Issue 6
May 12, 2024
Contents
Index | Quote to Note | Past Newsletters
April Is Over, but Combating Climate Change Is a Priority Every Month
The Two Referendums Passed. Now What?
Ten Topics for Tom Tiffany, Part 6: Impeachment and Ukraine
Stop Blaming Undocumented Immigrants for Fentanyl Flow Across Border
‘This fight hits close to home’—Tammy Baldwin ad
Difference Between Eric Hovde and Tammy Baldwin on Issues
Eric Hovde Thinks Seniors in Nursing Homes Shouldn’t Vote
Letter: Hovde All Hat, No Cattle
Tammy Baldwin Shows Up for All Wisconsinites
Nuggets from the 7th CD Convention
Quote to Note
“We’re about to see some blue districts in western Wisconsin, northern Wisconsin, central Wisconsin. We’re going to be flipping districts throughout the 7th Congressional District. And I cannot wait to see the look on Republicans’ faces when they realize there were Democrats among them all this time. They just drew maps to suppress their voices. And it’s not going to work anymore.”
Ben Wikler, Chair, Democratic Party of Wisconsin, April 13, 2024
April Is Over, but Combating Climate Change Is a Priority Every Month
Source: A fellow Democrat from St. Croix County
Did you know Earth Day started here in Wisconsin? Our own Senator Gaylord Nelson wanted to raise awareness about air and water pollution.
Momentum for that first Earth Day in 1970 led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and environmental protection laws, including the Clear Air Act and Clean Water Act. More than 50 years later, one billion people worldwide celebrate Earth Day, making it the largest day of civic action worldwide.
Wisconsin’s climate is changing, causing far-ranging consequences for our communities, natural resources and industries, according to our state Department of Natural Resources.
Farmers are seeing warmer temperatures increase the growing season, but extreme heat conditions stress crops and livestock. More rain will affect planting and harvesting, promote disease, and lead to polluted runoff.
Climate change also affects our forest product industry. Warmer winters cause frequent thaws, preventing machinery’s access to manage forests and transport harvested wood. Drier conditions increase the risk of wildfire and reduce habitat.
Tourism is another critical Wisconsin industry that’s affected. More frequent and intense rain during the summer could damage or reduce access to our lakes and parks. Warmer winters can limit ice fishing and other winter sports.
Let’s continue to support Governor Tony Evers and elected Democrats who have made combating climate change a key priority.
The Two Referendums Passed. Now What?
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
April 4, 2024
Wisconsin voters have approved two statewide referendums that will affect elections in the state. Under the changes, clerks can't use private grants or donations to help them administer elections, and only election officials designated by law will be able to perform tasks to conduct elections.
While a majority of Wisconsin voters voted in favor of the questions Tuesday night, that might not be the end of the story. Opponents think vague language, especially in the second referendum question, may lead to lawsuits. If that happens, a court could determine the scope of who can be involved in performing election-related activities. .l .
. . . Once the results of the April election are certified by the Wisconsin Elections Commission—which has a May 15 deadline—the new parts of the constitution will be in place, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau.
That means restrictions on private grants will be in effect as clerks prepare for the August primary and November general election, plus any special or recall elections that happen before then.
Note that the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and the League of Women Voters opposed passage of these two referendums.
Ten Topics and Myriad Questions
for Tom Tiffany
Part 6: Impeachment and Ukraine
By Jim Bootz, Vice Chair, Sawyer County LCO Democrats
In late January of this year, Congressman Tiffany held listening sessions around the 7th CD. He included with them a presentation about the efforts of his fellow House Republicans to find grounds to impeach President Biden. He displayed timelines and tweets under the heading of "Joe Biden's China Money Trail" and he implied a lot of things, but he had no evidence of a crime.
In fact, what his GOP colleagues had been referring to as an investigation has concluded and there are no high crimes or misdemeanors with which to initiate an impeachment. As with so many of his public statements, Tiffany again raises many more questions than he answers.
Let’s start our questions here: Tom, do you still believe that President Biden committed an impeachable offense? If so, can you name it or describe it? Can you provide evidence of it that has not already been debunked in sworn testimony, largely from your own party's witnesses? If you don't believe it anymore, would you not feel it was appropriate to make that fact known to your constituents in a timely manner?
Certainly you wouldn't want the deception to continue. And surely you’re grown up enough to admit when you’re wrong, especially after repeating serious and false accusations against our current president. Honestly, when did this become acceptable behavior for members of Congress, to invite the general public to a town hall and then unload a barrage of conspiracy theory and propaganda on them? He should at least save the hyper-partisan nonsense for his own campaign events.
But this suggests a troubling tendency. In 2020, you took the ex-president's tale about election fraud--without any credible evidence—and ran with it. Then, after having played an active role in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election, by objecting to certification of the Pennsylvania and Arizona elections, you later admitted, reluctantly, that you were wrong. I'd like to know what it will take for you to admit that you were wrong this time.
And let's not drop the issue of impeachment altogether, Tom. The former president, whom you still support, was impeached twice. If you recall, the first time it concerned his withholding of arms from Ukraine as a means of extorting President Zelenskyy into initiating a sham investigation of Joe Biden, Trump's opponent for the 2020 election. And, as you also may recall, Zelenskyy did not take part in that attempt at election fraud.
I sense some recurring themes here. Should we make anything of the fact that Trump was impeached for withholding defensive support for Ukraine meant for resisting an expected Russian incursion, and that now you've again taken part in withholding support from Ukraine? And this time it's while they're in the midst of war, defending their homeland against an ongoing Russian invasion.
Should we make anything of the fact that Trump's withholding of weapons was to force Zelenskyy to start a sham investigation of Joe Biden, thereby hurting his chances for election, and that your House majority has actually been conducting one themselves? They've wasted untold hours pretending to do anything other than serve Trump's election campaign and use their elected office to affect the outcome of the November election. Should we make anything of the fact that you and your Republican colleagues appear to be following Trump's usual game plan to the letter?
It’s hard to fathom someone, in particular a U.S. congressman, voting to block aid for our ally, Ukraine, to defend herself against a massive and completely unwarranted invasion by Russia, the greatest danger in the world to America, and to democracy, as well.
You voted against aid to Ukraine, Tom. How could you sit on that funding and let Russia regain the upper hand? What would drive you to do it? Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) recently said some of his Republican colleagues in the House want Russia to win their war with Ukraine. Why do you think he said that, and would you disagree? As ridiculous as this might sound, Tom, I have to ask. Do you have a beef with Ukraine because their president didn't play his part in Trump's election fraud scheme? What should we think?”
Stop Blaming Undocumented Immigrants for the Flow of Fentanyl Across the Southern Border
Native News Online
April 29, 2024
Opinion: Overdoses from fentanyl, opioids, and other deadly drugs such as "tranq" are leading to loss of life and a decline in the health and well-being of tribal communities. In addition, the epidemic is contributing to the spread of infectious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis C.
The fentanyl problem in the United States is real. According to the National Institute, in 2021, some 106,000 Americans died from a drug overdose, of which 65% were caused by fentanyl.
In 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized over 379 million doses of fentanyl, which is enough to kill everyone in the United States.
Our people are succumbing to fentanyl overdoses at a rate surpassing any other group in the United States, reflecting a staggering 279% surge between 2016 and 2021. New data released last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the rate of drug overdose deaths remained flat among all Americans from 2021 to 2022,
Regrettably, this was not true for Indian Country,
The report revealed that American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people saw the sharpest surge in drug overdose deaths in the time period, with a 15% increase in the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose rates. The number of deaths per 100,000 Native people rose from 56.6 to 65.2, the data shows.
Tragically, the high rates of drug overdoses impact the well-being of tribal families and communities. Throughout Indian Country, families have been torn apart, jobs lost, and homelessness [has risen]. . . .
. . . So that fentanyl does not stand a chance of reaching tribal lands, there is a need to stop the flow into the United States from Mexico. In order for progress to be made politicians need to stop playing the blame game, particularly saying President Joe Biden has turned his head on the issue by allowing undocumented immigrants to bring it across the border,
Contrary to the false information being perpetrated by the right-wing members of Congress, the deadly drug is not being brought across the southern border of the United States by undocumented immigrants. . .
. . . Congress needs to stop blaming Biden for the border issue that has existed for decades and pass legislation to hire more law enforcement officers to get the U.S. citizens who attempt to bring in the deadly drug. Read the rest of the story here.
Editor’s Note: Republican and Freedom Caucus member Tom Tiffany, who “represents” our own Wisconsin 7th Congressional District, is one of those right-wing members of Congress spreading false information about undocumented immigrants, fentanyl, and border security. He also voted against bringing a bipartisan bill addressing a number of border issues to the full House. Republican House members have stalled the bill on orders from former president Trump.
‘This fight hits close to home’
Tammy Baldwin Ad on Funds Combatting Opioid Abuse
What’s the Difference Between Eric Hovde and Sen. Tammy Baldwin on the Issues?
UpNorth News
April 17, 2024
Democratic US Senator Tammy Baldwin is campaigning for a third term on a list of accomplishments rooted in a consistent set of positions on the issues dating back to her previous roles in the US House and the Wisconsin Legislature.
By contrast, any new summary of US Senate candidate Eric Hovde’s positions on the issues will require reviewing how some of those stances have changed since his last attempt to capture that Senate seat. . . .
. . . The issues section of Hovde’s website covers four areas, including immigration. The section on health care contains a relatively paltry 300 words, most of them dedicated to criticizing the Affordable Care Act, without offering any clues as to what kind of replacement he would put in its place. The section on the economy is equally vague. On foreign affairs, Hovde parrots a readily debunked claim that falsely asserted Iran had received “plane loads of cash” to fund Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel.
Baldwin’s campaign website covers 15 different topics, each mentioning legislation or some other action taken during her two terms in office. Read the entire UpNorth News story here.
Eric Hovde Thinks Seniors in Nursing Homes Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Vote
Source: Weekly News from Ben Wikler, DPW Chair
April 12, 2024
In case you missed it, California bank owner Eric Hovde announced that he believes senior citizens shouldn’t be allowed to vote if they are living in a nursing home because they “only have five, six months life expectancy.” He said: “Almost nobody in a nursing home is at a point to vote.” He announced this absurd policy proposal while also spouting off disproven conspiracies about the 2020 election.
This isn’t Eric Hovde’s first attack on seniors. He “absolutely” supports cutting Social Security benefits. He supports raising the retirement age to as high as 72 years. He has praised a GOP budget proposal to cut $205 billion from Medicare—and he wants to go even further. Hovde’s proposal to take away the freedom to vote from seniors in nursing homes is yet another disconnected and disrespectful attack on Wisconsinites from the megamillionaire bank owner. We can’t allow another MAGA Republican to rip away the hard-earned rights of our seniors.
Dan Duffy, Delavan: “Apparently the out-of-touch California banker with the $7 million home in Laguna Beach is having some success in buying his way into contention here in Wisconsin. One wonders what he has for a residence here. A Post Office box? This guy is totally opposed to abortion, which is easy for him to say since he'll never need one himself. He also doesn't think people in nursing homes should vote, probably because the investment banker in him wants to get his mitts on that money. According to him, being overweight is a choice and that people who struggle with their weight should have to pay more for health care, which is fine for a guy with a personal dietitian probably on call 24 hours a day. Children in single-parent homes are destined for a life of poverty, said he. This candidate also said farmers don't work hard anymore and spend much of their time driving a tractor around. I don't think this person would be too good at representing non-millionaires in the U.S. Senate. Donald Trump was going to self-fund his campaigns for president too, and that didn't last long. Big donors soon seize control. Gene Watson's song ‘All Hat, No Cattle’ fits a guy well who thinks he knows everything about farmers.” Back to top
Tammy Baldwin Shows Up for All Wisconsites
Source: Weekly News from Ben Wikler, DPW Chair
April 12, 2024
Tammy Baldwin on campaign trail. Photo: CapTimes
Contrary to Eric Hovde, Tammy Baldwin is back in the headlines for all the right reasons. A Cap Times exclusive details Tammy’s success in areas of our state that have voted for Republicans in the past. Despite being predominantly conservative, voters in these areas have shown support for Tammy, who has built relationships by engaging with constituents on issues like farming subsidies, healthcare costs, and working-class jobs. Baldwin's bipartisan approach and track record of delivering for rural communities have even garnered praise from Wisconsin Republicans, who appreciate her efforts in securing funding for local infrastructure projects like water and sewer lines for hospitals.
And Tammy keeps delivering. On Wednesday, she highlighted a funding package that aims to support Wisconsin families, including investments in affordable housing, childcare, family-supporting jobs, and mental health care. By playing a vital role in negotiating the $1 trillion funding package that was signed into law last month, Tammy solidified $450,000 for Brown County United Way to support childcare, $600,000 to fund a shared facility for childcare entrepreneurs in Fond du Lac, and $1.6 million for Scenic Bluffs Community Health Center to help people in need of behavioral treatment, to name just a few examples. Tammy proves each and every day that she fights for all Wisconsinites, and we need to send her back to Washington this November.
Nuggets from the 7th CD Convention
Verbatim remarks
April 13, 2024
The 7th Congressional District Convention featured a number of speakers who laid out the stakes of this year’s election for our communities, our state, and our nation. Here are a few excerpts from remarks delivered by speakers at the convention, starting with Kyle Kilbourn, Democratic candidate for the U.S. House seat now held by Republican Tom Tiffany. County chairs from throughout the 7th CD endorsed Kilbourn as the Democratic candidate.
Other speakers included Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin; John Nichols, associate editor of the Cap Times, national correspondent for The Nation magazine, and progressive activist; and Peggy Flanagan, politician, community organizer, and Native American serving as the 50th lieutenant governor of Minnesota since 2019.
Five Sawyer County LCO Democratic Party officers attended the convention: Gayle Johnson, Louise Ladenthin, Al Flora, Paul Anderson, and Mary Vitcenda. Mary recorded and compiled the following excerpts.
Kyle Kilbourn
Excerpts from his remarks
I’m running today because too often people are unable to pursue their own American dream. I want everyone to have opportunities that are seemingly out of reach because of high costs.
My vision for a new American dream—a 21st century real new deal for the 7th District.
In our current age of hyper partisan politics, the needs of our working families and communities are often left out of the conversation. Washington’s too busy squabbling amongst each other treating us like political chess pieces. No more.
Photo: Kyle Kilbourn campaign
I believe in a three-part approach:
1. First, we have to economically empower our working families and communities.
2. Second, we have to celebrate our rural way of life. Our sense of community. Our appreciation for nature.
3. And third, commit to good governance for all.
So, what does that mean? That means in order to empower our working families we need to ensure fair wages and strong unions. We need to invest in the public infrastructure of our rural communities, like post offices, schools, hospitals, housing. But I’m also advocating for small local businesses.
I’m tired of driving around the district…because I’m seeing empty stores and schools. The very heart of our communities are being extinguished one by one.
Another way we can empower our working families is ensure they aren’t going broke from out-of-control health costs. Every American deserves universal and quality health care, regardless of where they live. [applause]
While universal health care is the ultimate goal, and we’re going to get there, we can do more in the immediate future, including legislation that increases funding for rural health care providers and improves access to preventive and emergency care.
Meanwhile, our incumbent sits in Congress and intends to strip away Medicare, piece by piece. And our rural hospitals and clinics shut down one by one.
I will do just the opposite. I will advocate for policies that lower prescription drug prices, expand Medicare coverage, and ensure our seniors have the care they deserve and need.
Now, our rural life is built on meaningful traditions, and I’m committed to preserving that through sustainable practices. Voices out there will tell you you can either have a clean climate or you can have jobs. That’s bull.
More clean energy means protecting our natural landscapes, but it also means more union jobs and infrastructure—like roads, broadband for our rural communities. We can grow our economy and protect our land, air, and water at the same time.
Don’t let a guy who earned the nickname Toxic Tom tell you otherwise. Speaking of Toxic Tom, let’s talk about something else he knows little about: good governance.
I don’t need to tell you that Washington’s a broken place. We all watch it on the news. So let’s elect leaders who believe in good governance. Who believe in upholding health care rights, including reproductive choices. Who advocate for civic engagement rather than take voting rights away.
And let’s elect leaders who strengthen our rural communities’ access to resources—not those who show up a few times a year and say some words and empty promises.
This district is my home. So what do you say? Let’s fight for it. Let’s not focus on how red a district is or how much money it’s going to take. Let’s leave that to the pundits. I’m focused on our people. Whether it’s a red district, a blue district, every person, every family deserves to be fought for. I’m ready to fight for my home and together we can do it.
Together, let’s build a district that values people, place, and effective policy over politics. Together, let’s create a better district where every individual is valued, our communities thrive, and government works for the good benefit of all. Thank you again. My name is Kyle Kilbourn. I hope you join our campaign.
Ben Wikler
Excerpts from his remarks
We win in Wisconsin because we fight. Because we work year round. Because we honor work and we want to build a state and a country that honors work, that honors families, that honors the community that binds us together. . .
. . . If you look at all of the combined impact of all these local races, statewide Biden got 35,000 more votes than Trump on the same day—in the presidential primary. When Trump came to Wisconsin and held a rally on Election Day. . .
Photo: DPW
. . . We know the lesson from this spring. We know the lesson from each of the election years. Going back a long time. Which is that when we work locally, it has an impact statewide and nationally. . .
. . . Every Democratic nominee for State Assembly will get a $2,500 grant to launch them in their campaign, as soon as they’re the nominee in their district. It’s the first time we’ve been able to put that level of support in on the front end. . . And I should mention the State Senate, every candidate will get a $5,000 grant to launch their campaign. . .
. . .We’re going to continue of course supporting the offices. At least 8 different counties right now have offices open in the 7th CD. . . If you want to open an office, stay in touch with us. Because we want to have our presence all over the place in this election.
Bricks and mortar. Being present on a main street. Showing that we can open a storefront. It does make a difference. And we want to show up everywhere that we possible can. . .
. . . We know that the building blocks of success up and down the ballot start at the county level and at the local level. It starts with conversations face to face between people who often share life histories, who listen to the same radio station when they wake up in the morning, when they’re driving to work or to the grocery store. . .
. . . What that means is that the work we’re going to do now to fight in the State Assembly, to fight in the State Senate, and we’re about to see some blue districts in western Wisconsin, northern Wisconsin, central Wisconsin, we’re going to be flipping districts throughout the 7th Congressional District.
And I cannot wait to see the look on Republicans’ faces when they realize there were Democrats among them all this time. They just drew maps to suppress their voices. And it’s not going to work anymore.
John Nichols
Excerpts from his remarks
“The most important thing that I do is tell people in rural Wisconsin, where I come from. . .that they are the living, breathing soul of Wisconsin progressives. That the heart and soul of this movement has always been a rural heart and soul.
Photo: Wisconsin Examiner
It’s been beaten up. It’s been beaten down. There have been high times and low times. But the fact is that progressives never win in Wisconsin if they don’t do well in rural Wisconsin. And [7th CD] Chairman Stencil said, in her great remarks, that 97 percent of Wisconsin is rural. Well, I will tell you this: 100 percent of Joe Biden’s chances in 2024 are rural.
No Democrat can win Wisconsin if you don’t hold your own in rural Wisconsin. And holding your own doesn’t always mean winning. I know that’s difficult folks, right, because in politics we always like to say win and loss. Right? We make it so simplistic.
But holding your own means getting the votes that are needed from your region to add into that total and make it possible to win statewide.” Right? And so in my neighborhood in Madison where literally sometimes the Republicans come in third, in my neighborhood in Madison holding your own is getting about 92 percent of the vote. 90-92 percent. Those are big totals.
But there are counties in Wisconsin where holding your own may be only 35 percent of the vote. But if you don’t get that 35 percent, if you fall below it, if people don’t go out and do the hard work, you don’t win statewide. It doesn’t happen.
Someplace the future of America has to begin. Someplace we have to decide. Not just that you’re going to have a president who believes in infrastructure, civil rights, voting rights, humanity itself. Doesn’t want to be a dictator. Wants to serve the people.
But you’re also going to give that president a House that can actually pass the bills he needs. That can work with that president. And I hope someday it’s a woman—[and a Congress] that can work with her and what she needs. But we’re gonna get a House of Representatives that gives him what he needs.
And you’re gonna have a Senate that doesn’t have Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema running around saying, “Oh, I don’t know if I want to overturn the filibuster.” And gives him a Senate that actually chooses to govern, right?
Someplace in America it’s going to begin. Where a wave is going to come across this country, a blue wave that says, You know what? We’re done with this divisiveness. We’re done with this failure. We’re done with all the roadblocks to getting things done.
We want to be the country of the future—not of the past. We don’t wanna make America great again. We want America to be greater than it’s ever been! And someplace it’s got to begin and I believe there is a very good chance that it is going to begin on the west side of Rhinelander, Wis. in a hotel ballroom on a Saturday morning where people got up way before 6 a.m. . .and came down to have a meeting where they plotted out how they were going to transform America.”
Peggy Flanagan
Full text of her remarks
Boozhoo. My name is Peggy Flanagan. My Ojibwe name is Speaks with a Loud and Clear Voice Woman. My husband was the least surprised when I got my Indian name. And my family is the Wolf Clan. And the role of our clan is to ensure we’re not leaving anyone behind, which is why I’m here today on behalf of Joe Biden and Kamela Harris.
Photo: Mary Vitcenda
You know, I jumped at the chance to be here when the Biden campaign said, Hey, will you go to Wisconsin. I was like, Heck yeah. And here’s what I know: I know that we have a little bit of rivalry with the Packers and the Vikings. And the Badgers and the Gophers. And is it a fountain or a bubbler, right?
But I think we have common ground when it comes to wanting to make sure that people have an opportunity to live their very best lives. And that working families can thrive—in this region and in this country.
So I was like, I’m gonna go visit my neighbors right next door, who aren’t gonna make fun of my accent. And I’m so excited to be here. As your neighbor to the west, I bring good news of what can happen when we have Democratic majorities.
And making sure that we are feeding our kids breakfast and lunch at school—no questions asked. A child tax credit that will lower child poverty by a third in our state. Paid family and medical leave. And protecting access to reproductive care. I could go on and on.
But I want you to know that this didn’t just happen overnight. It wasn’t just, oh, we won an election and then we did some good stuff. This was good, grassroots organizing for decades that led us to this moment. And we didn’t take anything for granted.
We built a solid foundation [in Minnesota]. And it happened because people organized, not just in 2022, or 2020, or 2016, but decades. And we’re gonna fight like hell to make sure that we can have these wins all over the place, including Wisconsin. And you are well on your way, because of folks like Ben Wikler. We love him in Minnesota, by the way. From the Wisconsin Democratic Party.
My husband was like, Will you see him? Will you get a selfie with him? Yes! But you’ve been playing the long game. Slowly winning races like for governor and lt. governor, Sara Rodriguez, who’s my bestie. I love her.
And Janet on the Supreme Court, of course. And finally, getting new maps in this state that undid a decade of horrible gerrymandering. So there is hope. And there is hope with your congressional candidate Kyle. Who by the way, graduated from the University of Minnesota. But then had the good sense to come home to Wisconsin. I get it.
But in order to build that momentum in Wisconsin, I think that this is leading to a season of progressive wins, like we had in Minnesota last year. We have to make sure that we re-elect Joe Biden and Kamela Harris. And we have to make sure that we elect Democrats up and down the ballot everywhere here in Wisconsin.
This election is more than just policies. It’s about the soul and the heart and the future of our nation as a whole. And I’d like to share with you, if I can, about the first time that I met Joe Biden. The first conversation I had with him was in his dining room, when he was vice president.
I went to Washington with David Wellstone, who was the son. You know Paul. He was the son of the late, great Paul Wellstone. And I was invited there to an event celebrating advocates who were working on domestic violence and sexual assault issues.
In the dining room of the vice president, I told him my story of being a survivor of domestic violence and a child witness of abuse. The care and compassion that I received from then vice president Joe Biden was unlike anything I had ever experienced. And he said, Thank you for sharing your story. I will hold it, and I invite you to please share it with other people, because it’s powerful. I accepted that invitation, and my life has changed dramatically.
So I just want you to know the kindness of this man. We can talk all about the policies, and we will. But that is why I am here. That is why I am here.
So we’ve got Joe Biden who is a decent, caring and big-hearted guy, and now let’s contrast that with the other guy. The Republicans are gonna nominate a twice-impeached, criminally indicted disgraced and defeated former president Donald Trump.
And they’re nominating Trump’s MAGA Republican allies all across the country. He lies. He cheats. He steals to get ahead. And has no problem using the presidency to enrich himself and his family members.
He is selfish. And he is only in this for himself. Full stop. We have lived through four long years of Trump before, and every day brought crisis and chaos and corruption. And he put his own interests in front of ours over and over again.
Remember going to sleep each night and having this pit in your stomach, like what tweet am I going to wake up to in the morning? What world leader will he have picked a fight with the next day? Or his appearance. I am the mom of an 11-year-old having to turn off the television whenever he came on, because I didn’t want her to witness his crude behavior and foul language.
So when we all saw what happened on January 6th, we know he won’t think twice about burning down our democracy just to hold power. And it is serious. We’ve heard this so many times, but this is truly the most important election of our lifetime. Because the stakes could not be higher.
Democracy itself is on the ballot and so much more. Just look at what Trump and his MAGA allies said they wanted to do:
· Repeal the Affordable Care Act and take away your health care.
· Take away the rights of women and girls to make decisions about their own bodies.
· Stop mothers and fathers and parents from using IVF.
· Shoot Americans in the street when they exercise their First Amendment right to protest.
· Give tax cuts to the wealthiest people and corporations at a time of inexcusable and inequality in our country.
· Giving January 6th insurrectionists a Get out of jail free card. He literally has said it. And we must never, ever forget that he pledged to be a dictator on Day 1. And I believe him. I believe him.
So Donald Trump plans to take a wrecking ball to the very foundation of democracy because he doesn’t want you, he doesn’t want us, to have a say. But in Wisconsin, I’m here to tell you that you DO have a say. You are a swing state, you are a mighty, good looking group of people, who are going to ensure that we send Joe Biden and Kamela Harris back to the White House.
And we have to just ask ourselves, Who do we trust to fight for us? For our families and for our future? Let’s remember what things were like before Joe and Kamela took office.
A deadly pandemic. I lost my brother in the pandemic. Thousands of small businesses that were shuttered forever. Millions of Americans were losing their jobs. Democracy hanging on by a thread.
We were lurching from crisis to crisis, all exacerbated by a dangerous and chaotic president who was only looking out for himself. We were a nation in desperate need of a healing voice and a steady hand.
But now, three years later, we’re in the middle of a great American comeback story. Joe, Kamela and the Democrats are investing in America’s middle class—rebuilding our economy from the middle out and the bottom up. There is hope in America again.
And Joe Biden and Kamela Harris have turned that hope into action. So already senior citizens are paying less for their prescriptions. The price of insulin is capped at $35, saving over a million Wisconsinites money every time they refill a prescription.
Over a quarter million Wisconsinites have signed up for health care through ACA. And more than $6.6 billion have been invested right here in this state in infrastructure projects, including rebuilding roads and bridges, revitalizing public transit, ports and airports and creating clean water infrastructure. And providing affordable, reliable, high-speed internet.
And my favorite project is the Blatnik Bridge—that bridge that connects our two states, the heartbeat, the lifeline between our states. And as we are talking about this, even just today. We know that $2 billion in student loans has been forgiven in Wisconsin alone. That’s real money for folks. Right?
That means people can buy a house. They can pay off debt. Right? They can live their life. And here’s a favorite fact of mine. Joe Biden has created more jobs and added more jobs to the economy than any other president in U.S. history.
That’s worth a lot. And we’ve made real progress. But I know there’s more work to do. At kitchen tables across this country, families are still worried about the cost of living. The safety of our children. And the health of our planet. And faith in our personal freedoms.
And so that is what this election is all about. Who can we trust to protect the progress that we’ve made and keep fighting for more? If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the last three years, is that having a president who cares about you and your family, and not just himself, makes a world of difference.
I mean, do you ever think that Donald Trump ever took his kid to buy a pair of shoes? He can’t imagine what it’s like being a parent barely getting by. But I know that Joe Biden can.
And Joe, Kamela, the amazing Tammy Baldwin and Democrats across Wisconsin—I know that you believe in an America where everyone has a fair shot for a better life. No matter where you’re from. What you make. How you pray or who you love.
Where opportunity abounds and Americans have more freedom than their parents did, not less. They believe in us, and I believe in us. That’s what we’re working here every day to build.
And it’s going to take all of us. And I have one more story before you wrap up, and you can continue your business here.
But in summer of 2022, when we were running for re-election, Gov. Walz and I, there was a day that we found out that Roe was overturned. And we were literally filming a campaign commercial at the painters union.
And the first thing I did was, I called my mom. And with tears in my eyes, I heard her say to me, and it was a “buck up” sort of moment, she said, I have prepared you your whole life for this moment.
So I did what any mother would do, I wiped the tears from my eyes, I took a deep breath and got focused. Because it’s unconscionable that my daughter will have less/will have fewer rights than I do. Than I did. Or that even her grandmother did.
And as your neighbor to the west, as lieutenant governor, but mostly as Shevonne’s mom, I ask you to join me in doing everything we can to ensure that we re-elect Joe Biden and Kamela Harris. That you re-elect your incredible senator Tammy Baldwin. And that you elect Democrats up and down the ballot all across Wisconsin because this is a people-powered campaign.
That’s how we won in 2020 and it’s how change has ALWAYS come to our country. Generation after generation, everyday Americans have stepped forward to make our union a little more perfect by knocking on doors, by calling our neighbors, by having heartfelt conversations about what is at stake. And about our shared dreams and hopes for our future.
And as Joe Biden says, we are in this for the future of the soul of our country—of America. This battle is far from over, but choosing freedom—true freedom, real freedom—over fear. Hope over hatred. Democracy over division.
We’ve started to turn the tide. Now, together we can finish the job. So I’m honored and humbled to be able to spend some time with you. Thank you for being in a windowless room on a beautiful Saturday, protecting our democracy—doing the good work that we do as Democrats. It really, really matters.
So, I never thought that I’d be lieutenant governor. I didn’t grow up as a little girl thinking, I want to be the second most powerful person in the state of Minnesota. I wanted to be a ballerina-nurse, which is exactly what it sounds like.
But here’s what I know. Because of the DFL, our Democratic Farmer Labor party, because of Democrats, there was a clear path for a kid who had a Section 8 housing voucher that secured our family a place to live. We relied on public programs like SNAP and the child care assistance program. And now I get to pay that back and pay that forward because of that investment. Being the first Native American woman elected to executive office in this country, the first Native American woman to head a national party committee as chair of the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association. And I share that with you not to brag, because that’s not who we are in Minnesota. It’s certainly not who I am as a Native woman.
But I share that with you because my existence is because of this party. It’s because of the investments that we have made in community and each other and fought to protect our share of rights, for our sovereignty, for our identity, for our existence.
So thank you, thank you, thank you for being in this fight. Chi-miigwech. And have a great rest of your convention.”
