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Last month, shortly after Election Day, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) threw his support behind a new voter-suppression effort: it's time, he said, to end the state's same-day voter registration law. The law has worked beautifully for decades -- Wisconsin has a terrific voter-participation rate -- but the Republican governor publicly endorsed scrapping the law before the 2014 cycle.
That is, until yesterday, when Walker seemed to denounce his own preferred policy.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is backing away from his support for eliminating same-day voter registration, saying it is a distraction while he is trying to focus on job creation.
"This is a ridiculous issue. My priority is about jobs, creating jobs," he told reporters on Wednesday after a ceremony to promote a Wisconsin National Guard officer.
Walker added that the issue "hasn't been something I've talked about," overlooking the fact that he talked about it in some detail just a few weeks ago.
So, how can Walker endorse a proposal and find it "ridiculous" over the course of just 18 days?
I suspect this isn't a genuine flip-flop, so much as it's about public relations -- the governor doesn't want to give the appearance of focusing on new voter-suppression schemes when he's supposed to be focusing on jobs and the economy.
Indeed, Walker may now think this is "a ridiculous issue," but he didn't say yesterday whether he'd sign state legislation into law if Republicans in the state legislature sent him a bill ending same-day voter registration.
The questions for the governor, then, are simple: are you prepared to make this "ridiculous issue" the law in Wisconsin? And has your endorsement of the policy changed?
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He sure stepped in it, after he caused it. He's in deep.
It was reported in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Walker took his Son to Vote....And yes, SAME DAY REGISTERED!!!! And another Fmr. Walker Aide was Sentenced to 2yr prison, Repayment of $51,000 for Stealing from Veteran's Fund, The one Walker took for no real reason at all.
walker ~ what a DEEEK ! Oh Yeah , we all can believe what he and his kind Say !<SARC> !
Seems to be a trend lately, Repubs declaring something and then denouncing it later. The ghost of Mitt Romney lives on...
He hung out with Romney and did not get his vaccination against Romnesia and it appears he is now a victim of that dreaded ailment.
@ Lorr
That is really very funny, a good one!!
These Loony-Ticks in the gop-tpanderers party are so full of confusion and trying to cover-up their tracks that they just cannot keep up with themselves !
You talk like this is some conspiracy theory. I think the point is that it's a ridiculous thing for the media to jump on for him to have to repeat in every interview, because he is focused on job creation.
Yes, it's a PR thing. But it's also a priority thing. Wisconsin needs to focus on jobs, and so does Walker. It's articles like these that he is trying to avoid.
Actually, the point is that the best way to "avoid" articles of this sort would have been to have avoided making the "ridiculous" proposal in the first place, which he did.
The trouble with ignorance is that it picks up confidence as it goes along.
- Arnold H. Glasow
;-)
Why exactly should reporters accept what he says he's focused on, and drop what he's actually been focused on?
The need to focus on jobs isn't a new thing; he should have been doing since he was elected. Neither, sadly is saying "we need to focus on jobs" as a way to say "don't ask me about any of the stupid crap I did that I don't want to talk about." That doesn't mean journalists shouldn't ask about it. The Republican Congress spent two years saying that jobs were their top priority and doing nothing about it. If you want people to stop asking about the stupid harmful politically self-interested stuff you did and talk about jobs, you have to do something about jobs, not just talk about it.
Except that Wisconsin's Republican dominated government hasn't done anything but TALK about jobs. Where is the legislative agenda? I'm not going to pretend to be aware of everything happening in my state capitol, but the only serious talk of legislation so far seems to be this end to same day voter registration (ain't broke? we can fix that!) and new abortion restrictions. Because those have so very much to do with jobs.
Yet he will continue with voter registration changes, stealthily (he hopes). The best outcome for Wisc. is if he is indicted and convicted. The evidence is there if they only trap the right rat who wants a lighter sentence. There is a lot of Nixon in Mr. Walker.
i know i shouldn't make fun of how somebody looks but Walker's face looks like that of a child with down syndrome. how can anyone take him seriously with his dopey face?
Then, how can you frame your comment in those terms? Doesn't lead me to take your comments seriously.
You are prejudice, people with down syndrome, are some of the most loving people on this planet. You have insulted them by suggesting their appearance makes them look dopey. You my friend are dopey. Go ask Alice, I think she'll know. @Will
Another sign of the implosion on the right. Walker floated the stupid idea, got the flack he should have expected, and ran like the lightweight he is. Wisconsin is not gerrymandered like the House districts are, so he has to be a tad more honest than the House Republicans.
Stupid is as stupid does, but I can't imagine the voters of Wisconsin being stupid enough to reelect him in 2014.
I'd like to believe that. But on the other hand, they were collectively "stupid enough" to decline to recall him when they had the chance recently.
The trouble with ignorance is that it picks up confidence as it goes along.
- Arnold H. Glasow
;-)
Yeah but it feels like things have finally started getting a little politically saner recently. Love your tagline, BTW.
Living in WI, The ONLY reason that He survived the Recall, Is The People of this State Do not believe in that Process. I voted against him, But as you saw Walker and Cronies Failed in handing Romney and RYAN the State. For more interesting info Google Walker and the WEDC. Man this guy is a piece of Work.
Though Walker has backed away from his public rhetoric regarding the vote, he will no doubt continue the GOP's relentless effort to get just the right voters to the booth in future election cycles. To them, all others are on their own - restrictions and all!
Hey Scott - focus on jobs, and quit fiddling with our precious rights! -Kevo
Inspector - Apologies for my previous (12:38) snark. That was unnecessarily personal.
This guy is just the dirt worst. And I can almost guarantee you that he and the state legislature will be bringing "Right to Work" to my state in the next 2 years....
Seriously, How would "Right To Work" adversely effect you?
By lowering wages. If union jobs aren't available, then all wages go down through lack of an alternative. It's the same argument that the corporate bosses use against raising the minimum wage, they would have to raise everyone else's wage, too. In this case, everyone else's wage would fall.
"Right to Work" is nothing more than an attractively-named method for moving more of the wealth created by workers' labor up the food chain to the corporate owners. It's part of the "race to the bottom" so many states are engaged in now, reducing the wealth, comfort, health care, retirement security and yes, the buying power of workers. It drives everyone's wages down, in the name of "productivity," adversely affecting everyone in the state, except the corporate owners, who continue to get wealthier in relation to everyone else.
Where are your independant studies to back any of this up? Here is a very good one that basically says it is a wash on wages. http://right-to-work-laws.johnwcooper.com/ The part that the left loves to leave out of this debate is the fact that more jobs are created in right to work states.
Oh Inspector, you're funny. A trip to that link also provided me with this important piece of scholarly information, personally recommended by John W. Cooper himself:
"Drink a lot of wine with friends (e.g., me)! Drinking wine is a good time, and drinking wine with others makes it all the more fun. Let's get a group together and drink some wine. Imagine how much wine drinking fun you might miss by not getting together for some wine!"
At least Contessa backs up her claims with a few actual studies, although produced by conservative organizations on behalf of conservative politicians, using cherry-picked data.
inspector, even more jobs than in the "right to work" states are created in China, India, Bangladesh... For much the same reasons, too: cheap, "disposable", labor.
thisdave, Are you in Washington or Colorado?, either way send me some of that $#!T your smoking. What the heck are you talking about. Read the PDF all the way through.
vabelle the reasons for China are far different from "the right to work" law. People in South Carolina make as much as people in Seattle for making airplanes. The only difference is that they have more disposable income since they aren't paying the union dues.
An 8-yr. old study of incomes of Idaho and Oklahoma residents where there are few unionized workers to begin with is not my idea of a credible study. I would like to see the latest numbers from more populous and more diversely employed state work forces. From my own experience, I know that states where unionization is supported have higher paid (including benefits) workforces among all groups of employees from low-skilled to higher-skilled/professional worker. I also know my education union didn't require people to join the union, but they did require employees to pay a small fee to a third party of the employees' choice since they gained from union representation - which is more than fair.
That isn't a study. It's an essay written by a college student that concludes right to work is a good idea. Not to say that the studies he sources are bad, but if you wanted to be a credible producer of information Inspector you would've went with the sources and not his essay.
There seems to be an inability on behalf of Republicans to generate original thoughts when it comes to their interaction on Maddowblog. To his credit Robby seems to be the only one who blogs here who actually engages his brain before coming to a conclusion. The rest of you have a tendency to just copy and paste anything that remotely seems to fit your particular agenda of the day. I have a feeling that the only reason you copy and pasted this article was from doing a short search on Google where it came up and that you haven't actually read the thing through. But, regardless, it shows a lack of understanding as to what constitutes a credible source.
The essay isn't from an expert and isn't peer reviewed. Essays themselves are not considered sources of information in this context, although sometimes essays are permitted as credible sources for academic works. In this context, however, this source could never be considered valid. But you can use it as assistance to find credible information. That's where you have to read what the person is saying and then go to THOSE sources and then read THOSE sources and if you find that information to be credible you source THAT information.
For the record Boeing salaries vary based on location because of COL adjustments. So no, people living in South Carolina do not make as much as people living in Seattle. I think what you meant to say is when adjusted they make as much- which might be true. I would have to do a COL Index Comparison and see. More than likely even a 10k cut in pay would still have people in South Carolina coming up on top because the cost of living overall in that state is lower than it is in northern states. That's primarily driven by the fact that poverty is so much more rampant in SC than WA.
That's what I meant to say. Thanks, C.
I guess the falling wages that goes along with unions declining is not enough for conservatives to see a bit of a trend , we have managedto concentrate all the wealth at the top , and low and behold , it is not trickling down , the gop theory is false , imagine that
Yes, Because Diane Hendrick's Want's that.
Cartoon I always know what to expect from you, Attack the messenger if you don't like what you hear. If I send you to a study by the heritage foundation you wouldn't read it citing that it was a right wing faux snooze bunch of bullcrap. People like you are the reason we are having the miriad of social problems in this country. What is the difference between a college student and a college professor? Answer: tenure. If you aren't a union member then you support unions because they help further your liberal agenda. If you were a business owner then you would be against unions and you would try your damnedest to get the cheapest labor you could find. You should try to look at different points of view before you attack anyone that has the gall to say something you don't agree with. You people always say how mean spirited that conservatives are, I can't seem to find any one on the left that isn't in perpetual attack mode. I will not stoop to your level any longer.There is no difference between Steve Benon and Sean Hannity, They are both rabid.
inspector
I as a former business owner I would want the best labor force not the cheapest. Because in the long run a better labor force is more efficient thus cost saving. But I guess you wouldn't that.
I think he is waiting for public awareness to die down and then he will try again. Sadly, Americans have short attention spans.
He's playing a longer and more subtle game now, having learned that brazenly bashing Wisconsin's egalitarian traditions just stirs up the proles. I suspect he and the legislature will wait for a Friday afternoon a week or two before the 2014 election to do the dirty deed.
Yep, you guys are singing my song. Wait until no one's looking and then BAM! Where'd that come from?
Sadly, he's trying to make jobs the #1 Priority, the liberal media only wants to fabricate flaws and drag them on and on and on to support there Socialist Agenda. Further proof that the Libs could care less about real jobs. Further proof that all they care about is more successful people paying a lot more than their fair share so a lot more people can sit on there butt and collect that money.
If Walker wants to focus on jobs, he has a strange way of doing it. All of his policies that affect jobs have been to reduce them. That's why Wisconsin's unemployment rate continued to rise while the rest of the country (except for TX) began a recovery.
OK I'll bite. Please inform me of the policies Walker has proposed since the 2012 election to help create jobs in his state.
Making your state a national laughingstock and bashing a sizeable segment of the state's workers is a job creation strategy? Wow. Who knew?
Um, the same way that Sen. Mitch McCon-artist can filibuster his own bill? As the kindly Dr. Maddow herself has famously observed, They're Not Embarrassed. Even when they very obviously should be.
The trouble with ignorance is that it picks up confidence as it goes along.
- Arnold H. Glasow
;-)
I consider Scott Walker ridiculous.
they tried to do this in Maine...and the voters smacked it back.
It's all about timing. Passing a voter suppression measure now would give opponents at least two years to challenge it or work around it.
Far, far better to pass it just before a critical election. Among other things, that way you can have a better idea of whether it's going to make a difference. For instance, if polls show that Republicans in 2014 are on the verge of losing the legislative power to pass suppression laws then passing them in 2014 becomes crucial. Otherwise, save the heavy firepower for 2016.
Yeah, we Maine voters can be pretty sharp -- we got an Independent Senator this time too (and he will caucus with the Democrats).
Now if we can just lose that Governor who was elected by mistake . . .
You mean Gov. "I-Think-It's-LePage"?
:D
The trouble with ignorance is that it picks up confidence as it goes along.
- Arnold H. Glasow
;-)
What Scott Walker considers 'ridiculous'?...Justice for all
He took his son to vote the same day of the election Fact.
Same Day Register Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
PAY TO PLAY??? Story on line Milwaukee Journal Sentinel