Democratic Party of Dane County Chair Michael Basford said the following about comments smearing Democrats who have served our country by “Republican” candidate for U.S. Senate Kevin Nicholson:
“Today, ‘Republican’ Wisconsin U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson stated that ‘Those veterans that are out there in the Democrat [sic] party, I question their, their cognitive thought process’ about Democrats who have proudly served our country in the United States armed forces.
“I invite this former leader from our party to say those words at the graves of the many proud Democrats who have served America in our armed forces — Democrats such as President Harry S. Truman, President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Senator George McGovern and Senator William Proxmire of Wisconsin. I would invite him to say those words to the faces of President Jimmy Carter, Secretary John Kerry and Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin.
“I invite ‘Republican’ candidate Nicholson to say those words to the face of Dane County Democrats such as State Senator Fred Risser and Dane County Supervisors Mary Kolar and Jason Knoll.
“And, should he be fortunate enough to win the Republican primary and general election, I invite him to say those words to the face of his would-be colleague Senator Tammy Duckworth, a proud liberal Democrat who left her limbs on the battlefield in the service of her country.
“We used to believe that people who served our country in and out of combat in the armed forces did it out of love of our country — be they Democrat, Republican or independent. To state that veterans needed to have their cognitive thought processes questioned because they were Democrats is disgusting and should be rejected by all Wisconsin residents who value the sacrifices our veterans of all political affiliations make on our behalf.”