This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 19, 2012 - Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has cancelled plans to travel Missouri today with Republican gubernatorial nominee Dave Spence, as a result of Sunday's mass shooting in Wisconsin in which seven women were shot, three fatally.
Spence spokesman Jared Craighead said that Walker is "completely focused on what he needs to do as governor,'' and that Spence respected his decision.
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who already had planned to accompany the pair, will now play a more prominent speaking role at the two Spence fundraising events and rally, Craighead said. One of the fundraisers is in St. Louis.
As the Beacon reported earlier:
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will be in Missouri on Monday to fly around the state campaigning for Republican gubernatorial nominee Dave Spence, who is seeking to topple Gov. Jay Nixon.
Walker’s scheduled events include two fundraisers – a lunch in downtown Kansas City and a dinner at a private home in St. Louis – plus an afternoon rally in Jefferson City.
The fundraisers are private. Ticket prices for the St. Louis event range from $250 to $5,000.
Also traveling with Spence will be U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., father of Missouri's last GOP governor, Matt Blunt.
The local host committee includes some major Republican officials, donors and activists. Among them are: wealthy financier Rex Sinquefield, former Sen. John C. Danforth, former Ambassador Steve Brauer, state Auditor Tom Schweich, state House Speaker Tim Jones, and several area GOP members of the state Senate, including Eric Schmitt of Glendale and John Lamping of Frontenac.
Labor leaders around the state are already emailing members to alert them to the afternoon rally in Jefferson City’s Memorial Park.
Walker is deemed a major foe of labor for his actions to curb the bargaining rights of public-employee labor groups, including teachers, in Wisconsin.
Spence already has declared that one of his top issues, if elected, would be to transform Missouri into a "right-to-work" state, which would bar employers from having closed-union shops, where all employees must be union members if a majority vote for such representation.
Nixon had attacked that proposal at a labor rally Tuesday, declaring he would never sign a right-to-work measure into law.
Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Senate nominee Todd Akin will hold a rally Saturday in Springfield, Mo., featuring former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Huckabee's wife toured the state with Akin on Monday.
Akin and Huckabee will be joined Saturday by U.S. Rep. Billy Long, R-Springfield.
