The Latest: Johnson says Trump’s children are “fine people”

MOSINEE, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on Vice President Joe Biden, House Speaker Paul Ryan campaign events (all times local):

1 p.m.

Republican Sen. Ron Johnson says Donald Trump’s children and his potential Supreme Court nominees should calm concerns about the GOP presidential nominee.

Johnson spoke Friday at a campaign rally in central Wisconsin. On Thursday, Johnson campaigned with Trump’s son Eric. Johnson calls him a “fine young man.”

And Johnson says, “This is a real measure of a man. Take a look at his kids. Take a look at Donald Trump’s kids. Fine people. Take a look at his vice presidential pick. Take a look at his Supreme Court nominees, OK? It has to give you some comfort.”

Johnson is pitching both his re-election effort against Democrat Russ Feingold and the presidential race as a binary choice.

He says, “You understand the contrasts between Secretary Clinton and Donald Trump. You understand the contrast between me and Senator Feingold. It’s not even close.”

___

12:45 p.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan is dodging a question about whether he thinks Hillary Clinton, should she be elected president, ought to be impeached over setting up a private email server as secretary of state.

Ryan said Friday, “I’ve got a better idea. Let’s make sure she’s not elected in the first place.”

Ryan was campaigning with Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson in central Wisconsin. Johnson earlier this week in an interview with the Beloit Daily News said Clinton could face impeachment because setting up the server broke the law.

But Johnson says he didn’t raise the issue, he was just responding to a question.

He says, “It’s a very, very bad idea to vote for Secretary Clinton and have her become president when those are the exact issues the press is going to bringing up. It’s a really bad idea.”

___

12:40 p.m.

Speaker Paul Ryan says he is going to seek re-election to the top job if Republicans maintain control of the House as expected.

Ryan was asked following a campaign stop Friday with Sen. Ron Johnson about a report in The Hill newspaper that he was no longer interested in being speaker.

Ryan says, “Nope. Not true. Don’t believe everything you read. I am interested in staying on as speaker.”

Ryan says he wants to keep his job to push the GOP agenda he’s been highlighting heading into Tuesday’s election.

He also denies there are any divisions among Republicans. He voted for Donald Trump but had told Republicans he wouldn’t actually work to help the GOP nominee win.

___

12:30 p.m.

Sen. Ron Johnson is urging Republicans to vote for him in Wisconsin’s tight Senate race to avoid a recount like Minnesota had in 2008.

Johnson campaigned Friday in central Wisconsin along with House Speaker Paul Ryan. He is referring to the race between then-Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken. The 2008 Coleman-Franken race wasn’t decided until after a bitter recount that lasted into June, and was ultimately decided by a mere 312 votes out of nearly 2.9 million cast.

Johnson says, “We can’t let that happen in Wisconsin.”

A Marquette University Law School poll released this week showed Johnson’s race with Democratic former Sen. Russ Feingold to be about even.

Feingold was campaigning Friday in Madison with Vice President Joe Biden.

___

10:50 a.m.

The power has gone out inside a central Wisconsin manufacturing facility 45 minutes before House Speaker Paul Ryan was to campaign with Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.

Ryan and Johnson were to hold a rally Friday on the floor of Crystal Finishing Systems in Mosinee, about 130 miles north of Madison. About 45 minutes before the rally was to start, as the campaign was playing music over a loudspeaker system, the lights flickered but remained on. About five minutes later the large manufacturing floor went completely dark.

Johnson’s campaign bus is parked inside the facility to be used as a backdrop for the event. This was to be the first stop Ryan was making on the bus tour that goes up to Election Day.

10:43 a.m.

Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Paul Ryan are campaigning in Wisconsin in the waning days of the election.

Biden was holding a rally for Hillary Clinton in Madison Friday morning at about the same time that Ryan was 130 miles north campaigning for Republican Sen. Ron Johnson. He’s Democratic opponent Russ Feingold was to join Biden at the Madison event.

Money and big names have poured into Wisconsin this week as polls show the Senate race tightening to about even. Donald Trump was coming to West Allis on Sunday and his running mate Mike Pence was to join Ryan and Johnson for a rally Saturday in Mukwonago.

The Marquette University Law School poll this week showed Clinton with a 6-point lead over Trump in Wisconsin.