Excerpts from Russ Feingold at the State Democratic Convention
Below are excerpts of his remarks as prepared for delivery:
Green Bay, WI — This evening, Russ Feingold, candidate for U.S. Senate, will speak at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin 2016 State Convention. The speech caps off the “Listening To You In All 72” tour, a weeklong, statewide tour to hear the priorities and concerns of Wisconsinites across the state.
For those outside of the Green Bay area, the speech will be live streamed on YouTube via WisEye.
Below are excerpts of his remarks as prepared for delivery:
On Optimism
Over and over, you hear political pundits say that Wisconsin is hopelessly divided, and that we all resent each other. But that’s not what I’m hearing from most people I meet. I’m hearing that people are ready to unite.
On The Issues: We’re In This Together
So here’s the bottom line: when you travel regularly to all 72 counties, when you actually listen to the concerns and ideas of the people of Wisconsin, you figure out that all of these economic, family, and community concerns are interconnected.
I hear all the time that families work to help each other succeed and grow. Parents try to help their sons and daughters pay for college. Grandparents help babysit the grandkids, so the young parents in the middle can start a business and succeed. And when economic times get tough, families face these challenges together as well. If grandparents can’t afford retirement, they can’t help babysit, and child care gets tougher and more expensive. If young college graduates can’t afford a new home because of student debt, they certainly can’t help their parents retire.
But when we ALL work together, students can graduate college without debt, buy their first home, and start a family, or a business. When we work together, our parents and grandparents don’t have to feel so nervous about retirement. They look forward to a time of their lives they can cherish and spend real time with their families.
We know we can’t change everything at once. No one expects that. But when we work together in Wisconsin, when we work hard, and honor each other’s work, we can build our families and enjoy lives of accomplishment, dignity, and happiness.
On The Hard Work Ahead
The work of an elected official shouldn’t be easy, and my desire to serve the people of Wisconsin – ALL the people of Wisconsin – has never been stronger.
And I pledge to you, that if I’m fortunate enough to win this election, I will do the hard work every day to reach across the aisle and get things done. This hard work starts as a candidate. That’s why we’ve put over 40,000 on the campaign van.
Listen, it’s easy to outsource your campaign to out-of-state billionaires, and phone in your appearances.
But for me, a campaign is about going where the people are. It’s not only a way to hear what moms and dads and sons and daughters have to say, but it’s also a way to show people respect, and that you value their time and work.
Yet some public officials don’t think it’s their job to listen to the people of Wisconsin; don’t think it’s their job to do the hard work to bring people together to things done.
But we won’t pay our bills with anger and insults. Complaining doesn’t create good-paying jobs. Showing up on Fox News doesn’t clean our drinking water. And sitting behind a desk deciding which ethnic or religious group to blame won’t move Wisconsin forward, and frankly, the people of this state deserve better.
Russ for Wisconsin
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Recent Press Releases by Russ Feingold
Senator Johnson Follows Trump’s Lead Down the Gutter
Oct 24th, 2016 by Russ FeingoldDown in the polls, and short on time, Senator Johnson turns to desperate personal attacks
RFW Statement on Sen Johnson’s Comments to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Oct 21st, 2016 by Russ Feingold"Sen. Johnson would benefit from more time spent listening to Wisconsinites and less time engaging in hysterical partisan rants."
A simple question for Sen. Johnson
Oct 7th, 2016 by Russ Feingold"Donald Trump's comments are indefensible."
