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MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin Democrats heard from their eventual nominee for president Saturday night in Milwaukee.
With both U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., headlining the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s biggest fundraiser ever, several state leaders said the party could not go wrong with either.
Most Democratic state and national leaders from Wisconsin attended the event, some who endorsed Clinton or Obama and others who are staying neutral.
“This great state has the luxury of choosing not the lesser of two evils but between two exceptional, brilliant candidates, each of whom represents the opportunity for historic firsts,” said U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, who endorsed Clinton last year.
U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., said it is “truly a shame” that Democrats have to choose between who he calls two fine candidates.
Kohl joked Wisconsin would really like to see a Brett Favre-Herb Kohl ticket in November.
Despite the Democratic Party’s enthusiasm, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., said the presumed Republican candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will provide a challenge in November’s general election.
“This is tougher than beating Bush-Cheney, but it can be done,” Feingold said.
Feingold called on both candidates to support job creation, challenge the nation’s current foreign policy, guarantee health care for every citizen and support campaign finance reform, which he and McCain partnered on in the past.
The Democrats stood united around their disdain of President George W. Bush and disagreements with McCain.
“We need regime change,” said U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee. “And I’m not talking about regime change in Iraq. I’m talking about regime change right here at home, right here in the United States of America.”
Baldwin said the nation remains stuck in the “wasteland of the Bush administration.”
United and divided
Several attendees, however, plotted their choices before the night began. Many people entered with Obama or Clinton buttons, and several Clinton supporters wore blue Hillary T-shirts to the event.
The crowd was torn, in some senses. While Clinton spoke, a table of Obama supporters sat through the speech, rolled their eyes at times and refrained from applauding. One man even got up to see what proportion of the crowd stood during a Clinton ovation.
When Obama took the stage, the same table stood up, applauded, whistled and took several pictures.
A nearby table of Clinton supporters also sat during Obama’s ovations and had much less enthusiasm for the other Democratic candidate.
The most notable divide came from the state’s top two leaders — Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, who introduced Clinton, and Gov. Jim Doyle, who welcomed Obama to the stage.
Lawton, Clinton’s Midwest co-chair, called Clinton “the last true progressive in the race” and said several differences exist between her and Obama.
“It is her health care plan that uniquely and alone will drive us to universal health care,” Lawton said.
Throughout the campaign, Clinton promotes herself as the candidate “ready to lead from day one,” and Lawton echoed that.
“This is a woman who anticipates her role as commander in chief with wise and careful decisions,” Lawton said, adding Clinton is “ready to get this nation back on track.”
Doyle, who traveled around the state with Obama in recent days, praised Obama for not “picking and choosing states” to target during the primary season and instead going from one state to the next.
The governor feels inspired by Obama, he said.
“This is an extraordinary time, and we are so lucky in this extraordinary time to have an extraordinary candidate emerge,” Doyle said. “This is a person of great character, of great accomplishment.”
But Lawton said when the party has a final nominee, Obama and Clinton are “two people all of us would support.” Doyle promised Wisconsin would go Democratic again in the 2008 general election as it did for John Kerry in 2004 and Al Gore in 2000.
Obama and Clinton face off in Wisconsin’s presidential primary tomorrow.
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Why no debate?
“Hope!” is the mantra of the Obama supporters. How ‘hopeful’ should we be? Let’s consider the ‘qualifications’ of Barack Hussein Obama.
1)no significant State or Federal experience in economic management, 2)no experience in Diplomacy or International Affairs, 3)no Military experience, 4)no Business experience, and 5)no practical experience as a Senator, other than 6 years of building a ‘grass roots’ organization, lining up financial backers, and running for President.
What Barack Hussien Obama lacks in experience and common sense, he makes up for in vacuous ‘American Idol’ appeal and rhetoric without substantive support. On critical issues requiring a recorded vote, his most frequent response has been “present”, rather than “yea” or “nay”. I guess he ‘hopes’ we won’t notice that lack of courage and backbone.
“Hope!” is an appropriate appelation for Barack Hussein Obama’s ambitions. There is little else to recommend him. If he becomes President, we will have nothing other than “hope” to see us through troubled times and protect us from terrorist attacks.
All things considered, Barack Hussein Obama is poorly qualified for President of the United States of America by any standard, even the myopic standards of hopeful Liberals.
Jeez, the Hillary supporters are creepy! they must really be desperate!
Hillary is a creep. She voted for the Iraq war, and then hems and haws…”oh, I didn’t mean it”. Then, after thousands of soldiers have died, she votes to allow Bush to invade Iran. “uh, fool me once, fool me twice”, etc. She’s in the pocket of the neocon lobbies…Murdoch held a fund-raiser for her. A vote for HIllary, is a vote for war!
We need a change from people like the Clintons. We need Barack Obama: someone who is both intellegent, human, and honest. I vote for Barack Obama!
Democrats are counting on you, WI, to vote for Hillary Clinton tomorrow. The GOP has used Obama’s campaign as a way to hijack the democratic nomination process — please don’t let them succeed. Hillary is the only candidate with the strength and experience necessary to be Commander in Chief at a time when we are engaged in two wars. That she will also get us universal health care, pre-k education, affordable college, and bring America back to the forefront in the fight against global warming seals the deal.