GOP Rivals Pile On Scott Walker's Flip-Flopping

[DonViejo]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

By STEVE PEOPLES AND SCOTT BAUER Published MARCH 14, 2015, 9:20 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scott Walker's rivals see him as an up-and-comer in the Republican race for president, so they are focusing on the Wisconsin governor's changing positions on a number of issues.

The still-unofficial campaigns of several Republicans have assembled internal memos, research papers and detailed spreadsheets that highlight and track Walker's shifts on positions from immigration to ethanol to abortion. They say Walker has a broad pattern of flip-flopping that will be his greatest vulnerability.

The rush of what's known in the campaign trade as "opposition research" comes as Walker is in midst of a swing through two early voting states. He travels next week to South Carolina after spending this weekend in New Hampshire.

Steve Duprey, a Republican national committeeman from New Hampshire who is not aligned with any candidate, said Walker is relatively unknown among voters in his state — meaning the governor is subject to definition by his opponents. "You have to be an authentic candidate," Duprey said. "If people think you're flipping left and right, that sticks with you."

-snip-

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/scott-walker-gop-rivals-flip-flop

[Thinkingabout]

1. Walker is the new Reagan, he touched Reagan's bible.

[DonViejo]

2. There's a bit of an uproar developing over Walker's story of holding Reagan's bible....

Library Curator Disputes Scott Walker's Story About Holding Reagan's Bible

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's tale of how he came to hold the family Bible that President Ronald Reagan used when taking the oath of office doesn't match the memory of the presidential library curator charged with caring for the book.

-snip-

At a 2013 Reagan Day dinner in Milwaukee, Walker told a Reagan story that he said "gives me a little bit of a shiver."

He described being invited by Nancy Reagan to give a speech at the Reagan Library near Los Angeles in November 2012, five months after he won a recall election that stemmed from his successful effort to curtail the union rights of public employees in his state. Walker said he met with Nancy Reagan before the speech and told her that he had won the recall on the eighth anniversary of Ronald Reagan's death.

Walker went on to describe how, during a tour of the library before the speech, the library curator "unbeknownst to me" had taken the Reagan family Bible out of its display and readied it for him to look at. "And they brought over a pair of white gloves to me and they said, 'No one has touched this since President Reagan. It is his mother's Bible that he took the oath of office on. Mrs. Reagan would like you to hold it and take a picture with it'," Walker said in a YouTube video of part of the speech posted by a reporter for the liberal magazine The Progressive.

-snip-

But library artifacts curator Jennifer Torres told The Progressive magazine in a series of emails that it was Walker who had asked to view the Bible while at the library. "We decided to remove the Bible the day Gov. Walker was in town to comply with his request, took the Bible back to collections after the photo and re-installed it on exhibit a few days later," Torres said in the March 4 email.

Torres also said in the email that Walker's assertion that he was the first person to touch the Bible since Ronald Reagan was untrue. "Since the president's passing, several staff members and conservators have handled the Bible, all while wearing gloves," Torres said in the emails. "It is unknown if President Reagan was the last to have to have touched the Bible without gloves, but it is doubtful."

more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/scott-walker-reagan-bible-curator

[question everything]

3. Last week in Iowa, it was Jeb Bush vs. Scott Walker about immigratrion reform

this map, from the WSJ, explain this




(Not sure where Perry stands, though..)

[old guy]

4. I have never felt that Walker will be the repub candidate.

He has served his purpose in Wi., but is not viable in a national setting. Koch money made him but only in the bubble of Wi. He will be exposed for the empty suit that he is the more visible he becomes. VP, maybe, but even that is a recipe for disaster just like Ryan. Wall street will fall in behind Bush IMO.

[blm]

5. Walker wants to be VP - he knows he can't beat Bush for the nom...

NWO Republicans know exactly who their masters are.

[starroute]

6. I'm not sure the GOP base would accept two "moderates"

Walker has been working awfully hard to polish his social-conservative credentials, but that may not be enough. I can see someone like Jebbie at the top of the ticket -- but they'd have to supply a true believer in the VP slot to keep the Tea Partiers on board.

[blm]

7. Walker makes a perfect TeaParty candidate.

Some of the moderate language he inserted in ads last year close to election day was pure weaseling because of the tightness of the polls towards the end. That's all.

In every way, shape, and form he's a perfect TeaTalibanRepublican.

[starroute]

12. But he's a Northerner -- practically a Yankee

Born in Colorado, the great-grandson of immigrants from Germany and Bohemia and Wales. Raised in Iowa and then in Wisconsin.

He may be as conservative as all heck, but that's not going to satisfy the Neo-Confederates.

[StevieM]

9. I think Walker wants to be president and I think he believes he can beat Bush.

The only reason why people think Bush has such a good chance is all the money he is going to raise. Of course....that is a pretty good reason. But the point is that Walker has a chance. Lord knows the GOP base loves him for crushing the unions.

Besides...the Koch brothers may come through big time for Walker.

I do think that the nominee is very likely to be either Bush or Walker.

[Major Hogwash]

16. Republicans are tired of the Bushes.

Last edited Sun Mar 15, 2015, 03:37 PM - Edit history (1)

And they know that Jeb has mucho baggage.
So, I don't know why you think Walker would accept anything less than being their Presidential candidate.

[blm]

17. You know me, Major - It's simple…..

Bushes have a way of getting exactly what they have planned for. I think the GOP's party infrastructure is hard-wired to respond appropriately.

Some may say they don't want Bush, but, when I'm battling RWers at other forums, they defend Bush with the current propaganda they've been fed. Did you know WMDs WERE found in Iraq? LOL

The most organized opposition to Bush is the Paulites whose GOTV will be showing up at caucuses and primaries.

[Plucketeer]

8. Walker would do a fresh-caught fish proud.

Which is odd since he smells like one caught a week ago.

[blkmusclmachine]

10. One Republican loon is as bad as another Republican loon.

=

[Thor_MN]

11. Pretty hard to flip flop when one doesn't have any viewpoints.

I'd say either the Kochs are flip flopping, or perceived flip flops are due to the Kochs neglecting to tell him what he thinks on a topic.

[calimary]

13. Good! They'll do a lot of the dirty work for us.

And they'll deliver him nicely chopped up to the Dems' dining table at the appropriate time - when we and our candidate can chew the rest of him up and spit him out.

Besides, it'll make nice mulch.

[Earth_First]

14. Walker is going to show up next week with a black eye...

...given to him personally by David (Koch) after this one!

Affiliations will change rapidly...stay tuned.

[MrModerate]

15. Walker's two greatest weaknesses as I see it . . .

Are his criminal past and his terrible ideas about, well, everything.

And then there's the fact that he's not that bright.