Note: the diary has been edited to reflect that this exchange occurred not at a debate, but at asynchronous camaign appearances at UW-Milwaukee. My bad!
Senator Russ Feingold went on the attack yesterday at an appearance at UW-Milwaukee, pointing out that Ron Johnson has been skirting giving any details to the voters this entire campaign:
"This guy's going to try to become your senator in 12 days without ever telling you where he'd cut spending," Feingold said.
Feingold was referring to comments Johnson made last month to reporters at the Milwaukee Press Club. Johnson had said he didn't plan to identify federal programs he would cut because doing so would expose him to attacks.
Johnson's response? At a separate appearance at UW-Milwaukee:
"This election is not about details. It just isn't," he said. "... What my approach has been throughout this process is just convey to people who I am, what my background is."
Later, after his campaign appearance, Johnson opined that he would cut stem cell research. Nothing like throwing a little meat to the base, but stem cell research?!
Here is my response, sent in a letter to the editor. They're dealing with a high number of LTE's so I don't know if it will get through.
Ron Johnson has described the campaign process as a job interview. He wants the voters to know "who" he is.
But a key part of most job interviews is understanding how the prospective employee will do his or her job. Johnson wants to cut back spending, but in Wednesday's debate, he refused to provide details. Later, he offered up that he would cut stem cell research funding. Does he realize that stem cell research funding accounts for less than .0046% of our federal budget? That's right. Not even 1/100th of 1%.
Voters deserve to know what Johnson will cut if he is running on a platform of austerity. Will it be the VA that gets cut? Social Security? Roads and infrastructure? Education?