Parsing the “Endorsement” Nonsense

Senate subcommittee on Investigations member Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., questions witnesses during the subcommittee's hearing on “adequacy of the Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts to protect unaccompanied alien children from human trafficking,” Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Senate subcommittee on Investigations member Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., questions witnesses during the subcommittee's hearing on “adequacy of the Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts to protect unaccom... Senate subcommittee on Investigations member Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., questions witnesses during the subcommittee's hearing on “adequacy of the Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts to protect unaccompanied alien children from human trafficking,” Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) MORE LESS
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Freshman Senator Ron Johnson looks to be one of the most vulnerable and, by most accounts, dumbest senators up for reelection this year. I caught wind of some Republican lobbyist/donors basically washing their hands of him a few months ago after hearing his plan to run hard on the SCOTUS blockade in his battle for reelection. It’s debatable how much harm the blockade will do Republicans in November (I think a fair amount); but no one who’s not an imbecile thinks it’s going to be a help in a blue or purple state election.

But now Johnson has come up with something else.

He’s been one of the most gung-ho supporters of Donald Trump among members of Congress. We had him in the “endorse” category in The Official TPM Trump Elected Official Endorsement Scorecard. After all, he said he “endorsed” Trump not long ago. But now he seems to be backing off a bit – as well as exploring new realms of nonsensical distinctions in relation to one’s position on Donald Trump.

When pressed yesterday on local talk radio on whether there may be dangers to supporting such an erratic nominee as Donald Trump, Johnson retreated to the “support the nominee” language. When pressed on what the distinction is, Johnson explained like this: “To me, support versus endorse are two totally different things.”

I think most people would say that they’re basically exactly the same thing, with maybe some slight tonal differences or shades of enthusiasm. We’ll see how this plays out for Johnson, who is being challenged by former Sen. Russ Feingold, who Johnson unseated in an upset in 2010.

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