La Crosse, WI. – Outagamie County Executive and U.S. Senate candidate Tom Nelson spoke today at the Democratic Convention in La Crosse. Below are the remarks Nelson delivered:
“I’m Tom Nelson. I’m a proud, 5th-generation Wisconsin Democrat from Outagamie County.
I’ve been elected six times in a Trump county. I live in Ron Johnson’s backyard.
His Fox Valley voters are my voters.
This is the Democratic Party Convention, so I don’t think there’s much I need to say to this crowd about our urgent mission to send this lying, treason-loving, woman-hating Putin stooge back to his Florida vacation home to be with his billionaire father-in-law’s money.
So, we can all agree that Ron Johnson stinks.
Let me use some metaphors we ALL understand to tell you why I think I’m the right candidate to TAKE BACK Russ Feingold’s seat. GAYLORD NELSON’s seat.
We like beer in Wisconsin, right?
As a pastor’s kid, I’m not a big drinker, but let me use beer to make the case for why my candidacy is unique.
In my hand here is a Spotted Cow, a strong beloved homegrown beer from New Glarus, a small town in Green County here in Wisconsin.
This beer knows what it is – it’s employee owned so workers share in the profits and makes no excuses for what it stands for.
When the Spotted Cow was first introduced, I’m sure no one thought it could take on the Coors, Miller Lite or Budweisers of the world, with so much more name recognition, money and resources.
Now a lot of those beers are from out-of-state. They have no real history here. They are now owned by billion-dollar foreign corporations based in Belgium, England and Canada. And they sure taste watered down.
I’m NOT the weak beer.
I’m the Democrat who, ALONE among the candidates has CONSISTENTLY campaigned on Medicare for All as the ONLY way we fix our broken, immoral healthcare system that puts profits over people.
I’m the only one here who has spoken out against Line 5 – a rotten artery of fossil fuels fueling catastrophic climate change in the Northwoods.
I’m the only candidate who has opposed Donald Trump’s racist Title 42 immigration policy, written by the infamous Stephen Miller that turns back refugees based on bad-faith COVID BS.
I’m the only one who has called for a new dairy revitalization pricing system – so we can FINALLY stop the annihilation of the family farmer and preserve our Dairyland heritage.
I was the only one to call for Ron Johnson to be subpoenaed by the January 6th committee to investigate his collusion with the insurrection. That was six months ago.
And, after Friday’s abomination of a decision sending women back to the Dark Ages, I’m proud to be the ONLY candidate who said we need to EXPAND THE SUPREME COURT if we are ever to take back our nation from the clutches of this crazy cabal that has its hands around the throat of our nation.
My advocacy is not weak. It is not timid. It isn’t poll-tested in a lab. It’s based on what’s the right thing to do.
Because to beat Ron Johnson, we can’t offer weak beer.
To beat Ron Johnson, we will need someone who can GROW AND EXPAND our margins and win in places where we USED to win, before the Republicans killed the unions with Act 10
We have to win in places like Outagamie County, home of Joe McCarthy, where I’ve won SIX times and where I helped save 300 union jobs at a paper mill documented in my book One Day Stronger!
Places like Polk County, where my dairy-farm grandparents REVERED Gaylord Nelson, another hometown hero.
We know we are facing strong headwinds here in Wisconsin.
That’s why to win, my fellow Democrats, we need a strong WISCONSIN BEER candidate, especially at a time when Americans are rightfully frustrated by a Washington that they feel doesn’t look out for them.
Two-thirds of the Senate are champagne-drinking millionaires like Ron Johnson, whose money has distanced themselves from the hopes, dreams, and pain of working families.
So I urge you this morning to join our bold, homegrown, Wisconsin driven, Spotted Cow campaign.
Because I’ll tell you this- if we DO serve Wisconsin weak beer this November? We’re all in for one helluva hangover.”
