“Any chance we'll get to be a completely red state?” billionaire businesswoman Diane Hendricks asked Gov. Scott Walker in January 2011, shortly after he took office.<br /><br />“Oh yeah,” Walker said, like it was no big deal.<br /><br />Walker's path to red statehood?<br /><br />“Divide and conquer.”<br /><br />Undermine public employees' rights first, then bust private sector unions through “right to work” legislation.<br /><br />Well, that's what Walker said in private to a donor who would ultimately give his campaign more than $500,000. We only know about this exchange because it was captured by filmmaker Brad Lichtenstein in his documentary <em>As Goes Janesville.</em><br /><br />In public, on the other hand, Walker told a completely different story and repeatedly swore up and down that his attack on public employees' bargaining rights was merely about balancing the budget.<br /><br />Right.<br /><br />The problem for Walker is that his apparent public lies are catching up to him.<br /><br />On Monday, three Democratic congressmen wrote to Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican chair of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.<br /><br />That's the committee before which Walker testified, under oath, that he had never had a discussion about the political ramifications of his collective bargaining battle. It wasn't about punishing political rivals. It was merely about balancing the budget, he said with a straight face.<br /><br />“Congress relies on the accuracy of official testimony to make effective policy determinations, and you have written letters in the past asking witnesses to clarify testimony before our committee when new information arises,” the congressmen wrote to Issa. “We ask that you write to Governor Walker on behalf of the committee and request an explanation for why his statements captured on this videotape appear to contradict his testimony before the committee.”<br /><br />Does Walker's contradiction under oath equal perjury?<strong><br /><br />Heroes of the Week</strong><strong>: Children's Service Society Respite Volunteers</strong><br /><br />Medical bills, care-giving costs and time constraints can add great stress to families with special-needs children. The challenges can become even greater in a down economy.<br /><br />The Children's Service Society of Wisconsin (CSSW) helps families by regularly hosting “respite events,” which match volunteers with children with special needs and their siblings for fun and activities while their parents and/or caregivers get a much-needed break. Respite events typically include 75 children and 100-130 volunteers, along with nurses, staff and behavioral specialists from CSSW.<br /><br />CSSW, established in 1889 to provide homes for orphaned and abandoned children, provides services such as child and family counseling, foster care, adoption and independent living skills programs.<br /><br />CSSW welcomes individual volunteers and those from corporate, church, student and club groups. Readers interested in helping to strengthen families while spending quality time with kids are encouraged to call 414-444-5760 or visit <a href="http://www.cssw.org" target="_blank">www.cssw.org</a> for more information.
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