From The National Journal:A head-on collision with the labor movement has turned the rookie Republican governor of a Midwestern state into an overnight superstar.
Barely a month after his inauguration, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker already has prospective presidential candidates stampeding to help him. In today's turbocharged political climate, fueled by constant chatter on cable television and the Internet, can talk of a vice presidential bid be far behind for the man who two months ago was a little-known county executive?
“If you had suggested that about Scott Walker 10 days [ago] it would have seemed incomprehensible,’’ Byron Shafer, political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told National Journal. “Stay tuned and ask me again in another 10 days."
Walker was the lead guest on Fox News Sunday; on Monday, MSNBC boasted of a “cable exclusive’’ with him. He's become one of the most sought-after politicians in the country ever since his plan to balance Wisconsin's budget by slashing labor costs sparked days of protests by tens of thousands of union workers in the state capitol.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/one-month-in-office-gov-scott-walker-steals-the-show-20110221
I've known about Scott Walker for years, since he was a legislator from my hometown in Wauwatosa, WI, to County Executive of highly Democratic Milwaukee County and now, governor of Wisconsin.
While he probably won't be a candidate for president in 2012, but if he wins this battle against the unions now, with minimal give in to the unions, he will be a front runner in 2016, especially if Obama wins in 2012. But, if he wins this battle, he will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future as presidential candidates will come to Wisconsin to kiss his ring or other a backside part of his body.
And this will make my liberal friend, capper of Whallah (http://whallah.blogspot.com/) and Cognitive Dissidence ( http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/) head explode.
Polite Response
13 minutes ago
Boy you have some serious schadenfeude going on. I just try to ignore him.
ReplyDelete“Gov. Walker has got a big set of policy problems,’’ Shafer said. “It’s hard to know how anyone comes out of this without looking bloodied.’’
ReplyDeleteNot at all, the truth sets you free. As do recalls of the tyrant class. That will make the gas bag Drooley pop that blood vessel.
So the punking he took from the Buffalo Beast hasn't hurt him, you don't think?
ReplyDeleteNo, because what he told the Beast is not any different than what he says in public. Further, he didn't deny the story or cover it up. It's good for a laugh and thats about it.
ReplyDeleteHis phone screener may not have enjoyed the outcome, though. Did they ever hear of caller ID?
Well, he may or may not have problems with what he SAID, but don't you have any issue with him taking a 20-minute from a right-wing billionaire when he isn't taking calls from legislators? I mean, he laid out his plans in fairly candid terms--pretty much confirming that he's doing this to bust the unions, because he doesn't LIKE them--to someone who just CLAIMED to be Koch.
ReplyDeleteWhy is he so chummy with a Koch brother, and why does he think it would be so great to be treated to a trip to "Cali" on the Koch dime? I think there are multiple things in that call that are a problem for Walker.
I have no problem talking to a constituent and not talking to WI. Senate dem's.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if the Sens came back to Wisconsin, maybe they can talk to Walker, but not before.
But so far, no one has saids the the difference is between Koch and Soros and the idiot from the Daily Kos.
In the fake conversation, Walker said he was trying to trap the Dems by having them come back, making them officially be "in session," and getting a defacto quorum. And even though they agreed to the monetary demands, Walker still won't drop the "squash the unions" parts of the bill. I wouldn't come back under those conditions either.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't about the dollars and cents. This is about killing unions. You get that too, right? (BTW, I've never been in a union, and have mixed feelings about them)