Congress Endorsements

Give Krupp a Chance in Congress

Residents of southeastern Wisconsin can send a strong message about the direction of this country by voting for Marge Krupp to represent the First Congressional District. Krupp, a chemical engineer and businesswoman, is facing longtime incumbent Republican Paul Ryan, a major supporter of President Bush.

Krupp, a chemical engineer who has worked at S.C. Johnson and Abbott Laboratories, will be an asset in Congress. Krupp’s professional background will be helpful in shaping this nation’s economic future as we invest in next-generation and green industries. Since southeastern Wisconsin has been hit hard by the loss of family-supporting manufacturing jobs, it’s only fitting that these voters have the opportunity to elect a representative such as Krupp who can help displaced workers find new careers in up-and-coming industries.

In contrast, Ryan’s economic ideas, crystallized in his “Roadmap for America’s Future” report, are simplistic and misguided. Ryan supported Bush’s economic and political agendas and the president’s case for war in Iraq, yet Ryan won’t admit that those decisions led our nation into financial ruin. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan finally admitted that he “found a flaw” in his thinking, and now states that unfettered markets cannot solve all of our problems. We are waiting for Ryan to acknowledge his faulty thinking as well. Instead, Ryan is blaming the poor and elderly by planning to cut “entitlement” programs to balance the budget. We support taking a clear-eyed look at the

federal government’s spending priorities, but it’s completely irresponsible for Ryan to deny the damage done by Bush’s tax cuts for the rich while waging a never-ending war on terror.

Paul Ryan has had his chance in Congress to work for the benefit of his constituents. He’s squandered it. Marge Krupp is a better alternative for southeastern Wisconsin.

Return Steve Kagan to Congress

Although the Eighth Congressional District, in northeastern Wisconsin, has leaned Republican in the recent past, voters there would be best served by returning Democrat Steve Kagan to Congress.

Kagan is facing a challenge from the former speaker of the state Assembly, John Gard. Kagan beat Gard in a hard-fought race for this seat in 2006.

Kagan has had a promising first term in the U.S. House of Representatives. In his private life, he’s a successful allergist. In Congress, he has made health care reform, a 21st-century economy and environmental concerns a priority. But those progressive goals have not deterred more Republican-friendly organizations from endorsing him, such as the National Rifle Association and the Tavern League of Wisconsin. This mix of pragmatism and foresight will pay off for Wisconsin voters.

In contrast, Gard is a man of the past. His time in the state Assembly was marked by partisan division and few results to be proud of. The right-wing ideology that Gard still favors is being repudiated across the country as voters are clamoring for a change of direction.

If Gard is elected to Congress, he will only become a junior member of a minority party that has little say in the legislative process. If Kagan is sent back to Washington, he can shape policy in a way that benefits Wisconsin and changes the country’s fortunes for the better.