On Monday Republican presidential candidate Gov. Scott Walker attacked President Barack Obama, calling for President Obama to cancel a scheduled state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping in light of economic turmoil in the U.S. stock markets that many blamed on China.
Walker cited the economic turmoil Monday that roiled U.S. stock markets, which analysts said began over concerns about China’s slowing growth, as the latest in a string of provocations from Beijing. “Why would we be giving one of our highest things a president can do — and that is a state dinner for Xi Jinping, the head of China — at a time when all of these problems are pending out there?” Scott Walker told reporters following a visit to the Carolina Pregnancy Center in Spartanburg, S.C., on Monday afternoon. “We should say those… honors should only be bestowed upon leaders and countries that are allies and supporters of the United States, not just for China, which is a strategic competitor.”
As Charles Pierce of Esquire noted in an excellent piece yesterday, Gov. Walker’s call for President Obama to essentially boycott the Chinese President is ironic, given Gov. Walker’s efforts to build a relationship between Wisconsin and China his first term as governor, currently has two “Global Trade Ventures” advertised in 2016—to China.
But here’s the thing: The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation—which was a key part of Walker’s (unsuccessful) plan to bring 250,000 jobs to the state during his first term as governor, currently has two “Global Trade Ventures” advertised in 2016—to China. And in 2013, per Forbes, the governor met with Xi Jinping while in China on a trip promoting trade between his state and the country…
It’s also worth noting that Gov. Walker’s 2013 trip to China cost Wisconsin taxpayers $125,000, which included accomodations at the five-star Grand Hyatt hotel in Beijing.
Thanks for the post Zach, this is a repeat of what I posted at another WI web forum:
Scott Walker and Ryan Murray getting tough on China at WI taxpayer expense. How much WI farmland would Walker like to sell to the Chinese was that again, when he and Republican legislators wanted to do away with our 126 yr-old law limiting foreign ownership of WI state territory?
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-upHE9GmeUtY/Vdn6Jk7ucsI/AAAAAAAAo1g/dnqC7aJKt7o/s1600/murraywalkermao.jpg
And the part-time “governor,” is/was apparently clueless or conversely just proud of the brand name apparel he and the ventriloquist operated figure were wearing for the photo op.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/25/world/asia/adidas-chinese-factory-strike/index.html
(fyi – preview comments is not responding, hope this posts correctly)
I struggle, on a daily basis, to wrap my head around how someone in charge of a state and surrounded by a gaggle of advisors can insert his foot so freely into his mouth. Is there any forethought put into these comments? Don’t get me wrong… the more Walker talks the better off we will all be. Keep up the fine job Governor Blah Blah Blah.
He may have a ton of advisors but let’s not forget that before he declared, he had next to no practice dealing with citizens or reporters. He spent his time in carefully orchestrated closed photo ops and the extent he talked to reporters amounted to popping in to chat with Charlie Sykes once in awhile.
When this is all over, he can look to a press that didn’t point out or protest when he held them at arm’s length as part of the reason he was so ridiculously unprepared. When you’re indulged by those who are a-ok with what you are doing you’re not going to have a good grounding in justifying yourself to those who are not.
Why he thought the methods that worked in Wisconsin would work across the country is a bigger puzzle to me than why he wouldn’t choose competent advisors or listen to them if they were.