The rumors were that Vilas County blogger Kerry Thomas was only in the WI-08 GOP Primary to be a place-holder for Terri McCormick (It’s been told to me Thomas started the “Draft McCormick” group on Facebook.), and this editorial on Marc Savard not taking PAC money in the Green Bay Press-Gazette appears to confirms them.

He’s backing out; and he’s backing McCormick.

A spokesman for former state Rep. Terri McCormick noted that she hasn’t accepted any PAC contributions to date but acknowledged PACs were part of her fundraising effort when she ran for the nomination in 2006. Kerry Thomas of Sayner said he is withdrawing from the race to support McCormick, but he added, “I appreciate the fact that (Savard) is doing that and wish candidates would spend more time talking about what they care about and profess, rather than raising money.”

Kerry Thomas backing Terri McCormick; yeah, like I’ve never seen that tag-team before.

Wonder when the “ALL OTHER CANDIDATES BUT MCCORMICK ARE JERKS” essays start coming?

There sure are a lot of them; all wanting the same thing…

I’ve been asked by some people to write down my thoughts on the WI-08 GOP Primary, but I won’t for a while.  First off is I don’t know if this is all the candidates we are going to see yet. Rumors about a possible candidacy by former Green Bay Mayor (and current Green Bay Chamber of Commerce President) Paul Jadin may get in and I’d like to hold off until January to see if that happens for a number of reasons.

The first is what will Jadin name the growth from his ass that will be Guy Zima if he were to run.  Zima’s a bulldog of a city alderman in Green Bay and the lead voice in trying to nail Jadin for responsibility in the debacle which is/was the City of Green Bay’s deal with Younkers.  Secondly, I just want to hear what “The Recess Supervisor” thinks of this new addition to the race, especially when I have it on good authority that a certain budget analyst at the Heritage Foundation was going to run in WI-08 if Roth didn’t.  Seems the two of them are friends or something…

Anyway, welcome to a crowded primary Assemblyman Roger Roth.

State Rep. Roger Roth, a Republican from Appleton, has sent out a fundraising appeal announcing his intention to seek the GOP nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen in the 8th CD.

Under a header that reads “Roger Roth for Congress,” the letter blasts Democrats for taking the United States down the wrong path.

“In 2010 we will decide if our nation can be preserved as a beacon of hope to the world or if it will continue on a certain path toward socialism and economic stagnation,” Roth says in the letter.

“Our founding fathers were wise. They were faithful in giving to us a political and economic system that has become the envy of the world. Today this system is under a great attack from within.

“This attack comes from the liberal elite who believe that spending and wasting massive amounts of money while going ever deeper in debt is the answer to every problem. You and I know that we are in serious trouble. Borrowing, taxing and incessant spending is only digging a deeper economic hole.”

Roth is in his second term in the Assembly. A member of the Wisconsin Air National Guard, he recently returned from a mission to Iraq.

The Federal Elections Commission said Thursday it hadn’t yet received a registration statement from Roth

Roth joins a crowded GOP primary field which includes former state Rep. Terri McCormick, who Roth succeeded in the Assembly.

Roth has also set up a Web site for his congressional run at www.rothforcongress.com/

On a short-term matter, this announcement probably helps Roofing Company Owner Reid Ribble the most.  With Roth in, he takes away “The Establishment Candidate label” (if such a label exists in a seven-way primary) from Ribble and takes the pressure of the bulls-eye off him and onto Roth now since many people — myself included — likely view Roth as the first “real choice” to enter the race.

Best of luck to all candidates in the coming year.

Actual, given the likelihood that donations next year will be less because of the economy, this isn’t the most outrageous news the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) could come out with.  Less money means they’ll have to be picky with who they help out in General Election contests.  Candidates should be able to show they are worth the

Candidates hoping for financial help from the National Republican Congressional Committee will have to prove they’re worth the investment.

The NRCC will only spend money on independent expenditure ads hitting Democrats if the Republican in the race has qualified as a top-tier member of the “Young Guns” program, a party spokesman tells The Hill.

Young Guns is a three-tiered program aimed at recruiting and improving top-notch candidates, the GOP’s answer to Democrats’ successful “Red to Blue” program. Candidates begin as “On the Radar” prospects before advancing to “Contenders.” If they meet certain benchmarks laid out by the NRCC, they become Young Guns.

So far, nine candidates have made it to the Contender tier. Thirty-eight candidates have achieved On the Radar status. None have made it to Young Guns level.

Paul Lindsay, an NRCC spokesman, declined to specify what the benchmarks for achieving the top status are, citing a policy against discussing internal strategy. But members of the different tiers will be judged on fundraising, grassroots and communications bars they have to meet.

Membership in the Young Guns does not guarantee the NRCC will spend money in the race, but the party will not spend money for members who do not reach the highest tier. Typically, the NRCC begins its financial relationship with a candidate by spending up to $87,300 in coordinated funds before moving on to independent expenditures.

In Wisconsin, the only members who so far have qualified made it into the lowest tier of the “Young Guns” programs are Sean Duffy in WI-07, Dan Kapanke in WI-03, and Reid Ribble in WI-08.  Given the primary field line-ups, expect to see the NRCC involved in Kapanke’s race more at this level since he’s the only declared Republican in WI-03 against Ron Kind; the other candidates have primaries.

What will be interesting to see is who else — especially in WI-08 — is added to the “Young Guns” programs.  With the possibility of a 6 or 7-way primary fight, the edge is going to go to the self-financing candidates and established political entities because much of the money will be on the sidelines until the general election.  Another factor will be who drops out as other candidates jump in.  One question I wonder is will Kerry Thomas, who still spends his time thinking John Gard tried to destroy Terri McCormick on multiple levels in 2006, get out if McCormick does get in as is rumored.

Time will tell; we’re just at the part of the game where pieces are being put on the chess board.  No one’s made any opening moves; though some press releases trashing Kagen’s votes on multiple fronts would be nice to see.

The lack of them is making me wonder how much of an amateur hour are we going to see next year.

Just want to point out two back-to-back stories in WisPolitics’ “DC Wrap” section today which highlight the upcoming 2010 Congressional race.

First, a tale of challengers past.

Former Assembly Speaker John Gard and his wife Cate Zeuske, the former Revenue secretary, have purchased Wisconsin Independent Businesses and Explore Wisconsin.

Gard, who made unsuccessful bids for the 8th CD in 2006 and 2008, said the purchase of both entities from owners Tom and Nancy Dohn takes him out of the running for 2010.

Gard took some time after the ’08 campaign to decide what he wanted to do next when this opportunity presented itself. The sale was expected to be finalized today.

Best of luck there John and Cate.  I’m sure you two will be great ambassadors for Wisconsin’s Small Business and Tourism communities.

Secondly, a tale of challengers future.

Roofing company owner Reid Ribble tells WisPolitics he plans to file nomination papers later this week to officially get into the GOP primary to take on Dem U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen next year in the 8th CD.

Ribble, whose group owns two roofing companies and a gutter protection company, said he was in Washington, D.C., this month to meet with the NRCC, some members of Congress, national trade groups and consultants. But he said it was his conscience that persuaded him to get into the race.

“My passions in the early stages are just the runaway spending and the national debt,” Ribble said. “I think Americans are getting very concerned. I know that I’m getting concerned with an $11.5 trillion national debt. With socialized medicine coming down the pipe, cap-and-trade, it’s all going to cost this country and economy jobs and money.”

Ribble joins Door Co. Super. Marc Savard and Brown Co. Super. Andy Williams as Republicans who have already announced they’re running, With others considering a bid as well, Ribble said he expects to stand apart from the crowd because he’s not a “career politician” and his background in the business world.

“I understand what it takes to create jobs and sustain a business,” said Ribble, who has never run for public office before.

I don’t personally know any of the three announced GOP challengers to Kagen for this cycle, so I wish the best of luck to the three of them and a spirited, fair, and honest primary among the three.  Of the three, I’d say Ribble is sort of “The Anti-Kagen.”  Like “the good Doctor,” Ribble will likely have enough money to finance himself during the primary, and he’s enough of known name that he could be in the small business community to parry with Kagen especially on small business issues.  He also can claim – like Kagen has in past campaigns – to not be a professional politician (that’s now Kagen) and knows how to make a payroll as well as many issues facing small businesses.

Should be an interesting race in a growing field.