Dave de Felice issued a press release today announcing the assembly of an exploratory committee to seek the Democratic nomination for the 2nd Congressional District. The press release included references to Bill Proxmire and Robert La Follette, legendary Wisconsin progressives, and ended stating de Felice currently serves on the Dane County Board of Supervisors.
That got my attention. Dane County? Tammy Baldwin’s district, right? De Felice is evoking Proxmire and La Follette in a run against Tammy Baldwin? Tammy Baldwin, member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus? Tammy Baldwin, who voted against sending the US military to Iraq? Tammy Baldwin, whose stated priorities are “Health care for all; followed closely by equal rights, justice, and equal protections for all?”
The State-Journal politics blog says de Felice is running because he is frustrated with Democratic majorities failing to deliver on liberal health-care reform. De Felice told the WSJ;
“I’m talking to people to see if they feel as I do that there needs to be a voice on some of these issues.”
I’m not from Madison. I don’t know a whole lot about Tammy Baldwin and I know nothing of Dave de Felice. Are there many liberals in the 2nd District that are dissatisfied with Baldwin’s performance? I mean the kind of liberals that vote and bathe.
Baldwin won in 2008, 69%-30% over her Republican challenger. I don’t see de Felice being any sort of problem for her. But if there is some sort of story here, can someone from the Madison fill me in?
