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Eight Reasons John Gard is Still too Extreme for Northeastern Wisconsin

Eight Reasons John Gard is Still too Extreme for Northeastern Wisconsin
The People of Wisconsin’s 8^th Congressional District Deserve Better Than Professional Politician John Gard

John Gard missed the message in 2006. Voters rejected Gard because rather than standing up for change, he has made a career of guarding corporate interests and the powerful at the expense of the people of Wisconsin. Here are 8 reasons why John Gard is still too extreme for Northeastern Wisconsin.

1)       Career politician John Gard on lobbyists: “there’s no doubt they have a role in shaping my viewpoint.” (Associated Press, “HMOs spent $125,000 Lobbying in First Half of 1999,” 10/11/99)

2)       Gard’s heavily supported by the Republican establishment in Washington and President Bush. In fact, John Gard stated that President Bush’s values align with both his values and those of his district, and Dick Cheney Called Gard “exactly the type of person we need in Washington, D.C.” (CQ Politics, 5/12/06, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 3/14/06). 

3)       In Madison, Gard voted to give himself a pay raise, but when it came to increasing the minimum wage he voted no (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/20/05; AB 1125, 3/24/94).

4)       Gard voted to raise taxes five times (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/26/95; SB 55, 7/26/01).

5)       As a career politician in Madison, John Gard voted to increase Wisconsin’s debt $1.3 billion (AB 100, 6/21/05).

6)       Professional politician John Gard voted to raise the state gas tax and add to the burden on every Wisconsin driver. He’s taken more than $42,000 from oil and gas companies while running for Congress (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/26/95; Center for Responsive Politics, Accessed: 4/25/08).

7)       Gard has been fined for accepting illegal campaign contributions, was caught padding his expense account, and when anti-corruption legislation came up he fought to kill it (AP, 11/26/90; Clerk of the State Assembly;  The Wisconsin State Journal, Editorial, 5/04/06).

8)       When health care costs are skyrocketing and the insurance industry has enough politicians on their side, we don’t need a career politician like John Gard in Washington, who has taken more than $68,000 from insurance companies while running for Congress. Gard has voted with insurance companies to make health care more expensive (Center for Responsive Politics, Accessed: 4/25/08; The Capital Times, 3/17/94).

“John Gard is still too extreme for Northeastern Wisconsin. He’s the same career politician that voters rejected in 2006,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Joe Wineke said. “As much as he tries, he can’t run from the same extreme record he had two years ago.”

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