Discarding Bad News Has Been Walker's Consistent M.O.

[originally posted Wednesday, May 16] It was Walker who introduced to state politics the crazy claim that he could create 250,000 new jobs (and 10,000 new businesses, too. Anybody fact-checking that?).

He made these claims the center-piece of a close 2010 gubernatorial win, but standard analyses kept showing serious job losses that mocked the pledge and his leadership.

So a rudderless Scott Walker threw the bad news away - - even though he'd touted them when the reports made him look good - - and instead tossed out chaff to muddy the picture and tamp down the news that Wisconsin lost 6.200 private-sector jobs in April.

Throwing away bad news and substituting misinformation was the approach that undermined his run for Marquette student government president.

As The Marquette Tribune reported in 2010:

Walker attended Marquette from 1986 to 1990, but never attained a degree...

His sophomore year, Walker ran for president of the Associated Students of Marquette University (ASMU, the former title for Marquette Student Government). He was accused of violating campaign guidelines on multiple occasions...

In the run-up to election day, the Tribune’s editorial board endorsed Walker’s opponent John Quigley, but said either candidate had the potential to serve effectively.

However, the Tribune revised its editorial the following day, calling Walker “unfit for presidency.” The column cited Walker’s distribution of a mudslinging brochure about Quigley that featured statements such as “constantly shouting about fighting the administration” and “trying to lead several ineffective protests of his own.”

The revision also expressed disappointment in Walker’s campaign workers reportedly throwing away issues of the Tribune after the endorsement was initially made.