Walker warns of nasty presidential contest

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told Minnesota delegates to the Republican National Convention that the race for president is going to be a nasty one. He urged them to live up to a higher ideal.

August 28, 2012 at 3:43PM
Minnesota GOP delegation co-chair Kelley Fenton, right greeted Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker as he arrived in St. Petersburg, FL to speak to the MInnesota delegation Tuesday August 28, 2012
Minnesota GOP delegation co-chair Kelley Fenton, right greeted Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker as he arrived in St. Petersburg, FL to speak to the MInnesota delegation Tuesday August 28, 2012 (Dml - Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told Minnesota delegates to the Republican National Convention that the race for president is going to be a nasty one.

"The key to our success is the truth," the Republican governor said Tuesday at a breakfast reception for Minnesota's RNC delegation. "If you retell the truth over and over and over, the truth will prevail."

But, Walker warned: "The more you tell the truth, the closer to victory you get, the more vicious they will be."

He said when things get nasty, Republicans must resist the urge to punch back and live by a higher ideal – the one Republicans are espousing during this campaign.

"That's what we believe, that's who we are," he said, wearing a T-shirt and jeans.
People look at what Republicans say and how they live, Walker said during his 20-minute speech.

Walker touted his budget reforms that wiped out Wisconsin's $3 billion budget deficit and then began replenishing cash reserves. He said he did it without draconian "pink-slip" reductions, but though using thoughtful reforms and refinements that slowly reduced the workforce by about 10 percent.

Walker said his fiscal reforms were directed "toward the next generation, not the next election."

In June, Walker survived a historic recall election, trouncing the Democratic rival, winning more votes than he did when first elected two years ago. Walker is a featured speaker during Tuesday's RNC session, and said he will touch on many of the themes from the breakfast speech.

Pat Anderson, an organizer, kicked off the breakfast session by saying she considers Walker "our real governor, because we don't have a real governor," a knock on DFL Gov. Mark Dayton.

Walker was introduced by Minnesota Republican Party deputy chairman Kelly Fenton, who went to college with Walker at Marquette University.

about the writer

about the writer

Baird Helgeson

Deputy editor

Baird Helgeson is deputy local editor at the Star Tribune. He helps supervise coverage of local news. Before becoming an editor, he was an award-winning reporter who covered state government and politics. He has worked for news organizations in Minnesota, Florida and North Dakota.

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