Walker says Wisconsin is a national model

Posted at 4:30 PM on October 7, 2011 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, U.S. House, U.S. Senate

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says changes similar to the ones he made to his state's collective bargaining laws could be accomplished elsewhere as long as Republicans think about the next generation instead of the next election. Speaking in Bloomington today Walker said that the Wisconsin changes are working. He said the federal government and other states should follow suit.

"What we did earlier this year in Madison, I think resonates this year whether it's in Madison or in St. Paul or in Springfield or in Indianapolis or Columbus or Austin or in the halls of Congress in Washington D.C. We need men and women of courage and the people to stand up with them to back them up along the way. That's what we did earlier this year in Wisconsin."

Walker said Republicans in Wisconsin withstood pressure from Democrats and labor unions to punish them for the changes they made in the past year. Walker spoke to about 1,000 Republicans at the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference, which continues tomorrow in Bloomington.

You can listen to Walker's speech here: Listen

Political Strategist Karl Rove also spoke at the event. Rove, who served as political director to President George W. Bush, repeatedly criticized President Obama during his speech. He called Obama's Thursday news conference "petulant and petty."

"There he was lecturing us again, wagging his finger at us," Rove said. "We all know he doesn't really want to pass this so-called jobs bill. He really doesn't care. He'd prefer to have it as a political tool to beat up his political opponents."

Rove got his loudest applause from the GOP audience when he suggested that the federal health care law could be repealed if Republicans take the U.S. Senate and the White House.

You can listen to his speech here: Listen

While Rove got a loud applause from the audience, he got a glitter shower after his speech. A protester known for throwing glitter on Republican candidates pounced on Rove after his speech.

The attack occurred when he was signing books.

Comments (4)

Translation. The RETURN to the pre middle class where workers had no weekends, etc where they were basically animals to serve the master is the preferred future. Walker has a mental problem that needs treatment. We are not talking about unknown territory we are talking a return to an environment that is documented completely by history

Posted by Jon Robert | October 8, 2011 3:02 PM

Let's look at it from someone who LIVES in WI- The state workers here had benefits and pensions the rest of us pay through the nose to supply them. Actually compared to many other states, there benefits/pensions far exceeeded what other state or federal workers get-Look it up. Sorry if as a WI resident, I don't want to give up my house because of my skyrocketing taxes to pay for state workers and teachers when my husband has none and works two jobs. Bottom line, thanks to our previous governor, WI had debt owed even to MN, because he didn't know what a budget was. Scott Walker is doing exactly what we "working men and women" in WI wanted him to do- deal with the debt, work with a balanced budget and work to stimulate WI economy and hold down that tax burden!!

Posted by Kari Willoughby | October 8, 2011 6:11 PM

Ah, Kari, you have totally bought in to the rich playing off Americans against one another. It's not your teacher who brought on the economic crisis. Just look at who gets rich in this country and how they do it. You aren't going to do it, and neither is your local teacher.

Posted by Mark Anderson | October 8, 2011 10:23 PM

Walker relies on the ignorance of the public who don't know the facts.

I quote the State of Wisconsin's own web site talking about the state work force.
"c. Salaries are below market rates - About half of the agencies also indicate that
they struggle to hire well qualified candidates based on the fact that the
compensation they are able to offer is lower than what that person can get
outside of state service.
d. Attracting the next generation of public sector employees – New strategies
need to be developed to attract new generations of workers into public
service."
pg 4

Maybe The failure to graduate from college and rejected for cheating on elections Scott Walker has a bone to pick with teachers and it is payback time. All government employees will now suffer even if they are not teachers.

The benefits everyone scream about made up for the low wages. Which are now 11.3% less pay for a worker making 25,000 a year. They now make 22,175 a year Don't ya just hate them filthy rich government workers who average 45.9 years old and make an average $41,172 (page 9)
http://oser.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=6309

Posted by Jon Robert | October 9, 2011 7:53 AM

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