State Republicans welcomed to town in unusual way



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- State Republicans are kicking off their annual convention Friday evening, May 2nd with a closed event at Turner Hall.

As the Republican party faithfully descend on Milwaukee for a weekend of political rallying, a Madison Democrat is welcoming them to town with a one many rally of his own.

State Representative Brett Hulsey showed up dressed as a confederate officer earlier during the day on Friday.

"I am here to highlight Governor Walker and the Republicans racist agenda and to welcome them to the confederacy," said Hulsey.

Hulsey says he pieced the outfit together himself by purchasing the clothes at a Madison thrift shop, and adorning them with duct tape.

"And then the gray wool pants those cost me $4.25," said Hulsey.

Earlier this week he had threatened to hand out hoods to Republicans headed to the convention. Some had said they looked like the hoods Ku Klux Klan members are known to wear.

"What I was thinking was is if the republicans are going to act like racists they should dress like racists but again maybe you know I received feedback that may have been going a little too far but I've been trying to get the capital press corps the write this racist story for three years," said Hulsey.

Ultimately the hoods stayed in Hulsey's car, though he did show them to FOX6. Republicans are calling Hulsey's comments reprehensible.

"The fact that he came dressed in a confederate outfit demonstrates to me that he's forgotten all perspective of history, it was the Republican party that ended slavery, it was the Republican party that gave the votes for the passage of the civil rights act in the 1960's," said Gerard Randall, chair of the Wisconsin Republican party's African American Caucus.

Randall is challenging Democrats to cut ties with Hulsey, and ask him to drop his run for governor. He also says Hulsey's efforts won't taint the Republican party and expects it to be a banner weekend.

"I think you're probably going to see the most united the Republican party in this state has ever been behind our standard bearers," said Randall.

Hulsey says he did only bring about three hoods, and left them in the car, saying he mostly made the threat to get the attention of the media.