The animosity between Republican gubernatorial hopefuls Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and former congressman Mark Neumann is growing fiercer with the approaching primary, with the latest Walker attack comparing Neumann to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, D-California.
Walker sent out a mailer advertisement criticizing Neumann's vote as congressman in 1998 for a transportation bill full of what the campaign is calling $9 million in pork projects. The bill was also approved by Pelosi, and projects included a ""bridge to nowhere"" and a highway to Canada.
""That's right,"" the ad reads, ""Canada.""
However, Neumann denies any connection to the staunch Democrat.
""Scott Walker claims I'm Nancy Pelosi? He must be kidding,"" he said in a television ad. ""In Congress back in the ‘90s, I fought to cut spending so hard, the leaders of my own party kicked me off the Appropriations Committee.""
Neumann, who served in Congress for four years during the Clinton administration, said in his ad that ""negative attacks are for career politicians."" He described himself as a businessman, unlike Walker, whose political career he said spans 16 years.
However, the Walker campaign said Neumann's activities in Washington in the 1990s make him the wrong choice for Wisconsin.
""Wisconsin voters continue to ask about the difference between Scott Walker and Congressman Neumann,"" said Walker campaign manager Keith Gilkes in a statement. ""Congressman Neumann has been spending millions of his personal wealth trying to scrub clean his six runs for office and his support for one of the largest pork barrel spending bills in history while in Washington.""
—Ariel Shapiro
