Staff Reports
After a razor-thin Democratic primary, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has been pressed on a simple question: will he reject the Democratic Socialists of America’s national program? His answer, given in recent post-primary interviews, was not a clear no. Instead, Crowley talked about unity, said he hadn’t “actually looked at” the DSA program, and refused to disavow its planks outright — even as conservative outlets and social clips spread the moment like wildfire.
Crowley’s dodge: unity over clarity
On local TV and in follow-up interviews, Crowley stressed party unity and pragmatic talk. He told reporters he doesn’t want to “lend credibility to platforms…that I believe further divides us,” and said he’s “always willing to have those tough conversations.” But when asked point-blank whether there are DSA planks he would reject, he stopped short of a clear answer. He did say he would not campaign alongside certain left-wing figures, but refusing to sit next to a controversial commentator is not the same as rejecting a program that calls for major national changes.
What’s actually in the DSA program?
The DSA’s national program, titled “Workers Deserve More,” lays out sweeping goals. It talks about Medicare-for-all-style plans, broad public ownership ideas, big changes to policing and prisons, and even language about remaking national institutions and drafting a new constitution. Critics rightly point to those lines as evidence the group wants structural change, not modest reforms. Candidates who share many of those priorities should tell voters where they stand — yes or no — instead of hiding behind talk of “tough conversations.”
Why Wisconsin voters deserve straight talk
Wisconsin isn’t a laboratory for ambiguous answers. The primary was narrow, turnout matters, and the general election will be decided by persuading swing voters and motivating the base. Voters need to know whether a candidate will back big tax hikes, radical government takeovers, or sweeping law-and-order changes masked as “reform.” Crowley’s insistence on unity is politically convenient, but unity built on vagueness is a bad contract for working families and taxpayers who want specifics before they hand over their vote.
Crowley’s next move should be clarity — not more spin
Republicans should keep the pressure on and demand straight answers. Reporters should clip the interviews, play the full exchanges, and press Crowley to say which DSA planks he accepts and which he rejects. Voters deserve clarity, not political hedging. If Crowley means what he says about building a broad coalition, he can start by telling Wisconsin whether he stands with the DSA’s most radical aims or with common-sense limits. That’s the kind of answer this state deserves before November.
