UW College Democrats stood outside holding bologna signs.

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Scott Walker takes reporter questions

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Scott Walker takes student questions

Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker said he will work for every student’s vote in the November election at Memorial Union for a College Republicans event Sunday.

Walker answered questions from students and focused largely on a range of economic issues, from losing venture capitalism investments to others states to investing in pensions and health care.

Walker also pointed to the upcoming Tuesday visit of President Barack Obama as proof that many student votes may be up for grabs.

“The fact that he’s coming to Madison and coming to campus suggests (Tom) Barrett campaign’s in trouble,” Walker said. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here now, this shows that we’re not taking any votes for granted, not in Dane County or on college campuses.”

Walker believes Barrett, the Milwaukee mayor and his opponent in the race, has recently taken a negative turn.

Pointing to Friday’s gubernatorial debate as evidence, Walker said Barrett’s responses were largely turned around as attacks against Walker.

“Almost all of the Barrett ads are attacks ads now,” Walker said.

Walker also said his proposed pension plan for government employees comes from his experience as the current supervisor of Milwaukee County.

Walker became supervisor following a pension scandal in 2001 where former Milwaukee County supervisor F. Thomas Ament approved a pension plan that essentially allowed him and other upper-level employees to receive a 25 percent pension bonus.

His plan encourages state employees to pay their own way with private savings, Walker said.

Event organizers said turnout for the event indicated student votes are not already spoken for by Democrats.

“A lot of people might say the student vote is taken for granted by the Democrats and you prove that’s not the case,” Nick Novak, chair of Students For Walker, said at the event.

Despite support from College Republicans inside the Union, opposition was still present outside.

A group of about 15 members of the state Democratic Party and the College Democrats stood outside the Union holding signs of baloney with Walker’s face and sayings such as “Scott Walker: Let them eat Baloney” in reference to Walker’s “Brown Bag” campaign slogan.

“I really think you can’t trust what Scott Walker says and ‘full of baloney’ is representative of that,” said Maggie Bahrmasel, 21, a UW senior and one of the members of the counter-rally and a leader of College Democrats.