In a new Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register Iowa Poll, Gov. Scott Walker jumped into the head of the pack of the GOP nominees fighting to be their presidential representative.
He was helped tremendously by his speech at Rep. Steve King's wingnut fest in Iowa, and along with some kind words by Rush Limbaugh - seems to have energized the conservative base for him at the moment.
This morning Gov. Scott Walker joined ABC's This Week and in a surprise, Martha Raddatz actually pressed him on his foreign policy credentials.
In a few short questions, Scott Walker was exposed as being completely unprepared and having no clue on world events around him. He tried to use his ludicrous new talking points about speaking to an adjutant general and receiving "threat assessments," that he's just as qualified as the president when it comes to protecting the homeland.
As a governor, I've had risk assessments given to me by the FBI and my adjutant general about threats not only in my state, but around the country. That is one of the reasons why I'm so worried about the future, not just of our country, our world.
Raddatz quickly moved past that sorry response and asked for specifics.
That's where he got into trouble.
RADDATZ: Let's talk about some specific, and you talk about leadership and you talk about big, bold, fresh ideas. What is your big, bold, fresh idea in Syria?
WALKER: Well, I think - I go back to the red line.
RADDATZ: Let's not go back. Let's go forward. What is your big, bold idea in Syria?
WALKER: I think aggressively, we need to take the fight to ISIS and any other radical Islamic terrorist in and around the world, because it's not a matter of when they attempt an attack on American soil, or not if I should say, it's when, and we need leadership that says clearly, not only amongst the United States but amongst our allies, that we're willing to take appropriate action. I think it should be surgical.
Is Walker saying that he wants to start another war? Walker then claims ISIS is ready to cross our borders any day now so we need to be ready! We have to be aggressive and take appropriate action. That's his bold new ideas?
Here's where Martha earns her money.
RADDATZ: You don't think 2,000 air strikes is taking it to ISIS in Syria and Iraq?
WALKER: I think we need to have an aggressive strategy anywhere around the world. I think it's a mistake to -(CROSSTALK)
RADDATZ: But what does that mean? I don't know what aggressive strategy means. If we're bombing and we've done 2,000 air strikes, what does an aggressive strategy mean in foreign policy?
WALKER: I think anywhere and everywhere, we have to be - go beyond just aggressive air strikes. We have to look at other surgical methods. And ultimately, we have to be prepared to put boots on the ground if that's what it takes, because I think, you know--
RADDATZ: Boots on the ground in Syria? U.S. boots on the ground in Syria?
WALKER: I don't think that is an immediate plan, but I think anywhere in the world--
RADDATZ: But you would not rule that out.
WALKER: I wouldn't rule anything out. I think when you have the lives of Americans at stake and our freedom loving allies anywhere in the world, we have to be prepared to do things that don't allow those measures, those attacks, those abuses to come to our shores.
When Raddatz pressed him the best he could come up with was a new foreign policy slogan of sorts:
"Anywhere and Everywhere." We will fight radical Islam anywhere and everywhere and won't rule anything out.
Doesn't that strike fear into the heart of our enemies?
What a plan.
I doubt Walker thought Raddatz would ask him anything substantial on foreign policy so she gets high marks for that and it showed he's not ready for prime time yet.
He reminded me of a certain Alaskan governor who saw Putin's house from her home and didn't know what magazines she reads.
