Monday, July 13, 2015

Scott Walker Annouces Candidacy with Appeals to Greed, Racism, Homophobia and Xenophobia


Driving home tonight I listened to portions of Scott Walker's candidacy announcement speech on Satellite radio and when not yelling at the the radio, I found myself wanting to vomit.  Particularly over the mindless cheering of an audience - which was, thankfully small - who seemed to embody the ignorance and bigotry that are now synonymous with being a Republican.  Walker's speech was big on the GOP's reverse Robin Hood agenda, embroiling U.S. ground troops in wars across the globe, slashing taxes for the wealthy who he code named "job creators," slashing the social safety net, and throwing American families to the whims of employers and health care insurance companies for health care coverage.  As a piece in Policususa.com noted,  you could almost see the Koch Brothers' lips moving as Walker spoke.  Here are some article highlights:
Scott Walker announced his campaign for president by repeating almost word for word the top priorities of the Koch brothers.

Scott Walker immediately listed why he thinks he should be president. He discussed his efforts to suppress the vote (voter ID laws), more guns (Castle doctrine), less medical care for women (defunding Planned Parenthood), and lower wages (union busting). Walker gave the usual empty Republican gibberish about giving power back to states. 

Gov. Walker’s whole speech was based on selling himself as someone who can win in blue states because he has managed to survive in Wisconsin. Walker announced his plan to gut federal funding for education, Medicaid and job retraining by disguising this as sending money back to the states. What Walker was referring to was block grants that would lead to fewer people getting services. 

Walker attacked poor people and talked about the “dignity of work.” Walker disguised it as helping people move from government dependence to independence. He touted his drug testing of welfare recipients. He claimed that he was making it easy to get a job, but what he has actually done in Wisconsin is throw hundreds of thousands of people off of healthcare while harming senior citizens by cutting Wisconsin’s SeniorCare program.

Scott Walker promised to take away 18 million Americans access to healthcare by repealing Obamacare. Just like every other Republican candidate, Walker called for the repeal of regulations, which he called “the Obama regulations.”

Gov. Walker’s speech was a direct point by point delivery of the Koch agenda. Walker said that job creators need a tax cut so that they can be more competitive in the world and create more jobs.

Scott Walker claimed to be a new leader, but his plan for the future is straight out of centuries past.
Walker promised to fight and win for Americans, but by Americans he clearly meant the wealthy billionaires.

The name Scott Walker will be on the ballot, but it is the Koch brothers agenda that he is running on.
Should Walker win the presidency, in short order we will find ourselves living in a reprise of the 1890's Gilded Age with all of its worse attributes.  And with all his talk of families with a "mother and father." LGBT Americans with half a mind should understand that we are on the hit list right behind unions and minorities.  When Walker is compare to Trump, at least trump is honest about his greed and his bigotry.

What I find so ironic - or should I say hypocritical - about the GOP candidates id that they all claim to revere "Christian values," what they are in fact peddling is the antithesis of the true Gospel message.  It is all about hate, division, lots of greed, and and utter disdain for the welfare of one's neighbors and fellow man.  Needless to say, the "godly folk" - for whom I have nothing but contempt - will eat it up. 

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