Scott Walker, the degree-less candidate for governor, continues to describe his college career in ways that are terribly misleading if not outright fibs.
The latest came after Saturday's debate with Mark Neumann, and it unfortunately is a paraphrase so we don't have Walker's exact words, just the essence, from the Journal Sentinel:
Walker said he didn't graduate because he got a job and he suggested that in the current economy college students close to graduating might consider doing the same.
Here's the thing: Walker was not "close to graduating," although he has given the impression over the years that he might be just a few credits shy of a degree.
Walker released a letter from Marquette that showed he attended the school for four years, from 1986 to 1990, and would have needed to stay there for at least another year to get a degree. He had 94 credits and would have needed at least 36 more. The exact number of credits he needed isn't clear because students must take classes in certain areas of study to get degrees.
Walker did not return to Marquette in the fall of 1990 when he ran unsuccessfully for the state Assembly. He said he left school after the previous semester because he'd taken a job with the American Red Cross, not because of his political ambition. He won a special election to the Assembly in 1993.
That's a little different. He attended for four years but only got three years worth of credits, then dropped out.
In the past, he described how he "got through school" -- except he didn't:
"It comes down to me packing my own lunch. All the way back from college when I worked to get through school to even today as executive..."
And he went to work "before he finished off his college degree," he said.
Like so many people in this state, and like a lot of juniors and seniors in college right now, who are very scared about having a job, I was one of the fortunate ones who had a job opportunity going into my senior year, went to work full time for the American Red Cross before I finished off my college degree, and I think my record speaks for itself.”
Long before he finished his degree; 20 years later, he still hasn't. I don't care whether he has a degree or not. Many dropouts, from Bill Gates to Lady Gaga to your truly (who falls somewhere in between those two) have had some success. I just wish he'd stop fudging the truth.