Posted on 05/21/2015 2:23:17 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
A few steps from the Capitol building on Tuesday afternoon, behind closed doors in Republicans’ upscale Capitol Hill Club, Scott Walker had a high-stakes sit-down.
The Wisconsin governor—who’s indicated that he will launch a presidential bid after he signs the Badger State’s biennial budget—was there to woo top social conservative and evangelical leaders, a task that might seem easy at first glance. Walker’s dad is a pastor, he quotes a Christian devotional on the stump, and he signed legislation defunding Planned Parenthood in the state he governs. Christian conservatives should be worshipping the ground he walks on, right?
Not so fast. The governor has made a string of comments on social conservatives’ top issues that has earned him some suspicion, and even ire. Last June, a few months before Election Day 2014, Walker had an awkward press conference about same-sex marriage. A district court judge had overturned the state’s constitutional amendment preventing same-sex marriage, and reporters were pressing the governor about his stance on the issue, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.
“It doesn’t really matter what I think now,” Walker said.
“I don’t comment on everything out there,” he added.
That’s not the kind of answer that opponents of same-sex marriage like to hear. And it came after the governor defended the state’s law keeping employers from discriminating against LGBT people, suggesting to Bloomberg in 2013 that it gave the state “a healthy balance.” One top social conservative leader in Wisconsin told me later that Walker must only have supported the non-discrimination law because “he doesn’t fully understand some of the ramifications of ENDA legislation.”
Walker also raised eyebrows in 2014 when he ran an ad about his stance on abortion, defending legislation that “leaves the final decision to a woman and her doctor” and saying that while he was pro-life, “reasonable people can disagree on this issue.” Among national pro-life advocates, that line went over like a lead balloon.
So when Walker headed to Capitol Hill to try to win conservative hearts and minds, the leaders in attendance had lots of questions. One attendee said that about 50 top social conservative and evangelical leaders were present, including Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America, Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List, Brian Brown of National Organization for Marriage, Michael Needham of Heritage Action, and Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center.
Dannenfelser said Walker brought up his 2014 abortion ad before being asked.
“He felt very quoted out of context, very misunderstood,” she said. “He said there was a snippet of the ad used that did not convey the full meaning, and his communication was using the other side’s language but with the idea of forging common ground on ultrasound, because he’s a true believer on that.”
Walker signed legislation in 2013 requiring both that women seeking abortions get ultrasounds first and that the doctors who perform abortions have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Dannenfelser said he defended his use of the phrase “leaves the final decision to a woman and her doctor” as a way of co-opting pro-choice rhetoric for the pro-life cause.
“To the extent that we use the other side’s rhetoric to undermine their positions, we’re better off,” Dannenfelser added.
She said she was impressed with Walker’s way of talking about abortion.
“It’s the whole style of communication and content of communication that you want to see moving into a presidential cycle that will make it different from 2012,” she said.
The Susan B. Anthony List, she said, is more interested in Walker’s legislative accomplishments than his rhetoric, and the governor assured the meeting attendees that he would sign legislation banning abortion after 20 weeks. For pro-life leaders, that’s huge. If Walker signs the bill—which Wisconsin Republicans introduced this month—then he’ll underscore his dedication to the pro-life cause. But if the legislation fails to make it through the Republican-controlled state legislature and to his desk, his reputation as a politician who can net big conservative wins could suffer.
“He has an opportunity to authenticate his stated convictions, and I have every belief that he’ll do that,” Dannenfelser said.
“My view is that he gets it and he’s got good people around him, and we’re in good shape,” she added.
Other meeting attendees were cagier. Nance emailed to confirm that she attended.
“I think it went well,” she said.
Then I asked if she had thoughts about his stance on same-sex marriage.
“I think people are still trying to discern,” she replied.
Brown was similarly coy about whether Walker has taken a strong enough stance on the question of marriage. He said many of his allies were unhappy with the comments Walker made after the overturn of the state’s marriage amendment.
“That was very disappointing,” Brown said of Walker’s response. “But the reality is he’s come out and endorsed a federal marriage amendment.”
Brown added that his group will issue a pledge on the issue in the coming months to let potential presidential contenders clearly denote where they stand on marriage.
“We are meeting with folks from a number of potential presidential campaigns and folks that have already put their hat in the ring,” he continued, “and the reality is what we’re seeing in Iowa and across the country is the myth that somehow the same-sex marriage debate is over is just that, it’s a myth.”
So Walker’s closed-door meeting doesn’t seem to have backfired. But it isn’t yet clear whether he made converts.
It would in fact be impossible, not just “impractical,” were not a freely self sacrificing Lord not at the head of it.
(so remove one “not”. so sue me.)
Pro-life themes are important. What you cheer for matters too.
Nice ad.
Ad?
Ad for Walker’s political position. It highlights his strengths nicely, assuming this is all on the level.
His heart could well be in the right place and he might follow the Lord’s leading to guide America to once more have a godly heart. It is the embrace of wickedness that made evil possible and it is the embrace of the Lord that will send evil away.
I still think Cruz has an edge here — he has spoken up for the gospel at his introductory speech.
I hardly think this organization would lie about Walker’s history.
Is it so hard to just say Walker is good on Life?
And what is wrong with this? He wants the legal immigration system, that currently keeps millions of educated, hard-working people in legal limbo, to be easier to navigate. But he also wants to control such immigration based on unemployment.....American workers first.
He does not want citizenship for illegals. He wants the border secured.
So, please show me one ACTION that Walker has taken in elected office that makes him GOP-e?
You can't, because you fabricated that in your twisted mind.
Just to let you know, Cruz wants to give work permits to illegals, just like Obama. Please show me who is stronger on immigration than Walker.
The devil tells the truth to get his way. This is what can be said about all liberal media.
Because something is an ad doesn’t mean it’s untrue. It still reads like an ad.
My ultimate hope for a would be leader — he cares not just about the bible but about its Author, and shows it. He breaks “rules” that are too petty to contain the heart of God.
It’s good to know what the Left is peddling. It’s good to point out to those who don’t know, so they will learn to think and evaluate where they’re getting their information and how reliable it is, or isn’t. It doesn’t take long to teach people how important it is to keep their eyes open and to not trust something because it’s in print or spoken.
Walker went to a celebration of a homosexual marriage.
That should tell you all you need to know about his true respect for God’s word.
No different than celebrating the beginning of an adulterous relationship.
Yes, he went to a reception for his wife’s cousin and her wife.
Walker believes that marriage is between a man and a woman.
What’s Cruz’s history on attending events with homosexuals?
I hope it’s genuine. We need as many lights as possible.
The people need to be able to accept the light too.
Yes. We certainly do.
I heard Cruz said a flat no to that idea.
That wasn’t my question. And I’m sure you’re aware of what I’m talking about.
Listen, I’m fine with Cruz but this incessant need by his supporters to take hits at Walker are not helping him.
Walker can keep walking. No need for his input when we already have Cruz.
Who’s “we” and how do you “have him?”
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