Greeting welcomed Communist Party to city for convention
By GREG J. BOROWSKI of the Journal Sentinel staff
An aide to Mayor John O. Norquist issued a statement Friday distancing the mayor from a letter that welcomed the Communist Party U.S.A. to the city last week.
The letter, read to convention attendees by aide Daisy Cubias and reported in the Journal Sentinel, touted Milwaukee's socialist history and noted: "In that sense, we share many things in common with the long history of the Communist Party and all those engaged in the fight for a decent life for working families."
A statement issued Friday by Mike Soika, Norquist's chief of staff, said the mayor agreed to write a welcome letter for the group, which is common for visiting conventions. He said the letter was written by an unidentified staffer and not reviewed by Norquist, who is on a family vacation. He said Norquist "does not endorse Communist ideology and condemns many elements of Communist history."
The letter has been heavily criticized on local talk radio and became fodder for some national media attention, including a mention in the Drudge Report online.
The four-paragraph letter welcomes convention delegates, proclaims the working people of Milwaukee "have a long proud history in the defense of democracy, labor rights, civil rights and peace" and adds "if we, the people, work together, we can win the struggle to better the lives of ordinary working people."
Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on July 14, 2001. ooooooooo Kevin Dean Buffalo, NY ***Visit http://www.yaysoft.com for the latest in computers, politics and strange off-the-wall news and discussions!*** ICQ # 8616001 ooooo
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