Alberta Darling and Sandy Pasch faced off in their first debate of the recall campaign with Pasch saying she once voted for the GOP senator but now thinks she’s too conservative.
Darling, a longtime Republican senator who co-chaired the Joint Finance Committee and crafted a controversial state budget, contended she’s always been a fiscal conservative.
Darling, R-River Hills, and Pasch, a Dem state representative from Whitefish Bay, sparred over education, jobs and the recall elections in a joint appearance taped for "UpFront with Mike Gousha."
Pasch said the recall was initiated by 30,000 people in the Milwaukee-area’s 8th Senate District.
"I think that Senator Darling has changed over the years," Pasch said. "She did get my vote about 20 years ago, but has moved consistently to a much, a much more conservative way of approaching things.
"She used to be the moderate Republican from the Senate district, but that’s not true anymore. Her stand on education, health care and a variety of things has changed," Pasch charged, echoing anti-Darling ads now airing.
Darling said she has always been a fiscal conservative.
"I am doing what I was elected to do," Darling said. "I was elected to get control of spending, debt, deficits, get the state back on the right track. The Doyle – Pasch failed policies left us with a $3.6 billion deficit, and voters in the November election said help us, you have to do things differently, and we did.
"I’ve always been a fiscal conservative, always protected the taxpayer. I’ve always protected children and I’ve always been an education advocate."
To view the debate, click here.
– WisPolitics.com
