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Democrats should brace themselves for a tough fight, but they can win with Kerry on the ticket, Tunisia RPCV Gov. Jim Doyle told delegates Saturday. "John Kerry has been in tougher fights than this and no Republican smear campaign can save George Bush from his own record," Doyle said. "The road to the White House leads through Wisconsin."
Democrats should brace themselves for a tough fight, but they can win with Kerry on the ticket, Tunisia RPCV Gov. Jim Doyle told delegates Saturday. "John Kerry has been in tougher fights than this and no Republican smear campaign can save George Bush from his own record," Doyle said. "The road to the White House leads through Wisconsin."
Democrats have one focus for convention: fire Bush
JENNY PRICE
Associated Press
APPLETON, Wis. - If President Bush was a contender on the reality TV program "The Apprentice," Wisconsin congresswoman Tammy Baldwin says she knows what Donald Trump would tell him.
"You're fired," she said, joined by more than 1,000 other Democrats who attended this weekend's state Democratic party convention.
Baldwin's speech - during which she repeated Trump's trademark phrase often with help from the audience - reflected the single-minded focus of Democrats in Wisconsin and around the country to defeat Bush.
She didn't waste more than a moment Friday to ask delegates to help her win re-election before returning to the subject of beating Bush.
"As much as we're tempted to think so, life is not a reality show. It's not as simple as saying 'you're fired,'" she said. "We have to work and we have our work cut out for us."
Bush lost Wisconsin by just 5,700 votes in the last election and has visited the state 11 times since he took office in 2001. This time around, it is expected to be a close race between Bush and Democrat John Kerry in the Badger State.
Some convention speakers had severe words for Bush in their efforts to tap into anger that has grown among Democrats since Vice President Al Gore narrowly lost the White House four years ago.
"We need to get this evil influence out of the White House," Stan Gruszynski, who has served as a Wisconsin representative on the Democratic National Committee, said during a speech Friday night.
Chris Lato, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, dismissed the criticism.
"The Democrats tend to rely on those kinds of phrases when they have nothing else to say," Lato said Saturday.
Lato said Kerry has not offered any strong alternatives to Bush's policies while "the president has stood tall."
Democrats who weren't attacking Bush or his policies used their time on stage to plead with delegates to distribute literature door-to-door, make phone calls and give money to help deliver Wisconsin to Kerry.
"The 2000 election was a tough pill to swallow," U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold told delegates Saturday. "It is time to get out there and talk to your friends and neighbors about John Kerry."
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind urged Wisconsin Democrats to channel their anger against Bush administration policies into action.
"It's all right to feel sick and tired. We have a lot to be sick and tired about," Kind said Friday. "Sick and tired isn't good enough. We've got to move the sick and tired to motivation and energy."
Democrats should brace themselves for a tough fight, but they can win with Kerry on the ticket, Gov. Jim Doyle told delegates Saturday.
"John Kerry has been in tougher fights than this and no Republican smear campaign can save George Bush from his own record," Doyle said. "The road to the White House leads through Wisconsin."