Debaters, viewers - - be not fooled by 'Midwestern nice' Scott Walker

[Updated from 3:36 p.m Wednesday] The website RealClearPolitics had let Scott Walker - - yes, that one - - the "preacher's son" - - bask in a charming, self-serving persona:

In a recent interview with conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt, Walker addressed those concerns. “Yeah, I’m nice. I’m midwestern nice. There’s no doubt about it,” he said.

"No doubt?"

While it's too bad The Washington Post today uncritically repeats Walker's "nice" image as a plus, consider Walker's record - - and these highlowlights:

* How many governors have been caught this week after years of denials misleading the public about whether they were the target of a felony criminal investigation? 

*  How many nice governors do you know of who just got caught trying to sneak into his state budget a plan to upend his state's foundational Open Records law and is still withholding some potentially-damaging records under a claim of privilege that does not exist.

And don't forget Walker and his legislative boosters are looking to get rid of the state's independent election, lobbying and ethics oversight board before the '16 election.

Nice, or nasty?

Also:

*  How many "nice" politicians cut record-breaking sums from public school children's educations?

*  And while right-wing figures like Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, and Florida's US Senator Marco Rubio have lauded the Federal Earned Income Tax Credit because it puts money in the pockets of the working poor and keeps them in the workforce, Walker: a) reduced that program in Wisconsin for many recipients, b) increased other taxes on low-income Wisconsinites to cover revenue losses created by tax cuts he aimed at businesses and higher earners, and c) denied he'd done any such thing, PolitiFact reported.

*  How many "nice" politicians campaign against the poor or jobless by stereotyping them as lazy people sitting on their sofas playing xBox? 

*  How many "nice" politicians insert in their budgets, out-of-the-blue, that poor citizens, based on zero evidence, must pass urine tests to food stamps? After already delaying some jobless benefits to people hammered in the deep recession and making Wisconsin only one of our states that has recently elected to cut food stamps?

*  Ever heard of a US Governor who said he discussed planting trouble-makers in a crowd of peaceful protesters, but decided against it because it might backfire and cause a fresh set of political problems. Not because it was wrong, or dangerous? Well, that's what Walker told the fake David Koch caller in a now-famous 2011 episode. Read the transcript.

* Does your nice Governor stand with the air and water polluters, even as urban residents fight asthma and rural residents find their drinking water contaminated with cattle waste runoff and airborne manure spreading?

Nice or nasty: see what I mean?

*  How many "nice" politicians block any increase in the poverty-enforcing $7.25/hourly minimum wage, call it a living wage, refuse to even consider it and have said they see no need for any minimum wage whatsoever?

*  Secret emails systems, campaigning on public time? Sound 'nice' to you?

*  How many "nice" politicians have turned down $550 million in Federal health-care funding along with other roadblocks to fuller federal health insurance that would cover thousands of low-income citizens, thereby also raising costs to state taxpayers and depriving the state of health-care sector jobs? 

Then claim they did that because the federal government had previously reneged on health-care payments - - a statement PolitiFact ruled "false."

And speaking of PolitiFact, and Walker, why would such a nice politician find he's been rated "False," or the worse "Pants on Fire" more than three times as often as "True?"

*  How many "nice" politicians agree that mandatory, medically unnecessary ultrasound procedures forced on women seeking legal abortions are "fine...no problem..." and have manipulated budgets and public opinion to close several women's health clinics across their states - - even at clinics where legal abortions were not provided?

*  How many "nice" politicians embed in their state law prohibitions against legal abortions 20 weeks after fertilization - - without exceptions women impregnated by rape or incest - -  and claim it isn't a big deal because women don't worry about these things after a few months of pregnancy?

*  How many "nice" governors sign, in private, legislation that makes it easier for public schools to retain their Native American nicknames and logos, while other states and institutions have decided to stop offending these citizens?

*  How many "nice" governors refuse to ever issue a pardon? Not one. Even to a veteran who'd made a single mistake, sought a second chance, but found an unmovable and unbearably narcissistic Governor saying no, never?

*  How many "nice" campaigning politicians withhold their plans to virtually end 50 years of public sector collective bargaining, then falsely-claim they did not withhold those plans during the campaign and cannot cite any evidence to support that claim - - and, to boot - - refer to their sudden, "divide-and-conquer"  - - his phrase - - post-swearing-in action that was aimed at Wisconsin workers as "dropped the bomb."

Nice or nasty? Final question:

*  How many "nice" incumbent governors read their staffs a nasty top ten list - - and publish it in a campaign book - - of the ways you can tell someone is a public employee? Samples:

On a snow day when they say “non-essential” people should stay home you know who they mean. 

It takes longer to fire you than the average killer spends on death row. 

You think the French are working themselves to death. 

You know by having a copy of the Holy Koran on your desk your job is 100% safe. 

You have a Democratic congressman’s lips permanently attached to your butt.

*  How many "nice" politicians travel to an upper-income, virtually-all-white suburb (Oconomowoc Lake) near their state's largest, minority-majority and relatively low-income city (Milwaukee) and ask voters at a rally for re-election support so the state would not "become another Milwaukee."

Walker might sound nice compared to a more combative Chris Christie, or more brazenly misogynistic Mike Huckabee, but Walker is as self-centered, hard-edged and compassion-free as any of the GOP/Tea Party conservatives seeking he 2016 GOP presidential nomination.