Daily Report from the Battleground State of Wisconsin - 10.24.04 From Bill Gutschow

Hello to all from Wisconsin! With just nine days left until we take back our beloved nation from the ultra-right wing conservatives, I want to give you an update on my recent activities here in the Milwaukee area. I have spent the past week talking to hundreds of citizens here. I am happy to report that the response to my phone polling and door to door canvassing has been overwhelmingly positive. If we can maintain the momentum that has developed here for the remainder of the campaign, I am confident that John Kerry will be our next president! I was honored to meet Senator Kerry when he landed at Signature Airport here in Milwaukee. I had the opportunity to shake hands with him twice and offered him all the encouragement I could. He was very upbeat and energetic and as his motorcade pulled out of the airport he smiled and gave the crowd a big “thumbs up”. I also was thrilled to attend a rally at the Pabst Theatre in downtown Milwaukee where the Reverend Al Sharpton spoke to a crowd of several hundred Kerry supporters. Following the rally Reverend Sharpton led the crowd in a march to City Hall where many of the throng cast their votes early for Senator Kerry. (Early voting is allowed in Wisconsin, as is same day registration and voting.) Over the next week I will be concentrating my efforts on going door to door to reach every voter I can. By next weekend I will be participating in “visibility” efforts, such as carrying signs and positioning them at strategic locations in the metro area. I am also slated to observe voting on Election Day to ensure that those who attempt to vote are not discouraged or intimidated in any way from doing so.

I hope all is well with everyone back in New York and I look forward to returning victoriously on November third.

My very best to you all!

- Bill Gutschow