Tammy's In!

It just became official. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, one of working family's most stalwart and consistent champions in the House, has entered the race for the open U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin. Blue America added her to our Senate 2012 page, where she joined Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. It's hard to imagine there will be any further additions this year. When Tammy takes the seat, currently held by retiring moderate Democrat Herb Kohl, she will be the first openly gay member of the Senate, though certainly not the only gay member. In 1998 she was the first woman Wisconsin ever elected to Congress and the first person anywhere to ever run for Congress as a gay person and win.

Her first official speech as a candidate touched on the issues most important to Blue America-- her opposition to the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq and her support for the legitimate aspirations of American working families. "It's time politicians looked out for seniors, working families and the middle class-- instead of protecting the profits of big oil and Wall Street," she said. Listen to the video above.

There are a whole gaggle of conservatives who would like to grab the seat-- Mark Neumann (R), Tommy Thompson (R), far right psychopath Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R), state Sen. Ted Kanavas (R) and Congressman Ron Kind, a kind of corporate-oriented "Democrat." Here's the statement from Mike Tate, chairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party:

"After weeks of watching the Republican Senate candidates engage in a Tea Party horror show where each promises to lurch further and further to the right, and to listen to a smaller and smaller band of corporate special interests and extremist radio talk show hosts, the entry of the Tammy Baldwin into the race is a welcome departure.
 
"While she may not be the only Democrat to enter the race, Congresswoman Baldwin will clearly be a strong voice for Wisconsin's middle class, workers, farm families, seniors, students and less fortunate. Meanwhile, Republicans have made clear that their assault on the middle class will leave prosperity only to those very rich who can afford it.

"Congresswoman Baldwin will turn the debate away from the petty right-wing ideologies of the misnamed 'Club for Growth' of Scott Walker and of Paul Ryan and back to where it belongs: To the creation of family-sustaining jobs and the preservation of our middle class."

Please consider making a contribution to Tammy's campaign on Day One of a race that will proven to be one of the most contentious and crucial in the country.

UPDATE: Ed Potosnak Weighs In For Tammy

Ed is also an openly gay progressive, but he's running for a Republican-held House seat in New Jersey. He's very enthusiastic about Tammy's candidacy, though. "Tammy Baldwin is a champion for working families, retirement security, and job creation, she will make an excellent Senator. Additionally, her candidacy is very important to our nation and all of us in the LGBT community, since when elected Tammy will be the first openly gay United States Senator. I could not think of a better trailblazer and proudly support her election."