By Paul Sloth
Journal Times | Posted: Monday, August 25, 2008 12:00 am
DENVER - Debra Bartoshevich made it to the Mile High City after all. Not as a delegate for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., but as a representative of Citizens for McCain, a group of disenchanted Democrats and independents supporting the candidacy of Sen. John McCain, R-Ari
While Democrats gather in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, Bartoshevich, a nurse from Waterford, is stumping for McCain, her new choice for president after Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., became the Democratic nominee instead of Clinton.
She's in Denver on McCain's behalf on the same day McCain's campaign announced the release of a new campaign ad titled "Debra" that features Bartoshevich explaining her political change of heart.
"I'm a proud Hillary Clinton Democrat. She had the experience and judgment to be President. Now, in a first for me, I'm supporting a Republican, John McCain," Bartoshevich says in the ad. "A lot of Democrats will vote McCain. It's OK. Really."
Bartoshevich said she shot the 30-second clip last week in Philadelphia.
The powers that be in the Wisconsin Democratic Party stripped Bartoshevich of her delegate status in July when she said she wouldn't back Obama and instead planned to support McCain.
"I think that there are a lot of people inside the party who feel the same as I do. People should take a look and be open-minded," Bartoshevich said by phone Monday from Denver. "To be democratic doesn't mean that you have to support the Democratic candidate every time."
Bartoshevich met with McCain aboard his Straight Talk Express during a visit to Racine in July.
She couldn't remember exactly when staff from the McCain campaign asked her about the ad. It wasn't during that visit to Racine, but sometime later, she said.
McCain's campaign approached Bartoshevich about cutting the ad after learning she was interested in his candidacy.
It is one of a few others the McCain campaign has made starring Democrats who plan to switch sides this election, according to McCain campaign staff.
"Sen. McCain has the experience and the proven leadership to lead this county and has a very strong record of reaching across party lines to bring about change and provide real solutions to some of the challenges Americans are facing right now, especially American families," said Leah Yoon, a McCain campaign spokeswoman.
Yoon said McCain's "bipartisan appeal" has attracted lots of Democrats.
Bartoshevich is not just supporting McCain because Obama is the Democratic nominee, according to Yoon.
"It was, I think, a conscience check. It was about her doing her homework," Yoon said. "She wanted to make sure that this was something that she could feel comfortable about and preach the word."
Bartoshevich planned to spend Monday in Denver, but then she expected to return home to Wisconsin, where she works as a nurse at a Milwaukee hospital.
Bartoshevich said she doesn't harbor any resentment about losing her delegate status.
She is disappointed by the turn of events, she said, disappointed enough to renounce her former party affiliation.
After everything she's been through, Bartoshevich now considers herself an independent.
"During this whole process, a lot of things surprised me," Bartoshevich said. "It's been an interesting experience."
While there are no exact numbers, the Citizens for McCain group is made up of many Clinton supporters like Bartoshevich, according to McCain's campaign staff.
"(Bartoshevich) has become a national surrogate for us. Hopefully it will inspire other Hillary Clinton supporters to do a pulse check," Yoon said.