[media-credit name=’RAY PFEIFFER/Herald photo’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Joe Wineke paid a visit to the College Democrats of Madison Tuesday evening, rallying members for the upcoming November election and reminiscing about his college days at the University of Wisconsin.

After making a late entrance to the Humanities building — a building he said he still hates after all these years — the former state representative and senator gave the keynote speech of the meeting.

Wineke addressed the attending members, encouraging students to get involved and reasserting the importance of the cause.

"I'm a Democrat and I'm a liberal, and I'm proud to be a Democrat and a liberal," he said. "You are the people who can change the next generation."

Students can make such a positive impact, Wineke said, by working to elect incumbent Gov. Jim Doyle and other Democratic candidates — including U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis.; U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; state attorney general candidate Kathleen Falk; and U.S. Congressional candidate Steve Kagen — to office Nov. 7.

According to Wineke, the Republican Party jeopardizes the well-being of Wisconsin citizens and the rights of students. Wineke specifically pointed to Republican threats to student financial aid, stem-cell research and women's reproductive rights.

"That's what they want these days is barefoot and pregnant women," he said. "They're trying to tell you that you're not smart enough to make decisions for yourselves."

While Wineke pointed to the Republican Party's opposition to contraceptive access on campus as unfair, College Republicans Chair Erica Christenson expressed a much different view.

According to Christenson, contraceptive access should be removed from campus life and limited to the private setting of a doctor's office.

"As far as contraceptive rights go, you always have those rights. You can go to your doctor," she said in an interview, adding that while she believes physicians should in turn have the right to refuse to prescribe contraceptives, students can always turn to other doctors should their contraceptive access be denied due to religious beliefs.

In an interview after the College Democrats meeting, Wineke also went on to discuss the controversial marriage amendment, citing the resolution as outright discrimination.

"I just think the notion of condoning discrimination in the Constitution of our state is reprehensible," he said. "Democrats don't stand for discrimination and, frankly, Republicans do."

Wineke is proud that the Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the first political party in the nation to officially oppose the amendment, but Christenson said the College Republicans have chosen to not take a stance on the issue, as the group sees it as mostly religious in nature.

While both parties continue to express disagreement on the major issues facing voters this fall, College Democrats Chair Eli Lewien said the club remains optimistic the Democratic message will prevail.

"We're going to … make sure the state of Wisconsin stays the progressive place it is," he said.

College Democrats of Wisconsin Membership Director Jake Velleman, who attended the meeting from Milwaukee, agreed, emphasizing the power of student activism and calling College Democrats "pivotal."

Christenson, however, said she remains uncertain about November's outcome.

"I have no idea how the chips are going to fall," she said. "I think Americans across the board are frustrated with many different issues at many different levels."