Baldwin Tells the DNC She Knows a Different Wisconsin

Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Tammy Baldwin told the Democratic National Convention last night that the Wisconsin she knew was different than the one portrayed by the state’s high-profile Republicans.

Baldwin told the crowd at the outset of her speech that she knew they’d heard a lot about Wisconsin lately, from Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan, from Governor Scott Walker, and possibly from her Republican US Senate opponent, former Governor Tommy Thompson.”Well I’m here to tell you that they don’t speak for all of Wisconsin,” she said.

Baldwin talked up Wisconsin’s progressive traditions.She said the people of Wisconsin believed that in order to prosper, everyone had to have a fair shot and everyone has to do their fair share.Baldwin highlighted her backing of the “Buffet rule”, named after billionaire Warren Buffet.It would raise taxes on millionaires.

“But Mitt Romney wants to pass even more tax cuts for those at the very top,” she said.”The Wisconsin I know knows that their plan will only bust our budget, not boost our economy.”

Baldwin, who would be the first openly gay U-S Senator, praised President Obama, saying he’d made historic progress toward equality.

“He repealed don’t ask, don’t tell, so that no American ever again has to lie about who they are in order to serve the country we love,” she said.”Republicans wants to write discrimination into the constitution.But the Wisconsin I know believes that with each passing year, and each generation, our country must become more equal, not less.”

Baldwin also touted her vote in Congress against deregulating banks in the late 90s and her vote for President Obama’s new financial regulations.

Thompson’s campaign issued a statement after Baldwin’s speech calling her policies a “throwback to failed big government excesses”, callling her the most liberal member of Congress.