So U.S. Senator Ron John (R. WI) would rather talk about this:
As negotiations continue over how best to respond to mass shootings, Sen. Ron Johnson was asked about which measures he might be willing to support. It didn’t go especially well.
Here’s what the Wisconsin Republican told CNN:
“My main point on any kind of gun control is, let’s enforce the laws that we have. And let’s do it within a justice system that applies the laws equally. Maybe we should start with what Hunter Biden did in terms of his own background checks.”
Soon after, a Washington Post reporter asked Johnson about waiting periods for gun sales to buyers under the age of 21. “Before we pass anything new,” the GOP senator replied, “let’s enforce the laws we already have. Let’s start with Hunter Biden.”
On the one hand, I’ll gladly give Johnson credit for message discipline. On the other hand, there’s ... everything else.
Right off the bat, it’s worth noting for context that the Wisconsin Republican is running for re-election this year in a state President Joe Biden narrowly won two years ago. With this in mind, in theory, one might assume that Johnson would take this opportunity to present himself to voters as a responsible and mature mainstream policymaker interested in solving problems that matter to the public.
In practice, however, the incumbent senator appears far more interested in positioning himself as a far-right ideologue and conspiracy theorist.
So I like this response:
Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi has joked that she will personally arrange a phone call between Republican Senator Ron Johnson and her father if the lawmaker votes for tighter gun control.
Ms Biden was responding to a comment from the Wisconsin senator who said he wanted to see existing laws enforced against Hunter Biden before he agreed to pass any new legislation on firearms.
In a tweet, Ms Biden, 28, wrote: “Ron Johnson if you vote for stricter gun control measures, I will personally come into your office and call my dad on speakerphone so that you can confess your undying love for him directly.”
Senators are working to craft a narrow set of gun safety proposals in response to the nationwide outpouring of grief and anger at the Uvalde high school massacre.
By the way, I think this is an impressive endorsement:
Retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman on Wednesday announced that he is throwing his support behind Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D) in the state’s Democratic Senate primary.
Vindman referred to incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) as an “extremist” in his endorsement of Barnes, which was first seen by The Hill.
“Our democracy is on the ballot in 2022,” Vindman said in a statement. “Mandela’s campaign to defeat Ron Johnson is not only going to be one of the most competitive races in the entire country. It is also a critical opportunity to unseat an extremist Republican incumbent who spreads disinformation, undermines U.S. national security, and threatens the future of our democracy. Mandela is our best chance to defeat Ron Johnson in November.”
FYI:
With Wisconsin’s primary nearly two months away, a new report highlights how Sen. Ron Johnson’s re-election effort is being helped by a new SuperPAC backed by three billionaires who benefited greatly from a tax plan Johnson pushed through Congress in 2017.
Wisconsin Truth PAC is primarily funded by Diane Hendricks of Beloit-based ABC Supply Co. and Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein, owners of Pleasant Prairie-based Uline, Inc. Together, they provided $3.5 million of the initial funding for the SuperPAC, a type of political funder created as a result of the US Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling that allowed corporations to spend unlimited sums of money to independently advocate for and against the election of candidates.
The new PAC has been running ads in support of Johnson, including spending $200,000 in the past 30 days on digital advertising on sites such as YouTube and Google. Only a PAC tied to Republican operative Karl Rove spent more on digital ads targeting Wisconsin voters over the past 30 days.
The figures were compiled by FWIW, a weekly newsletter that looks beyond the traditional barometer of political ads on television, radio, mail, and print to see which candidates, campaigns, and groups are trying to reach voters on various digital platforms. On Wednesday, the progressive digital media company reported on the past 30 days of spending on Wisconsin’s US Senate race, where Johnson is running for a third term despite repeatedly pledging not to run again.
Primary Day in Wisconsin is August 9th. Click here to register to vote or check your registration.
Health and Democracy are on the ballot next year and we need to keep Wisconsin Blue. Click below to donate and get involved with the Wisconsin Democrat of your choice and these Wisconsin Democrats campaigns:
Wisconsin Democratic Party
Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC
Tony Evers for Governor
Mandela Barnes for U.S. Senate
Sarah Godlewski for U.S. Senate
Tom Nelson for U.S. Senate
Alex Lasry for U.S. Senate
Josh Kaul for Attorney General
