Scott Walker Not Entitled To Benefit Of The Doubt

[A.M Update: Liar, liar get's indelible "Pants On Fire."]

Scott Walker has been looking uncharacteristically moderate and puncturing conservative trial balloons of late - - dropping his call for an end to election-day voter registration, sorta backing away from 'right-to-work' legislation and pulling an almost half-million dollar upgrade to the Governor's Mansion kitchen facilities from a State Building Commission agenda.

You can give Walker a pass on any of these matters, take him at his word, and dismiss that he is remaking himself before the 2016 presidential season, but do so at your peril.

Walker has forfeited the right to have his words taken at face value because there has been a two-faced history to his behavior as Milwaukee County Executive and as Governor.

As County Executive, he pledged - - his words - - reform, government integrity and transparency, but presided over an administration where key aides set up and used a secret and partisan communications system a few yards from his office - - right in the County Courthouse - - and where the commission of illegal activities on public time are sending former staffers to reformer Walker to jail and prison.

Walker also withheld during the 2010 gubernatorial campaign that he would spring on public employees a politically-calamitous bill to end nearly all their collective bargaining rights.

And take a look at his overall PolitiFact ratings: Only 22 of 58 statements have been vetted as half-true or better - - less than 40%.

Ronald Reagan, Walker's hero, said "trust, but verify," but how can the voters or even media do that with someone so dedicated to stealth?

Better to remember George W. Bush's tortured "fool me once" admonition:

There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again.