LETTER TO THE EDITOR: His Record Aside, Scott Walker Is ‘Incredibly Boring’

To the Editor:

When I first learned that former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was visiting Cornell, I must admit, my interest was piqued. Then, I read Irene Hartmann’s grad letter, followed by the response from the Cornell Republicans. While striking, these letters do not paint a full picture of Gov. Walker, and I would encourage everyone to dig a bit deeper. For instance, while Hartmann notes that Walker attacked public-sector unions and blocked consumer protection laws, she failed to mention that Scott Walker turned down over $1 billion in federal dollars to expand Medicaid, meaning state funds were used instead. Nor did she note in her letter that Walker orchestrated the biggest corporate handout to a foreign company in American history, $4 billion, complete with the right to ignore environmental regulations, which has been disastrous.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Cornell Republicans E-Board on ‘Who We Are’

.Reading Irene Hartmann’s grad letter to the editor regarding our upcoming event with former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker on Monday, Nov. 4, we could not help but think about how Hartmann may have benefited from attending our first event of the semester with David French, then of National Review, now with The Dispatch. French spent much of his time here warning us against embracing the politics of war, enmity and assumption. It is clear that this prudent advice has not been heeded. One need only make use of the link Hartmann provided in her letter to dismiss the careless charges of defending pedophiles she leveled against Gov. Walker.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Scott Walker Embodies What the Cornell Republicans Stand For

To the Editor:

There are many reasons to oppose bringing former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to Cornell’s campus. From his attacks on public sector unions (while hiding behind a unionized police force) to accepting campaign donations from a lead manufacturer before then passing laws blocking families of children poisoned by lead paint from pursuing legal remedies, to helping Catholic priests who were defrocked for “substantiated cases of sexual abuse of a minor” receive or renew professional licenses that gave child molesters access to vulnerable populations, Scott Walker is the poster boy for conservatism. While some are shocked and insulted that he would be brought to campus, I am personally grateful that Cornell Republicans are publicly embracing unflinching conservatism as demonstrated by Walker. Although the talk will likely focus on anti-union rhetoric under the guise of the “free market,” there is no denying that by welcoming Walker to campus, Cornell Republicans are co-signing political patronage in the form of dark money donations and giving quarter to pedophiles instead of prosecuting them. For many of us on the left who oppose this behavior in the Democratic Party as well, it is a welcome relief that Republicans are finally willing to show the world who they are and what they stand for.