Walker Says He’s Coming Back, Because Truth Will Prevail

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, appeared confident, telling supporters that he would win the recall election, scheduled for 5th of June and that it would enthuse other politicians, both at the state and national levels to become politically courageous.

He said,  “On June 5th, I believe we’ll prevail because we have the most powerful thing on our side and that’s the truth and it will send a powerful message that you can stick your neck out, you can make the tough choices, and there will be voters standing behind you along the way.”

The Governor was adamant that the steps he had taken to stabilize Wisconsin finances will last for the long term. “I’m running to win, but I’m not afraid to lose,” he said.

He also said, that unions who failed to fight his efforts to eliminate collective bargaining with public employees, were instrumental in raising the $70 million dollar plus, that was expected to be spent, to try and defeat him.

The speech was hosted by the Illinois Policy Institute. Around 200 protestors had gathered outside the venue.

Patrick Statter, president of the North eastern Illinois Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO said, our message is to tell Scott Walker to go home. He’s not welcome in Illinois, especially Lake County.” Mike McGue, president of the Lake County Federation of Teachers Local 504, accused Walker of wanting to get rid of unions and said, “We want to save a way of life, and that’s middle class. Our job is to tell him to get the hell out of Lake County — we don’t want him here.”

Undeterred by the protestors, the Governor hyped, that he had created 15,600 private sector jobs in the first three months of the year, which was instrumental in lowering Wisconsin’s unemployment rate from 6.9 percent to 6.8 percent.

The Governor told reporters, that he believed Illinois’ fiscal situation was something that should serve as a lesson to all. “With all due respect, and I think Gov. Quinn and others are trying to do their best, but it is a clear choice in Wisconsin come June 5th. If voters in our state want to know the difference between going forward or backwards, they need only look at the mess that you have in state government here in Springfield to know what it would be like if ultimately the recall would prevail.”

However, his comment about the fiscal situation in Illinois, did not sit well with the locals and Ron Powell of Mundelein, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 881, criticized Walker saying, “It takes a lot of, excuse me, damn nerve to come to Illinois and tell people to move their business to Wisconsin.”

Walker is facing a recall election, following a petition drive that collected a reported one million signatures. The ire against him was his support for legislation last year that eliminated most collective-bargaining rights for public workers, excluding police and fire personnel.

He said, “I joke with my kids, who love history, that I’ll be the only governor to be elected twice in his first term,” Walker joked.