Scott Brown

Scott Walker’s Campaign Ailed By Budget Crisis

Scott Walker is suffering from 'Jeb Bush syndrome:' the closer he gets to his presidential announcement, the worse his headlines are. Walker plans to run on his record in Wisconsin but that list of achievements is quickly dwindling as the state faces a massive budget crisis. The governor has already lost the support of his state's Republican party, now he risks losing the national GOP's nomination before his campaign even officially begins. From the Chicago Tribune:

Once in lockstep with Walker, GOP lawmakers are flashing some independence as they struggle to make ends meet. They have refused to go along with the governor's proposed cuts in money for elementary and secondary schools and his plans to finance a big boost in road construction solely by borrowing. They have also forced him to moderate his proposed reductions in funds for higher education.

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From 2011 to 2014, the pace of private-sector employment growth in Wisconsin ranked 36th among the states and the District of Columbia, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Walker's state ranked behind all its Rust Belt neighbors, Illinois included. Wisconsin even trailed Kansas, which has been the focus of national attention after steep tax and spending cuts pushed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback produced big government deficits but little economic pop.

MEMO: Scott Walker’s Mess

Scott Walker is set to give his State of the State address tonight, and the truth is, he doesn't have much good news to report. Walker rode into Madison in 2010 dead-set on giving the state a massive Tea Party makeover. And he did. Walker's vision for economic growth in Wisconsin consisted largely of massive tax cuts for the wealthy and the privatization of state's economic development program. To pull off his tax overhaul, Walker, implemented the largest education cuts in state history. But even that wasn't enough -- now the state faces an astonishing $2.2 billion budget shortfall. And just in case you questioned his ideological rigidity, Walker insists that slashing property taxes remains his number one priority this year. So what programs will he cut next to try to solve his colossal budget problem? That remains a mystery. As for his privatized economic development agency, well that hasn't gone much better. WEDC has been wrought with controversy, giving Wisconsin taxpayer dollars to companies that ship jobs overseas, and tearing through executives. Moreover, Walker didn't even come close to delivering on his promise to create 250,000 jobs in his first term, and Wisconsin continues to lag behind other states in the midwest and across the country when it comes to employment growth.

Dear Koch Brothers: We Aren’t Going Anywhere

To: Friends and Allies From: David Brock Date: Friday, November 7, 2014 Re: Dear Koch Brothers: We Aren’t Going Anywhere For six months, American Bridge has been working to show just what kind of world the Kochs are trying to create through in-depth research reports on their business practices, statements, and views. We’re exposing just how self-serving and out of touch their worldview is with that of average Americans, and we know we’re making headway because of how the Kochs reacted to the scrutiny: the president of Americans for Prosperity, the Kochs’ political arm, accused us of engaging in “the politics of personal destruction” and not focusing on policy, which is clearly not the case – all of our attacks against the Kochs are based on their views on policy or their business practices. The Kochs’ PR folks are accusing reporters of getting research from us and telling them not to trust it because they say we’re running a smear campaign – but they fail to mention that what we’re saying is true. Koch Industries recently began running – for the first time ever – a positive PR campaign to build up their public image that we’re so successfully breaking down. And the Kochs created yet another dark money group – Freedom Partners Action Fund – to back Koch-approved candidates. The work we did this cycle put their candidates on the defensive and caused them to spend precious time and resources denying their Koch connections. Terri Lynn Land in Michigan had to defend the Kochs’ terrible environmental record in her state. Scott Brown in New Hampshire was forced to address the fact that the out of state billionaires were funding his campaign. And Thom Tillis in North Carolina had to fight back against charges that he did whatever the Kochs told him to do so they’d help him win a Senate seat.

The Greedy Outsourcing Party

It's no secret that Mitt Romney's checkered business career was part of what doomed his election hopes in 2012. When people looked at Mitt Romney, they saw a vulture capitalist who was willing to close down American plants, lay off workers, and ship jobs overseas, so long as it helped their bottom dollar. Having run for president, Romney's business practices are likely the most infamous among Republican politicians, but he's hardly alone. This year, key GOP candidates in close senate and gubernatorial races espouse the same self-interested philosophy -- reaping profits while hurting American workers. In Georgia, David Perdue's campaign was rocked as POLITICO reported that Perdue had stated plainly in a 2005 deposition that he had "spent most of his career" outsourcing. This statement itself would have been severely damaging to Perdue's candidacy, but what was even more detrimental, perhaps because it was so revealing, was Perdue's dumbfounded response to the story. Asked how he would defend his outsourcing career, Perdue looked surprised -- "Well defend it? I'm proud of it!" In Illinois, billionaire gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner, who took a page out of Romney's playbook and funneled millions in profits to Cayman Island tax shelters to avoid paying American taxes, has demonstrated similar priorities. Rauner's vast portfolio while at GTCR, the private equity firm he co-founded, included directing H-Cube, a “premier global business outsourcing firm.” And just this month, we learned that a lawsuit has been launched by the former CEO of LeapSource, another outsourcing company where Rauner sat on the board, alleging personal threats from Rauner over her lack of success as their CEO.

The Massachusetts Outsourcers Vs. The New Hampshire Voters

Scott Brown's lackluster campaign is always in need of a lift. Maybe they're hoping for a car elevator kind of lift. That's right, Might Romney's coming back to town! Brown has truly bear-hugged Mitt Romney in this campaign, and it makes sense if you think about it. Sure, Romney lost New Hampshire decisively in 2012, but him and Scott Brown have striking similarities: Two proud Bay Staters who have yielded huge profits from their roles at outsourcing companies. Scott Brown says he won't create one job in New Hampshire. But if you want to create jobs overseas, you can't beat the Brown/Romney tag team!​

NEW VIDEO: Fact Check: Scott Brown On Women’s Health

Scott Brown just released a new ad expressing his outrage with Senator Shaheen for highlighting his terrible record on women's health. Unfortunately for Scott Brown, facts are facts. For example:

• Scott Brown is from Massachusetts.
• Scott Brown sits on the Board of Directors at a company that outsources American jobs.
• Scott Brown lavished praise on the Koch brothers for helping him in his 2010 campaign and asked them for more money.