AcidReign
06-17-2010, 07:34 AM
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/96528854.html
U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson's courtship of tea party groups took another twist as he postponed question-and-answer sessions with two organizations this week after a skeptical reception from constitutional conservatives in Jefferson County.
Johnson called the United Nations a joke, mocked the notion of human-made global warming, endorsed dramatically lower taxes and said abolition of the IRS would be wonderful, but the Republican wasn't prepared for some questions thrown at him Friday by the Rock River Patriots.
His campaign said a personal issue forced him to skip his scheduled appearances at "vetting sessions" in Chippewa County on Tuesday and in Madison on Wednesday night.
But some tea party activists were skeptical, saying Johnson may be regrouping because he couldn't seem to satisfy the Rock River Patriots with specific policy positions on constitutional issues such as gun rights, property protection and limited government. They also took note that he was able to attend a Republican Party office opening earlier Tuesday in the same part of the state.
"Johnson is probably a sincere guy and I think on a gut level he's conservative, but he hasn't taken the time yet to develop his positions," said Ken Van Doren, an official with Campaign for Liberty.
Todd Welch, the group's interim state coordinator, called Johnson's support of the Patriot Act and the national Real ID mandate "scary" and said he had hoped to question him about government invasion of privacy. Johnson backs Real ID as a crackdown on illegal immigration.
Questioning Johnson
A video of Johnson's 45-minute vetting Friday by the Rock River group shows the Oshkosh businessman alternately at ease and somewhat defensive. He explained he is not a scholar of the Constitution, adding that it "is not an easy document" and is "hard to study unless you do it in detail."
On Second Amendment rights, Johnson said he was not a gun owner and hadn't thought a lot about which "infringements" he would support on gun ownership. He said he absolutely backs the amendment, along with "minimal licensing" and the right to concealed carry.
Asked why the founders provided the Second Amendment, Johnson drew sympathetic laughter when he responded: "It truthfully was so we could keep government in check."
"They understood the all-powerful nature of government and they wanted to keep government in check and that is why there is a basic right to bear arms. It really wasn't for hunting," he said.
Pressed to name federal agencies he considered unconstitutional, Johnson said he hadn't given thought to it.
He supported the Patriot Act but said potential civil-liberties concerns warranted reviewing it every couple years.
"I certainly share the concerns on civil liberties now that you have Barack Obama in power versus George Bush. I wasn't overly concerned with George Bush in power," he said.
Johnson didn't take a stance on the constitutionality of the income tax system, but on taxes, Johnson said: "If you could eliminate the IRS that would be a wonderful thing, but is it practical, I don't know. We are so far from that point. You're going to have to do it in steps … I favor tax simplification and reductions, a flatter and fairer system."
Dan Horvatin, president of the Rock River group, said members there wanted more detail because they are "constitutional purists."
"I'm not a constitutional scholar either, but there are some things that are relatively self-explanatory in the Constitution," Horvatin said.
Tea party favorite
Juston Johnson, Johnson's campaign manager, said the candidate has opinions and ideas, but not tight policy positions yet because "he has not spent the last 30 years in politics … He's been building a business."
Johnson will offer more detail as the campaign goes on, Juston Johnson said.
Ron Johnson entered the campaign in mid-May after well-received speeches at teaparty rallies in Oshkosh and Madison. That led the media to label him a tea party favorite, which prompted a coalition of tea party groups to publicly clarify they had not endorsed him.
After that announcement, Johnson reached out to the organizations and agreed to appearances before several of the local groups.
Wednesday's cancellation disappointed the Wisconsin 9/12 Project and Dane County Republicans who were interested in seeing Johnson, said Kirsten Lombard, organizer of the Madison-based tea party group.
"While we are in communication with the Johnson campaign and they say they want to reschedule, they seem to be having a difficult time finding a date that works," she said.
Juston Johnson said the campaign was deluged with tea party requests. Ron Johnson and Watertown businessman Dave Westlake are competing to take on incumbent U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, a Democrat.
U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson's courtship of tea party groups took another twist as he postponed question-and-answer sessions with two organizations this week after a skeptical reception from constitutional conservatives in Jefferson County.
Johnson called the United Nations a joke, mocked the notion of human-made global warming, endorsed dramatically lower taxes and said abolition of the IRS would be wonderful, but the Republican wasn't prepared for some questions thrown at him Friday by the Rock River Patriots.
His campaign said a personal issue forced him to skip his scheduled appearances at "vetting sessions" in Chippewa County on Tuesday and in Madison on Wednesday night.
But some tea party activists were skeptical, saying Johnson may be regrouping because he couldn't seem to satisfy the Rock River Patriots with specific policy positions on constitutional issues such as gun rights, property protection and limited government. They also took note that he was able to attend a Republican Party office opening earlier Tuesday in the same part of the state.
"Johnson is probably a sincere guy and I think on a gut level he's conservative, but he hasn't taken the time yet to develop his positions," said Ken Van Doren, an official with Campaign for Liberty.
Todd Welch, the group's interim state coordinator, called Johnson's support of the Patriot Act and the national Real ID mandate "scary" and said he had hoped to question him about government invasion of privacy. Johnson backs Real ID as a crackdown on illegal immigration.
Questioning Johnson
A video of Johnson's 45-minute vetting Friday by the Rock River group shows the Oshkosh businessman alternately at ease and somewhat defensive. He explained he is not a scholar of the Constitution, adding that it "is not an easy document" and is "hard to study unless you do it in detail."
On Second Amendment rights, Johnson said he was not a gun owner and hadn't thought a lot about which "infringements" he would support on gun ownership. He said he absolutely backs the amendment, along with "minimal licensing" and the right to concealed carry.
Asked why the founders provided the Second Amendment, Johnson drew sympathetic laughter when he responded: "It truthfully was so we could keep government in check."
"They understood the all-powerful nature of government and they wanted to keep government in check and that is why there is a basic right to bear arms. It really wasn't for hunting," he said.
Pressed to name federal agencies he considered unconstitutional, Johnson said he hadn't given thought to it.
He supported the Patriot Act but said potential civil-liberties concerns warranted reviewing it every couple years.
"I certainly share the concerns on civil liberties now that you have Barack Obama in power versus George Bush. I wasn't overly concerned with George Bush in power," he said.
Johnson didn't take a stance on the constitutionality of the income tax system, but on taxes, Johnson said: "If you could eliminate the IRS that would be a wonderful thing, but is it practical, I don't know. We are so far from that point. You're going to have to do it in steps … I favor tax simplification and reductions, a flatter and fairer system."
Dan Horvatin, president of the Rock River group, said members there wanted more detail because they are "constitutional purists."
"I'm not a constitutional scholar either, but there are some things that are relatively self-explanatory in the Constitution," Horvatin said.
Tea party favorite
Juston Johnson, Johnson's campaign manager, said the candidate has opinions and ideas, but not tight policy positions yet because "he has not spent the last 30 years in politics … He's been building a business."
Johnson will offer more detail as the campaign goes on, Juston Johnson said.
Ron Johnson entered the campaign in mid-May after well-received speeches at teaparty rallies in Oshkosh and Madison. That led the media to label him a tea party favorite, which prompted a coalition of tea party groups to publicly clarify they had not endorsed him.
After that announcement, Johnson reached out to the organizations and agreed to appearances before several of the local groups.
Wednesday's cancellation disappointed the Wisconsin 9/12 Project and Dane County Republicans who were interested in seeing Johnson, said Kirsten Lombard, organizer of the Madison-based tea party group.
"While we are in communication with the Johnson campaign and they say they want to reschedule, they seem to be having a difficult time finding a date that works," she said.
Juston Johnson said the campaign was deluged with tea party requests. Ron Johnson and Watertown businessman Dave Westlake are competing to take on incumbent U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, a Democrat.