Nicholson stresses foreign policy in U.S. Senate race
GLENDALE – As he gains his footing on the campaign trail, Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Kevin Nicholson is positioning himself as a candidate eager to talk about foreign policy.
He recently appeared at the Northshore Pints and Politics event at the Silver Spring House.
For 20 minutes, the Delafield businessman making his first run for public office spoke to three dozen GOP activists and hit his now-familiar themes of being a political outsider and vowing to serve no more than two terms if elected.
But most of the speech concerned foreign policy,
from talks with North Korea (“We must verify and push”) to the nuclear deal with Iran (Nicholson is against it and ripped Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin for her support of the agreement).
The move by Nicholson is both personal and strategic, fitting the life story he presents to voters as he tries to persuade Republicans ahead of the Aug. 14 primary.
The one-time president of the College Democrats of America has said he found his conservative values through experience, including serving with the U.S. Marines in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But talking foreign policy enables him to set himself apart from Republican rival, state Sen. Leah Vukmir. Her campaign is focusing heavily on bringing Wisconsin’s conservative state agenda to Washington, D.C.
Foreign policy also gives Nicholson a platform to make a direct challenge to the incumbent, Baldwin.
During speeches, like the one at the Pints and Politics event, he chides Baldwin for co-sponsoring bills to create a Department of Peace while she served in the House. The bills failed.
“The people in Wisconsin need to understand that creating peace means so much more than saying that, in her case, she’s in favor of a $10 billion a year Department of Peace,” he said. “That’s real. I’m not making it up.”
“We have a Department of Peace,” Nicholson added. “Anyone know what it’s called? The Pentagon.”
Someone in the audience chimed in, “The U.S. Marines.”
Nicholson said: “It’s true. The U.S. Marines are an agent of peace and I know that because I’ve seen Marines kill the bad guys who go out and slaughter innocent people. That’s our world. That’s the way it is.
“Tammy Baldwin may want to pretend that’s not real,” he added. “She can only pretend that because people have died in so many different battles in order to secure prosperity she enjoys and the safety in which she can say those kinds of things. The reality is this: We don’t need a $10 billion a year Department of Peace. We need to strategically think about how to invest in our defense.”
Baldwin’s campaign declined comment on Nicholson’s statement.
In the past, Baldwin’s supporters have pointed to her work to authorize and appropriate spending for the Pentagon and her support for littoral combat ships built in Marinette and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle to be made in Oshkosh.
In an interview, Nicholson said the theme of his campaign is to create “prosperity and security for the people of Wisconsin and for the people of this country.” It’s a message he vows to take to all parts of the state.
Nicholson said he has not changed his political strategy for the race.
Ahead in fundraising over Vukmir, he said he is effectively winning the primary race.
But Nicholson was dealt a setback last month when Vukmir claimed support from 73% of the delegates at the state GOP convention and claimed an important endorsement.
On issues like taxes, spending and
to abortion, Nicholson and Vukmir have similar conservative views. They also are eager to align with President Donald Trump.
On foreign policy, their views also track, both speaking of a robust military to ensure America’s preeminent place in the world.
For the most part, in speeches and interviews, Nicholson sticks to broad foreign policy themes. He also touts his endorsement of the John Bolton Super PAC. That group has since suspended all political activities in the wake of Bolton’s appointment as Trump’s national security adviser.
Bolton is a noted hawk and Democrats appear poised to try and turn the Bolton endorsement of Nicholson to their advantage.
“The foundation to all of this is fiscal. Do you have your fiscal house in order so that you can fund a strategic, intelligent defense and keep your people safe,” he said.
On the push to denuclearize North Korea, Nicholson said “verification is going to be a huge part of any next step.”
“I’m not waving the flag saying this is done,” he said. “This is the start of an opportunity to finally stop a conflict that has been running” for decades.
By comparison, he said, the Iran deal “sent cash and assets to a state sponsor of terror and did not realistically demand in any real way, shape or form stop doing what they were doing to develop technology.”
On the U.S. imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, Nicholson said the goal is “to get to a world where Wisconsin producers, agricultural, manufacturer, service are not seeing an unfair competitive advantage given to their competitors.”