December 16, 2012

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker talks with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters for an hour.

The first 10 minutes have Walker saying that he won't pursue right-to-work legislation and that he doesn't want anything that will stir up the the kind of passion and protest we saw here in 2011. This has obvious political value for him, but the main idea is that businesses want calm and certainty. Those who've protested Walker should see that they've successfully inhibited him from taking further steps in the direction they oppose.

26 comments:

vet66 said...

Timing is everything...He knows how to play his cards.

kentuckyliz said...

What a pity for Wisconsin.

Goju said...

Maybe he is just trying to lull his opponents while he regroups and plans new ways to push his agenda. Get more Rs elected to the state senate, further R control of the Assembly, and then continue his path to solving the state's fiscal problems.

Walker doesn't need to push RTW. He has already dealt a severe defeat to the unions. There are bigger fish to fry.

Brad said...

I agree with vet66 & Goju ...

The important thing for Walker is to succeed. He got his program through. The unions picked their fights, threw everything they had at him and lost.

Now's the time for events to show that the unions not only lost, they were also "wrong" on the merits. Build more evidence that the unions weren't interested in protecting Wisconsin, they were interested in protecting themselves.

THEN, when events have further discredited them, you pursue the next objective.

Unknown said...

He said the same months ago. He got significant union support. Wisconsin private unions have shown cooperation in the last couple years. If the left wants to embrace a victory from this thin gruel, its they who are inhibited.

leslyn said...

Laughable.

More credible is that Walker recognized the implications of key provisions of Wis Act 10 being thrown out by the Federal district judge, who drew on the language and reasoning of Citizens United.

Anonymous said...

It's public employee unions that are the biggest problem. Governments can't move, businesses can. Private sector unions would eventually get the message when all their union members lose their jobs. Government employee unions don't have such a valuable feedback mechanism.

Phil 314 said...

As a non-Wisconsonite, I must say I admire Walker's overall approach and demeanor. I never get a sense of a guy who uses "fighting words". He has clear aims AND at the same time a strong sense of responsibility for the well-being of the state.

leslyn said...

bpm4532 said... It's public employee unions that are the biggest problem.

The biggest are not closed shop.

Michael Haz said...

I'm waiting for the secret video of what Governor Walker really, really said in that interview. I'm sure Dan Bice will get it from his source in the Milwaukee County DA's office.

purplepenquin said...

When running for Gov the first time didn't Walker sit down with a different editorial board and say that he would use collective bargaining to negotiate with state workers? We all saw how he followed through on that, eh?

And isn't there a video clip of Walker telling one of his billionaire donors his plans for how he will be enacting these sort of anti-union laws? Was he just lying to her, or is he lying to us?

Michael Haz said...

My property taxes are down again this year. Thanks Governor Walker!

edutcher said...

WI, then MI...

Where will the demos get their slush funds without the unions?

TosaGuy said...

There is a significant difference between private and public sector unions. Walker is better off politically by continuing to expose those differences and forcing the dems to pick sides.

kimsch said...

Walker can "not pursue" RTW and still sign a bill into law...

:)

machine said...

Just like Snyder....what he says doesn't matter.

Unknown said...

-----And isn't there a video clip of Walker telling one of his billionaire donors his plans for how he will be enacting these sort of anti-union laws? Was he just lying to her, or is he lying to us? ------

Purple swimming bird posts dishonestly.

To push back against the big lie that the Wis libs will want to push forever, Walker had a major supporter ask him about Right to Work during the campaign. Walker's response was a tepid, perhaps unthinking yeah. Unlike the vast majority of democratic politicians, especially our 'moderate' President, Walker was not hiding his real positions. For example, it is documented that he did talk about modifying collective bargaining rights.

-----Just like Snyder....what he says doesn't matter.

No, that is a liberal approach to government (where it is all a great leader personalization rather than the operation of independent branches government).

Snyder wasn't driving RTW, a consensus developed an it was LEGISLATED by the legislative branch. This could happen in the Wisconsin legislature and it would not be a Walker lie, it would be the initiative of another branch of government.

Alex said...

When is the indictment coming down? Also Rick Snyder promised earlier this year he would not pursue RTW and immediately broke that promise. I don't believe Walker for a second. A reptilian Republican can't change his lizard spots.

Alex said...

Yes Walker and ALL Republicans are lying liars and they caused the school massacre.

Goju said...

Perhaps the liberal mind is incapable of understanding basic English. Synder did not pursue RTW. He neither opposed it nor supported it. There were 2 bills. 1 bill originated in the lower house, the other in the upper house. Both bills were passed by both houses and sent to the governor. He signed them. Synder stayed out of the battle.

Another view is that it is calm and quiet because it is the unions that have hid their collective heads in the wake of their defeats. Maybe the unions are just trying to avoid doing further damage to themselves.

jlfonz said...

If obama pushes card check "rules" in DC into effect then we will be right back where we started and Walker will need to re-visit RTW immediately afterwards at which point it may not be a politically beneficial time for conservatives. I say we pass RTW laws now while the unions are reeling. In terms of a fight, he is allowing them to get back on to their feet and THAT is a mistake.

purplepenquin said...

Purple swimming bird posts dishonestly.

Your momma posts dishonestly. And she's fat too. So fat that she sells shade in the summer. And so dishonest that she short-changes the blind customers.


(If you're gonna behave like a kid then you're gonna get treated like a kid.)

Walker had a major supporter ask him about Right to Work during the campaign. Walker's response was a tepid, perhaps unthinking yeah

And how is that any different than what I had said?

it is documented that he did talk about modifying collective bargaining rights

I've heard this claim many times before, but nobody can ever provide any actual examples of him saying such a thing. Do you have any links you can share with us?

Unknown said...

Purple ignoramus sez...

-----Walker had a major supporter ask him about Right to Work during the campaign. Walker's response was a tepid, perhaps unthinking yeah

And how is that any different than what I had said? ----

You said it was Walker's plan, I noted that it was the donor's initiative. This is just a gotcha from the left, Walker was almost looking the other direction and said "yeah" and you are going to forever make this one of his core principals. Fine, I'll forever call you on it.

His thoughts on modifying union bargaining rights is discussed here...

Union activists complain Scott Walker was not forthright about plans to limit collective bargaining prior being elected Governor. However, evidence clearly shows that Wisconsin’s largest teacher’s union, WEAC, knew.

An Aug. 29, 2010, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article reported that Walker Campaign Policy Advisor Ryan Murray said, “The way the proposal would work is we would take the choice out of the collective bargaining process.”

http://chippewa.com/dunnconnect/news/opinion/letters/weac-knew-all-along/article_41f7e3e0-64c9-11e1-9850-001871e3ce6c.html

Unknown said...

Also here...

http://www.weac.org/luc/newsletters/October%20Lakewood%20Lookout.pdf

purplepenquin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
purplepenquin said...

You said he "talked about" his plans to modify collective bargaining rights, but neither of those links show such a thing. Can you please provide a link that shows some quotes from Walker explaining the proposal to ban unions for some public workers and strip away practically all collective bargaining rights for most other public workers?


And if you wanna claim that Walker will make promises to one of his biggest donors, even if he doesn't have any intentions of following through on 'em, well...err...I ain't gonna argue with you on that one. Neither of us know what was truly in his heart when he was having that convo, and as I pointed out earlier it is possible that Walker was just lying to her.