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Ron Johnson Slammed Ahead Of Wisconsin Primary: “The Cruelest Member,” “Well Underwater,” “Chances In November Look Rocky”

Cap Times: “Barely a week goes by when the Oshkosh Republican millionaire doesn’t make some mind-boggling pronouncement”

USA Today: “His chances in November look rocky”

The Hill: Johnson steps on political land mine with Social Security, Medicare comments

Ahead of tonight’s Wisconsin primary, Ron Johnson is facing a wave of brutal news coverage: Wisconsin’s Capitol Journal Associate Editor described him as “the cruelest member” for blocking legislation to lower the cost of insulin, he continues to face blowback after he “stepped on a political land mine” with his “mind-boggling” call for cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and reporters have declared his “chances in November look rocky” as his approval rating remains well underwater with Wisconsin voters.

See for yourself:

The Cap Times (Opinion): Ron Johnson is so cruel that he won’t even help diabetics pay for insulin

  • Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson voted last week to block passage of the Inflation Reduction Act… to tax corporations a bit more fairly and use the money to expand access to health care and address climate change.
  • No surprise there. Johnson’s against fair taxation, he’s never shown much interest in meeting human needs and he could care less about the planet.
  • But Johnson stood out as the cruelest member of that caucus when he broke with chamber’s Democrats and even a number of his fellow Republicans to bitterly attack an effort to ensure that people with diabetes could afford life-saving insulin.
  • Displaying the venomous dishonesty for which he has become known, Johnson dismissed the concerns of millions of Americans who were pleading for federal intervention to prevent drug company price gouging.
  • It wasn’t a “gotcha” vote. It was a sincere effort to save lives by making sure that people with diabetes don’t have to ration insulin. Seven Senate Republicans recognized that reality. But Johnson still went on the attack.
  • Johnson’s the liar. And in this case he’s the cruelest of all liars — a political careerist who claims that an effort to save lives is “all for show.” Johnson’s the one putting on the show. It’s time for the voters of Wisconsin to cancel him.

USA Today: Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson is poised to win Tuesday’s primary. His chances in November look rocky.

  • Dorlise Brown is the type of Wisconsin voter who could give incumbent GOP Sen. Ron Johnson trouble this year.
  • The 48-year-old high school social studies teacher in Kenosha is an independent who has typically leaned Republican. But not this time.

  • Johnson in May voted against a Democratic bill that would have enshrined Roe v. Wade into law following the Supreme Court’s ruling in June to let states decide the rules on abortion. “I’m not voting for him because he doesn’t support a woman’s choice,” Brown said.

  • The incumbent senator’s favorability rating was 37% in June, according to the most recent Marquette poll.
  • Johnson’s favorability has hovered somewhere in the 30s, occasionally dipping into the 20s, for the past 10 years. In that same period of time, his unfavorability rating has grown from 25% to 46%.
  • “He’s well underwater,” Franklin said.

  • But this time, he doesn’t seem to be mounting a comeback and is behind the curve compared to where he was six years ago, Franklin said.

  • Last week, he drew criticism when he called for Social Security and Medicare to become discretionary spending programs that would have to be approved annually rather than automatically funded entitlement programs.

The Hill: Johnson steps on political land mine with Social Security, Medicare comments

  • Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a stalwart Senate ally of former President Trump, is facing fresh uncertainty in his race for reelection after telling a podcast last week that Social Security and Medicare should be classified as discretionary spending.

  • Johnson is on the defensive as Democrats have political ammo to claim that he wants to cut the two popular entitlement programs, a strategy they used effectively against Republicans in the past.   

  • Johnson is doubling down on his bold position.

  • Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) said Johnson has stepped on a political land mine.    “These are the programs that have taken several generations of seniors out of poverty,” she said.  

  • Baldwin noted that Johnson told Breitbart News Daily in an interview earlier this year that he viewed a 12-point plan unveiled by fellow Republican Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.) calling for all federal legislation to sunset after five years as “a positive thing.” Johnson said he agreed with “most of it.”  

  • “Not only has he made those references,” Baldwin said, referring to “The Regular Joe Show” podcast. “But back when Rick Scott put out his Republican agenda, which sort of abolished both of them and start over, Sen. Johnson had voiced support for that.” 

  • Former longtime Fox News anchor Chris Wallace called Johnson’s remarks “suicidal politics.” 

  • Ben Nuckels, a Wisconsin-based Democratic strategist, said Johnson had grabbed the “third rail” of American politics by calling for annual congressional review of Social Security and Medicare spending.

  • “When you have 60 to 65 percent of the electorate above the age of 50, that’s going to be a big problem for him,” he said. “Johnson grabbed the third rail with both hands on that one.” 

  • A Senate Republican strategist said Johnson’s latest comments on Social Security and Medicare are “not good from a campaign perspective.”  

UpNorthNews: Ron Johnson Proposes Putting Social Security, Medicare On Chopping Block every year

  • Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson is under fire for recent comments about Social Security and Medicare, entitlement programs that millions of seniors rely on.

  • In an appearance on the ‘Regular Joe’ Show Johnson proposed sweeping changes to both federal programs that would have the effect of putting each on the chopping block – subject to drastic cuts or outright elimination – every single year.

  • In the past, Johnson has falsely referred to Social Security as a ‘ponzi scheme’, underscoring the seriousness of threats to the program.

  • Wisconsin resident John Drew, a Social Security recipient, warned that Johnson’s “dangerous lie” about Social Security being a ‘ponzi scheme’ would “only serve(s) to cause fear and doubt in older Americans.”

The Cap Times (Opinion): Of all Johnson’s stupidities, his position on Medicare and Social security is the worst

  • Barely a week goes by when the Oshkosh Republican millionaire doesn’t make some mind-boggling pronouncement that makes you stop and wonder, ‘What’s with this guy?’

  • In defending his role in passing the Donald Trump-engineered tax bill, which helped millionaires and big corporations enjoy even more tax breaks, he has claimed the top 1% are paying their fair share of taxes.

  • But last week he outdid himself. He pronounced during a talk radio interview that he’d like to see Social Security and Medicare moved from their mandatory spending status to discretionary, meaning that each year Congress would have to renew the funds that go to the programs’ recipients.

  • Maybe because he’s a millionaire — thanks to marrying into a wealthy family of plastics’ manufacturers — he is unaware that Social Security and Medicare payments are funded by the very people who are the programs’ recipients.

  • Others have commented that Johnson’s musing about the two popular programs for elderly Americans will probably cost him votes during the November election. Let’s hope so.

Washington Examiner: Sen. Ron Johnson suggests Social Security and Medicare should be discretionary spending

  • Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is facing blowback after suggesting last week that Social Security and Medicare be eliminated as federal entitlement programs.

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