Sen. Russ Feingold, pictured, “has been a huge advocate for the LGBT community,” says Fair Wisconsin executive director Katie Belanger.
Anti-gay Republican launches campaign against Feingold
A Madison-area real estate developer took his U.S. Senate campaign to the airwaves Feb. 10, launching a TV attack ad that depicts Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold as out-of-touch with Wisconsin voters.
In “Fed Up,” Republican Terrence Walker accuses Feingold of supporting a government “takeover” of health care, using angry footage from a Jan. 11 town hall meeting with the senator in Pewaukee. The ads were scheduled for broadcast through Feb. 22 in Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and Wausau.
Although Walker faces businessman Dave Westlake in the Sept. 14 primary elections, he does not mention his Republican opponent during the 30-second commercial.
A non-partisan analysis of “Fed Up” by AP’s AdWatch found it “misleading.”
“The ad, in both the narration and a graphic, refers to a ‘government takeover of health care.’ That's misleading, as neither the House nor Senate bill advocates that government take over health care,” AdWatch reported.
Feingold’s campaign called the ad “harsh and negative.”
Wall’s Web site indicates he’s building his campaign on a combination of current Tea Party themes and the “guns, God and gays” mantra that was popular in right-wing campaigns during the Bush era.
In contrast, Feingold has a liberal voting record on social policies and earned a 90-percent rating from Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard for his votes on LGBT issues during the 110th Congress.
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Stephen Schreiber (center) addresses the Feb. 19 rally at Carthage College. – Photo: Kristyn Taggart
Carthage College students protest anti-gay speaker
Students at Carthage College staged a rally Feb. 19 to protest the appearance of a speaker who condemns homosexuality as in conflict with “God’s design.”
The action, unusual for the liberal arts college in Kenosha, was organized after students learned that Shannon Marion was scheduled to address a conference of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. A student researched Marion and learned of anti-gay comments he’d made in the past, said Stephen Schreiber, who helped organize the response.
Read more...Openly gay candidate loses in tight Dane County race
Marc Gofstein narrowly lost a bid to become the first openly gay supervisor to represent Sun Prairie on the Dane County Board of Supervisors.
Gofstein came in third in a three-way non-partisan primary Feb. 16. He placed just 15 votes behind second-place finisher Steve Schwartzer, who goes on to face top vote-getter Bill Clausius in the Nov. 2 general election.
As a former president of the Sun Prairie City Council, Clausius had the most name recognition among voters in the 19th district, which encompasses western Sun Prairie. But Gofstein, 43, had the backing of both Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney.
Read more...Palin backs Obey challenger in congressional race
(AP) – Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is getting involved in a Wisconsin congressional race.
Palin announced that she was endorsing fellow Republican Sean Duffy in his race against Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Dave Obey.
Palin made the announcement on her Facebook page.
She calls Duffy a “brave soul’’ and a “daring David’’ who is taking on a “liberal Goliath.’’
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Brian Thompson, UWM Chancellor Biddy Martin, J. James Tye III, Marty Fox and D.J. Johnson – Photo: Marc Korobkin
‘OPEN’ for business
Madison group for LGBT professionals grows
Out professionals in Madison now have an in. The establishment of the Out Professional and Executive Network offers the infrastructure and visibility for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied professionals to make connections and build support on the work front that many once had to find on their own.
Kim Nemechek, an OPEN director at large and real estate broker for Bunbury Realtors, appreciates the visibility of other out professionals that OPEN makes possible.
“It’s nice to know who those people are in your community,” she said, noting the group has allowed her to meet people she would not have met otherwise.
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