Wisconsin Dem Gov Candidate Dana Wachs Runs From His Own Campaign’s Memo

Wisconsin Democrat Dana Wachs’ gubernatorial campaign is off to a rough start. After his campaign faced criticism for releasing a memo that attacked his Democrat primary opponents as “Milwaukee elitists” and “Madison liberals,” the liberal trial lawyer oddly tried to distance himself from his own campaign’s messaging, claiming to Fox 6 that he “didn’t write that memo” and that “some members” of his team put it out. Wachs’ decision to dissociate himself from the apparently rogue actions of his staff doesn’t bode well for his campaign, less than a month after its launch. With staff members going off-message to attack his fellow Democrats and even past Democrat gubernatorial nominees, Wachs’ chances of unifying his Party to win in 2018 don’t look too promising .

Fox 6 reports:

“His campaign manager, Jake Hajdu, wrote in an August 23rd memo that Wachs was the only Democratic candidate ‘that has strong progressive values without the veneer of a Milwaukee elitist or a Madison liberal,’ and that other current candidates are ‘exactly like’ other failed candidates since 2010.

It’s an apparent reference to Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik and state schools superintendent Tony Evers of Madison. The Democrats who’ve run against Walker are Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett — in 2010 and 2012 — and Madison businesswoman Mary Burke of Madison in 2014

The phrasing had some Democrats in Milwaukee scratching their heads. Asked to respond, Wachs distanced himself from the memo while defending it.

‘I didn’t write that memo. It was put out by some members of my team,’ he said in an interview with FOX6 News. ‘I think what they’re getting at is, we’ve run folks from Madison and Milwaukee in the past, and they’re fine people. Mayor Barrett’s a wonderful human being and a great Democrat, as is Mary Burke, but it’s time for something different.’”