MILWAUKEE — After a visit to Superior in March to highlight the need for infrastructure spending, President Joe Biden was back in the Badger State Monday to call for supporting union labor that would, in part, benefit from those projects.
With barely two months to go until a hotly contested midterm election in a battleground state, President Biden tried to walk the line between calling for unity while also touting the accomplishments of Democrats.
“I wouldn't be here without unions,” President Biden told the crowd gathered at Milwaukee's Henry Maier Festival Park. “Electricians, ironworkers, letter carriers, Teamsters, laborers.”
While vowing to be the most pro-union president, Biden also used the opportunity to call for unity.
“I've been able to work with mainstream Republicans my whole career, but the extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress have chosen to go backwards, full of anger, violence, hate, and division,” President Biden said.
Biden went on to tout what he feels are the biggest accomplishments for Democrats as he tries to build support for his party's candidates who face hotly contested races, including Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
“Wages are up, unemployment remains near a 50-year low, and the big reason for this is the American Rescue Plan that I signed into law shortly after taking office,” President Biden said.
Meanwhile, Evers' opponent, Tim Michels, was outside of the Summerfest grounds on Monday. Michels said he wanted to highlight what he said are the failed policies of both President Biden and Gov. Evers.
“They are two peas in a pod, career politicians that are in way over their heads,” Michels said. “They have done nothing except come up with bad policies. Biden from botched withdrawal to Biden-flation. Tony Evers, from COVID to Kenosha, bad instincts."
Michels, flanked by union members, touted his construction company's success in employing both union and non-union workers.
The most recent Marquette Law School poll had Evers up by two points over Michels. However, that is within the poll's margin of error, making it essentially tied.
Mike Burgarino of Milwaukee, who said he proudly supports unions, said he was excited to hear what President Biden had to say during his visit to Laborfest.
“I've been in the union for 33 years,” Burgarino said. “My dad has been in for 60 years. It's brought really, you know a good wage, good benefits.”
President Barack Obama visited the festival in 2014, also during a midterm election year, which is something Burgarino hasn't forgotten.
“The last time we had the president was Obama and that was a really good place to be with attendance,” Burgarino explained. “We had a ton of people that came.”