Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's defended his statements to a man posing as billionaire Republic donor David Koch in a prank phone call--reported earlier today--by explaining, "I talk phone calls all the time. I took phone calls with small business owners earlier." Walker also dismissed the idea, gleaned from his comments to the imposter, that he was trying to trick Democratic lawmakers into coming back to the state so Republicans could pass his controversial plan to limit public sector unions' power to bargain.
"It's not a trick," Walker said. He was referring a plan explained when confiding in the imposter: to lure Democratic state senators back into the state with the possibility of friendly chit-chat--but no actual negotiations--only to give Republicans a quorum to pass the bill. Referring to his offers to Democrats, Walker insisted, "We said it point blank: Come on in and talk about it ... But ultimately it needs to lead to a vote ... I don't think that's a trick." He added, "I wont allow one prank phone call to be a distraction."
He took just four questions from reporters before ending the presser.The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Steve Schultze said Walker offered "nothing new."
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Elspeth Reeve
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