Gov. Walker’s Choice: He Wants it Both Ways

MADISON, Wis. — In an attempt to appear moderate while also keeping his 2016 Republican presidential primary ambitions alive, career politician Scott Walker has taken to the airwaves and the internet to try to cover up his extreme views, while also touting them. One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross noted that Gov. Walker’s 20-year demonstrated record of extremism on women’s reproductive health issues and a “100 percent” rating from an extremist group are at odds with his new TV ad in which he speaks directly to camera.

“Gov. Walker is trying to have it both ways, and he’s lying the people of Wisconsin,” said One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross. “Career politician Scott Walker looks directly into the camera in his latest TV ad and says he’ll leave health care decisions to women and their doctors, but his 20-year record, including the last four as Governor, show this is a 100 percent falsehood.”

Walker has crisscrossed the country as part of his planned 2016 presidential run and has refused, when asked, to commit to serving a full term if re-elected Governor. National pundits rank Walker’s success in 2014 as critical to his 2016 ambitions and speculate that his calculated moderation now will be replaced by the need to appeal to the far right wing in a Republican primary.

Despite recent attempts to hide his extremism from Wisconsin voters, Gov. Walker has a “100 percent” rating from an extremist group espousing banning common forms of birth control and making all abortions, without exception, illegal. In an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2010 Walker reiterated his opposition to allowing abortions even in cases of rape or incest.

A recent news report shows Walker is currently both touting his record of support for these extreme positions while simultaneously attempting to hide his allegiance to these radical views. In 2010 and 2012 Walker received a “100 percent” rating from Pro-Life Wisconsin, meaning he endorsed amending the state constitution to effectively ban all abortions and most forms of birth control in the state. He touts their endorsement on his website, as a nod to his anti-choice base. But Walker has not replied to the 2014 questionnaire, presumably as part of his moderation gambit as he tries to appeal to Wisconsin voters in a general election.

“There’s a pattern of deception from Gov. Walker, a career politician who is willing to mislead the people he’s supposed to serve to advance his own political ambitions. What Gov. Walker is doing isn’t leadership, isn’t honest and isn’t right. Wisconsin deserves to hear the truth about Walker’s extreme views on reproductive health,” concluded Ross.