Scott Walker's Inability to Think on His Feet May Doom Presidential Run

Scott Walker: Wait, wasn't protesting families, April rain caused job loss

I asked Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel political columnist Daniel Bice in an online Q and A in mid-April what he thinks about a Scott Walker run for president, in the face of a national press that likes to feast on dumb hicks from Wisconsin.

Replied Bice in part:

Gov. Walker is not an ideas guy like Mitch Daniels. You saw that during his recent Sunday morning TV appearance discussing gay marriage. Walker trotted out the idea of having [government] get out of the marriage business and leaving that to religions. Not a great idea for any number of reasons. A couple of errors like that during a presidential debate could earn him the distinction of being the Gov. Perry of the 2016 campaign.

Ideas are not Walker's strong suit. And answering straight questions with straight answers would be a first for Walker who is overestimated as a communicator.

Walker often makes inexplicable, uninformed and baffling statements, and he hasn't yet been called on it with what political experts refer to as 'follow-up questions.' Hence, Walker's refusal to appear outside of GOP radio and the like.

In front of the national media,Walker may look like a buffoonish, clumsy con man.

Frankly, Walker has been an embarrassment for the state of Wisconsin and you can almost hear the groans across the nation when he stumbles into the GOP primary debates.

He will not be looked upon with the suppressed smiles directed at a somewhat endearing foe's misspeaking—like with what happened with Rick Perry's "oops" moment when Perry forgot what three cabinet departments he so needed to cut—which could be looked at as stemming from the fatigue resulting from the many GOP debates.

Walker is not benign, nor will he provoke smiles from opponents.

I think the national political press is getting tired of the over-heated Walker, Ryan, Priebus Wisconsin-Koch show.

This is not to suggest that Republican presidential primary campaigns are phenomena intended to provoke thought from the candidates and the electorate. Quite the opposite.

But the 2012 GOP primary did demonstrate that coherent lies applied to policy, and appeals to racism and nativism are required in this neo-fascist fest, and I just don't think Walker has the chops to do that on a national stage.

I mean how does Walker handle the first question about his top aide and confidante, Tim Russell, who stands convicted of stealing from veterans used as props by Walker?

Let's see what comes out of Des Moines this-coming week.

Walker has lost trust and will not recover

Never before in Wisconsin history has a new governor lost the trust of the people in such a short span of time—some six weeks.

The problem for Gov. Walker is he is targeting the very people in our society seen as critical to our community: EMTs, nurses, teachers and so on. They're not in their professions for the money.

These folks are saying about the budget: Let's bargain; times are rough.

Walker's response: 'Forget it, no collective bargaining, no unions, and no compromise' violates most people's sense of fairness. And once you do that as a politician, you are through.

Politically, Walker can begin making post-gubernatorial plans for consulting for hedge funds.

“We certainly think we’re winning the public debate on this,” said Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) in Chicago. “People understand this isn’t about money, it’s about stripping collective bargaining rights, and that’s unsettling to them.” (Doug Erickson, WSJ)

One poll has Walker opposed two-to-one, and the demonstrations are just getting started as national media attention is now focusing on Madison, Wisconsin.

If I had to design a communications and legislative strategy to subvert the Walker administration, I could not do a better job than his people have.

I spoke with a major Republican operative late last year and [he/she (I won't say)] said, almost bragging, that obstructing Wisconsin voters, breaking Wisconsin unions, redrawing federal and legislative districts [huge coming fight] and some other goodies were planned months ago.

Specifically, [he/she] thinks Rep. Tammy Baldwin's (D-Madison) Second district can be redrawn out of existence.

I spoke to people at the rally on Wednesday. Most of those people are not even state workers. But they had family members and friends who are.

People seemed more jubilant and elated than angry at Walker. But their sentiments came through clear.

"Hey, [Walker] is messing with my family," said a young woman, appearing in her young-20s.

And you just don't do that.

Candidate Landowski Denies Recruitment by Anti-Catholic Pol

Update II: Informed sources say that absolutely no mainstream Republican will have "anything" to do with Tom Reynolds. That will make this story a bit less fun to cover, but it merits stating that the GOP ought not be blamed for anything Reynolds and his people do and say.

Update: Clean Sweep Wisconsin’s (CSW) PAC is mandated to file a 2008 continuing financial report with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board by July 21. Citizens seeking CSW’s disbursements made prior to July 21 can request a copy or inspection of CSW’s report. CSW can claim exemption from financial reporting if several criteria are met.

Tom Reynolds' candidate, Phil Landowski, says on his website that he was not recruited by Tom Reynolds or Reynolds' political action committee, Clean Sweep Wisconsin.

Landowski is running in the Democratic primary against Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee, 20), and has been linked to the notorious anti-Catholic Reynolds in press reports.

"... I haven’t been ‘recruited’ by any Tom, Dick, or Harry and I made that quite clear to Mr. Pitsch (of the Wisconsin State Journal)," says Landowski on his site.

The Landowski denial, echoing other denials made to Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writers, casts further doubt on the credibility of his candidacy, that has been described as part of a disingenuous effort by Reynolds, because Landowski's links to Reynolds have been made public in several press reports.

Last Sunday's Journal-Sentinel political column by Daniel Bice notes:

Landowski is a graduate of Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist Christian school that barred interracial dating as recently as 2000 and has been accused of being anti-Catholic. Landowski said he opposed the ban as a student and isn’t sure if he would send his children to Bob Jones. ... Landowski, of Milwaukee, one of Sinicki’s two primary challengers, demurred when asked if he had been recruited by Reynolds. But he acknowledged he has talked to the former West Allis senator about his campaign.

Bice has posted the audio of a Tom Reynolds phone call to state Rep. Sinicki (D-Milwaukee, 20), revealing the rightwing Reynolds' plan to run his recruited candidates in the September Democratic primary, opposing Milwaukee-area state representatives. [See link to the audio of the Reynolds phone call.]

Transcription of the Reynolds phone call, reads:

“… In Milwaukee here, we are working on a full slate of 12 candidates; eight on the north side, and four on the south side. And we are at eight or nine candidates right now. ... We have a candidate against Sinicki and a candidate against Staskunas. And we're still working on Zepnick and Colón….”

Landowski has also criticized the reporting of the Wisconsin State Journal's Mark Pitsch, asking, "So what’s this guy Tom up to that’s so sinister, that Mr. (Pitsch) couldn’t seem to focus on anything else (so much for issues) in our interview?"

One political observer sympathetic to Democrats, speaking on background, said the Reynolds-Landowski and allies' efforts, is a "clumsy head fake," that has "politically ruined anyone associated with it forever. ... At least we still have Tom Reynolds to kick around some more."

Clean Sweep Wisconsin still refuses to post its slate of candidates or answer its phone.

Updated - Anti-Catholic Reynolds' Candidates Avoiding Press

Update: Daniel Bice has the audio of a Tom Reynolds phone call to state Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee, 20), “a veteran Milwaukee Democrat, (who) has a direct and personal interest in what Reynolds was doing, so she signed up - using a fake name - with Clean Sweep Wisconsin.”

This is the link is to the audio of the Reynolds phone call, and the URL is: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=770314

Transcription of the Reynolds call, in part, follows:

“… In Milwaukee here, we are working on a full slate of 12 candidates; eight on the north side, and four on the south side. And we are at eight or nine candidates right now. ... We have a candidate against Sinicki and a candidate against Staskunas. And we're still working on Zepnick and Colón….”

An anti-Catholic-Reynolds ally in Colón’s district? That likely will not play especially well there; though it’s a fair bet that Reynolds’ brand of politics and hate will not play well anywhere in the Milwaukee area. See the Milwaukee-area Democratic State Reps chart at the end of this post.
***
What does a rightwing candidate recruited by a notorious anti-Catholic, Tom Reynolds, say if his/her name is on the ballot challenging Milwaukee-area Assembly Democrats in the September primary?

As little as possible.

And he/she hides from the public, staying in the shadows, an odd posture for candidates for public office, though consistent with the past odd behavior of former state senator Reynolds who reportedly had asked of prospective staff whether they were virgins.

The silence from the Reynolds candidates goes double for Reynolds' anti-Catholic PAC, Clean Sweep Wisconsin, whose motto should be: Stay in the closet with the brooms.

Reynolds' Clean Sweep Wisconsin's project to recruit some 12 candidates to run against Milwaukee-area Democratic incumbents (first revealed in the Wisconsin State Journal in late June) in the Democratic primary has an opaque website, Clean Sweep Wisconsin (CSW).

Clean Sweep Wisconsin's site reveals not one candidate today, the day after the deadline for candidates filing for state Assembly, though the site boasts that, "We need to elect NEW people to state offices to make our government accountable and work for the people again, instead of the special interests...are YOU willing to help."

Voters might ask of CSW candidates: Are YOU willing to reveal yourself?

Five incumbent Milwaukee-area Democratic state representatives have no primary opponent, the State Elections Board reveals.

Repeated phone calls to Clean Sweep Wisconsin's phone gets a Reynolds' answering machine or a non-answer. Not exactly Emily's list which proudly promotes their endorsed candidates.

Two Reynolds' candidates revealed in the Milwaukee press are Phil Landowski (running against Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee)) and Josh Hoisington (running against Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis), West Allis being Reynolds' home turf), as reported by Daniel Bice in Sunday's Journal-Sentinel.

Phil Landowski, running in the 20th Assembly District democratic primary offers the following on his "On the issues"web page:

Life - The regressive programs and agendas based on an ideology of eugenics were formed nearly a century ago by political and corporate elites who sought stratification of society based on ‘class’ and ‘desirability’. This backward paradigm flies in face of all things pertaining to life and liberty. I support all legislation that attempts to protect the most vulnerable of our society, which includes the pre-born.

Kudos to Phil Landowski, interviewed in the Journal-Sentinel, to have the guts to publicly speak his mind, and not hide from the public he is running to represent, though his prose may lean to the turgid for a candidate for public office.

As for the other Reynolds' Clean Sweep Wisconsin candidates besides Landowski and Hoisington, we'll have to wait until they crawl out of their closets or are outed as CSW candidates posing as Democrats.

Below is a list of Milwaukee area Democratic state representatives and their Democratic primary opponents.

Incumbent Rep. - Primary Opponent [CSW-IDed as confirmed]

Tony Staskunas (D-15) - Josh Hoisington (CSW)
Pedro Colón (D-8) - Jose Guzman, Laura L. Manriquez
David Cullen (D-13) - No opponent
Jason Fields (D-11) - Deon Price
Tamara Grigsby (D-18)-- No opponent

Frederick Kessler (D-12) - No opponent
Jon Richards (D-19) - No opponent
Christine Sinicki (D-20) - Philip Landowski (CSW), Steven Sutherland
Barbara Toles (D-17) - Samantha H. Bady

Annette Williams (D-10) - Charisha Allen
Leon Young (D-16) - Richard M. Badger, David D. King, Andy Parker
Josh Zepnick (D-9) - No opponent

Sheldon Wasserman (D-22) (Confirmed noncandidacy) - Andy Feldman, Guy Johnson, Dan Kohl, Sandra Pasch, Rosemary Ponik

Anti-Catholic Man's First Salvo at Assembly Dems

The first candidates for Tom Reynolds' (R-Outer Reaches) Clean Sweep Wisconsin's project to run some 12 candidates against Milwuakee-area Democratic incumbents in the Democratic primary are now public.

The Reynolds' folks are: Phil Landowski (running against state Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee)) and Josh Hoisington (running against Tony Staskunas (D-West Allis), West Allis being Reynolds' home turf), reports Daniel Bice in yesterday's Journal-Sentinel.

Reynolds, almost universally blasted during his tenure in the state senate (see Waxing America's profile on Reynolds and his anti-Catholic cavorting from 2005 and Milwaukee Shepherd-Express on Reynolds), has reportedly convinced several candidates to run against incumbent Assembly Democrats for reasons not entirely clear.

Bice notes, "State Republican Party officials emphasized last week that they are not affiliated with Clean Sweep and won’t be giving it any help."

Bice does not offer auspicious press for Reynolds' people. Of Landowski, Bice profiles in part:

Landowski is a graduate of Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist Christian school that barred interracial dating as recently as 2000 and has been accused of being anti-Catholic. Landowski said he opposed the ban as a student and isn’t sure if he would send his children to Bob Jones.
But his alma mater is the least of the first-time candidate’s concerns.
Landowski was busted in ’99 for carrying a concealed weapon, a charge that was later reduced to a civil violation and fine.

The status of Reynolds' purported targets in his ambitious project are listed below:

Tony Staskunas (D-16) - Reynolds man, Hoisington, has him in his sights
Pedro Colón (D-8) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.
David Cullen (D-13) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.
Jason Fields, (D-11) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.
Tamara Grigsby, (D-18) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.

Frederick Kessler, (D-12) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.
Jon Richards, (D-19) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.
Christine Sinicki, (D-20) - Reynolds man, Landowski, has her in his sights
Barbara Toles, (D-17) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.

Sheldon Wasserman, (D-22) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.
Annette Williams, (D-10) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.
Leon Young, (D-16) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.
Josh Zepnick, (D-9) - Awaiting the Reynolds ax.

Tuesday, July 8, is the filing date for Assembly candidates. Will keep you posted.
Check out the Journal-Sentinel for more info.