Political opponents rarely have anything good to say about each other, and the Neumann-Walker contest is no exception.
Most of the attacking comes from Neumann, the underdog. He challenges Walker's claim to fiscal conservatism by comparing the Walker-approved spending increases in Milwaukee County's budgets to those approved at the state level by Gov. Jim Doyle. According to Neumann, both Doyle and Tom Barrett are tougher on spending than his GOP opponent.
Neumann also paints Walker as a conniving political careerist. After Walker declared opposition to the Arizona immigration law and then reversed his position several days later, Neumann ran a web ad mocking his opponent. "How long do political principles last?" the announcer asks, quoting a newspaper editorial. The answer: "24 hours."
And Neumann, equipped with his grandfather's antique rifle and an NRA hat, held a press conference in which he accused his opponent of flip-flopping on gun rights. He cited Walker's 2001 vote in the state Legislature against a bill to allow for concealed carry of guns in Wisconsin.
Neumann's website even compares his 52 hunting licenses over the years to Walker's five since 2007 - suggesting that Walker's taste for guns was only acquired for political convenience.
The Walker campaign fights back Neumann's attacks with barbs of its own. Most of its criticism conveys the point that Neumann is a desperate, delusional mudslinger. According to a campaign statement responding to Neumann's criticisms of Walker's gun record: "Mark Neumann's campaign has morphed into a traveling circus of lies and attacks."
