Tommy: I know you love me, but do I love you?

The Tommy Games continue, fueled by the Journal Sentinel, which will report the same story every day, even if he only utters one sentence he didn't say before.

Today's new sentence:

I know I can win. I know without a doubt. If I run, I win. I have no doubt in my mind about that. But then I have to govern.

So, if Tommy decides he wants the job back, do you think we'll have to hold an election, or just plan the inauguration? Too late for a constitutional amendment, I suppose.

The only question in his mind seems to be whether he will do the people of Wisconsin a big favor and bring his style of back-slapping, corrupt cronyism back to the governor's office. "I know you love me, and I like you, but I'm not looking to make a commitment. That's why I left early last time. And I really would like to be president, you know."

Although he's basking in the glow of all of that adulation, I don't think Thompson will have the guts to run this year.

It wouldn't be the kind of campaign he was able to run against Tom Loftus, Chuck Chvala, or Ed Garvey, in which he had all of the resources and simply drowned out anything his opponents tried to say.

More importantly, there would be a full discussion of Tommy's time as governor and the fact that he left the state $3-billion in debt and that the Thompson administration pretty much invented pay-to-play in this state and left Wisconsin with a string of scandals.

Tommy got out just in time. If he comes back, it won't be a free ride.

And, lest anyone think Jim Doyle is shaking in his boots, remember that when Doyle announced he would run in 2002, he fully expected Tommy to be his opponent. As it turned out, he got lucky and drew Scott McCallum. But Doyle believed he could beat Thompson in 2002. We'll never know. If we get that matchup this year, so be it.

Others weigh in:

Jef Hall wonders if Tommy knows about a Mark Green scandal which may surface.

Seth Zlotocha thinks Tommy doubts Green can win. He also notes Mark Belling's race to catch the train in case in might be leaving the station.

Rick Esenberg quotes a children's book.

Jay Bullock eggs TT on.

Cory Liebmann notes that Tommy doesn't need to say anything to get a headline.

Ben Brothers likes TT's takeoff on The Clash: Should I stay or should I go?

I'm with Esenberg: Tommy G. Thompson, will you please go now?

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UPDATE: I was about to say the right has been very quiet about this, but Charlie Sykes speaks up. Lest there be any doubt, this is about the heart and soul of the Wisconsin GOP. Mark Green is a hard-line conservative; Tommy is too squishy for Sykes. Now that he's set the tone and provided the talking points, other wingnut bloggers will feel free to comment. Sykes:

REMEMBER THIS....

....the next time Mark Belling rips Republican legislators as RINOs:

Do it, Tommy. Your party and your state need you.

Let's see. Tommy:

*Backs higher gas taxes (since he loves to build roads)

*Is deep in the pockets of ADM and the ethanol industry (Green also supports an ethanol mandate, but he's apiker compared to Ethanol Tommy.)

*Big spender, who helped spend the state into its massive deficit.

*Opposes TABOR or TPA

*Loves rail transit of every kind...

So how is Tommy any different from:

Mary Panzer?
Dale Schultz?
Luther Olsen?
Carol Roessler?
Ron Brown?
Sue Jeskewitz?

Maybe Belling can explain.

UPDATE: Rumble on the right over Tommy.