Secrecy, Dishonesty At Center Of Walker's Performance, Recallability

[originally posted, 10:30 p.m., Tuesday May 8th] Now that we have gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett definitively chosen in a primary, let's remember that Walker's core radical agenda was nurtured in secrecy, sprung on the electorate and deserves removal through the recall election in a month.

Scott Walker sowed the early seeds of his justifiable removal from office by enabling a shadow political apparatus run by his County Executive appointees on the taxpayers' dime to gain partisan advantage.

He continued this manipulative behavior by withholding his plan to wipe out public employee collective bargaining rights - - a lie of omission - - then lied about having done that, and lied about it, again, establishing a pattern of false language that PolitiFact found in 30 of 47 Walker statements it vetted.

This penchant for secrecy and power politicking has corroded the state's civic climate and led to poisonous partisan legislating and ideological policy-making:

*  Portions of his cornerstone anti-union law that threw the state into civic and electoral chaos were ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in Madison.

*  Portions of the redistricting plan Walker's legislative allies wrote in secret were ruled unconstitutional by federal judges in Milwaukee.

*  The GOP's signature piece of power-grabbing legislation - - requiring photo ID's to suppress turnout in cities and on campuses - - has been permanently enjoined in state court.

*  Law enforcement to ensure public health has been distorted and contorted.

* Politically-attacking women's health for political purposes was cited at Forbes' online site.

*  And his pre-recall election run-up was recently highlighted by a $40 million, phantom fund-raising fib on the heels of his own, record-setting fund-raising blitz. 

Walker's default to the false, partisan and punitive is intolerable.

Wisconsin needs a Governor who will set an honest example for the state.

That is how we can begin to calm and heal the state  - - with a new Governor.

That Governor is Tom Barrett.