Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Huebsch Withdraws Name From Consideration for Minority Leader

I like Jeff Fitzgerald, but given that he was part of a failed leadership team, I’m not sure that he’s the best choice. 

Mike Huebsch has informed Assembly Republicans that he will not seek a leadership position in the next legislative session, when the caucus will return in the minority for the first time in 14 years.

Dems are looking at a 52-46 edge in the chamber next session, pending any recounts, with one independent.

Huebsch wrote in the note that he believed the GOP caucus would be “best served by a new leader,” according to sources who have read the letter.

UPDATE: Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, will run for Assembly Minority Leader, according to his spokesman, Jim Bender. Fitzgerald has served as Majority Leader for the Republicans.

Thoughts?

(9) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1713 hrs
Politics + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. Send in Leah Vukmir. 

    Regardless of what anyone thinks of her personally or professionally, she’s tough as nails and can raise cash in southeast Wisconsin, where the GOP needs to refocus and re-align its efforts if they wish to regain the Assembly majority.

    Under Fitz as Asst. Majority Leader, the House GOP lost 14 members over the last four years.  What has he done to earn the top spot?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 05, 2008 at 1744 hrs


  2. I believe that the state GOP would be served by B&S;guest blogger Bill Kramer.  Prior to this election, I really didn’t know that much about Bill, other than he batted for Team Elephant.  But I read his candidate questionnaire posed by the Urinal Sentinel.  Bill seems like the spitfire type we could use.  This goes for the national GOP too.  McConnell and Boehner should be sh*tcanned fast and furiously.  In the house, a combination of Paul Ryan (WI), John Shaddegg(AZ), and Eric Cantor (VA) should be used; Tom Coburn (OK) for senate minority leader, and Jeff Sessions (AL) and Jim DeMint (SC) to supplement.  Appoint Michael Steele head of the RNC.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 05, 2008 at 2056 hrs


  3. I agree with Mr. Pelican Pants. Leah Vukmir would be a terrific leader and I think that Matt Peer’s choice would support her. She is one of the future leaders of the GOP that understands and is supportive of grass roots organizations.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 05, 2008 at 2250 hrs


  4. Care to tell me how many more seats the AssGOP can squeeze out of Southeast Wisconsin?  I’m not really sure what a renewed focus there gets you.  The AssGOP will always hold those seats. 

    The kinds of candidates that win in 65% seats in the collar counties around Milwaukee do not and will not win outstate.  No coincidence that folks like Becky Weber and Frank Lasee and Jo Egelhoff are losing in NE Wisconsin in recent years while folks like Karl Van Roy and Dean Kaufert soldier on.  Run hard-nosed conservatives in those seats and the AssGOP will lose those too.  Just like Brett Davis probably wouldn’t win in Washington County, Bill Kramer wouldn’t win outstate.

    Any good leadership team will be balanced geographically and philosophically.  It’s important that everyone in the room feel like they’ve got someone looking out for them.

    Whether Rep. Vukmir would be good or bad would depend entirely on how she approached the job.  I will say that what appears “tough as nails” to some comes off as “colossal bitch” and “impossible to work with” to others.  Leah isn’t exactly well-known in the building for openly considering ideas and approaches that don’t fit into her own pre-established view of the world.  A strong personality she is.  An effective coalition builder she is not - at least to date.  But she’s certainly talented and smart enough to change that - if she wants.

    The success of anyone from SE Wisconsin in leadership will be contingent upon understanding the diversity of Wisconsin as well as Scott Jensen did.  Jensen skillfully developed agendas that were generally conservative but gave outstate members all kinds of options to run effective campaigns that met the needs of voters in their district.

    Whoever the next leader is and wherever they’re from, the smartest thing they can do is put Scott Jensen on their speed dial.  After losing 14 seats in two cycles, it’s pretty clear they need his advice.

    Posted by Recess Supervisor on November 06, 2008 at 0005 hrs


  5. So RS - we should run RINO republicans and we will win? When has this ever worked?

    I don’t know Leah Vukmir other than the snippets I see of her on TV - but she won her race by an overwhelming majority.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 06, 2008 at 0802 hrs


  6. RS…again, put her personality aside, they need someone in the heart of GOP country to raise mucho dinero, and fast. 

    Do you really think some jellyfish like Dean Kaufert could saunter into Waukesha County and ask those folks to open up their rather large pocketbooks?? Hardly. 

    What the Assembly GOP lacks, and has lacked for several years now, is a wartime general.  Leah Vukmir could fill that void, in my opinion and anyone else is either a back-bencher with an over-inflated ego, or a weak-kneed leader who has sent many of their own members packing.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 06, 2008 at 1005 hrs


  7. I vote Leah also.  The whole lets run out some Rinos to put an R in our column is what has destroyed this party.  Even when we get the “Majority”, half of our “Majority” might as well suit up for the opposition.  We end up passing crappy legislation and spending like democrats.  It is this selling our soles to get in the Majority, that is the biggest reason that we lost it.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 06, 2008 at 1911 hrs


  8. List me all of the good ideas and the accomplishments of the Fitzgeralds.
      Damn short Lists.
        Then tell me the names of the leakers that theywill have as staff.  “We have found the idiots and them is us.”  To keep those leaders around any longer is foolish.
      If the GOP in this state is going to come back, attract some Spanish vote and other minorities we have to be the pary of the future wth new ideas, new goals and the wish to lead the state into a new prosperity.
      Tommy had tons of ideas, so does RyaN.  Where are GOP leadrs in the state that will follow those guys?  “Who are those guys??”

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 06, 2008 at 1928 hrs


  9. Leah would be an awesome choice, Fitz is a solid conservative but the party needs to distance itself from past leadership.  Kramer is my assemblyman and would also be outstanding as he is a no nonsense true conservative.  We absolutely need strong leadership over the next two years.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 07, 2008 at 1146 hrs


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