Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) released a new ad Tuesday touting his record.
"Because government workers are now contributing to their health and pension benefits like most people do," Walker asserts, "we've saved the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars." He adds that "since the start of the year, Wisconsin has added thousands of new jobs," and closes with the line, "Let's keep moving Wisconsin forward."
During a call with reporters on Tuesday, state Democratic chair Mike Tate criticized Walker and the ad. He said, contrary to Walker's claim in the ad that he "wiped out a $3.6 billion deficit," that the governor's budget leaves the state with a $3 billion budget deficit.
"Walker has enacted a radical agenda that was sold dishonestly and accompanied by a shocking lack of transparency and candor with the public," he said.
Walker has promised to create 250,000 new jobs over four years. There were 16,300 more private-sector jobs in Wisconsin as of November 2011 than there were when Walker took office in January 2011.
Walker is running television advertising in an attempt to stave off a recall effort against him. As of mid-December, Democrats had collected over 507,000 signatures, needing 540,208 valid signatures by Jan. 17 to force a recall.
Governors Journal reported that Walker plans to visit Washington later this week, with fundraising as the primary purpose of the trip. Walker will speak to supporters Thursday at the Capitol Hill Club, the top private social club for Republicans in Washington.