Skip to main content

Walker’s allies rush to aid Wisconsin GOP governor

By WTOP Staff

SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker is in another tight political spot, and his allies are again rushing to the Republican’s rescue, powering his re-election bid and trying to keep alive his presidential prospects.

On the ballot for a third time in four years, Walker is in a tough race against Democrat Mary Burke, the former Trek Bicycles executive who has proved more formidable than his previous rivals.

A poll released Wednesday shows the race is a dead heat.

“The more these polls come out, the more people realize it’s going to take a lot of hard work,” Walker said in an interview before the latest numbers surfaced.

If Walker is to mount a presidential campaign, as widely expected, he first must win re-election. A loss in November could hobble him in national politics ahead of the 2016 White House race.

So big-time help is on the way.

The National Rifle Association and a Republican Governors Association-backed group, Right Direction Wisconsin, are airing about $525,000 in ads this week alone. Total GOP-leaning spending on advertising is now at close to $7 million, outpacing the Democrats’ $5.4 million on the air.

Walker’s allies know the drill.

The RGA spent $5 million to help elect him in 2010 and $10 million more to keep him there during a 2012 union-driven recall, when Walker became the first governor in U.S. history to survive such an effort.

Already this year, the governors’ group has spent $3 million to aid Walker, and that number is expected to more than double by Election Day, Nov. 4.

Republicans say that if Walker needs more than that, he’ll have it. Walker is at the top of their list of incumbents to defend.

The NRA has a $1 million ad buy booked through mid-October and could renew if the race remains tight.

In a twist, Walker’s political future could rest with a potential Republican rival in 2016, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Christie heads the RGA and has opened the committee’s bank accounts for Walker. If Walker were to lose, his supporters could blame Christie for cutting off the money, potentially adding to Christie’s image as a political bully.

To head that off, Christie plans to campaign with Walker on Sept. 29.

Many of the RGA donors are Walker fans. Keeping him an ally is good for attracting crowds and RGA fundraising.

Big-dollar donors like Walker, too.

Koch Industries, controlled by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch, has given almost $1.8 million to the governors’ group so far and is its leading donor. One of the outside groups backed by the brothers, Americans for Prosperity, has hosted Walker at events and is expected to be one of his most bullish backers if Walker ran for president.

Hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer’s Elliott Management is the RGA’s second-biggest donor this year, with $1.3 million in donations so far. Singer organized events during the 2012 GOP convention in Tampa, Florida, for Walker to meet other Wall Street donors.

Singer is friendly with the governor and could be a major financial supporter for a pro-Walker super political action committee in 2016, just as he was for 2012 nominee Mitt Romney.

Even so, Walker’s nervousness about the election is showing.

“I think it’s a matter of fatigue,” Walker said during a recent visit to his Madison campaign offices. “People forget but this is, at best, a purple state, probably leans historically blue.”

Momentum appears to be turning to Walker’s side, according to a Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday.

In August, 59 percent of registered voters who said they are Republicans and 60 percent of Democrats said they were very enthusiastic about voting, according to the poll. But this month, the share of Republicans who said they were very enthusiastic rose to 67 percent while the Democratic number was unchanged.

Overall, Walker and Burke are essentially tied. Among likely voters, Walker had 49 percent support and Burke had 46 percent support, with a 4.1 percentage point margin of sampling error.

The poll of 589 likely voters was conducted between Sept. 11 and Sunday.

Through the first half of the year, Burke had raised $3.6 million for the race, while Walker collected almost $8.3 million.

That kind of advantage is not unusual for Walker, who beat back a costly 2012 recall rooted in his effort to take away public sector union rights.

Walker and his allies spent almost $59 million defeating the recall, trouncing the $22 million spent by Democrats.

___

Elliott reported from Washington.

___

Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sbauerAP and Philip Elliott at https://twitter.com/philip_elliott

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote