National media isn't accepting his usual 'splainin'
Being #1 in the polls in early primary states likely brought a huge smile to the face of Scott Walker (Gov-Wis, R). After all, he's been running for President since elected Governor in 2010. BUT, it also brought him more serious attention from national media and that's when things started going sideways.
Walker, like nearly all Wisconsin Republicans tends to get a free pass from our state press. Even goofy Glenn Grothman, Wisconsins newest Congresscritter, isn't derided for his increasingly insane comments and faux paus. Walker, however, gets extra special treatment in our press that enables him to present lies and distortions as facts and truth and hide his failures.
National media, not so much. They're asking questions and, OMG, asking follow up questions! They're not accepting of whatever it is that falls out of Walkers mouth as an adequate answer to a gentle query. I'm sure that Walker is shocked that he's not getting the kid-gloves treatment that he gets from media here.
They're not willing to believe his "the staffer did it" or "it was a drafting error" or "I don't know anything about it" excuses that our state press laps up. They seem to know that Walker is a well-known micromanager who eyeballs even the tiniest details. His approval is needed for everything as the John Doe private email trail demonstrates. Even press releases and statements must be approved.
Yes, it's certainly a shock for him when real reporters ask real questions along with follow ups. Sure, he can run to his national AM radio talk show hosts and Faux Newz to apply a goodly amount of spin to whatever has gone off the rails that day, but great reporters won't accept spin or lame excuses like they do in big Wisconsin media.
THIS is what will do him in among all but fervent Republican voters. Walkers closet is full of skeletons just waiting for the door to be opened. Stories little covered in our media here will, hopefully, get more serious consideration nationally as Walkers prominence continues.
They'll look at how Walker has surrounded himself with corrupt loyalists with several serving time in prison. They'll examine how Walker, a career politician, has used each and every elected office exclusively to launch himself to his next goal. They'll look at WHY Walker left Marquette University after 4 years (with an entire year of classes needed for a degree) and wonder why he has given so many different excuses about the reason.
They'll look at the corruption that existed in his Milwaukee County Executive office, how he used taxpayer money to travel the state in preparation for a state wide campaign, and how much debt he left the County in (while claiming a balanced budget) when he left for the Governors mansion.
They'll look at the very expensive remodeling done to the Governors Mansion at the insistence of the First Lady during a time Walker proclaimed the state "broke". They'll wonder why such remodeling was necessary when the Walkers commuted from their home in Wauwatosa. They might wonder why Tonette Walker brought the family laundry to Madison to be done by Mansion staff.
They might want to check out the 35% raises Walker gave to his appointed cronies, too, at the same time he claimed Wisconsin was so "broke" he had to squeeze public workers out of 17% of their paychecks, squeeze $2 billion out of our schools, literally end state revenue sharing, and slash social programs. And then they might just check out those priority civil service hires of unqualified cronies or children of mega donors who didn't even have to bother applying for the executive state positions they received (with a 35% salary increase over their predecessors.
And then there's the John Doe that RW forces has stalled with multiple lawsuits. They've got the goods on Walker and his campaign coordinating with dark money groups. That's a no-no.
So many stories need to get looked at that I can't begin to even list most of them.
But I do know that when they pop the hood and take a look inside, they'll find Walker is a vacant lot filled with talking points, memes, and reams of orders to obey from the monied interests.
Scott Walker knows he MUST become President. If he doesn't, the huge debt he's piled up for the State of Wisconsin is going to become due. And the huge deficit in his budget, which he is repeatedly claiming is a surplus, is going to start to show for real.
Soon, as they file their state income tax returns, taxpayers in Wisconsin are going to be hit with the reality of Scott Walkers "tax cut". The $12-15 that the average family actually got was made much bigger by Walkers change to the tax withholding tables in 2014 (an election year). The state withheld less from each paycheck deliberately. On filing state income taxes, Wisconsin taxpayers are going to discover that very painful truth. That "tax cut" was mostly manufactured out of smoke and mirrors. Our media will likely not cover it, but national media just might check it out.
I'm enjoying this. Keep it coming, national media. Please keep it coming.