Is Gov. Scott Walker lonely?
At the same time his fellow right-wing buddies like presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry are dominating the national news, Walker has gone from the GOP's golden boy to Wisconsin's lonely boy.
No longer sought after by the national media to discuss his politically toxic collective bargaining bill, Walker has gotten so lonely that he's said he wants to work with Democrats in the state Legislature.
Walker made that claim before the recall elections, when he wanted to sound reasonable to the state's voters, 53% of whom now disapprove of him. He repeated that claim this week, saying that he's working on a legislative agenda that both parties could love.
But Walker's new bipartisan focus is a fraud.
At the same time Democrats were beating two Republicans on GOP turf in the Aug. 9 recall elections, Walker signed legislation that implements the most partisan, corrupt redistricting map in this state's history. The governor signed the bill on Tuesday afternoon, knowing that the state's media would be caught up in the historic recall elections. Walker must have also sensed that he'd be lonely in the state Capitol, now that his Republican allies were being ousted from office by angry voters. Why else would he ensure that competitive swing districts would become solidly Republican next year?
So don't believe Walker's newly moderate tone. He has never been anything but a Republican Party extremist who doesn't care about anything but his personal ambition. He may have fooled voters last fall, but Wisconsinites are far wiser now.
Heroes of the Week
IndependenceFirst Advocates and Volunteers
Established in 1979, IndependenceFirst is a community-based, nonresidential independent living center for individuals with disabilities. With main offices in Milwaukee (540 S. First St.) and outreach offices in Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties, IndependenceFirst is one of southeast Wisconsin's primary resource centers for disabled persons and their families.
The nonprofit organization provides individuals with support, skills training and information and referral services. Volunteers play a crucial role in the success of the organization's programs, and spend many hours advocating on behalf of the disabled with local governments and businesses.
Readers who would like to donate their time to help empower area individuals with disabilities are encouraged to call 414-291-7520 or visit www.independencefirst.org to find out about current volunteer opportunities.
