He's hitting the train button again. Here's his ad from August 2010, aimed at the high-speed rail line between Madison and Milwaukee: "I will put a stop to this boondoggle the day I take office." This was the single issue that got my vote back then.
And Walker beat Tom Barrett and won his 4-year term. But we're back, less than 2 years later, deciding between Walker and Tom Barrett again. It's the boondoggle known as the recall, and it's costing Wisconsin taxpayers $18 million.
"I gave my word that I would treat the taxpayer’s money as my own," says Scott Walker in an op-ed published today in the Cap Times. He says a bunch of other things, making his case for June 5th election.
The Cap Times also has an op-ed from Tom Barrett, who says he is "pulling up a lawn chair and listening and talking with people" while Scott Walker is "flying around the country raising money and playing right-wing rock star to the extreme conservative elite."
Yeah, Scott, stop flying around and get into that lawn chair like Tom Barrett. And Tom, I know it's rough getting around without trolley or train-tracks everywhere you go, but come on... lawn chair?
ADDED: Please take the folksinger viewpoint into account:
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From an outside of WI point of view it appears there are four posibilities about this guy:
1-he is a Rove plant.
2-he is delusional.
3-he is sincere and awesomly arrogant and stupid.
4-he really doesn't want to win and is just going through the motions.
Predicts a Walker win and i dont think its going to be close.
Two things struck me.
First, he is YOUNG. Like Bobby Jindall young. Or younger.
Two, wow, that sounds like quite an accent. To me, as a Southerner, anyway.
_XC
"From an outside of WI point of view it appears there are four posibilities about this guy..."
Which "guy"?
Barrett, and for that matter Tommy Thompson, are from the old school that believes money awaits them just around the corner to pay for today's debts. Charge it!
That always worked before we traded our industrial base to China and India who only see us as us their debt captives to be used as their distribution system for dumping surplus manufactured products.
Walker sees us as being smart enough to plan and fight back against that Delusional World of Debt before it's too late.
This trolley comes from federal dollars procured in the 1990s. It sat around forever because no one could decide what to do with it. When Walker was county exec, a deal was hatched that he got a chunk for the county bus system and the rest (around $60 million) went to Milwaukee.
The cost of the trolley keeps rising due to utility upgrades. The route runs from the fancy new condos along Lake Michigan to the trendy lofts in the Third Ward before ending at the Bradley Center, where Herb Kohl's Bucks play.
It doesn't serve a single poor person in the city. It doesn't go to the Summerfest grounds or Miller Park. It doesn't go to a single employment hub such as the Froedert Medical Complex. It doesn't go to UW-Milwaukee and its 30K students. It doesn't go to the airport. If you have been to downtown Tacoma, WA, it will be less useful what they have.
We have a trolley. It's constantly empty and a money suck so of course they're talking about expanding it.
Also, trolley's are slow and the tracks are really annoying to drive on. The only good thing about our trolley is that it's route is tiny.
But somebody thought it was cute!
Clang Clang Clang went the trolley
Ding Ding Ding went the bell
Zing Zing Zing went my heartstrings
Then I got off downtown and got mugged.
They trolley would be run by the City of Milwaukee. Milwaukee County runs the bus system.
The trolley route would eliminate some of the bus routes that actually provide a positive revenue stream for the bus system.
All so a politician can cut the ribbon on a bright, shiny object.
Cubanbob,
From a close-by perspective (Barrett runs in my neighbprhood), I think it is mild delusion. Barrett is basically sincere and honest, but somewhat bland and ineffectual and uninspiring. He is not a public union stooge. Perfect for a larger city mayor because he is not corrupt, but lacks the "vision thing."
The election between Walker and Barrett was close last time, and Barrett really did not seem into the fight. He thinks if he is feisty this time that he will convince enough independents to switch to him to make a difference in the outcome.
I don't think it will work, because the recall is about public sector unions, despite barrett's attemptsto make it about anything other than that. And the feisty Barrett is an act that most people see through.
Barry's analysis is spot on.
He is also mayor because there is no one else in Milwaukee that people would trust as mayor. If I lived in Milwaukee I would vote for him as mayor....no better choices exist.
Barrett doesn't work too hard. This was a short and quick way to try to slip into the governor's mansion.
How can Milwaukee be considered a modern cosmopolitan city if it doesn't have a transportation system based on 100 year old technology?
Streetcars are one of those trendy "smart growth" ideas that libs, like programed robots, have latched on to. They want to ram one down the throats of people, and over already crowded roads that they refuse to improve, here in Arlington.
It is also yet another example of the bastardization of language in that they think that going back to a 19th century transportation system, which was abandoned for a reason, is "progressive."
That whole song is so funny! Free money from Washington! What could be bad about that? I love the part where he describes something so much in the past as "the future." The whole 60's persona of the singer says all you need to know about where he fits in on the "future vs. past" continuum.
It's funny, but not for the reasons the singer thinks it is.
ricpic, LOL.
For anyone curious, that lawn chair picture is from the Australian movie Danny Deckchair, about a guy who takes off in his balloon chair and leaves his old life behind.
"This was the single issue that got my vote back then."
You do know who single issue positions like this are targeted for?
The Walker campaign should do an ad where they show how Barrett is like Gray Davis, showing California's economy and adding "Don't let Wisconsin become California."
It would be an economy ad while also tapping into anti-California bias.
love Danny Deckchair!
"That whole song is so funny! Free money from Washington! What could be bad about that?"
Yeah, that's the biggest siren song out there, isn't it? How many ships have crashed on those rocks?
I have a telling example from a place I work that's a non-profit. Someone donated a bunch of hardware to help with scheduling conference rooms. It was FREE. Yea! After spending about $7000 on software, programming, installation and troubleshooting to support the "free" hardware the decision was made to finally dump the whole system before it was ever fully implemented because there were certain things that it just didn't do well that needed doing. So the free donation led to throwing away a bunch of money that could have been spent better elsewhere. Does that sound familiar? Only multiply by 100,000.
Barrett is sitting in his lawn chair hoping someone comes up and explains why there's recall election.
"That whole song is so funny! Free money from Washington! What could be bad about that?"
That the free money from Washington came from the locals in the first place.
Taxes now go in bulk to the Feds who then deign to dole it back out to the states and local government units. Then the Feds put conditions on the use of the money that they deign to return to us.
It should be the opposite. Most of the money should stay with the locals, some goes on to the state for state level stuff, and some to the feds for fed level stuff.
Then the money will have a much better chance of going for something that's genuinely useful.
I can drive on I-94 from Milwaukee to Madison or vice versa than that so-called High Speed Train would have gone. But the state "lost out" on Federal money earmarked for the train. Except that it was probably Wisconsin's money in the first place.
It's a shame "trolly" doesn't have three sylables.
Predicts a Walker win and i dont think its going to be close.
Agreed. When Barrett's people are announcing internal polls that have their own candidate behind, the fat lady is warming up. It's going to take a big scandal for Walker to lose this.
From Scott Walker's video:
"...that's how we move Wisconsin forward."
"Forward"?
Two weeks ago people were saying that's a commie slogan.
Two weeks ago people were saying that's a commie slogan.
You actually typed out that comment without noticing the difference?
gee, that video has been up almost a year, and 280 views & 1 comment so far? I feel like I have soiled myself going to the WI AFL-CIO site, but I guess Althouse has done them favor, although most of the viewers will be looking at it for a good laugh.
A couple of interesting stats:
* Intrade: 93.9% on the Walker Win
* Days since last Garage post on a Walker thread: 8
Of course there are no posts from Garage. He is in full metal recall mode. I'm sure he is manning the phone banks for Barrett 24/7.
From Scott Walker's video:
"...that's how we move Wisconsin forward."
"Forward"?
Two weeks ago people were saying that's a commie slogan.
Epic fail.
Forward is the Wisconsin state motto.
So Obama adopted Wisconsin's state motto as its own. That didn't work out so well, so next up is the adoption of Wisconsin's state dance as part of Obama's re-election branding strategy.
Polka 2012! They could use the red white 'n blue "o" for the "o" in polka. Pure genius, I tell ya.
Steve said...
Of course there are no posts from Garage. He is in full metal recall mode. I'm sure he is manning the phone banks for Barrett 24/7.
Going through Walkers trash cans as we speak.
Hey! Is that a trolley in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/watchdogreports/hundreds-of-assault-cases-misreported-by-milwaukee-police-department-v44ce4p-152862135.html
Jeepers.
"Agreed. When Barrett's people are announcing internal polls that have their own candidate behind, the fat lady is warming up. It's going to take a big scandal for Walker to lose this."
The Dems are running round-the-clock busses to Milwaukee City Hall to early vote. The clerk is keeping the voting office open until 7 each night and all through the holiday weekend. Same thing in Madison. The Dems are rounding up anyone with a pulse.
EVERYONE who supports Walker has to make sure people on their side or against the recall cast a vote. If we take this lightly then Garage will be insufferable.
Wow, I haven't laughed so hard in weeks.
Forward is the Wisconsin state motto.
Yes. My reaction to Obama's taking over the WI state motto was that it was typical of a flatlander to take the good of Wisconsin. People in Wisconsin all across the political spectrum would react differently to Obama using that as a slogan than would people elsewhere.
Ironic Humor. Some people don't get it.
Garage::::
I'm sure he is manning the phone banks for Barrett 24/7.
... and voting 2 times per day.
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