Thursday, October 16, 2014

Friday's Burke-Walker debate a political media watershed

Friday's second and final Wisconsin gubernatorial debate will probably be the last opportunity for reporters before the November 4th election to ask questions of the Governor in a format which media control.

Throughout the campaign, reporters have failed to ask Walker questions about his presence at a significant meeting which another attendee said took place "on the shores of Lake Michigan" in 2007.

It was where long-range strategies to win the Wisconsin Governorship were discussed among Walker, a key official of the Koch brothers-created Americans for Prosperity and about a dozen others.

The disclosure of the meeting was made unabashedly earlier this year in Washington, DC at an annual, high-profile gathering of the nation's conservatives, including RNC Chairman and Wisconsinite Reince Priebus and conservative guru Grover Norquist, according to this published report:
Panelist Luke Hilgemann, the current Americans for Prosperity COO who formerly led the Koch-backed group’s Wisconsin efforts, told the crowd that the 2011 victory “started back in 2007 on the shores of Lake Michigan,” at a meeting of fifteen intrepid activists who’d “had enough of government overreach,” including then-Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. 
Priebus, a former Wisconsin GOP head, credited the ability to pass Walker’s reforms in part to the party and Tea Party activists unifying well before the 2010 primary behind candidates that made voters “proud to wake up” and vote, like Ron Johnson, Paul Ryan, and Walker. Norquist shared that Walker, after deciding to do a hasty signing of the “budget repair” bill prior to the official event, in order to stave off attempts to sign union contracts before it became law, gave Norquist the pen he used to sign the bill
I have noted several times on this blog both the right's open bragging about the meeting and its successes, and the media's reticence to dig into it, and I continue to be floored that no one in the Wisconsin or national media has followed up.

Priebus, Walker and "on the shores of Lake Michigan" - - and no local follow-up?

This unwillingness to ask Walker who set up the meeting, where It was held, who attended and upon what they agreed can and should be rectified by Friday debate panel.

Those reporters hold in their hands the last opportunity to drag out important facts for Wisconsin voters about how Walker became Governor and is positioned to make a run for President.

Last week's debate panel in Eau Claire was sharp and prepared, but left this final repertorial duty to the Friday Milwaukee panel.

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