed."
Mr. Hovde (pronounced HUV-dee) is a 48-year-old hedge-fund manager, banker and political neophyte who moved back to Wisconsin after two decades in Washington. He has invested millions of dollars in the race and has criticized Mr. Thompson as a business-as-usual politician with antiquated ideas who helped dig the nation into a fiscal hole. He has gone so far as to assert Mr. Thompson lacks the intellectual acumen necessary to grasp the complexities of the global financial crisis. Mr. Thompson calls that argument ridiculous and counters that he is a rarity among politicians because he helped turn back government entitlement by limiting welfare in his state.
Before last month, much of Wisconsin's political attention was focused elsewhere: Republican Gov. Scott Walker in June survived a recall challenge that sprouted early in 2011 when he scrapped collective-bargaining rights for most state employees. Mr. Thompson benefited from the low profile of his primary.
But the recent attacks have forced him to play defense. One such assertion—which he denies—is that Mr. Thompson, who served under President George W. Bush as Secretary of Health and Human Services, supports the Obama administration's health-care overhaul. Mr. Thompson, 70, has met charges that he is too old with a round of 50 push-ups and plenty of rhetorical counterpunches.
"I'm working harder than I have since the time I first ran for governor," he said.
The negative campaigning has prompted Mr. Walker to ask the rivals to restrain their rhetoric to avoid undermining their chances against Tammy Baldwin, a Democratic congresswoman running unopposed for her party's nomination. If Republicans win the seat, being vacated by retiring Democrat Herb Kohl, they would hold both of Wisconsin's Senate posts. Democrats effectively control the U.S. Senate 53-47, and Republicans see Wisconsin as a steppingstone to taking back the chamber.
Mr. Hovde has said "the U.S. Senate is not an entitlement," and the time has come for leaders from the private sector to step forward and rescue the nation from a class of career politicians.
As Mr. Hovde and Mr. Thompson have cut into each other, the main beneficiary has been Mark Neumann, a home builder and former two-term congressman who lost both his earlier bids for statewide office. He is backed by many in the tea party as well as small-government advocates, the Club for Growth. Mr. Neumann's campaign website proclaims him the state's most conservative congressman of the past 30 years.
"I believe people will come home to a proven conservative," Mr. Neumann said. "They know I have been tested under fire."
The Marquette poll found Mr. Neumann's support nearly doubling to 18% in the past month. That same poll found Mr. Thompson with 28% and Mr. Hovde with 20%.
In fourth place is Jeff Fitzgerald, speaker of the state assembly. Mr. Fitzgerald has suffered from a lack of campaign cash and said he hopes the circular firing squad may yet leave him the last man standing.
"Those three are going negative and I think we'll see a backlash," he said. "I think it will mean a turnaround in the polls."
Write to Douglas Belkin at [email protected]
The key to Mr. Thompson's success in the 1980s and '90s, when he was the most popular politician in Wisconsin, was his ability to work with a bipartisan state legislature to pass several landmark pieces of legislation. But more than a decade since he last held elected office, the Republican Party's shift to the right has set Mr. Thompson up for accusations that he is a closet moderate.
APFormer Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson greeted supporters in December after formally launching his bid for U.S. Senate, at a manufacturing facility in Waukesha, Wis.
The broadsides have slashed the former governor's lead from close to 20 percentage points in June polls to a dead heat in several recent ones, as outside groups as well as his opponents have unleashed attacks. Before the final weekend of campaigning, one-fifth of likely voters remained undecided, according to a Marquette University Law School poll. The survey found Mr. Thompson still holding an eight-point lead over his closest opponent, Eric Hovde. Other polls have shown Mr. Hovde ahead.
Mr. Thompson said the changes in campaign politics have taken him by surprise. "I never expected to be outspent 10 to one," he said in an interview. The politics have "become much more vicious, much less truthful and there's no doubt the party has changed."
Mr. Hovde (pronounced HUV-dee) is a 48-year-old hedge-fund manager, banker and political neophyte who moved back to Wisconsin after two decades in Washington. He has invested millions of dollars in the race and has criticized Mr. Thompson as a business-as-usual politician with antiquated ideas who helped dig the nation into a fiscal hole. He has gone so far as to assert Mr. Thompson lacks the intellectual acumen necessary to grasp the complexities of the global financial crisis. Mr. Thompson calls that argument ridiculous and counters that he is a rarity among politicians because he helped turn back government entitlement by limiting welfare in his state.
Before last month, much of Wisconsin's political attention was focused elsewhere: Republican Gov. Scott Walker in June survived a recall challenge that sprouted early in 2011 when he scrapped collective-bargaining rights for most state employees. Mr. Thompson benefited from the low profile of his primary.
But the recent attacks have forced him to play defense. One such assertion—which he denies—is that Mr. Thompson, who served under President George W. Bush as Secretary of Health and Human Services, supports the Obama administration's health-care overhaul. Mr. Thompson, 70, has met charges that he is too old with a round of 50 push-ups and plenty of rhetorical counterpunches.
"I'm working harder than I have since the time I first ran for governor," he said.
The negative campaigning has prompted Mr. Walker to ask the rivals to restrain their rhetoric to avoid undermining their chances against Tammy Baldwin, a Democratic congresswoman running unopposed for her party's nomination. If Republicans win the seat, being vacated by retiring Democrat Herb Kohl, they would hold both of Wisconsin's Senate posts. Democrats effectively control the U.S. Senate 53-47, and Republicans see Wisconsin as a steppingstone to taking back the chamber.
Mr. Hovde has said "the U.S. Senate is not an entitlement," and the time has come for leaders from the private sector to step forward and rescue the nation from a class of career politicians.
As Mr. Hovde and Mr. Thompson have cut into each other, the main beneficiary has been Mark Neumann, a home builder and former two-term congressman who lost both his earlier bids for statewide office. He is backed by many in the tea party as well as small-government advocates, the Club for Growth. Mr. Neumann's campaign website proclaims him the state's most conservative congressman of the past 30 years.
"I believe people will come home to a proven conservative," Mr. Neumann said. "They know I have been tested under fire."
The Marquette poll found Mr. Neumann's support nearly doubling to 18% in the past month. That same poll found Mr. Thompson with 28% and Mr. Hovde with 20%.
In fourth place is Jeff Fitzgerald, speaker of the state assembly. Mr. Fitzgerald has suffered from a lack of campaign cash and said he hopes the circular firing squad may yet leave him the last man standing.
"Those three are going negative and I think we'll see a backlash," he said. "I think it will mean a turnaround in the polls."
Write to Douglas Belkin at [email protected]