Ed Thompson rocks in race for governor
10:39 PM 10/28/02
Scott Milfred State government reporter

Tomah bar owner Ed Thompson never dreamed of becoming a politician, much less a rock star.

Yet here he is, campaigning for governor by air guitaring on stage at a Madison rock club.

He's surrounded by young women who squeal and laugh as they pose for the cover of Maximum Ink, a Wisconsin music magazine.

"This is great, Jim. You can't beat this!" Thompson hollers across the room to his longtime pal, campaign volunteer and former boxing coach Jim Meckstroth, 74, who cackles with delight.

At the photographer's urging, the five young women lean in and put their arms around the 57-year-old candidate for a close-up.

"You've got two hours to cut this out," Thompson playfully scolds them as the camera continues to flash.

Most politicians wouldn't dare pull such a stunt before an election. But Thompson seems to thrive on doing things differently.

That includes, he says, having fun, being himself and, most importantly, telling the truth.

"I'm just frustrated with the way government is going. I'm tired of the career politicians," Thompson says a few days later at his Tomah supper club and bar. "No matter what they promise, we get higher taxes. I'm fed up with the corruption. I'm fed up with the phoniness."

Thompson, who is running for the state's top job as a Libertarian, is far behind in the polls with little if any money for television ads a week before the Nov. 5 election.

Yet he insists his unconventional campaign can catch fire if enough voters hear his against-the-system message. He promises to shake up Wisconsin's political establishment with common sense and a commitment to everyday people instead of powerful individuals and interest groups.

"It's supposed to be government by the people, for the people," he says, gritting his teeth and gesturing excitedly with his hands. "But the only people who seem to get elected are lawyers."

Thompson is well known as the younger brother of former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, who left office in early 2001 to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Bush.

Thompson also gained notoriety in 1997 after state and local law enforcement agents raided his bar for illegal gambling machines. Thompson fought and beat the charges after people refused to serve as jurors for the case. Thompson then convinced leaders in Madison, including his governor brother, to decriminalize five or fewer video gambling machines per bar.

The most frequent criticism leveled at Thompson is that he's not qualified to be governor. It's a giant state government, and he's never been a part of it.

"Yeah, I've got that going for me," Thompson responds with a wily smile.

Top lawmakers are being hauled into court on charges of extortion and using their state offices as campaign machines. The state has the third-highest taxes in the nation, a lousy credit rating and is facing a $1.3 billion annual budget deficit next year, he says.

What's more, Thompson contends, the Republican and Democratic candidates for governor are blasting each other with negative TV ads instead of being honest with voters about the state's problems and how they'll fix them.

"I tell people the way I see it," Thompson said. "It's not always the best answer. But I don't evade."

Besides his diverse life experiences, Thompson cites his time as mayor of Tomah for two years. He eliminated nine city committees, started a local cable TV show to talk about city issues and settled a long-standing legal dispute between the city and Environmental Protection Agency.

In the Sept. 10 gubernatorial primary, 58 percent of Tomah voters supported Thompson for governor even though he was unopposed in the Libertarian race. His supporters also had to ignore competitive Republican and Democratic primary races to vote for the local barkeep.

Thompson is pro-abortion rights, pro-gun, pro-pot, against the death penalty and thinks non-violent prisoners should be released on electronic surveillance. He wants to expand the private-school voucher program statewide and cites taxes and corruption as his two top issues.

Meckstroth, his former boxing coach, says Thompson routinely fought and beat bigger, stronger, younger opponents en route to an 8-1 record in Toughman boxing competitions. What was his secret?

"Determination. And he had a terrific punch," the stocky, white-haired Meckstroth says in a raspy voice that recalls Burgess Meredith as Mickey the trainer in "Rocky."

Like the Italian Stallion, Thompson enjoys his role as the underdog.

"Everybody is counting us out," Thompson says. But "anybody who has courage, who can stand up and tell the truth, can do this job."