'Redneck' on hidden video did better than you think

Milfred and Hands won't defend state Rep. Elijah Behnke, R-Oconto Falls, for saying on hidden video that his party needs to "cheat like the Democrats or bend the rules." When the rookie lawmaker joked about wanting to punch the governor, who is 30-plus years his senior, it smacked of elder abuse. This self-described "redneck from the North Woods" appears solidly in the Trump wing of Wisconsin's Republican Party as a disrupter willing to entertain conspiracy theories. He'll never land the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board's endorsement. Yet Behnke repeatedly tells a group of right-wing activists -- one of whom recorded his words on a smartphone -- lots of things they didn't want (but needed) to hear. Behnke defers to the courts to settle election disputes (which they have, in favor of President Joe Biden). He repeatedly asks for evidence of fraud from the activists and sounds frustrated when they offer no specifics. Behnke's "swamp creature" putdown of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos isn't too far off, given the top Republican's long and checkered tenure clinging to power. Behnke sounds like a guy who wants to move past the 2020 election, even if Trump's staunchest supporters never will. In a way, despite all Behnke's baggage, that's reassuring for our democracy. Behnke seems to take his job seriously, even if he has a lot to learn about state government and representing the public.

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They're the "Click and Clack" of Wisconsin politics. Scott Milfred, editorial page editor for the Wisconsin State Journal, and Phil Hands, the newspaper's political cartoonist, analyze the most important issues and debates from the Badger State with political independence and a sense of humor. Instead of tedious talking points from the left and the right, "Center Stage" broadcasts from the sensible center with audio clips from the Wisconsin Capitol, from State Journal editorial board meetings, and from political events across the state.