UPDATE: Walker violating Reagan’s 11th Commandment
Someone alert Jim Klauser: Scott Walker is violating Ronald Reagan’s so-called 11th Commandment, thou shalt not attack another Republican.
Republican Mark Neumann issued a press release this weekend defending himself against Republican Scott Walker’s ridiculous attack on him in a campaign mail piece that compared Neumann to Nancy Pelosi because he “took the same vote as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California” on a transportation bill. (What nobody is saying is that the bill in question was something Tom Barrett did not vote for.) UPDATE: Walker has now come out with a political ad with the same message.
Walker has been on the negative attack all week, perhaps noticing Neumann’s increased poll performance. In his latest blog posts, Walker has launched an all out attack on Neumann. “Neumann’s Tax Plan Gets Fact-Checked,” “Neumann Customers: ‘Watch Your Back,’” and “Walk or Talk” are all aimed directly at the Republican businessman Neumann.
Back in June, Neumann took heat for coming out swinging at Walker’s big spending increases, Walker shrugged off facts (per usual) and said he would focus on Barrett. Neumann-turned-Walker supporter Jim Klauser wrote an open letter to Neumann for attacking Walker:
Dear Mark:
The last time I wrote you I stated it was time to coalesce around the Republican candidate best able to be elected governor in November 2010. While I appreciate you may have a different view, time has validated my judgment.Earlier in 2009 when I considered your candidacy you told me that you would conduct a positive campaign with ideas that could address Wisconsin’s problems. You assured me that you would run a positive campaign; that you would adhere to Ronald Reagan’s eleventh commandment not to attack a fellow Republican.Today I write to you as I am aghast at where your campaign has gone. You are violating the Reagan commandment.
Walker’s hypocrisy is nothing new to be sure. But it’s especially interesting to hear someone like Walker — who constantly says he knows what job creators want to hear — give a conservative business owner the business.