Top 5 Reasons Tommy Thompson is Bad for Wisconsin

By Sarah Burris on

December 1, 2011

Earlier this year we told you why Mark Neumann was one of the worst options for Wisconsin voters, but today Tommy Thompson formally announced he's in the race for the U.S. Senate, and we have another “worst option” in the mix. Here are some of just a few reasons that Tommy Thompson has no business being in the U.S. Senate.

Some of the harshest anti-abortion laws in the country were signed by Tommy Thompson. As Governor of Wisconsin in the 90s, Thompson signed a law that “would have imposed sentences up to life on doctors who performed so-called partial birth abortions.” Putting doctors in jail is about as productive as putting women seeking services in jail.
Tommy Thompson supports for millionaires over the middle class. These are tough times for the middle class, and Thompson thinks the rich deserve to get more. Seriously. "Reckless spending is the real issue - not taxes," Thompson said. And how exactly do we pay for those tax cuts to the wealthy? Either federal spending– which Thompson says he opposes too – or on the backs of the middle class. We’ve seen this movie before, it was on every day from 2001-2009 and starred George W. Bush. In the end it hurts working families, it hurts small businesses, it hurts the American economy.
Thompson used his role as a former Health and Human Services Secretary to schill for Big Pharma. In October we told you about Thompson’s answer to a question about anthrax attacks -- he promoted PharmAthene, a company that was paying his DC lobbying firm at the time, saying that our country needed to get behind them. If you're going to try and make more money or get free advertising for someone you're working for, at least disclose it to the American people. It's more honest that way.
The Milwaukee Courier agrees, saying after Thompson went to work for the private sector he "continued to use his D.C. and Bush Administration connections to get his company even more federal cash, even though the company was ill-equipped to provide the health services. From 2003 to 2007, Tommy's company's federal contracting business skyrocketed by almost 500 percent." Wisconsin needs a great Senator that will work for them, not his own bank account.
Governor Scott Walker's far reaching anti-worker agenda isn't really that harmful, according to Thompson. When he appeared on CNN earlier this year, Thompson said Scott Walker’s plan was hardly a union busting bill and wouldn't eliminate collective bargaining. I don't know if Thompson just doesn't know any better or if he's playing politics. Walker's anti-worker agenda would "strip away the collective bargaining rights of many public employees - at least on health care, pension benefits, and working conditions - even after they've agreed to the financial concessions the governor said are needed to balance the state's budget."
Tommy Thompson's own party doesn't trust him! Today, Club for Growth compiled a report detailing Thompson’s stance on the Affordable Care Act. CFG thinks Thompson supported it, Thompson says he doesn't support it, but who knows anymore with these Republicans. The AP notes that the biggest enemy for Thompson for Senate might be Thompson himself. (For more information see: Mitt Romney) What we do know is that, like Mitt, Thompson is having a tough go at garnering support from all sides. The result isn’t someone who looks like a maverick – it’s someone who looks inconsistent and questionable.

There are a lot of reasons to oppose Thompson's policies, and when we're dealing with a tough economy where issues truly impact the daily lives of all Americans, the people in Wisconsin need a Senator they can trust. Tommy Thompson just isn't that candidate. Wisconsin needs an advocate for working families, and that’s why we’re supporting Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin. With proven leadership and dedication to the people of Wisconsin, Baldwin will ensure the people come first.

Top 5 Reasons Tommy Thompson is Bad for Wisconsin

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