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Vice Presidential Nominee Mike Pence Takes On Clinton, Urges Voter Participation

Pence Made Campaign Stops Thursday In La Crosse And Milwaukee

Mike Pence
AP Photo/Gerry Broome

Vice presidential nominee Mike Pence encouraged people to vote at a town hall meeting in La Crosse on Thursday before he headed to Milwaukee and criticized Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton.

In Milwaukee, Pence brought up newly released emails from Clinton’s time as secretary of state that Republicans claim illustrate the State Department did favors for large foreign donors of the Clinton Foundation. Former President Bill Clinton set up the foundation after he left the White House.

President Barack Obama’s administration wrongly halted a potential probe into the organization, Pence said Thursday evening at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center.

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“You know, the American people are tired of the pay-to-play politics in Washington, D.C.,” Pence said. “And when Donald Trump becomes president of the United States, we’re gonna shut it down.”

Clinton’s campaign told CNN that “Hillary Clinton never took action as secretary of state because of donations to the Clinton Foundation.”

The group connected to the release of the emails “is a right-wing organization that’s attacked the Clintons for 20 years,” the Clinton campaign said.

The Indiana governor also took on the national news media during his Milwaukee speech.

Pence used a Green Bay Packers analogy when claiming both the media and Clinton are against GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.

“It’s kind of like if the Packers had to play every single game this season on the road, in front of hostile crowds, with hometown refs,” Pence said. “But just like the Green Bay Packers, the amazing thing is, we’re still winning hearts and minds every day, and we’re going to drive and win all the way to the White House.”

At one point Thursday evening, several supporters of the immigrant rights group Voces de la Frontera were led out of the campaign stop after yelling at the candidate.

Deby Albers said she yelled, ”Stop the hate; liberty and justice for all.”

Pence agrees with Trump’s anti-illegal immigrant proposals and is “turning his back on his Catholic- Irish immigrant family and heritage,” Albers said.

Pence’s appearance in La Crosse earlier Thursday was more subdued.

Supporters of the Trump-Pence ticket filled about two-thirds of a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse ballroom. The less than full attendance comes after Wednesday’s Marquette University Law School Poll showing a slight decrease in support for Trump.

Trump is trailing Clinton by 15 points among likely Wisconsin voters with 36 percent of Wisconsin voters saying they support Trump, the Marquette poll reported.

Regardless of the polls or media coverage, Pence said supporters can turn things around.

“I’ve sensed that enthusiasm and the connection for Donald Trump’s vision to make America great again,” Pence said in La Crosse. “But I hope it’ll be contagious.”

Pence encouraged the crowd in La Crosse to campaign for Trump and take an active role in the November election.

“The American people and their ability to share with one another what the stakes are in this election is my source of confidence in this campaign,” Pence said.

Wisconsin Republicans also called on voters Thursday to get behind Trump and Pence in order to defeat Clinton.

Julian Bradley, Republican candidate for the 94th state Assembly District, said voters have no excuse to sit out the election.

“Have you ever voted for somebody that you agreed with 100 percent of the time? No,” Bradley said.

Onalaska resident Tom Donovan said he thinks Wisconsinites will respond.

“The people who were at the rally are going to do their utmost to spread the word,” Donovan said.