by Ken Van Doren

MILWAUKEE, On the same day that President Obama was in town to tout the Democrat in the race, an enthusiastic crowd of about 300 people gathered at the parking lot near the end of Erie Street to support Scott Walker and his gubernatorial campaign.

The event was covered by local and national media, and among the crowd were a number of state legislators and candidates, and a considerable number stumping for candidates for office.

After an introduction by Republican Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Reince Preibus, Walker fired up the crowd, turning the words of the President against current Governor Doyle, and Milwaukee Mayor and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett.

Standing near the defective Hoan bridge over the mouth of the Milwaukee river, suggesting that it was a monument to what is wrong with government in Wisconsin, Walker intoned, “People create jobs, not government. Small government is good government.”

“Can we protect the segregated highway funds so we can fix the bridge behind me and better maintain roads and bridges around the state?” He and the crowd roared in answer, “YES WE CAN!!”

“Can we take back Wisconsin State government and get us back on the right track?” Aloud “YES WE CAN” was the answer to that and several other similar questions from Walker.

The demonstration was remarkable for several reasons: the average age seemed to be mid 40s, with quite number of older folks; most were from the Milwaukee area but not the district in which the demonstration was held, and a number had driven more than 100 miles to be there; and perhaps most remarkable of all, the whole thing took less than a half hour, not counting the coming and going, and the fraternizing before and after the formal part of the event.