Republicans Rethink Van Hollen; Van Hollen Rethinks Republicans

The Wisconsin Republican Attorney General, J.B. Van Hollen, is in a tough spot.

On mindless Milwaukee right-wing radio, Charlie Sykes and Mark Belling roast him as often as they smear Governor Jim Doyle. Then, in an Associated Press story this week Conservatives: Van Hollen a Republican in name only?  , Republican Party mouthpieces for renegade Rep Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), and failed GOP AG candidate from 1994, Jeff Wagner, piled on.

It seems that Van Hollen, J.B. to his friends, might have meant it when he said that he planned to put aside politics and focus on the law. Thus, his positions that the University of Wisconsin can use race in admissions decisions so long as it is not discriminatory, and that Wisconsin's ban on partial-birth abortion is not enforceable.

All of this means if Van Hollen plans to survive in the office, he has to create his own political base - something many Wisconsin politicians from both parties have done over the years.

The bad news is that Democrats are unlikely to support him and the right-wing of the Republican Party may shoot him as another RINO (Republican In Name Only).

The good news is that, in sound Wisconsin tradition, independents from both parties can survive without a party apparatus. Just ask Bill Proxmire or Lee Sherman Dreyfus. Also working for Van Hollen is the fact that the extreme right wing of the Republican Party is fading fast.

With the constructive side of the Republican Party looking for a leader, and with Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce rapidly imploding, Van Hollen may be the foundation of a new Wisconsin GOP.

Comments

[Anonymous]

Let me guess what type of people will make up his base...Judge Ziegler comes to mind.

[tosa]

JB comes across as an empty suite. As a moderate voter, I was put off when he called the GOP the "party of god" at the convention this summer.
Its this sort of mindless rhetoric that makes all politicians look bad.

[Tim Roth]

Van Hollen is yet another promising sign that we can emerge from the intense polarization of the present day. I definitely agree that he is floating in risky political waters right now. Too bad we don't have instant-runoff elections in Wisconsin to help politicians who don't want to be partisan ideologues. Instant-runoff would take power away from the hard-core bases of each party and establish more reason and compromise in politics.