The passage below from a MKE Journal Sentinel article on the Scott Walker "evolution" debacle caught my attention.
JS Online Excerpt:
Walker's trip is widely seen as a tool to add to his foreign policy credentials before a White House run, but the governor pointed out that Wisconsin taxpayers are paying for the trip as a vehicle to promote trade.
"As I pointed out, I'm on a trip focused on trade and investment," Walker said. "That's what I'm focused in on."
Actually, the opposite of Walker's explanation is closer to correct. While on the taxpayers dime, Gov. Scott Walker's presence and accessibility in the public should be wide open, within reasonable accommodation of course.
While mingling with the Brits in public, he can't say to a reporter, "Not now, can't you see I'm having dinner with my family?" OR "This is a private campaign event" OR censor questions when questions are on the schedule. Nope. Walker is in England on the public dime as a public official for the entire time.
It's great that he claims to be focused on trade and investment, but it's also laughable that someone reaching the stature of a state governor expects the world to compliantly lockstep at his command.
In fact, the only time it would be be right for Walker to restrict public access, reporters or questions is if his trip was paid for by himself or by his campaign donors. Then he would there as private citizen or candidate Scott Walker. Under those "private" circumstances, of course he shouldn't be working on state business and probably consider it vacation time.
Walker going out of the way to guard and control his public dialogue reeks of political choreography and also makes it unavoidable to ask whether he or any of his state-paid entourage are coordinating with his campaign apparatus while on the taxpayers dime, in England.
No comments:
Post a Comment