The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is out with a false ad attacking Republican gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Kleefisch on COVID. Thirteen months out from the 2022 election, this desperate ad only underscores the fear Democrats have that Gov. Tony Evers’ can’t be re-elected because he has so miserably failed Wisconsin.
It’s time to fact-check DWP’s claims.
DPW: “Rebecca Kleefisch won’t listen to doctors and scientists when it comes to COVID.”
Rating: Flaming Pants
Kleefisch, a cancer survivor, listened to her physicians and got the COVID vaccine. She has made it clear that government mandates are wrong, that it’s up to the individual — their body, their choice.
Kleefisch on Up Front: “I think government does not have the business telling people what should be done with their healthcare. We shouldn’t have a mandate like that coming from government. These are decisions made between a patient and a doctor. Listen, I have a pre-existing condition, I had cancer, I’ve chosen with consulting health care professionals, to get the vaccine. What’s a right choice for me is not a right choice for everybody. This should be a patient doctor decision, and not a decision that government makes for individuals.
DPW: She “pushes anti-vaccine propaganda a false cures.”
Rating: Flaming Pants
DPW’s definition of “anti-vaccine propaganda” seems to include information on what vaccines used abortion derived cells in the development and testing of different COVID vaccines. The “false cure” they claim Kleefisch was pushing was when she shared a tweet of Kansas Governor, Dr. Jeff Colyer, discussing using hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID in March of 2020, when the FDA first issued emergency use authorization of hydroxychloroquine in March. They did not rescind the emergency use authorization until June.
DPW: Kleefisch “attacks hospitals for requiring vaccinations of health care staff.”
Rating: Flaming Pants
Kleefisch has expressed concern about the health care worker shortage, particularly in these trying times. She has said forced mandates will only exacerbate the problem.
“But now that we have learned that we’re going to have health care workers shortage in the event of the hospital system having more cases of COVID, I think the last thing we need to be doing is mandating vaccines because you’re forcing workers to choose between a profession as a health care hero and their own autonomy as an individual and choosing not to let government mandate for them a health care choice that they don’t believe is right for them,” the candidate told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier this month.
DPW: “She hosts super spreader events.”
Rating: Badly missing context and just stupid.
The party’s ad includes fast-paced images of Kleefisch at events, including her campaign kickoff. In one shot, the candidate is clearly “social distancing” at a panel discussion. DPW, of course, conveniently fails to note “super spreader events” for their own standard bearers, like Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes unmasked at a crowded U.S. Senate campaign launch, or Evers’ budget-signing photo-op this past summer surrounded by unvaccinated kids. And then there’s spoiled rich kid U.S. Senate candidate Alex Lasry, unmasked and hugging union members.
DPW: Kleefisch “will hurt our economic recovery and lead to school closures.”
Rating: Breathtakingly absurd.
Tony Evers locked down Wisconsin and its economy, forcing businesses to close and sending hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites to the unemployment line. His grossly incompetent Department of Workforce Development kept tens of thousands of out-of-work Wisconsinites waiting months for their unemployment benefits. And Tony Evers sat back while his good friends and funders, Wisconsin’s teachers unions, strong-armed school districts into closing their schools and failing their students.
DPW’s fear-mongering ad closes by insisting, “We need to stop COVID, not spread it.” The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is spreading lies and fear because they’re deeply afraid Tony Evers’ failed record will make him a one-and-done governor.
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