Baldwin Explains Her Votes on Iran

Democratic Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin is explaining her changing votes on economic sanctions against Iran. Baldwin’s made her remarks to a Wisconsin Jewish group Sunday.

Sunday’s morning’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran an analysis of Baldwin’s recent support for sanctions against Iran, compared to some votes a few years ago against the sanctions. The newspaper called her switch of positions, an election year flip-flop. But Baldwin told a forum at a Milwaukee Jewish Center that her votes against the sanctions were designed to help a pro-democracy movement in Iran that was trying to overthrow the Iranian government, “It was referred to as the green revolution.”

The Iranian government later crushed the attempted overthrow. Baldwin is getting support from the Jewish group J Street. Milwaukee chapter President Michael Schaalman says Baldwin now supporting sanctions isn’t a flip-flop. “I think in fact, it’s creative able thinking.”

But Republican Senate candidate Tommy Thompson blasted Baldwin’s explanation for her anti-sanctions votes, “That is the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard. She’s anti-Israel. She’s anti-Jewish, and she’s trying now somehow to obfuscate her views, her intentions.”

Asked if he meant to say that Baldwin is anti-Jewish, Thompson replied that he just meant anti-Israel.