Yesterday, Scott Walker finally jumped the shark: He introduced a budget that removed several lines from the University of Wisconsin System's mission statement (aka a little thing known as "The Wisconsin Idea"), including the phrase, "basic to every purpose of the system is the search for truth."
However, after what can only be described as a biblical, huge __ storm developed in all parts of the state, including in both Republican and Democratic quarters, Walker tried to un-jump the shark by claiming that it was all just a big misunderstanding. Neither he nor his staff ever intended to delete Wisconsin Idea-- it was just a "drafting error."
In fact, Walker even went so far as to blame the University of Wisconsin's administration, when he inferred in an answer to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Dan Bice, that the UW people "somehow overlooked" the error when his staff gave it them to look over.
You know how it is... you write a budget, you get everybody to look at it, and somehow things like this just slip through.
I'm sorry, I know you're not supposed to say someone is a liar or lying, but there is no amount of sugar-coated word-smithing that can hide that Walker is lying in every conceivable way on this one.
First of all, today I obtained copies of the original records from the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau's drafting office, which show that there was a long chain of correspondence during which the Walker administration actually proposed deleting the Wisconsin Idea. The records also reveal that numerous officials within the administration proofed and approved of deleting the Wisconsin Idea.
Second, this wasn't "somehow overlooked" by University of Wisconsin officials. They objected on several occasions to it, but the Walker administration refused to back down.
It was only after the huge __ storm that happened yesterday that Walker realized that he had seriously miscalculated this one and tried to do what he always does: Lie his way out of it.
This time though, the search for truth won the day.