As Wisconsin’s public union protesters make national headlines, Herb Kohl, the Badger State’s long-serving Democratic senator, has kept a low profile.
Prominent Wisconsin Democrats such as former Sen. Russ Feingold have been vocal in their support of the protests, while Kohl, who is up for re-election in 2012, shied away from taking a visible role. “Public workers deserve fair treatment and their interests should be taken into consideration as these issues are resolved,” Kohl said in a short, non-committal statement released by his office on Thursday. “I’m concerned about the well-being of their families and hope these matters can be settled in a respectful and balanced way.”
A recent poll showed Kohl earning less than 50 percent of the vote against some Wisconsin Republicans.