Former WI Rep. one of 30 former GOP lawmakers to sign anti-Trump letter

Letter calls Trump’s candidacy “disgraceful”

A former Republican congressman, who served central Wisconsin for decades, is among those who have signed on to a new letter condemning Donald Trump.  

Tom Petri is among the 30 who are just the latest to turn on their party’s nominee.  

The letter reads: 

“Given the enormous power of the office, every candidate for president must be judged rigorously in assessing whether he or she has the competence, intelligence, knowledge, understanding, empathy, judgment, and temperament necessary to keep America on a safe and steady course. Donald Trump fails on each of those measures, and he has proven himself manifestly unqualified to be president.

“In nominating Donald Trump, the Republican Party has asked the people of the United States to entrust their future to a man who insults women, mocks the handicapped, urges that dissent be met with violence, seeks to impose religious tests for entry into the United States, and applies a de facto ethnicity test to judges. He offends our allies and praises dictators. His public statements are peppered with lies. He belittles our heroes and insults the parents of men who have died serving our country. Every day brings a fresh revelation that highlights the unacceptable danger in electing him to lead our nation.”

The letter does not, however give any endorsement to Hillary Clinton. Some on the list have said they will vote for the Democratic candidate. Others have said they will vote for Gary Johnson.

 

Complete list of congressman who signed:
Steve Bartlett (R-TX)
Bob Bauman (R-MD)
Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY)
Jack Buechner (R-MO)
Tom Campbell (R-CA)
Bill Clinger (R-PA)
Tom Coleman (R-MO)
Geoff Davis (R-KY)
Mickey Edwards (R-OK)
Harris Fawell (R-IL)
Ed Foreman (R-TX, NM)
Amo Houghton, Jr. (R-NY)
Gordon Humphrey (Senator, R-NH)
Bob Inglis (R-SC)
Jim Kolbe (R-AZ)
Steve Kuykendall (R-CA)
Jim Leach (R-IA)
Pete McCloskey (R-CA)
Connie Morella (R-MD)
Mike Parker (R-MS)
Tom Petri (R-WI)
John Porter (R-IL)
Claudine Schneider (R-RI)
John “Joe” Schwarz (R-MI)
Chris Shays (R-CT)
Peter Smith (R-VT)
Edward Weber (R-OH)
Vin Weber (R-MN)
G. William Whitehurst (R-VA)
Dick Zimmer (R-NJ)