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"Gov. Scott Walker pushed back against conservative criticism that followed reports his lawyer was in talks with prosecutors to settle a John Doe probe.During an appearance on \u201CUpFront with Mike Gousha,\u201D Walker pointed to his record as a fiscal and economic conservative in the face of \u201Cextreme pressure.\u201D He said no one is being \u201Cthrown under the bus.\u201D\u201CHonestly, it surprises me that anyone would think that I would undermine anyone who shared those same principles,\u201D Walker said on the show, produced in partnership with WisPolitics.com. \u201CClearly I would not.\u201DVIDEO: Walker surprised by tough editorialReferencing a statement earlier in the week, Walker denied involvement in the federal investigation, adding Wisconsin law prevents him from revealing information about the state-level case.\u201CThe law is pretty clear in this state; anyone who knows anything about a John Doe can\u2019t talk about it, anyone who doesn\u2019t know about it shouldn\u2019t talk about it,\u201D Walker said. \u201CI\u2019ve not commented on the Doe itself, because I\u2019ve abided by the law.\u201DWalker, the only guest on this week\u2019s show, said his lead among independent voters is essential to securing a win over expected Dem nominee Mary Burke in November.Walker said factors like a reduction in taxes and heightened graduation rates will leave independents better off than before he took office in 2011. He said he expected a tight race.\u201CThis is a state that has been divided politically long before I was governor; in 2000 and 2004 Wisconsin was the closest blue state in America in the presidential election,\u201D Walker said.Although Walker is unlikely to deliver on his pledge to create250,000 jobs during his first term, he said voters will recognize that unemployment is down and below the national average. Walker called Burke \u201Ca step backwards,\u201D and criticized her jobs record.\u201CThe only time in the last 25 years unemployment has actually been higher than it was in the nation was when she was working for Jim Doyle as the secretary of Commerce in charge of jobs,\u201D Walker said.Walker blamed uncertainty surrounding the recall, and the current election cycle, for lackluster job growth. He cited a recent survey that found 95 percent of Wisconsin CEOs believe the state is headed in the right direction, compared to 10 percent four years ago.Walker also said the Affordable Care Act is a source of uncertainty that could prevent job growth. Walker was recently the target of criticism from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin for making moves to shift about\u00A060,000 BadgerCare recipients to the federal exchange.Walker says the moves allowed the state to extend Medicaid coverage to all residents below the poverty line. He said there's no way to track the insurance coverage of those moved off BadgerCare, because they're not obligated to report the information to the state. He added his administration is working with charities and other methods of outreach to encourage the removed residents to find new coverage.\u201CThere are few states that have done as much and been as aggressive as we have,\u201D Walker said.Walker said he would like to \u201Ctweak\u201D the state\u2019s school voucher program to ensure applicants are offered choices that were previously unavailable. The program has received criticism for the number of applicants who are already enrolled in private schools.VIDEO: Walker wants more education options for parentsThe governor said vouchers for private schools are intended for those who feel their needs aren't met by local public schools. He expressed support for public schools, adding that he and both his children received public educations.\u201CFirst and foremost, I want to make sure we continue to give our public schools the tools to perform, but part of that \u2026 has been to continue to put more opportunities on the table for families all across the state,\u201D Walker said. \u201CI\u2019m not looking to compete one against the other.\u201DAfter cutting some $2 billion in taxes, Walker said he would like further across-the-board reductions. He said he intends to uphold his campaign pledge to reduce taxes each year he is in office.\u201CI\u2019d like to see it go even lower,\u201D Walker said. \u201CIn 2018, I want property taxes to be lower for a typical homeowner than they are in 2014.\u201DVIDEO: Walker wants more tax reformHe said he isn't concerned about a recent report showing tax revenues trending down, attributing that to withholding changes.While Walker said his administration would abide by a court ruling finding the state\u2019s ban on same sex marriage unconstitutional, he said he supports Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen\u2019s effort to defend the amendment.\u201CIf the voters of this state have voted to put something in the constitution, as they did in this case in 2006, I think it\u2019s the responsibility of the attorney general to uphold the will of the people,\u201D Walker said."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.wisn.com/article/walker-no-attempt-to-throw-people-under-the-bus/6321666>