Walker Campaign Probe Will Spur Recall Movement

It was hard not to notice the recent departures of two Scott Walker state appointees who held the most senior positions in his County Executive years.

And it will be impossible to overlook Dan Bice's reporting this week about the $60,000 that the Walker campaign has paid to the former US Attorney - - now in private practice - - at the same time that a John Doe investigation into Walker's campaign has been run by the Milwaukee County DA.

Gov. Scott Walker's campaign fund has paid nearly $60,000 to the firm it hired late last year to respond to questions raised by a John Doe criminal investigation.

From March to May, the Walker campaign made three payments to Michael Best & Friedrich totaling $59,617 for "compliance/administrative" activities this year, according to campaign records.

How much of this was due directly to the John Doe probe into campaign activity by Walker's former county staff?

The first-term governor's staff isn't saying.

Yes, Walker won the election for Governor, but it's fascinating that twice he has managed to galvanize his opponents and move their cause along.

Talk about self-inflicted wounds.

The first instance was through his imperious removal under the cover of a budget-repair bill of nearly all public sector collective bargaining in Wisconsin, thereby energizing the labor movement in Wisconsin and across the nation.

Now it appears also that just as some conventional Wisconsin wisdom after the Senate recall elections had Walker winning a political war of attrition, and looking likely to prevent his anticipated recall, a John Doe probe into his campaign appears to have legs and could lead to a far-weakened Walker, and a revived grassroots efforts against him, just as the Gubernatorial recall window opens in a few months.

For Walker - - bad Karma, worse timing.

His heavy-handed and anti-union one-dimensionality has been a poor fit for statewide leadership that demands traits he does not possess - - significant depth and moral authority.

He fancies himself Ronald Reagan.

He could end up being our own Richard Nixon.