Republican leader: We need state turnout The RNC chairman touts Bush, Michels in a game-day visit By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle The chairman of the Republican National Committee pushed for a strong turnout in Wisconsin here Monday as the countdown clock for the election reached 22 days. Ed Gillespie appeared at a rally near Lambeau Field before Monday's Green Bay Packers-Tennessee Titans game, trying to gain votes in a state that an ABC News survey said Monday was one of 10 states in the "toss-up" column in the presidential race. "Obviously, Wisconsin is an important battleground state," Gillespie said. "It's an area where we want to drive up turnout. "I believe we have the capacity to win in Wisconsin and an opportunity to expand our majority in the U.S. Senate." That Senate race between Tim Michels and Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold has shown the Republican political rookie to be a strong candidate, Gillespie said. "He personifies two of the things most important to voters - national security and creation of jobs," Gillespie said. (Michels is a former Army Ranger and owns a construction company.) "I think you look at his personal experience, the positions he has taken, and contrast that with Sen. Feingold. Voters in the state are asking 'what has Russ Feingold done to improve our schools, add jobs or make us stronger as a nation?' You can't say anything," Gillespie said. As for the presidential race, Gillespie got involved Monday, sending a letter to his Democratic counterpart, Terry McAuliffe, asking the Democrats to pull an ad which Gillespie said falsely claimed Republicans want to get rid of the Milk Income Loss Contract program. Gillespie said Sen. John Kerry had fought for the Northeast Dairy Compact, which was opposed by Wisconsin legislators, and supported similar price controls in almost every region of the country except for the Midwest. "It wasn't just a parochial vote" for his home state, Gillespie said. This could be a key week in the race, with the final presidential debate, and both candidates are continuing to press for Wisconsin votes. Both Bush and Kerry will be in the Fox Cities Friday; Bush in Oshkosh, Kerry in Appleton. "We have always anticipated a close contest in November and in Wisconsin," Gillespie said. "Al Gore (in 2000) carried this state by one vote per ward. It's a target state for us - if the president carries Wisconsin it's going to be hard for Kerry to piece together the votes he needs."