Posted on 09/08/2011 10:45:18 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Openly gay Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin says her bid for a Senate seat won't be about her sexual orientation, gay weekly the Washington Blade reported.
Baldwin on Tuesday became the first Democrat to formally declare her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Herb Kohl. She is the first openly gay Senate candidate with a viable shot at winning.
During a conference call on Wednesday, Baldwin insisted she's always been open about her sexual orientation, but added that the race will focus on other issues.
“I have always since the beginning of all my adult life been out and honest about my sexual orientation, and I think that voters appreciate the values of honesty and expect integrity in their elected officials.”
The race, Baldwin added, “won't be about me.”
“It will be about the middle-class, the threats that they're facing right now, the struggles that families are experiencing and which candidate for U.S. Senate is going to be the best fighter for them.”
Baldwin, who has never lost a race but remains untested in a statewide election, faces stiff competition from her GOP rivals, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson and former Wisconsin Rep. Mark Neumann. Neumann officially entered the race last week, while Thompson has signaled he will follow. Early polls show that in a contest with either candidate, Baldwin would lose.
But whether Baldwin's sexual orientation becomes an issue in the race is more up to her GOP rival. Neumann, a two-term congressman, is not a supporter of gay rights. In 1996, he said: “If I were elected God for a day, homosexuality wouldn't be permitted.” Four years later, he walked back the remark a bit, saying he wouldn't want to be God.
This is going to be one ugly race between her and Neumann.
*Rolleyes*
If her race for the US senate is not about her being a homosexual, why is she talking about it?
You sound like Thompson is gonna bail again....any thoughts...
I honestly could care less about Tammy Baldwin being a lesbian. But if anyone thinks that this election is not going to be about her sexual orientation if the Dems think there is an advantage to it, they are living in Fantasyland. If Baldwin is up against a Republican, anyone who votes against her will be an anti-gay bigot. If she loses, it will be because of bigotry.
You got there ahead of me. Good job.
Hello Neumann.
“Tammy Baldwin (D, WI) Says Senate Race Won’t Be About Her Sexual Orientation”
Sez you, butch.
And that's why she's talking about it right out of the gate. She's setting herself up as the victim. The best thing her Republican opponent could do is to not mention anything about it whatsoever.
Couldn’t care less about her being a lesbian...but man, she sure likes to remind people about it, doesn’t she?
Now then, we don’t need to redistribute the wealth, Tammy, so here is hoping you get your “not about you being homosexual” butt kicked.
The meme is being set ...
Tammy Bruce should move to WI and challenge Baldwin ... that would cut that meme off at the knees.
To try already to paint her opponant as a homophobe bigot.
Her opponant SHOULD belittle her being a sick freak.
One you would not care to leave your daughter with much less vote for.
Hello.. Jerry.
;-)
Kohl’s seat would be a great “get.” I don’t think it’s one the dems were expected to lose.
...until she falls behind in the polls for being a Socialist stooge.
I am going to crossover and vote for Baldwin. If she is the Dem nominee we will pick up that seat — bang!
Yep. She is pleaing for attention and making an appeal for sympathy. "Please like me for being gay"
A little historic factoid, this is the Joe McCarthy seat, and McCarthy was the last Republican to win it (in 1952). I am currently leaning towards Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald to be our candidate.
Wanna bet???
“I have always since the beginning of all my adult life been out and honest about my sexual orientation, and I think that voters appreciate the values of honesty and expect integrity in their elected officials.”
The problem this carpet-muncher has is the fact that those voters that never had a problem with her being a queer were in her local Madistan district. That wont be the case when she runs in a statewide election.
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