Apr 2, 2015

Scott Walker on Striking the Right Balence

If Scott Walker decides to run for the GOP nomination for the presidency (and he has prayed on this), those outside Wisconsin can take delight in the next Walker non sequitur when asked simple questions in public.

Wisconsin is one of only 18 states that have not either introduced legislation or have on the books some manner of the so-called religious freedom laws. (Steinhauer, New York Times)

Indiana does have a "Religious Freedom" law.

Indiana Republicans saw an opportunity to enact the right to discriminate (Media Matters) on behalf of private, for-profit people-entities in the wake of the Supreme Court's rewriting of the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014). (People for the American Way) (A more insidious effort by Arkansas Republicans was vetoed by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) yesterday, good for WalMart.)

Walker and Balance

Putative GOP presidential candidates and governors weighed in on Indiana's absurd law with Scott Walker leading the way with Indiana Gov. Mike Pence in confused and uninformed evasion.

"Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker took a different approach, saying he doesn't intend to get involved with it or anticipate a similar bill coming to his desk. 'In our state there's a balance between wanting to make sure that there's not discrimination [and] at the same time respecting religious freedoms. ... We do that in different ways than what they've done in Indiana. Certainly that's going to be part of the debate here and across the country,' he said at a press conference." (Kelly, NPR)

What "balance" is that?

What laws is Walker talking about?

Prior to Indiana becoming the national laughingstock, Walker had never spoken publicly on the Public Accommodations clause of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as somehow in tension with First Amendment religious freedom.

Walker invoked his "healthy balance" nonsense before, in November 2013 when Walker said because Wisconsin state statute and the state Constitution banned marriage equity,  "We’ve had no problems… I should say, limited problems with that." (Kim, MSNBC)

What about the people who were banned from being married?

Walker says "balance" when Walker has no idea what his talking about, a frequent occurrence.

Scott Walker
Marriage equality became the law of the land in Wisconsin last year when Judge Richard Posner's opinion striking down Walker's "healthy balance" as "mindless tradition," "bigotry" and a violation of the "Equal Protection Clause" went into effect in Wisconsin and Indiana. (Mal Contends)

There is intelligent commentary on who is the lightest of the lightweights: The bewildered and confused Gov. Mike Pence (R-Indiana), or the big and bold, but no-questions-from-the-public Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wisconsin).

This leads one to suggest: Pence-Walker in 2016, God-sent.

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