Friday, May 25, 2012

Wisc. recall debate opens: Gov. Walker says reforms working; Milwaukee Mayor Barrett says election not a do-over

Gov. Scott Walker opened the debate by reviewing the actions he took, including balancing the budget without raising taxes.

"We chose to balance our budget through long-term structural reforms," he said.

"What we did was thinking more about the next generation than the next election," he said.

Walker said the reforms "are working" and "that's why our opponents don't talk about" them anymore.

"More than 30,000 people have gone back to work," he said, adding "we're turning things around."

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said "this election is not a rematch or a do-over," because the state was plunged into an ideological civil war by Walker.

"We can't do over his decision to put his national ambitions ahead of the state of Wisconsin, as he traveled around the country and became the rock-star" to tea party activists and billionaires.

Barrett also brought up the John Doe investigation in Milwaukee County.

"This is about the future and who put Wisconsin first," Barrett said.