Vukmir for Assembly Speaker

It's been widely assumed that Mike Huebsch would be the next speaker of the state assembly. However, as Josh Schroeder points out, it's not often you appoint the losing general from the last battle as army chief of staff. Unfortunately the alternative candidate, Dean Kaufert, isn't exactly leadership material. And as Mark Rahmlow notes, Kaufert is "an ardent supporter of embryonic stem cell research."

Mark Rahmlow suggests an alternative candidate, Leah Vukmir of Wauwatosa.

Republicans will not take back the state Senate or increase their Assembly majority through moderation. They will need to have leaders that stand for bold ideas and put into action a plan that will show voters the difference between the two parties. Vukmir was one of three Republicans that truly supported Rep. Frank Lasee's (R- Bellevue) Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Vukmir would provide effective leadership and better articulate the conservative agenda.

In the last session, Vukmir introduced legislation strengthening parental notification laws for minors seeking abortion, authored a bill to cap attorney fees in medical malpractice cases, cracked down on sexual predators, worked to expand charter and choice, led on the voter identification bill, and proposed a cancer drug repository program. Vukmir has to be choice of the conservative movement.

Huebsch and Kaufert have been actively courting Assembly Republicans and asking for their vote of confidence. The Assembly Republicans voting for the next leader need to ask themselves who can better position them for stronger majorities in 2008. Raising money and recruiting strong candidates is certainly going to be part of the job description. More importantly, those candidates will need to present voters with a message that resonates.

Vukmir is the choice of this columnist. Here's hoping she's reading.

I think Republicans could do a lot worse.