Posted on 06/10/2012 6:21:22 AM PDT by Libloather
Wisconsin Gov. Walker in line for speaking spot at Republican convention
By Josh Lederman - 06/06/12 08:45 PM ET
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walkers triumph in a Tuesday recall election has cemented his status among the GOPs bright, shining stars and put him in line for a prime-time speaking slot at the national convention in August, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus said Wednesday.
Hes got a pretty good advocate here at the RNC, Priebus told The Hill.
Priebus, who was born in Wisconsin and formerly ran the state GOP there, called Walker a close friend and suggested he would be exactly the kind of person the party seeks to highlight at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.
Im going to do whats best for winning the presidency, and having a convention with bold leaders and great ideas is something that I intend to do, Priebus said. Scott Walker is in the category of bright, shining stars with big ideas in this country.
Republicans across the country are crowing over Walkers victory and vowing to replicate his success nationwide, calling it a referendum on GOP efforts to rein in public spending. The massive blow to unions could also deprive Democrats of one of their most effective and best-funded organizing forces.
Democrats insist that special-interest dollars from out of state fueled Walkers win and that little should be surmised about its implications for the presidential race in the fall.
But Republicans are calling it a powerful omen that the momentum they had in 2010 has not dissipated.
Democrats should be shaking in their boots, said Charlie Black, an informal adviser to Mitt Romney and a GOP strategist. They did a good job turning out their vote and they still lost big, so where do they go from there?
Black added that the more than $10 million unions spent on their failed efforts to oust Walker would leave them with less in their coffers to disburse for President Obama in the fall.
For unions and the Democrats who rely on them, the losses on Tuesday were suffered on two fronts. The failure of their massive and costly campaign to recall Walker which leading national Democrats called a dry run for November dealt an undeniable blow to the partys morale and self-confidence, which could have reverberating effects on fundraising and grassroots efforts.
Over the long term, the vote of confidence in GOP-led efforts to curb the power of unions could wreak havoc for Democrats if it leads to an emasculation of unions as potent political organizations.
Although the recall effort against Walker quickly devolved into a national proxy battle between the two parties, it was anti-union legislation championed by Walker that had incensed Democrats in the first place. Walker emphatically cut spending and stripped state workers of most of their rights to bargain collectively through their unions.
The move led the way for other Republican governors, including Chris Christie in New Jersey and John Kasich in Ohio, to launch their own attempts to curtail the bargaining rights of public-sector workers. Both faced heated opposition and massive public protests, but both prevailed although voters later overturned Kasichs bill.
Granted their first clear indication that voters are unlikely to punish Republicans for taking on unions, conservative leaders in other states might now feel more confident about pursuing their own efforts to defang unions, Republican operatives said.
We cant keep spending money that they dont have and force people to pay union dues that get used for political purposes. Its not very American, and thats what labor has been able to get away with for a long time, said Henry Barbour, an RNC committeeman and Romney backer.
Although Democrats are working to stop the bleeding by pointing to silver linings from Tuesdays election including a recall of a few GOP lawmakers that might have given Democrats control of the Wisconsin Senate union operatives acknowledged that the repercussions of the GOPs efforts could extend beyond this campaign cycle.
Theres no question that this is not about just collective bargaining. This is a huge incentive to take out the funding for labors ground game, said Andy Stern, former president of the Service Employees International Union.
Left unchecked, Stern said, the moves by Walker and others to limit labor could begin to eat into the unions turnout machine.
This is not going to be a 2012 issue, but if this keeps going on, through 2014 and 2016, it will absolutely have an impact on labors ability to be successfully supporting their candidates in elections, Stern said.
In Congress, Democrats pointed to the robust operation they built during the recall effort as a sign that not all had been lost, despite the inability to remove Walker from the governors mansion. They noted repeatedly that Democrats had been far outspent by GOP-aligned outside groups a factor that will also likely be present in the fight between Obama and Romney.
Theres no question theres disappointment, said Rep. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), the Democratic nominee for Wisconsins open Senate seat. On the flipside, theres infrastructural organization like weve never seen it before.
But Republicans insisted that the elections deeper meaning portends electoral success for GOP candidates up and down the ballot that when push comes to shove, voters from both parties will affirm that asking public workers to pay slightly more for healthcare and pensions is not only fair but fiscally necessary.
We like to say pigs get fat and the hogs get slaughtered, said Barbour. And the hogs got slaughtered yesterday.
Republicans really ready to play hardball?
Thats GREAT!!!!! I hope that we hear that Gov Sarah Palin also gets a prime spot??
For some reason I am worried she may not
I just wish he was speaking as our candidate for the Presidency.
I would sleep a lot better knowing I had a candidate I wouldn’t have to hold my nose to vote for.
Wow!! Having a man with the courage of his conviction be front and center to show us the way. Shocking stuff for sure
Yeah—”shocking” indeed.
I cannot imagine that he wouldn’t have a speech at the convention........
Uh, yeah....
I am sure he will and Sarah should as well but Sarah will be busy anyway finding and supporting folks of Scott’s ilk all over the country.
Maybe he’s being trotted out as possible VP fodder.
Maybe they want to “take him under their wing”. In other words, brainwash him.
We don’t want Palin with a prime speaking spot. She is irrelevant, and yesterday’s news. All Palin represents now is Palin, as a celebrity and reality TV star. She is not a political leader. She evokes memories of the 2008 loser, Captain Queeg. We want voters focussed on Romney, with a positive, optimistic view.
Gov. Walker has a spine of steel. He certainly should be featured prominently. He could teach the castrated weasels like Boehner a lot about sticking to conservative principles in the face of adversity.
If he has the sand to buck unions, I doubt the GOPe will faze him.
May I suggest General David Petraus for VP to complement Mitt’s skill set?
As long as it’s somebody with a functional spine and active testicles, I’m up for it.
WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP
Palin bashing here should not go unchallenged
AstWisconsin Gov. Walker in line for speaking spot at Republican convention
Sunday, June 10, 2012 11:41:37 AM · 11 of 16
Astronaut to Friendofgeorge
We dont want Palin with a prime speaking spot. She is irrelevant, and yesterdays news. All Palin represents now is Palin, as a celebrity and reality TV star. She is not a political leader. She evokes memories of the 2008 loser, Captain Queeg. We want voters focussed on Romney, with a positive, optimistic view.
In case there was any confusion, the Palin bashing was done by Astronaut
I say give him the boot
Good grief. She isn’t a saint. People are entitled to their opinion. Sarah does a lot for conservatives. Maybe pointing that out is a better idea than calling for booting people. Astro has been here much longer than you. I don’t mind folks embracing our new up and coming stars like Walker. He and others build with spines of steel need to be the focus. Palin always has her place and does her thing to support conservatives but it’s guys like Walker that are the future.
I Love Walker also, was only complaining about his response to my comment that I hoped Gov Palin would get a prime speaking spot also.
If you have no problem with Astronauts Palin comments, then you are no friend of Sarah Palin, he absolutely trashed her.
But yes I love Walker also.
FYI I have been here for years longer than this handle.
Hey If you condone Astronauts Palin bashing, you should get the boot as well IMHO
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