The Truth Behind Clean Sweep Wisconsin

As first reported by Lisa Kaiser from Express Milwaukee, former Wisconsin State Senator Tom Reynolds – the same Tom Reynolds who was allegedly fond of asking his staffers if they were virgins – has ventured back onto the political scene here in Southeastern Wisconsin as the brains behind Clean Sweep Wisconsin, a political action committee with a stated goal of electing “NEW people to state offices to make our government accountable and work for the people again, instead of the special interests…

Throughout its web page, Clean Sweep talks a lot about finding candidates to run against incumbents from BOTH political parties, yet a quick glance at the PAC’s platform makes it clear that Clean Sweep Wisconsin is really looking for conservative candidates. Here’s Clean Sweep’s platform:

• HEALTHCARE – Reestablishing consumerism in health care by expanding the use of high deductible policies with matching health savings accounts.
• K-12 EDUCATION – Putting parents back in control of education by implementing an educational tax credit for parents to use at either public or private schools.
• COLLEGE EDUCATION – Capping tuition increases, streamlining courses and credit transfers between technical, 2yr. and 4yr. colleges, creating a tax credit on income used to repay college loans.
• TAXES, FEES & REGULATIONS – Halting all increases of taxes and fees, begin a moratorium on new laws interfering in the lives of Wisconsin citizens and Wisconsin businesses.
• IMMIGRATION – No more free welfare for illegal aliens.

Not exactly an agenda that appeals to liberals or progressives, is it?

In a recorded phone message, Reynolds said he recruited primary challengers for Rep. Christine Sinicki, D-Milwaukee, and Rep. Tony Staskunas, D-West Allis, and was trying to find more.

“In Milwaukee here, we are working on a full slate of 12 candidates — eight on the north side and four on the south side — and we are at eight or nine candidates right now,” Reynolds said in the message.

Now let’s recap:

• Conservative platform? CHECK!

• Candidates recruited to run against only Democratic incumbents? CHECK!
• PAC organized by ultra-conservative, highly partisan former Republican State Senator? CHECK!

Call me a cynic, but something tells me Clean Sweep Wisconsin isn’t as bipartisan as it would like to seem.