Dems make stop in Green Bay during RNC

WLUK TV

Updated: Aug 28, 2012 6:24 PM

GREEN BAY — Republicans and Democrats are elevating their political attacks.

This week's spotlight is on the GOP National Convention in Tampa, Florida where the roll call of states has selected former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as the party's presidential nominee.

Cutting tax rates, creating jobs and decreasing government have been the tone set by Romney on the campaign trail so far.

However, as Republicans hammer out the ticket's platform this week, some Massachusetts Democrats in Green Bay say it's a story they've heard before.

Massachusetts State Representatives Jamie Murphy, Bruce Ayers and Democratic National Convention vice chair R.T. Rybak rolled into Green Bay Tuesday afternoon.

Criss-crossing the state on their Romney-Ryan "Wrong for America" tour, the trio argues the anticipated Republican presidential ticket of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan will destroy the middle class.

"What he campaigned on and what he was saying were two different things," said Rep. Bruce Ayers, (D-Quincy).

Ayers says what Romney is campaigning on now – more jobs, less taxes and smaller government – is no different than when he ran for governor of Massachusetts.

Ayers says the results, if Romney is elected President, will be the same; jobs will be lost, taxes will rise and as well as partisanship.

"When Mitt Romney says he worked and reached out across the aisle to work with Democrats, as a Democrat, I can tell you he didn't do that," said Ayers.

"He reached across the aisle. He didn't demonize Democrats - he worked with Democrats," said Ryan Monday, asserting Romney’s bipartisanship at an RNC send off rally in his hometown of Janesville, Wis.

Massachusetts State Rep. Jamie Murphy agrees that Romney did work with Democrats, on one issue – passing a healthcare law similar to the Affordable Health Care Act he now opposes.

"Now, he's running for president and suddenly what he did in Massachusetts wasn't the right thing,” said Murphy, (D-Weymouth). “Obamacare is somehow different than what he had done in Massachusetts, but it really isn't."

In a written statement from Ben Sparks, the Wisconsin spokesman for the Romney campaign, he says the presence of Massachusetts lawmakers in Wisconsin is an attempt to gloss over President Barack Obama’s failed record saying:

"It only highlights how out of touch he is with middle-class families in the Badger state. Wisconsinites have made it clear they want to move their country in a new direction; a point clearly lost on this President, given he's carefully avoided the state for 194 days."

After Green Bay, Milwaukee will be the tour's final stop in the state.

The Democratic National Convention starts September 4th in Charlotte, NC.

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