Walker To Speak In Des Moines Tonight, Inciting Criticism From The Left

Governor Scott Walker is due to speak near Des Moines, Iowa this evening, in what some call part of a potential 2016 presidential run.

Governor Walker’s speech to a county Republican group in central Iowa caps a week of political speeches the governor has made in other states. Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate says there are many economic problems here, and the governor ought to stay close to home.

“Well, if he absolutely has to spend time in a place called Iowa, perhaps he should be spending it in Iowa County, in southwest Wisconsin. The unemployment rate there is 9 percent.”

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a Democrat who lost two elections to Walker but now says he’s happy being mayor, says a frequently traveling governor risks not being re-elected next year.

“The more he spends time outside the state trying to run for president, the more people are going to say, ‘Wait a minute, he doesn’t want this job. Let’s find someone who does want this job.’”

Walker isn’t the only one traveling today. A liberal activist from Wisconsin plans to join the group Progress Iowa, at what they call a Scott Walker Truth Squad news conference this afternoon in Des Moines attacking the governor. Before leaving Milwaukee today, Walker said the liberals apparently don’t have anything better to do.

“I’m going to focus on telling the positive story. They’re going out of their way to Iowa to talk down Wisconsin. I think people can see through the difference.”

Walker says most people want to follow leaders who move things forward.