The op-ed reads like a presidential campaign announcement with a message focused on winning Republican primary voters. He brags about pushing Republican policies through Wisconsin, contrasting his record of hardline conservatism with what he implicitly suggests is weak-kneed moderation from Congressional Republicans. A typical passage:
To say the least, we did not nibble around the edges. We pushed full-scale, common-sense, conservative reforms and got to work beginning on day one. [...] The message Wisconsin holds for national Republicans is clear: Don’t be afraid to lead.
And just in case you're not convinced yet that Walker is running, let me point you back to his
Meet the Press interview in which he did profess his admiration for Paul Ryan ... but with a huge asterisk:
CHUCK TODD: Do you defer to Paul Ryan?
SCOTT WALKER: I love Paul Ryan. I've said many times before I'd be the president of Paul Ryan fan club. But I do think if we're going to beat Hillary Clinton in this next election, we've got to have a message that says, "Hillary Clinton is all about Washington." [...]
CHUCK TODD: You're not deferring to Paul Ryan, then? It sounds like you believe a governor, not a member of Congress should be the Republican nominee?
SCOTT WALKER: Paul Ryan may be the only exception to that rule. But overall, I think governors make much better presidents than members of Congress.
Clearly, Walker doesn't want to say anything bad about Ryan, but just as clearly he doesn't want Ryan to run. And the reason for this obvious: Scott Walker is running for president. And if he's not the front-runner for the GOP nomination, he's got to be pretty high on the list.
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