Republican Gov. Scott Walker, the famous foe of the poor, the elderly, the person of color—pretty much everybody that his benefactors the Kochs tell him are moochers—wants a third term as Wisconsin's governor. His state also just experienced an epic red-to-blue upset in which Democrat Patty Schachtner defeated Republican Adam Jarchow 55-45 percent for a legislative seat the Republicans have held since 2000.
So yeah, he's a little nervous. That's got him eyeing the state's mood carefully and becoming a whole new moderate person. He's even trying to strengthen Obamacare.
Stepping toward the political center in a difficult election year, Gov. Scott Walker proposed using $200 million in state and federal money to stabilize the state's Obamacare market and hold down rising insurance premiums. […]
A fierce critic of Obamacare, Walker is set to use his eighth "state of the state" speech Wednesday to propose that the state "step up and lead" by strengthening the Affordable Care Act. As part of the broad health package, Walker also wants the Trump administration to permanently authorize SeniorCare, the prescription drug program that the governor once sought to scale back.
Sure, Gov. Walker, you really care about the health of your people. As Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz of Oshkosh says, if Walker really meant it he'd take the $203 million available to the state and expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. "He's a great politician, but a terrible executive," Hintz said of Walker. "I don't know that the governor deserves credit for putting out fires that he started."
Maybe Walker thinks we all have very short memories. Maybe he thinks he can compete with Ohio's John Kasich for 2020's version of "compassionate conservatism." Maybe he just wants to keep his political career alive. The news for Scotty is that we will never forget.