Two Wisconsin professors, a Dem and a Republican, challenge Sensenbrenner in novel joint campaign

WP: Democrat, Republican Gang Up on Incumbent
Sensenbrenner Faces Tag-Team Challenge
By Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 6, 2007; Page A02

CEDARBURG, Wis. -- Explanations are required when you are a conservative Republican, your friend is a Democrat, and you tell people you are running a joint campaign to unseat Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (Wis.), one of the longest-serving Republicans in Congress and the very definition of an entrenched incumbent. First, there is the matter of the joint campaign.

Jim Burkee is the Republican, the one wearing the red tie in the publicity photos. Jeff Walz is the Democrat, in the blue tie. The fellow professors at Concordia University, just north of Milwaukee, are raising money jointly and promising 100 debates in 300 days before the September 2008 party primaries, whether Sensenbrenner shows up or not. Odds are, he won't.

The concept of a joint candidacy is so novel that the Federal Elections Commission doesn't even have a policy on it; the idea is that if one doesn't get Sensenbrenner, the other will. If Burkee knocked off Sensenbrenner in the primary or Walz toppled him in next year's general election, it would be earthshaking in this picturesque slice of southeastern Wisconsin....

***

Burkee and Walz, 40, fit the socially conservative profile of the strongly Republican district. After the pair campaigned at an American Legion fish fry on a recent night, friends joined them over buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken at Burkee's home as the candidates talked of their shared message.

They do not agree on everything, but both oppose abortion, embryonic stem cell research and same-sex marriage. They are similarly aghast at federal spending and say they believe U.S. dependence on oil has helped antidemocratic foreign regimes, "fueling the war on terror as we attempt to fight it," Walz says....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/05/AR2007100502223.html?hpid=topnews

No thanks.

I feel more and more that progressive, pro-people policies are ignored in DC while the country moves toward liberal ideas now
supported by 70% of Us outside the beltway.

I say, do anything you can to pry his butt out of this seat! He's corrupt. And all this district cares about is lowering taxes. I'll take a social conservative if that's what it takes. And there will be no better time to do it than in the next election.

I kind of got the impression from the article that your view is the realistic one. This campaign should be interesting!