Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Live Blogging Walker's State Of The State Speech

I'll update this throughout the evening.

Expect to hear some Walker cheer-leading about the mining bill and some testerone-fueled whooping from GOP caucus members.

Word is that he's got a group of the usually conservative International Union of Operating Engineers at the Capitol for campaign-style optics. Those are the men (predominantly) who endorsed Walker in 2010, build highways and could play a role in a mine development or operation.

7:01 p.m. I've got my Plan B lined up. "Pawn Stars."

7:02 p.m. The Public Radio and TV hosts- - forgive me, I missed their names - - just told us that Walker considers himself a constitutional scholar, and we should listen for those references, as he wrote the speech himself.  What Walker staffer fed them that hooey?

"Pawn Stars" is already calling...

7:05. Wondering how many legislators are carrying their concealed weapons?

Nice applause for the family. The boys look ill-at-ease.

7:08. Walker says we're moving forward with "bold vision." That's the kind of line others should deliver.  It sounds self-serving.

Walker touts the falling unemployment rate. Cheesy cover for paltry job growth.

7:11. Pledging tax cuts for hard-working people. Twice says what he's doing is the opposite of what's happening in Washington. He's got Capitol fever'/DC variation. No vaccine is available.

7:13. Touts various state rankings. Omits #47 by Forbes, and #42 in job-creation. Says its everyone else's fault.

7:15. Says he focusing on jobs. First mention of "safe and environmentally-sound mining." Oxymoronic. Touts bill that passed Jt. Finance - - and died in the Senate.

And there are the Operating Engineers in hardhats. And other workers. What a show! Aren't hats banned in the new rules? I don't see any members of the Bad River Band there.

7:17. Throws out inflated jobs numbers related to mining. PolitiFact needs to check those numbers.

7:20. First Walker wink of the night thrown out to a female job-creator in the gallery.

By the way, Walker has mastered the Teleprompter.

7:22. Walker offers a report with new rule changes.

Now talking up workforce training. I hope this doesn't presage WEDC 2.0.

So far, this is hardly bold vision stuff. More like Bureaucracy 101.

Second Walker wink, again to a invited female guest. Trend? Ugh.

7:25. Talking up a UW plan to help people who didn't finish their degrees. Like himself. If he's really running for President, he's gonna have to fix that little FUBAR.

7:30. Acknowledges Angelo, a boy he mentors in a reading program. A wave, but no wink.

7:31. Says he's reopened visitor centers Doyle closed. I don't think they'll be directing people to the Bad River for much fishing.

7:33. Says he's for good transportation infrastructure. Does not mention transit, or passenger rail. The narrow mind...

7:35. Talking up high-speed Internet connections. Didn't he turn back federal funding? Talking up clean water. #miningcontradiction.

7:37. Another self-serving comparison to Washington. Attention political reporters.

7:38. Still pledging 250,000 new jobs. His own administration has said he won't get close.

7:39. Says his bold vision is moving the state forward. The end.

Weak speech. A "D+" would be generous.

3 comments:

jimspice said...

Does Walker have something stuck in his teeth, or is he doing a Cher impersonation?

Anonymous said...

all those winks at women. is that brent musberger up there?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your blogging. I listened to the end. He said 250,000 jobs by 2015. I guess he needs to create the jobs by then so he can run for President in 2016 on his "record." The pressure is on.

Here is my eye witness report on what was going on outside the Assembly: The the Overpass Light Brigade was there with the message "It's not working." and a smattering of singers (50?) started up at 6:30 and kept it up until at least 7:30. I don't know if the singers could be heard inside the Assembly. I hope so. Lots of Capitol Police and State Troopers. No arrests while I was there.

Let the games begin.