Race comes to Racine: Wesley Clark seeks local support in presidential bid

By Brent Killackey

Sunday, February 8, 2004 11:58 PM CST

RACINE - Charles Swanson of Racine won't be able to vote in Wisconsin's presidential primary election - he's only 17 years old - but he still wanted to hear what Democratic presidential hopeful Wesley Clark had to say during a visit to Racine on Sunday afternoon.

Clark took a break from campaigning in Tennessee and Virginia, where primary elections were set for Tuesday, for a rally at the Labor Center, 2100 Layard Ave.

Swanson said if he could vote on Feb. 17, Clark might have gotten his support.

"I was leaning toward him," said Swanson, a Case High School student. "He seems really intelligent. I know he has lots of degrees and he's really smart."

Since Racine doesn't run election matters like old-time Chicago, Swanson will have to wait until the general election - when he will be 18 and eligible to vote - and hope his preferred candidate survives the primaries.

Ed and Marie Gumz of Greendale already cast their primary election votes for Clark. They sent in their absentee ballots because they both work in Chicago and didn't expect to be in Wisconsin on election day.

Gumz, 61, said he supported Clark, who is a retired Army general, because he was intelligent and a good administrator.

"He's certainly not a political insider," Gumz said.

Swanson and the Gumz' were among the estimated 400 people who came from as far away as Chicago and Middleton to hear Clark.

"This is snow country, but I'm not here for recreation," Clark said to start the rally, adding that he was asking for people's support to bring on a higher standard in government. "We can do better than George W. Bush. We must."

During a hourlong speech and question-and-answer session, Clark touted his $100 billion plan for job creation, pledged he would provide a tax cut for working families while repealing the Bush tax cuts for wealthier Americans, and vowed to fix the prescription drug system so people could legally buy drugs from Canada.

"I'm the best person to know how to bring jobs to Racine, Wisconsin and the rest of America," Clark said.

Clark said a tax credit of $10,000 per employee would help create jobs.

"We're going to bring companies to towns like Racine," Clark said.

The programs wouldn't add to the federal deficit because Clark said he would take back the Bush tax cuts for wealthier Americans and increase the tax rate by 5 percentage points on families earning over $1 million a year.

Clark said the war in Iraq was not a war the nation had to fight and he had an exit strategy for the conflict.

"I'll get us out of there," he said. "We'll reduce those expenditures so we can use it for what we need back home. We'll go get Osama bin Laden and we won't get into a mess like Iraq."

Clark recounted his story of being wounded in Vietnam and pledged to take care of this country's veterans.

In response to a question from the audience, Clark said he didn't like the No Child Left Behind Act, which he pointed out that some of his fellow candidates voted for in Congress. He said the act was "fundamentally designed to undercut public education."

Clark also said he wanted every child in America to have access to preschool without having to pay for it.

Gov. Jim Doyle, who hosted Clark's visit and has previously hosted visits of other democratic presidential hopefuls, said after the rally that he was not planning to endorse anyone.

Doyle said Wisconsin would play an important role in this year's presidential primaries.

"We know the nation is going to be looking over Wisconsin over the next 10 days or so," Doyle said.

As he rode in a van from the Labor Center to Batten International Airport, Clark told a Journal Times reporter that it would be important to win Wisconsin, but he wouldn't be leaving the race if he didn't.

"It's important," Clark said. "(But) I will be here all the way through Super Tuesday (March 2). I want to win."

Clark supporters came from around Wisconsin and parts of Illinois for the rally.

Bruce Church, 42, came up from Chicago to help set up chairs for the rally.

Kelley and Mike Cory drove from Middleton to show their support.

"He's not from the big money and the others all are," said Kelley Cory, 43.

"He's for education and balancing the budget," said Scott Chapman, 42, of Pleasant Prairie. "If you're going to have a war on terror, what better to use than a four-star general?" "I like the idea that he has got the tax break for families making under $50,000 with children," said Amee Janus, a 29-year-old from the Kenosha County town of Trevor.

"I just think he brings things the other candidates don't offer," said G.R. Regas, 24, of Racine. "I get the sense that he's sincere."

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