The Tragedy of Tommy

At some point, when he’s long gone, people will look back on the Trump era and make a simple judgement: did you oppose or support the man who was the most corrupt president in history? A man who sought to destroy American democracy and replace it with an autocracy. A man who displayed nothing but the worst human traits — pettiness, dishonesty, self-obsession, willful ignorance.

Tommy Thompson will be on the wrong side of that history. The former Wisconsin Governor turns 84 today and we wish him well. Over in Isthmus, semi-retired Capitol reporting veteran Steve Walters writes a warm birthday card of an article about him. Everything Steve writes is correct. A man who had earned the reputation as “Dr. No” beforehand, became known for unrelenting cheeriness and positivity as governor. He accomplished quite a bit over his 14 years in the East Wing and he went on to accomplish more as a member of the George W. Bush administration and beyond.

But Walters leaves out this crucial fact: Tommy supported Trump early and often. In 2016, shortly after it became clear that Trump would win his party’s nomination, there was a moment of truth. At that time there was still a substantial number of Republicans who were appalled at the way their party was heading. Some, like Bush, remained quiet while others, like Dick and Liz Cheney, bravely spoke out and paid the price.

And what did Tommy do? He told Republicans to “get on the Trump train.” And he never looked back. He’s been an unapologetic Trump supporter ever since. And I know that he knows what a buffoon Trump is. So why does he do it? I asked one of his former aides that question and his response was that, “Tommy just has to be in the game, he has to be relevant.” And in today’s Republican Party to oppose Trump is to become an outcast.

I suppose that’s true, but it’s also true that to be the rare courageous Republican who dares to oppose Trump makes a pol relevant in a different and better way. Liz Cheney, Charlie Sykes and Adam Kinzinger certainly have bigger platforms than they would have had had they simply gone along.

Tommy Thompson has shown a remarkable ability — rare among politicians — to admit when he was wrong. He’s said, for example, that he built too many prisons and that the Brewers’ stadium that he pushed through should have been built in downtown Milwaukee. So, maybe someday he’ll admit that he was wrong to support Trump.

I hope so, Because if he doesn’t admit that, his support for the worst president in American history will, at least in my book, overshadow everything else he ever accomplished.