Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Replaces Multicultural Painting With Bald Eagle

Wisconsin's Republican Governor Scott Walker has recently come under fire after the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that he and first lady Tonette Walker had removed a painting of underprivileged children from his Executive Residence.

The painting, entitled Wishes in the Wind, was created by David Lenz, who carefully chose the children in the painting. He described his choices to The Journal-Sentinel:

The African-American girl, featured in a Journal Sentinel column on homelessness, spent three months at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission with her mother. The Hispanic girl is a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. And the boy's father and brother were killed by a drunken driver in 2009.

The Walkers replaced the image, which had hung above their fireplace, with an image of Old Abe, a Civil War-era bald eagle from Wisconsin. The eagle is part of a Civil War-themed collection now on display at the Executive Residence, shown in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the war.

Walker, who has spent the beginning of his first term seeking union reform and cutting funding for education and social services, claimed only the best intentions. A press release from the Executive Residence explains,

The painting Wishes in the Wind, which was previously on display in the Drawing Room, is on loan to the Central Library in Milwaukee where 560,000 visitors each year will see it, learn about its significance and continue the discussion about providing hope and optimism for the least privileged in our society. By comparison, the Executive Residence hosts approximately 15,000 visitors each year.

Historian John Gurda, vice chairman of the Central Library's Board of Trustees, however, acknowledged the sticky situation his organization faced, saying, "My point of view is this is not the Walkers' house, this is Wisconsin's house. This was commissioned by an organization that was there long before Scott Walker came in and will be there long after he is gone."

Comments

[Storyhill]

05:36 PM on 07/28/2011

I'm surprised he didn't put p a picture of the Koch brothers.

[Storyhill]

05:35 PM on 07/28/2011

He can't handle seeing the poor that he has hammered!

[DovS]

11:13 PM on 07/10/2011

For a GOP governor, it's all about image and Jingoistic patriotic symbolism is better for his image than caring about needy children.

[macohmz]

03:03 AM on 06/22/2011

I would expect something on black velvet would be more Walker's speed.

[turamali]

08:00 PM on 06/15/2011

As soon as they kick his@$$ out of office they can put the painting back where it belongs.

[turamali]

07:46 PM on 06/15/2011

He's took down a painting of children to put up a painting of an eagle, yeah well I guess this shoes us how he feels about children.

[nadiz6]

09:25 PM on 06/14/2011

People that make fuss about a painting is an example of their stupidity , there are people in this country that lost their jobs and homes and living on unemployment checks and food stamps and these union members (the ungrateful)are angry and acting stupid because governor walker bill will make them contribute more for their health care and pensions ,shame on you

[thegreatdaveo]

12:48 PM on 06/15/2011

That's not what they're angry about. They immediately agreed without complaint to the increased contributions to their health care and pensions. Shame on you for writing lies here.

[rustysc]

06:22 AM on 06/13/2011

REMOVE SCOTT!

[dburkwald]

06:39 PM on 06/12/2011

Historian John Gurda, vice chairman of the Central Library's Board of Trustees, however, acknowledged the sticky situation his organization faced, saying, "My point of view is this is not the Walkers' house, this is Wisconsin's house. This was commissioned by an organization that was there long before Scott Walker came in and will be there long after he is gone."

[Nick Barile]

04:07 PM on 06/12/2011

And as usual, the Huffington Post has distorted this.

Barack Obama removed the American flag from his campaign plane and replaced it with a "Obama for Change 2008" post. But you lazy union hogs didn't go crazy over that.

I hope you all lose your jobs because the businesses go overseas due to the union harassment. Why should you get 5 percent annual raises and RIDICULOUS pay and benefits while the rest of us are barely holding onto our jobs! WE, the TAX PAYERS, employ you! You don't like working in the cold, dark, and "underpaid" public sector (sarcasm)? THEN GO FIND ANOTHER JOB LIKE THE REST OF US ARE TRYING TO DO!

I and 14 million Americans would be glad to have a janitor job period! Yet are we screaming like animals in a capitol? You are despicable, ungrateful, brainwashed and greedy union thugs that are an insult to the unemployed. Unions have destroyed businesses and will destroy jobs. They favor the employed but make it 10 times harder for those who aren't so lucky. Just wait- businesses will flock to China because they're fed up with unions busting their business. THEN NOBODY WILL HAVE JOBS. This isn't about Walker, this is about unions destroying our country and our financial well-being!

[dburkwald]

06:27 PM on 06/12/2011

So tell us Nick ... How do you really feel ?

[Nick Barile]

11:20 AM on 06/13/2011

How do I feel? Disgusted that people are fighting as if it's their lives in jeopardy when all that's at stake is maybe them contributing a bit more to their pension! It is unions that are responsible for some of the Debt; it is unions that have notoriously drove business from this country; it is unions that have continually harassed anyone who is not in their cause! I refused to join a union, and now it is impossible to get a public sector job. Even teaching- with the liberal teachers in bed with the union, it is literally impossible for a conservative non-union member to get a job.

I am DISGUSTED. That is how I feel. Much of you are unskilled workers and yet you demand the same wages as a doctor or a teacher who went to school for years and years. There are millions who would be happy for the job you have. If you think working for the government is so harsh then leave and let someone else take it.

[indigoiris715]

07:58 AM on 06/13/2011

Aren't those continued and unprecedented tax cuts helping to provide you with a job?

[Nick Barile]

11:23 AM on 06/13/2011

They're not enough. I'm not exactly a big business supporter but we NEED the businesses to be rich in order for them to provide jobs! The reason they're sitting on trillions is because they are unsure of many things provided by this administration- Obamacare, new regulations, and anti-company laws. It's all fun and games "defending the middle class" until you've bankrupted America's economy.

[Mockdog]

01:34 PM on 06/12/2011

It's just on loan to the Maine Department of Labor.

[dburkwald]

12:20 PM on 06/12/2011

The only picture Scott Walker and his wife To -Tee want hanging above the fireplace is a picture of the black folk picking cotton.

[meeks]

10:29 AM on 06/13/2011

Wow !

[Ojodelgato]

09:02 AM on 06/14/2011

As much as I detest Scott Walker and plan to volunteer every spare moment working on his recall, I think your comment goes jesssssst over the line. I believe he wants to see everyone picking cotton regardless of their race or religion; if they're earning under $150K, or not contributing to his campaign.

[dburkwald]

04:54 PM on 06/20/2011

Well , I guess that would be me then ... Thank You

[plzchuteme]

11:12 AM on 06/12/2011

I think this is a good thing. I don't think Scott Walker is capable of appreciating or deserves to have "Wishes in the Wind" on display for his personal gratification. It will be displayed in a much better place at the museum where it can touch people who are capable of feelings. Walker should replace it with something that really suits him; say a print of some dogs playing cards, or perhaps, Elvis on black velvet.

[friendofbear]

10:42 AM on 06/12/2011

Even though I agree with most people that he is a disrespectful thug, this story has more questions then answers. The painting was in his Executive Residence, over his fireplace. The painting is now in a better place. If he spends any private time at all at the Executive Residence he should have at least a minimum of opportunity to adjust the surroundings. Actually 40 people a day average sounds like a lot of visitors for a residence. I guess it depends on how much time he spends there, as to if this is a non-story or not.

[spazimodo]

10:08 AM on 06/12/2011

Yes, those Koch Brothers. Libs love jobs, they love employers that treat employees like valued resources and they love companies that do not foist the costs of production upon the public, in other words, they like the theoretical capitalist that sees labor and the adjoining community as stakeholders. What they don't like are companies that spend so much money influencing and changing rules in their favor and to the detriment of society as a whole. What they don't like is companies that behave as if God is dead and Money is god. Yeah, those Koch brothers.