For Congress: Krupp, Baldwin and Petri

An editorial  —  10/28/2008 4:13 am

The Congress has, for the most part, been a dysfunctional branch of government over the past two decades. Often operating as an extension of the executive branch, the House and Senate have failed to check and balance presidents even when abuses have been glaring. As a result, the United States is in economic crisis, our military forces are mired in the quagmires that have resulted from the mismanaged invasions and extended occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and our basic liberties have been repeatedly assaulted.

This year, we make endorsements in three area races with an eye toward renewing Congress as a full player in the governance of the nation. We are backing candidates of both major parties, incumbents and a challenger. Our goal is to ensure that Wisconsin has the strongest and most independent congressional delegation possible during the period of transition that will move America forward following the end of the Bush/Cheney period of executive excess.

Here are our recommendations:

1st District: Marge Krupp

As our Saturday editorial said, no member of the Wisconsin delegation is more completely in the pocket of the Washington establishment and Wall Street than Janesville Republican Paul Ryan. Ryan's record is atrocious. Worse yet, it is at odds with the interests of his hard-pressed district.

In contrast, Democratic challenger Marge Krupp is running a campaign all about defending the interests of southeastern Wisconsin. She is a critic of no-strings-attached Wall Street bailouts and free-trade deals that harm workers in the U.S. and abroad.

Krupp has our enthusiastic endorsement.

2nd District: Tammy Baldwin

If Congress had more Tammy Baldwins, America would be dramatically better off.

Baldwin is the steadiest progressive in Wisconsin's congressional delegation. She is, as well, a visionary. More than a year before George Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, Baldwin was outlining the arguments against launching a war that was neither necessary nor wise. When other members of the House were shredding the Constitution, Baldwin joined Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold in opposing the Patriot Act. And when others shied away from holding George Bush, Dick Cheney and members of their administration to account, Baldwin said it was time to start talking about impeaching the president and vice president.

It took courage to take all those stands. Baldwin had to break not just with the conservative consensus in George Bush's Washington but with leaders of her own Democratic Party.

Yet Baldwin is such a hard-working and responsible member of the House that, despite her bold stances, she is a highly regarded and effective player on the powerful Judiciary and Energy and Commerce committees. On the latter committee, she is a member of the key subcommittee that deals with her signature issue of health care. And, there, she has forged bipartisan coalitions with conservative Republicans to advance proposals that will make it easier for states to implement needed reforms.

We do not always agree with Baldwin. For instance, we wish that she would have voted against the Wall Street bailout. But even when we differ with her on a particular issue, we know that Baldwin is one of those rare representatives who is able to balance the call of conscience with the challenge of getting things done in Washington. She has our strongest endorsement.

6th District: Tom Petri

If the race for control of Congress were close, there might be a case for rejecting moderate Republicans such as Fond du Lac's Tom Petri. But Democrats will control the next Congress, probably by a wider margin than the party has enjoyed since the "Republican revolution" of 1994. And as his party regroups, we want Tom Petri to be there as an example of responsible Republicanism.

A Peace Corps volunteer who went on to serve as executive director of the moderate Republican Ripon Society, Petri served in the Wisconsin Senate before his election to the U.S. House in 1979 -- after he beat fellow legislator Tommy Thompson in a GOP primary. Petri's focus has been on education and transportation issues, and his willingness to work across lines of partisan and ideological division has been so steady that conservative Republicans have punished him over the years. But Petri has persevered, and accomplished much when it comes to making higher education more affordable and transportation funding more accessible for Wisconsin communities.

We have real differences with Petri on a number of issues. But we respect his votes against ill-defined "supplemental appropriations" to fund the Iraq occupation and the Wall Street bailout proposal advanced by the Bush administration. The Washington Post's David Broder refers to Tom Petri as "a notably independent, creative legislator." That's a fair description of Petri, and of the kind of congressman who will be needed in a new Congress where -- despite their majority -- Democrats will need responsible Republican partners.

Petri deserves another term.

Finally, we would be remiss if we failed to note the service of four other members of the Wisconsin delegation. Wausau Democrat Dave Obey, the chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, is an old-school economic populist who, despite his powerful position, continues to challenge the status quo in Washington. Milwaukee Democrat Gwen Moore has established an impressive anti-war record in the House while advocating for renewal of our cities. Appleton Democrat Steve Kagen's service on the House Agriculture Committee -- on which he is the only Wisconsin member -- has proven to be a great asset to the state, as has his advocacy on behalf of displaced and threatened workers. Rep. Ron Kind has disappointed us on many issues, particularly the farm policy fights that are so vital to western Wisconsin. But we hold out a measure of hope that time spent in his district this fall will get him more in touch with the fundamental issues facing the region. Obey, Moore, Kagen and Kind all merit re-election.

An editorial  —  10/28/2008 4:13 am