Tommy Thompson blames wife for his lobbying career: She 'likes to shop'

Former Gov. Tommy Thompson, a Wisconsin Republican running for Senate, recently suggested that his wife was to blame for his decision to end his career in public service and join a lobbying firm because she "likes to shop."

"I left the government after four years, after George Bush got elected the second time," Thompson told supporters at a recent campaign stop, according to video posted by Blogging Blue on Thursday.

"And my wife likes to shop. Okay?" he explained. "And she said, 'You know, Tommy, you have been in politics for 38 years. Why don't you go out and see if you can make some decent money so I can go shopping without having to put everything on a credit card.'"

The Republican candidate reported earlier this year that he had about $13 million in assets.

“I make no apologies whatsoever. I’m lucky and I’m blessed and I’m very happy,” he said in a January interview. “People forget, you know, about where I came from. They look at this [financial report] and say, ‘Oh my God.’ ”

During a campaign event last month, the former Wisconsin governor forgot home many homes he owned.

“Three,” Thompson confidently stated, according to the Journal Sentinel.

After being pressed about a fourth home, Thompson said he was sure there were only three: a farm in Elroy, Wisconsin; a house in Madison, Wisconsin; and a 10,889-square-foot home near Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

The Thompson campaign was later forced to admit that a $1.3 million condo near Lake Wisconsin had completely slipped his mind.

Thompson will face Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin in November. The most recent Real Clear Politics average of polls gave Baldwin a 5 point advantage.

Watch this video, uploaded to YouTube Nov. 1, 2012.

(h/t: BoldProgressives.org)