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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 12 March 2019

Democrats: Milwaukee convention choice shows party values

By BILL BARROW, SCOTT benefit. "I think you'd be
BAUER and IVAN MORENO hard-pressed to find any-
Associated Press one who leans Democrat
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Mil- who wasn't already mo-
waukee will host the 2020 tivated in the city or the
Democratic National Con- state against the presi-
vention, party leaders an- dent," Walker said.
nounced Monday, high- Democratic officials in
lighting the battleground Washington said picking a
state of Wisconsin that host city is as much about
helped elect President logistics as anything else,
Donald Trump and now will even as they acknowledge
launch an opponent who political optics.
could oust him. On logistics, Milwaukee
Democratic National Com- may have pulled some-
mittee Chairman Tom Per- what of an upset, given its
ez chose Milwaukee over small footprint compared
Houston and Miami after to Houston and Miami, cit-
deliberations lingered lon- ies long accustomed to
ger than party leaders or This Dec. 13, 2017 photo shows The Milwaukee Art Museum, on water front, and the downtown hosting major events. Hous-
officials from the three final- skyline in Milwaukee. ton hosted the Super Bowl
ist cities had expected. Associated Press as recently as February
"Where you hold our con- 2017.
vention is a very strong the city is the birthplace presidential election. After- In a political twist, Milwau- Milwaukee organizers
statement of your values of Harley-Davidson motor- ward, Clinton took wither- kee officials have credited pitched their city — the
and who and what we cycles and is known for its ing criticism for not once Walker for supporting the Democratic stronghold of
are fighting for," Perez said enduring love affair with visiting Wisconsin as a gen- convention bid. Democrat- Wisconsin — as resurgent.
Monday surrounded by beer — a trait displayed eral election candidate. ic Party proceedings will Known for some of the
state and local officials. Monday as Perez and sur- Since then, Wisconsinites play out in the new 17,500- country's biggest brewers,
Perez praised Milwau- rounding dignitaries closed re-elected Democratic seat arena that Walker including Pabst, Schlitz,
kee's diversity and its labor their celebratory news con- Sen. Tammy Baldwin and helped build for the NBA's Miller and Blatz, the metro
unions, along with Wiscon- ference with a toast. ousted Republican Gov. Milwaukee Bucks by secur- area has a redeveloped
sin's working-class iden- Republicans are set to Scott Walker in favor of ing public financing from downtown, a hotel capac-
tity. He called it an ideal gather in Charlotte, the Democrat Tony Evers and state lawmakers. Walker ity exceeding 17,000 rooms
backdrop for Democrats largest city in battleground the state's first black lieu- later lobbied GOP-leaning and a new downtown
to launch a fall campaign North Carolina, on Aug. 24- tenant governor, Mandela business leaders and do- streetcar line that opened
to reclaim the White House 27, 2020. Barnes. nors to support Milwaukee's in November.
four years after Trump stun- Perez noted that the con- Evers and Barnes beamed effort to land the event. Still, the city had to prove
ningly outpaced Hillary vention site doesn't deter- Monday as they welcomed Perez was not among those it has the overall capac-
Clinton across the old in- mine the November out- Perez. praising Walker, repeat- ity for tens of thousands of
dustrial belt of the upper come, but Democrats see Wisconsin Democrats edly referring to the "former delegates, party activists,
Midwest and Great Lakes. plenty of symbolism in Mil- pointed to those midterm governor" without naming donors and media.
"The Democratic Party has waukee after a bitter 2016 election results as they lob- him and blasting his poli- DNC officials have said
again become an every election defined by Clin- bied Perez and DNC offi- cies, particularly his fights that the question wasn't
ZIP code party," Perez said. ton being nearly swept in cials. "We plan to carry that with public unions and his about hotel rooms but
"We're listening to people in what her campaign aides momentum into 2020 and spending priorities on edu- about whether Milwaukee
every corner of the coun- had confidently called a beyond," Barnes said Mon- cation, for setting up Dem- has requisite venues for
try." Midwestern "Blue Wall." day. ocrats' midterm success. other convention staples,
The convention is sched- That band of states twice "The path to the presidency For his part, Walker avoided from daily sit-down break-
uled for July 13-16, 2020. sided with President Barack goes right through Wiscon- the rancor. fast meetings for 57 state
It will be the first time in Obama, but Clinton held sin as we learned in 2016," "When it comes to a big and territorial delegations
over a century that Dem- only Minnesota, ceding Baldwin, who won re-elec- convention like this, it's not to evening events put on
ocrats will nominate their Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio tion in 2018, told The Asso- red, it's not blue, it's green," by state parties, corpora-
presidential candidate in a and Pennsylvania — a ciated Press. "In 2016, the Walker told the AP after the tions, lobbyists and donors.
Midwestern city other than combined 64 of the neces- industrial heartland was re- announcement, referring Even as Milwaukee officials
Chicago. Instead, the spot- sary 270 electoral votes — ally the key and having this to the economic impact. insisted they have the ven-
light will shine for a week on as white working-class vot- convention in Milwaukee, Walker did warn Democrats ues, some deep-pocketed
a metro area of about 1.6 ers flocked to Trump. Wisconsin, I think is a pow- that for all their enthusiasm, Democrats in nearby Chi-
million people. It was the first time since erful statement that no- the convention could ener- cago — a 90-minute drive
Once dubbed as "The Ma- 1984 that Republicans body should be taken for gize complacent Wiscon- — stepped in to note their
chine Shop of the World," claimed Wisconsin in a granted." sin Republicans to Trump's proximity.q