Rail Funding Debacle Gives Walker Recall Movement The Competency Card

The federal government's rejection of Scott Walker's $150 million high-speed rail do-over - - coming after Walker turned back to the feds with a campaign hurrah an already-gifted $800 million  - - moves the recall movement building against Walker to new territory.

His gross incompetency. How do you throw away $800 million, then flub an effort to get some back, and still call yourself a leader?

The re-application by Wisconsin for 20% of the original funding to improve Milwaukee-to-Chicago Amtrak service came with the support of - - and, frankly, a sigh of relief from - - Milwaukee leadership.

It understands that the Chicago connection is good for Southeastern Wisconsin commerce. Thousands of white-collar workers ride that line every day, and high-level service to Chicago a Chamber of Commerce talking point.

No wonder Walker tried to rescue the baby he thew out with the bath.

Well, not everything comes with a do-over - - and efforts to bash Obama for turning aside Walker's change of heart are misguided. Pf course the money should go what Obama officials have celled "reliable partners." Give the football to someone other that Lucy.

Walker's ideologically-driven anti-train campaign rhetoric won him plaudits on talk radio and in its deeply red suburban and small town base - - but not necessarily Amtrak riders who have every right to complain that Walker has consigned them second-class rails and services.

The powers-that-be in the Greater Milwaukee Committee and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce have now lost a what was an already-paid-for convenience and recruiting tool because Walker chose ideology over business common sense.

The recall movement now has a new card to play: Walker is not intellectually or strategically up to the job, and the proof is in the math of his incompetency - -  $800 million he threw away and $150 million he failed to win back.