Burke Says She’ll Continue To Campaign Based On Her Experience At Trek

Democrat Mary Burke said Gov. Scott Walker’s continued attacks on her record at Trek Bicycle Corp. won’t stop her from campaigning on her private-sector experience.

Walker has now been attacking Burke for more than a week for having profited from Trek at a time when the company outsourced jobs. He says it’s a matter of giving voters the whole story. Democrats say Walker is trying to undermine one of Burke’s major strengths.

Speaking at the Rock County Fair in Janesville, Burke said the attacks won’t keep her from telling the Trek story.

“I am very aware of the challenges in the global economy,” she said. “Apparently Scott Walker is not. He is just trying to distract from his poor jobs record.”

Burke said it was sad that Walker was attacking a company like Trek that employs nearly a thousand Wisconsin residents.

Republicans showed no signs that they would budge from this line of attack. In a conference call organized by the State Republican Party, Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) said she wanted to know how Democratic Party leaders could support Burke given their strongly stated positions against outsourcing.

“How can you support a gubernatorial candidate whose track record stands in stark contrast with your own party?” she asked.

Vukmir, who is a staunch free-market advocate, stopped short of criticizing outsourcing herself. When asked about Trek, she had good things to say.

“There’s no denying that Trek plays an important role in this economy,” she said.

When asked the same question earlier this week, Walker would not say whether Trek is good for Wisconsin. He also would not say what he thinks about outsourcing.