In Scott Walker's mind, the democratic right to protest is the same as ISIS

Governor compares 2011 Wisconsin Uprising to militant, violent fundamentalists

Earlier today, Gov. Scott Walker compared the citizens of Wisconsin, those who took to the streets to exercise their democratic rights to petition their government in 2011, to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an extremist organization of radical religious fundamentalists who engage in brutal acts of terror and murder.

“If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world,” Walker said confidently, closing a statement in which he described the need to go after ISIS directly.

It’s unclear whether Walker understands what President Barack Obama is doing currently with ISIS. Last year the president outlined his plan for targeted airstrikes against the terrorist organization, and just this month sent a war authorization package to Congress.

But whether Walker understands the president’s actions or not, one thing we can be certain on following these comments is that he has utter disdain and disgust for many of his constituents.

Making a comparison like this -- that protesters in Wisconsin are similar to ISIS -- should put to rest any lingering doubts about Walker’s governing style: it isn’t about doing what’s right for constituents, it’s about deflating and defeating your political opponents.

If Walker indeed feels this way about the protesters, then it’s a war for him, and always has been, to defeat those who stand in his way. We have every reason to believe this now, given these recent remarks and Walker’s own actions while in office.

A prank phone call Walker took in 2011 fits with this conclusion. Believing he was speaking to one of the Koch brothers, Gov. Walker said he had considered placing instigators in the crowds in order to discredit the protesters, choosing not to do so only after considering the ramifications of getting caught.

Comparing Wisconsin Uprising protesters to ISIS militants is completely unwarranted and disrespectful to the people Walker is supposed to be representing. Yes, it’s clear that those who showed up in 2011 to stand up against the end of collective bargaining rights probably didn’t vote for him. But that doesn’t mean Walker isn’t meant to represent those people in the office he holds. And it certainly doesn’t give him permission to compare those protesters to murderous, fundamentalist militants.

The duties of the governor are to serve the people of this state. It seems that, in the past four years, Scott Walker, perhaps willfully, has forgotten that.

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