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Lawton endorses Clinton for ‘08
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Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton enthusiastically endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in the senator's candidacy for president Monday night in front of a group of University of Wisconsin students in Van Vleck Hall.
Lawton, a co-chair for Clinton's Wisconsin and Midwest campaigns, addressed Students for Hillary, a student group advocating Clinton's election, at their "Movie Night" before the viewing of "An Inconvenient Truth."
UW senior Pasha Sternberg, the group's chair, was very excited for Lawton's arrival.
"Somebody of the lieutenant governor's caliber is great," Sternberg said. "This will invigorate people, get people involved."
Before a crowd of about 30 people, Lawton gave a 10-minute speech discussing why she supports Clinton, and then took questions from the audience.
"Doing endorsements is sometimes a dicey thing," Lawton said. "But this was a no-brainer for me."
Addressing Clinton's electability, Lawton said it is not a matter of electing a woman, but electing the "strongest candidate, period." Lawton added Clinton's discipline is often mistaken for calculation, and it is important for Clinton to be disciplined because, as the first in woman in her position, she cannot afford to make mistakes. According to Lawton, voters want a woman candidate "to be both their mother and a CEO."
Lawton said she believes Clinton's experience in the public eye will help her greatly in the months leading up to the 2008 elections.
According to Lawton, the most important issues which Clinton will address are health care, education and climate change. Addressing Clinton's vote to enter the Iraq war and the scrutiny she faces because of it, Lawton said Clinton "does not apologize for her vote." Clinton made the correct choice with the information provided by the Bush administration and she "can't be an effective and credible commander in chief for her troops" if she wavers in her decision-making, Lawton said.
A main talking point of Lawton's speech was Clinton's belief in the importance of education. According to Lawton, Clinton addresses policy decisions "with the long term in mind" and believes in "the value of investment in young children."
"[Clinton] wants more people carrying a baccalaureate degree instead of a gun," Lawton said.
Another important issue for Clinton is funding for scientific research. Among other things, Lawton said technological improvements are necessary in this "carbon-constrained environment."
"We've got to believe in science," Lawton said.
Speaking with The Badger Herald after her speech, Lawton said she believes students will be the "winning edge" for Clinton's campaign. She said she is counting on students to help provide leadership and build support.
"Students can decide the outcome of this election," Lawton said.
Some students, however, were not enthusiastic about Lawton's visit to the UW campus.
Sara Mikolajczak, the chair of College Republicans, said that it is inappropriate for a state representative to endorse a candidate so early. She asserted that it is not wise to divide a party even more before the primary elections.
"The College Republicans and the College Democrats are not even taking a stance," Mikolajczak said.
According to Mikolajczak, it would not be a good idea to elect a woman as president while women are still seen as the inferior sex. This would only make the United States lose credibility in the Middle East, she said.
Clarification: This article should have madeclear UW College Republicans Chair Sara Mikolajczak believes it would not be a good idea to elect a woman as president while women are still seen as the inferior sex in Iraq.
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You make it seem like this is breaking news. Lawton endorsed Clinton…IN JUNE!!
Also, I feel sorry for Mikolajczak for her thoughts on her own gender. I don’t see women as inferior (I’m male). She’s doing a great disservice to women by saying that and using it as some sort of excuse. I’m surprised she didn’t endorse Ann Coulter’s view that women shouldn’t have the right to vote.
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PLEASE NOTE: That is not, by any stretch of the imagination, what I said. Hopefully the BH staff will take care of it asap; if not, I’ll be writing a LTE shortly.
Sara Mikolajczak chair, UW-Madison College Republicans WisconsinCRs@gmail.com
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Mikolajczak and the College Republicans are literally the most irrelevant organization on campus.
Why does BH go to them for comments??
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Heads need to roll over this.
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Yeah, 11:23am, UW should cultivate its image as a bastion of left-wing extremism with no room for alternate (conservative) viewpoints. That marketing campaign seems to work wonders - especially when the system asks state voters for more $$.
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I would say that CAN and the ISO are more irrelevant. at least the CR have a legitimate following. It’s not her fault if she’s consistently misquoted.
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Because that’s what they teach them to do in “journalism” school. Write a long pointless article, and finish it by giving the irrelevant opposition the final say when least appropriate. And if possible, quote them as saying something absurd, yet portray it as completely normal and socially accepted.
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People named “Anonymous” are irrelevant on this campus, I don’t know why BH even publishes their comments … oh wait, I’m Anonymous.
But seriously, if the Badger Herald wants anyone to respect them as a credible newspaper, they’d remove the ability to publish anonymously … or they’d at least make it so you don’t HAVE to register in order to be named …
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Barbara Lawton has no idea what it is like to be a have not…she has had it good all of her life…she does not understand the motivation that would drive someone to pick up a gun becasue she has never been there and never will be there. Give me a break! Let someone get elected to high office in Wisconsin who is not from the elite families of Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Kenosha or De Pere, Wisconsin. Someone who has not fogotten what it is like to be working class.