Wisconsin Senate hopeful Kevin Nicholson is so thin-skinned about charges of political opportunism, he’s lashing out in ways guaranteed to alienate Wisconsinites. Last week’s scandal about his anti-veteran comments is still burning, with Nicholson stubbornly rejecting calls to apologize – even from his fellow veterans.
This is hardly Nicholson’s first unforced political error. Today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reminds readers:
- “Last fall, he was chided by House Speaker Paul Ryan’s political operation and Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner and was reprimanded by former Lt. Gov. Margaret Farrow, an honorary chair of Vukmir’s campaign” after Nicholson criticized Speaker Ryan’s lukewarm support of President Trump.
- Then, “After initially touting an endorsement from former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and the Great America PAC, he backed away and claimed it as an endorsement from Ed Rollins, an adviser to former President Ronald Reagan.”
Meanwhile, PolitiFact called out Nicholson on Friday for falsely claiming his out-of-state megadonor Richard Uihlein is a Illinois resident.
- “Nicholson released a list of Wisconsin supporters that included “Dick and Liz Uihlein (Minocqua)…Richard E. Uihlein is frequently referred to in the media as an Illinois businessman and he is a registered voter of Illinois. So is his wife, Elizabeth A. Uihlein. We rate Nicholson’s claim False.”
Even Nicholson’s ultra-wealthy allies can’t shoot straight: May began with Nicholson’s primary super-PAC sending “more than 20 Wisconsin radio stations an ad” that compared him favorably with “Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who faces calls to resign amid a sex scandal.”
Try as he might, Kevin Nicholson can’t seem to stop putting his foot in his mouth. At the Wisconsin Republican Convention on Saturday, we’ll see exactly how seriously his non-stop self-sabotage has damaged his campaign.
Published: May 8, 2018