Running a non-stop Presidential campaign
It's about stinking time that Wisconsin
Governor Emperor Scott Walker (R-ILoveBillionaireDonors) begins to
pick up some of the security costs for his non-stop Presidential campaign instead of mooching them off the backs of Wisconsin taxpayers. After all, this is a guy who keeps on talking about "the hardworking taxpayers" and protecting their money from being "wasted" (except for subsidies and tax breaks for his mega-rich donors and their businesses, but .... shhh about that - it's a secret).
Since his re-election as Governor, he's been jetting all over the country and visiting as many foreign countries as he can to beef up his foreign policy bona fides. His massive security detail, which got even more massive after protests began in February, 2011, is costing "hardworking taxpayers" a bundle - so much that even the Walker-Loving Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has paid attention to the spending. A recent trip to England cost Wisconsin taxpayers over $138,000 and all Walker did was make a fool of himself by ducking questions from the media and then just simply ducking the media.
Taxpayers will not pay the travel costs of Gov. Scott Walker's security detail on political jaunts as he steps up his out-of-state trips in preparation for a likely presidential run.
State tax dollars will still pay for the salaries and benefits of the State Patrol troopers who guard the governor and his family. But the governor's presidential campaign in waiting, Our American Revival, will pick up the officers' travel costs when Walker attends political rallies, fundraisers and other events related to his likely White House bid.
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On official trips, however, tax dollars will continue to cover the troopers' travel costs.
Wisconsin taxpayers will still be on the hook for all costs that Walker can pretend to claim involve "official state business". That includes all his foreign travel. But openly political travel costs will now be covered by Walkers PAC and one can imagine that ways will be found to stick Wisconsin taxpayers with as much of his travel costs as possible.
The announcement about trooper travel costs did not dampen Democrats' criticism. Baldauff pointed to taxpayers paying for trooper salaries and overtime costs.
"As usual, Scott Walker is playing fast and loose with the rules," she said. "It's absurd that Wisconsin taxpayers are subsidizing his presidential campaign travel while he ignores the middle class back home."
As the governor seeks to boost his foreign policy credentials, he also went on an official trade mission this month to Germany, France and Spain at a still undisclosed cost.
It's the same old pattern familiar to taxpayers in Milwaukee County who footed Walkers travel costs as he roamed the state pretending to promote Milwaukee County while actually promoting himself for an inevitable run for statewide office. It cost us a bundle during the nearly 3 terms Walker was Milwaukee County Executive and gave him the name recognition to win election as Governor. And he didn't even bother to thank "the hardworking taxpayers" who footed those bills.
It's not only press coverage of Walkers travel costs that sparked the about face.
Last month, a top Walker aide told lawmakers that taxpayers would be footing the bill for security on all his travels. That has been the case for previous governors such as Democrat Jim Doyle, whether the travel was official or political.
"The governor has security no matter where he is," Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb told the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee in early March. "The governor is the governor 24/7, seven days a week, 365 days a year. He gets the protection of the State Patrol wherever he is."
The announcement from Our American Revival came after Democrats on the Legislature's budget committee pushed a proposal to provide greater oversight of taxpayer costs associated with Walker's travel. The measure, which would have required quarterly reporting of out-of-state travel costs, was rejected by a party-line vote, with Walker's fellow Republicans opposing it.
(bolding is mine)
I can only imagine how many trips to Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina that Walker will claim are needed to "sell Wisconsin cheese".
Bwahahahahahaha!
Don't worry about Walker running out of money any time soon. He's got big time pals in the Koch Brothers who have said he's their guy for President.
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For extra added entertainment value:
Scott Walker is now claiming that his change in religion was NOT because his former church because it welcomed the LGBT community.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Friday he changed churches about a decade ago so his school-age sons could participate in activities with children their age, not because his previous church was welcoming gays and lesbians.
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Walker transferred from Underwood Memorial Baptist Church to Meadowbrook Church about 10 years ago, soon after Underwood took a turn to the left with the arrival of the Rev. Jamie Washam, who spoke out against the war in Iraq and Wisconsin's gay marriage ban. Both churches are in Walker's hometown of Wauwatosa.
Riiiiiight. It's all about the kids. Does he think that we all have sponges for brains? Well know exactly where Walker stands on the issue of LGBT rights:
Earlier this month, Walker blamed the media for creating "hype and hysteria" over Indiana's new law, saying critics were people who were "chronically looking for ways to be upset about things." Indiana Gov. Mike Pence modified the law soon after controversy broke out over it.
It wasn't hype and hysteria. It was the fact that our brothers and sisters could be legally discriminated about.
Enjoy his BS explanation about how the son of a Baptist Preacher would suddenly decide to change religion.