In a blatant attempt to distract from the fact that he was outraised by Russ Feingold for the fourth straight quarter and by nearly $1.3 million in the first 3 months of this year, Ron Johnson released a memo touting his “outsider” status. Johnson thinks being an outsider will help him like it has helped toxic GOP presidential frontrunners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz that he’s pledged to support.
But the problem with Johnson’s memo full of spin is that none of it is backed up by reality. Ron Johnson is no political outsider, and here are a few of the reasons:
- Johnson repeatedly puts partisanship over Wisconsinites, voting with the Republican Party 97 percent of the time.
- In the ultimate DC insider move, Johnson is in the pocket of corporate special interests. He’s been called the Kochs’ “model legislator” and in return, the Kochs are already spending big to prop up Johnson’s reelection. He’s also a favorite of the Club for Growth, which hasgiven Johnson its “Defender of Economic Freedom” award twice, and is planning to spend $2.5 million on Johnson’s behalf.
- For someone who claims to be an outsider, Johnson tried awfully hard to get into the inner circle of the Republican caucus. He ran for Vice Chairman of the Republican Conference, a position in the Senate leadership in 2011.
- In 2012, Johnson threatened to fire nearly his entire legislative staff so he could focus on “political messaging.”
- Johnson told a group of DC insiders that he planned to run for re-election before he announced his decision to the people of Wisconsin.
“During his time in the Senate, Senator Ron Johnson has proven he is the ultimate DC insider, and any attempts to portray himself as otherwise will be seen as nothing more than desperate political posturing,” said Lauren Passalacqua, DSCC National Press Secretary. “Johnson has repeatedly put the interests of DC insiders and outside groups ahead of Wisconsin, and Wisconsinites deserve a Senator like Russ Feingold who is dedicated to fighting for them.”
