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Scott Walker Tag

Posted by Amy Miller on February 20, 2015 35 Comments
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has made a name for himself in the fight to roll back union influence. He easily overcame a 2012 recall effort organized by big labor and other progressive interests, and since then has been held up by many conservatives as an example of what Republican leadership should look like. Now considered an emerging contender in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, Walker is taking new steps to court both employers, and workers who support right-to-work policies over forced union membership. Legislators in Wisconsin are planning on fast-tracking a new, controversial bill that would make Wisconsin a right-to-work state. Walker had previously urged the legislature to put the issue on the back burner, saying that the revived controversy would conflict with his larger agenda, but after a series of meetings with lawmakers, has agreed to sign on to the effort. That promise has not come without controversy. More from the AP:
"I think we can do this next week without it getting really ugly," said Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald on WTMJ radio in Milwaukee. "We'll see next week whether the Capitol blows up. I don't know." Right to work is a "false promise for Wisconsin," said Phil Neuenfeldt, president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, in a prepared statement. "Right to Work will not create jobs and will lower wages for all workers," Dan Bukiewicz, president of the Milwaukee Building-Construction Trades Council, which represents union construction workers in the Milwaukee area, called right-to-work "an unneeded distraction." "It's very disappointing they're going to fast-track it. Usually when things are done fast they're done incorrectly," he said. "I haven't heard anybody come out from a business standpoint saying this is what they want. The residual results of this will hurt the citizens of Wisconsin." Proponents of right-to-work argue it will make Wisconsin more competitive and that workers should have the freedom to decide whether to pay and join a union, rather than having dues automatically withdrawn.

Posted by Amy Miller on February 18, 2015 62 Comments
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker never finished college. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is teetering on the edge of a presidential run. Do we have a problem here? Howard Dean thinks so:
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker didn't graduate from college, and Howard Dean says it would be a problem if the Republican ran for president. He's one of the few. “The issue is, how well educated is this guy?” said Dean, a former Vermont governor who ran for the Democratic nomination in 2004, on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Feb. 12, amid a surge in polls for Walker. “I worry about people being president of the United States not knowing much about the world and not knowing much about science.”
Dean's comments were met with almost instant backlash from both the left and the right. Snobbery. Elitism. Distance and disown! And yet... And yet. I'm not the only one wondering who will be the first to de-glove on the issue of academic gravitas vs. real life experience, and it's a real concern for Walker, who by all accounts has more than earned the right to throw his hat in the ring. Recently, a fan by the name of Kyle Smith asked "Dirty Jobs" star Mike Rowe about his thoughts on college as a prerequisite for higher office; Rowe's response was epic. He told the story of his first TV audition---he was tasked with creating an 8 minute cold pitch for a Ticonderoga #2 pencil. He had no experience as a professional actor, but 8 minutes of pressure mixed with raw talent got him a job on QVC and helped him launch his career. The tie-in? Don't "confuse qualifications with competency."

Posted by Mike LaChance on February 12, 2015 87 Comments
The same mainstream media that refused to demand Obama's (still undisclosed) Columbia University records in 2008 (while reassuring us that he was brilliant) has taken a keen interest in the academic pedigree of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Professor Jacobson repeatedly reminds us that the MSM always tries to kill Republican candidacies in the cradle. The Washington Post did it with Rick Perry's hunting property rock. Jeb Bush's high school antics are fair game, as were Mitt Romney's. Now they're trying to play the same game with Scott Walker's unfinished college degree. David A. Fahrenthold of the Washington Post wrote this yesterday:
As Scott Walker mulls White House bid, questions linger over college exit Scott Walker was gone. Dropped out. And in the spring of his senior year. In 1990, that news stunned his friends at Marquette University. Walker, the campus’s suit-wearing, Reagan-loving politico — who enjoyed the place so much that he had run for student body president — had left without graduating. To most of the Class of 1990 — and, later, to Wisconsin’s political establishment — Walker’s decision to quit college has been a lingering mystery. Not even his friends at Marquette were entirely sure why he never finished. Some had heard that a parent had fallen ill, or maybe there was some financial strain. Others thought he had simply had enough of school. Walker clearly liked college politics more than college itself. He had managed to line up 47 campaign endorsements, including ones from the ski team and the varsity chorus, but he had trouble showing up on time for French. And, after four years, he had faltered on both fronts. He’d lost an ugly race for president. And he apparently had far too few credits to graduate.
Allahpundit of Hot Air notes that journalists are already playing the requisite "gotcha" games with Scott Walker from which Democrats are always exempt.

Posted by Amy Miller on February 01, 2015 23 Comments
Let the circus begin. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker brought down the house at the Iowa Freedom Summit last week; and ever since then, everyone from grassroots activists, to the mainstream media, have upped the chatter regarding his chances to move to and stay at the front of the field and seize the GOP nomination. According to Public Policy Polling, Walker has for the first time burst though into double digits (although those numbers include the possibility of a Romney candidacy). He's not on top yet, but he's getting there:
He's reached that level of support despite having the lowest name recognition of any candidate we tested, which is a pretty good indication that when voters get to know him they're coming to like him. Walker's near 3:1 favorability rating among those who have heard of him is second only to Carson. Things are headed in the right direction for Walker.
On ABC 'This Week,' Martha Raddatz did her best to make Walker say something stupid about Marco Rubio, Syria, immigration, football (BREAKING: he likes it,) and his own breakout performance:
World News Videos | ABC World News Was he perfect? No, but you can see what Raddatz was doing. Bam-Bam-Bam goes the hard-hitting interviewer!

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on February 01, 2015 50 Comments
Many moons ago, all the way back in 2013, The Wasau Daily Herald published an article. That article contained an interview with the Wisconsin Governor. Among the many topics discussed was federal immigration reform. "People want to come here and work hard and benefit, I don't care whether they come from Mexico or Ireland or Germany or Canada or South Africa or anywhere else, I want them here." Walker told the Wasau Daily Herald editors. At a time when the loudest voices on the right were screaming for border security while ignoring the major issues with our current immigration infrastructure, Walker took a somewhat different approach and one more akin to Senator Rubio's attitude on immigration reform. Walker explained that restructuring our immigration system should help mitigate the constant flow of undocumented aliens.
"I think there's got to be a way, not only do they need to fix things for people who are already here or find some way to deal with that, there's got to be a larger way to fix the system in the first place, because if it wasn't so cumbersome, if it wasn't so long of a wait, if it wasn't so difficult to get in, you wouldn't have the other problems that we have with people who don't have legal status here in the first place. the 11 million," he said. "You hear some people talk about border security and a wall and all that, to me, I don't think you need any of that if you have a better, saner way to let people into the country in the first place."
One of the reporters then asked, "Can you envision a world where with the right, penalties, and waiting periods, and meet the requirements. where these people could get citizenship?"

Posted by Mike LaChance on January 28, 2015 26 Comments
Charles Krauthammer was on the O'Reilly Factor last night to discuss the Republican contenders for 2016. Wisconsin governor Scott Walker got some kind words from Dr. K, who said that his speech in Iowa last weekend changed things. Watch: You'll notice in the video that O'Reilly and Krauthammer both reference compliments Scott Walker recently received from Rush Limbaugh. Here's a sample from Limbaugh's site:
Scott Walker Wows 'Em in Iowa Scott Walker wowed them in Iowa at whatever this thing was, this Republican, slash, conservative, just wowed them. And you know me, folks, if you have spent any time listening to this program in the last two years, you know that I believe Scott Walker is the blueprint for the Republican Party if they are serious about beating the left. Scott Walker has shown how to do it. And apparently he showed up and he made a speech on Saturday that had people telling them it reminded them of the speech I gave at CPAC... Scott Walker has shown the Republican Party how to beat the left. Scott Walker has the blueprint for winning and winning consistently and winning big in a blue state with conservative principles that are offered with absolutely no excuses. The left, the Democrat Party, threw everything at Scott Walker trying to destroy him. They did everything they could. He not only withstood it all, he survived and triumphed over all of it. They broke rules. They got close to breaking laws. They were threatening his family personally, and he remained undeterred.
Some bloggers are pretty excited about Walker. @rdbrewer from Ace of Spades HQ is already making campaign posters:

Posted by Amy Miller on January 24, 2015 36 Comments
Just minutes ago at the Iowa Freedom Summit, one of 2016's dark horses catapulted himself out of the murky waters of presidential speculation and into the spotlight. That person was Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Even before Walker took the stage attendees knew that something big was about to happen: Once he took the stage, it was all over; and by "all over," I mean, "he blew the crowd away."

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 19, 2014 26 Comments
We have extensively covered the Wisconsin John Doe investigations. The extremely abbreviated version is that Milwaukee County prosecutor John Chisholm has led two distinct investigations of conservatives in Wisconsin. John Doe No. 1 targeted Scott Walker's term as Milwaukee County Executive. That case is over, and no wrongdoing by Walker was uncovered. John Doe No. 2 involved allegations that a wide range of Wisconsin conservatives engaged in illegal coordination with Walker in the Recall Election, which Walker won. John Doe No. 2 has resulted in federal and state litigation, with conservative individuals and groups asserting that the wide-ranging seizure of records violated their constitutional righs. Currently, the probe effectively is shut down by a state court judge's ruling refusing to issue any more search warrants, and a federal court's decision that Wisconsin could not apply the state campaign laws so as to prohibit issue coordination.  A separate federal case on that legal point may be headed for the U.S. Supreme Court. Now some more information, via M.D. Kittle at Wisconsin Reporter, who has been the leading reporter covering the various John Doe proceedings and cases, regarding yet another lawsuit, against the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. Rogue agency defied judges to carry out partisan probe of Wisconsin conservatives:
Agents for the embattled state Government Accountability Board continued a zealous campaign finance investigation into dozens of conservative groups even after judges who preside over the board voted to shut it down, according to a previously sealed brief made public Friday. The documents, from an updated complaint filed by conservative plaintiffs in a case against the GAB, appear to support claims that the campaign finance, ethics and election law regulator is a rogue agency. They also show that the GAB considered using the state’s John Doe law to investigate key state conservatives and even national figures, including Fox News’ Sean Hannity and WTMJ Milwaukee host Charlie Sykes.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 19, 2014 49 Comments
As part of my continuing effort to gain exposure to new audiences, I have a post at Fox News regarding how Scott Walker's ability to survive the Democratic, union and prosecutorial (John Doe) onslaughts has turned Walker into an emerging star. Congratulations, Democrats you made Scott Walker a rising 2016 star:
Republican victories in the midterm elections widely are viewed as a rejection of President Obama’s failed policies. But are the elections a harbinger of things to come in 2016? For Scott Walker, the answer is yes.... In reelecting Walker, Wisconsin struck a blow against the politics of personal destruction. That is a message Walker now is uniquely capable of delivering to an electoral sick of politics as usual.... Instead, Democrats gave Walker a national electoral credibility they may regret in 2016.
For the rest of the story, go over to the link. Walker is parlaying his victory into greater notoriety, as this appearance from Sunday shows:

Posted by Mike LaChance on November 12, 2014 24 Comments
Scott Walker appeared on Sean Hannity's show Tuesday night to discuss his recent victory. In the course of their talk, Sean asked Walker for his message to newly elected Republicans. Walker responded by urging the GOP to "get out there and lead," suggesting that Americans are looking for leadership and real solutions to problems. Hannity begins the segment with a clip of Rush Limbaugh talking about Walker's win and describing him as a star in the Republican Party. Watch the video: Some people are already talking about Walker as a candidate for 2016.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on November 04, 2014 22 Comments
We will be covering several key Governor races, listed below.  And the results are looking something like this: MRW I win playing board games

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on November 03, 2014 11 Comments
Embattled Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is steadily outpacing Democratic challenger Mary Burke in all of the latest polls---so of course that means a swastika ad is the only logical option left for Team Burke. The ad released by the Burke campaign is inside baseball-ish in that if you haven't been following the intricacies of the race, it's hard to understand why anything disclosed is significant. Picked up by and reported by the Washington Post, the ad shows Scott Walker with "donor and campaign worker, Gary Ellerman." The ad then drops its one and only bomb: "Ellerman posts pictures like this on his Facebook page." Scott Walker Nazi Mary Burke Swastika Ad Evidently, Ellerman was fired from Trek (the consumer is supposed to know what Trek is and why it's important). Mary Burke was also employed by Trek. Ellerman went on to share his account of Burke's time with the company, an account Burke disputes. Avner Zarmi of PJ Media provides the background:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 02, 2014 33 Comments
Some people. The first image is an  Anti-Scott Walker protester who, along with a friend, locked her head to State Capitol railing in June 2011 in a budget protest, via JSOnline.  The police broke the lock and released her.  At the time we noted there was a simpler solution:
Turn out the lights, lock the doors, and go home. And leave them there.
Wisconsin State Capitol head lock The second image is from the anti-Israel "Block the Boat" protest in Tampa this weekend, via Twitter account Global Revolution TV.  Presumably, she too was unlocked by police: Tampa Block the Boat Head Locked Here's the view from another angle, via Twitter user RadicalMedia_:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 25, 2014 11 Comments
Welcome to the Soviet Socialist Republic of Wisconsin Democratic Prosecutors:
The early-morning paramilitary-style raids on citizens’ homes were conducted by law enforcement officers, sometimes wearing bulletproof vests and lugging battering rams, pounding on doors and issuing threats. Spouses were separated as the police seized computers, including those of children still in pajamas. Clothes drawers, including the children’s, were ransacked, cellphones were confiscated and the citizens were told that it would be a crime to tell anyone of the raids.
That's what George Will calls The nastiest political tactic this year. Will was describing how dozens of conservative activists were targeted by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm in connection with the John Doe (No.2) investigation of supposed campaign law violations. That would be the same John Chisholm whose wife is a school union representative and who, according to a whistleblower, drove the investigation out of fury over Governor Scott Walker's collective bargaining reform bill. John Doe No. 2 relates to Walker's recall campaign, in which he defeated a national union effort to oust him, and whether there was illegal coordination with the conservatives who were targeted in the raid. A state court judge already has ruled that even if there was such coordination, it was not illegal. A federal District Court ruled the same way, but was reversed by the federal appeals court primarily on procedural grounds as to whether a federal court should interfere in a state investigation. The federal case may be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court in what could be another blockbuster campaign regulation case on the scale of Citizens United, if the court takes the case. In a second federal case brought by a different conservative group, the same District Judge ordered Wisconsin not to enforce its coordination law as relates to issue advocacy.  We'll see if that holds up on appeal. More from Will's column, calling John Doe No. 2 the "nastiest episode" of this political season:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on October 24, 2014 14 Comments
Yesterday, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request by two targets of the Wisconsin John Doe investigation to rehear a decision by a three-judge panel to vacate an injunction issued by the District Court preventing the state investigation from continuing. (Order at bottom of post.) The substantive issue underlying the case is whether the Wisconsin campaign regulations violated the First Amendment, specifically laws that purportedly bar "issue advocacy" coordination between campaigns and outside groups. In the John Doe investigation, the Milwaukee County prosecutor -- who allegedly has a family political bias -- targeted dozens of conservative Wisconsin activists for sweeping subpoenas. Two of the targets -- Eric O'Keefe and the Wisconsin Club for Growth -- filed suit in federal court to halt the investigation, and for money damages. The District Court granted the injunction and allowed the case to move forward. The 7th Circuit, however, reversed the District Court. That original 7th Circuit decision was based, primarily, on the issue of whether a federal court in this circumstance should interfere in a state court investigation. The 7th Circuit panel ruled that the federal court should abstain. I reached out to one of the lawyers for the John Doe targets, Andrew Grossman, as to whether Supreme Court review via a Petition for Certiorari would be sought, and he responded as follows:
"We will be seeking Supreme Court review and have every expectation that the Seventh Circuit's decision will be reversed."
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