Last Year, Ron Kind was the only Wisconsin Democrat to vote with the Republicans to continue the war in Iraq indefinitely ("until victory has been achieved", whatever that means). He has taken good stances against Free Trade, for alternative energy, and for farmers, but his stance on the war in inexcusable. Also, he is a member of the DLC.
Thus Chip DeNure
announced that he will run against Kind in the Sept 12 party primary. Chip is a great progressive who says what he means and takes unapologetic, uncompromising stances in favor of peace, justice, and environmental protection. When Bush came to town in 2003, there was a billboard waiting for him- all it said was, "September 11, 2001 -- I believe Bush knew and let it happen on purpose. Authorised and paid for by Chip DeNure, La Crosse, 784-9771."
DeNure will support Conyers's bill to investigate Bush. He will vote to stop the war. Those are the main issues in this country these days, but Kind continues to enable the Republican party. His spinelessness and utter lack of political strategy is reprehensible. He can talk about education and alternative fuels and jobs until he's blue in the face, but it will be a pipe dream until Republicans are gone, and that will not happen unless we strike back on the issue of the war and the President. Chip DeNure is running expressly for this purpose.
Kind has the support of the local party establishment and bourgeoisie; DeNure will have to rely on many small donations for fundraising. Luckily, there are many grassroots progressive/peace groups in the district which have a great history of work, such as GOTV when Wisconsin voted in the non-binding April 4 referendum that it wants the troops to come home.
Stay tuned for more on what will surely be an interesting primary campaign.