Yes, just as dumb as he looks except for political skill
During his bid for re-election in 2014, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker denied he was planning to run for President. Naturally, the public believed it. He's a very experienced and skillful liar who has
always used each political office he's held as a launching pad for his next goal.
The ink was barely dry on the election results and Walker was flying off to meet with billionaire Republican donor, casino magnate, and all-around kook Sheldon Adelson to beg him for money. With money, all Walker needs is to have a nice, quiet start to his second term without the turmoil, protests, and revelations of his first so he can run for President.
Well, he's not going to get that and won't have "libruls", "union thugs", or Democrats to blame. It's his fellow Republicans that are planning another whiz bang Legislation with enough extremism to bring tens of thousands of protesters back to the State Capitol.
Walker, who’s trying to polish an image of a governor who gets things done efficiently, is confronting lawmakers who want to flex their increased political power by wading into difficult issues, such as right-to-work legislation, to score major conservative victories.
The governor wants no part of it. He wants a buttoned-down agenda centered on the budget and tax cuts, done on a brisk campaign-friendly schedule, and is skirting big showdowns that could take months and bring hordes of protesters back into the streets in Madison, much like the turmoil of his first months in office. Walker enraged labor unions after taking office in 2011 by passing legislation that effectively ended public employee unions’ bargaining rights, sparking weeks of demonstrations and a recall election that Walker survived.
Walker can blame himself for the extremism. In 2010 when Republicans controlled the State Legislator, he made sure to ram through enough extremist legislation to bring himself national attention from both donors, RW media, and reliable Republican Presidential Primary voters.
He spent over 2 years ensuring passage of abortion restrictions, TRAP laws, mandatory ultrasounds, an end to Planned Parenthood funding, gutting social programs, voter suppression laws, and virtually ending state shared revenue to towns and cities. He also gutted environmental protections by passing a bill written by a mining corporation so it could create an open pit iron mine and poison as much of our air, land and water as it wants (after their $700,000 donation to a dark money group), He further expanded the rights of gun lovers including Stand Your Ground and concealed carry), expanded hunting rights into state parks so close to trails and roadways that bullets can cross the paths easier than the deer (watch out hikers and cross country skiers!).
And, of course, he took away the right of every public worker in the state (even if they worked for a municipality) to collectively bargain unless, of course, they were a member of a union that endorsed, supported, and donated to his campaign (sweet deal made even sweeter when Republican judges said it was legal). Then he and his fellow Republicans secretly redistricted the state and rammed through the results in order to ensure perpetual GOP domination.
He also refused federal money that would have entirely paid for a high speed rail line and also refused to expand Medicaid - both pleasing to Tea Partying Republicans.
Yes, he made himself into a Republican Rock Star, but he also gave Wisconsin Republicans a taste of real power. They're now drunk with power after an election where their gerrymandered districts and mega cash from powerful interests gave them plenty of success and they want MORE.
Those boys are dreaming big now.
Now Republican lawmakers are pressing to set the agenda.
In addition to right-to-work legislation, conservatives are talking about social issues, such as banning abortions for pregnancies after 20 weeks, and making it more difficult for prosecutors to launch secret “John Doe” investigations, which are Wisconsin’s version of a grand jury probe. Walker himself has been the target of two such probes. Both issues could provoke legislative battles.
The statewide Chamber of Commerce is among the powerful interests pushing for a right-to-work law. Backers argue that Wisconsin will be at a competitive disadvantage in attracting business until it can guarantee that workers won’t have to pay union dues on union-contract jobs if they don’t want to. Several neighboring states have such laws.
And that's just the START of their extremist wish list. They're also planning to pass legislation for a mandatory retirement age for members of the State Supreme Court in order to oust popular Chief Justice, Shirley Abrahamson whom they have been unable to defeat at the polls. By mega money and questionable ethical behavior, the RW has obtained the majority of seats on the State Supreme Court, but haven't been able to rid themselves of Abrahamson. Mandatory retirement legislation would do that immediately.
Worse for Walker is the fact that Republicans in the Legislature aren't listening to him and don't care about his Presidential ambitions. They're preparing to push extremism as far as it can go and they know they have all the power they need to do it. Democrats can't stop them and it looks like Walker can't either.
My Take:
Having watched Walker for decades (and having worked for that clown, too), I wonder if that's the whole story or if this is just another Walker scheme to promote himself as "the strong and fearless leader". Perhaps he intends to let Republicans promote an extremist agenda in order to promote himself as the guy who can rein it all in.
Then again, Walker himself agrees with every bit of that extremist agenda (remember he promised so-called Right to Work (for less and mooch services from unions) to billionaire donor Diane Hendricks. And he's as anti-abortion and misogynist as anyone. It might serve his interests to let his Republican cronies ram through all of it while pretending opposition.
Walker is dumb as a rock, but every functioning brain cell he has is used for further his political ambitions. His skill as a politician is not to be underestimated.
So, either the Karma Truck has pulled up to the Governors Mansion with a delivery OR this is all part of a Scott Walker self-promotion scheme.
Hang on, folks. It's going to be a bumpy ride.