Thursday, January 30, 2014

Obama, Waukesha, Mary Burke, Jeff Scrima

Obama is bringing his "campaign" to Wisconsin today.

He's in his sixth year as president and he's still trying the sell the same tripe he's been hawking since 2007.

From FOX6 News:

From Washington, D.C. to Wisconsin — President Barack Obama is taking his “State of the Union” ideas for a road test. On Wednesday, January 29th — the day after the SOTU, President Obama was in Maryland and Pennsylvania — and on Thursday, he heads to Wisconsin.

On Tuesday night, President Obama addressed the nation — calling 2014 “a year of action.”

On Thursday, he will speak to folks in Waukesha — at GE’s Gas Engine Plant in Waukesha.
Obama has been a miserable failure, an absolute disaster.

But how awkward is it for the president of the United States to stage an event and the state's only Democrat candidate for governor not attend?

It's extremely awkward.

That's the word I'd use to describe DEMOCRAT candidate Mary Burke - awkward.

She apparently wants no part of Obama's "year of action." She appears to believe that Obama is ballot box poison.

Governor Scott Walker isn't running away. He will meet Obama at the airport, an appropriate thing to do. However, I'm sure it won't be a "Chris Christie - Hurricane Sandy" moment.

Jeff Wagner writes:

Burke's campaign says that she'll be campaigning in Western Wisconsin and will be unavailable to appear with the President. Think about it, you have a candidate who is having a huge problem breaking through with the electorate - and she still won't rearrange her schedule to appear with the leader of her political party (who happens to be the President of the United States).
Sure. Burke simply MUST campaign in western Wisconsin today. She can't appear with Obama. It's a scheduling conflict, out of her hands.

Right.

Waukesha's mayor, Jeff Scrima, also is bowing out of Obama's event.

From Waukesha NOW:

Waukesha Mayor Jeff Scrima describes both President Barack Obama and Gov. Scott Walker as political extremists in explaining why he plans to skip Obama's visit to a GE plant in Waukesha on Thursday.

The first-term mayor is comfortable in calling out Obama and Walker as extremists not for advocating extreme measures, as a dictionary might define the term, but for refusing to compromise, Scrima said Tuesday.

"Both Governor Walker and President Obama have failed to come to the center and compromise on issues," he said. "Madison and Washington, D.C., are more polarized than they've ever been. At the local level, that does not help us."

Scrima describes himself as a nonpartisan local official in offering another reason for his planned absence Thursday.

"I've never been a member of a political party," he said. "The office of a local mayor ought to be nonpartisan for all people in the community."
Clearly, Scrima views Obama's visit as a partisan event.

He's right about that. Obama is holding a campaign rally, not making a presidential appearance.

Still, the mayor of the city should be there to greet the president of the United States.

Scrima's decision to ignore Obama was wrong. Then, he managed to make things even worse. Why bring up Walker?

In effect, Scrima is telling his constituents that he has no respect for both Obama and Walker.

If Scrima is looking for the center, he's not even close.

Way to alienate everyone, Mr. Mayor!