Scott Walker to write memoir, sparking chatter about presidential bid

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), a divisive figure for his battles with public sector unions in his state, is planning to tell his story in a memoir set for publication late this year.

In a statement released by the publisher Tuesday, “Unintimidated: A Governor’s Story and a Nation’s Challenge” “will share the inside story of how the battle for Wisconsin was won, the reforms he enacted, the mistakes he made, the lessons he learned, and how those lessons can help conservatives win the battle for America.

The book will tell “how one brave leader drove real change in his state, and what the rest of the country can learn from him.… It’s not just a memoir, it’s a call to action,” said Adrian Zackheim, president of Sentinel publishers. 

Soon after he was elected in November 2010, Governor Walker pushed through legislation that restricted the collective bargaining rights among most public sector unions in his state. The reason, he said, was to save taxpayers billions, but critics blasted the measures as a backhanded way to hobble unions. The battle drew international attention, culminating in a recall election last year, which Walker won.

The announcement launched a barrage of media chatter about whether Walker’s book is a prelude to an announcement for a White House run.

“We’re in a period right now I like to call ‘the book primary.’ If you’re looking seriously for running for president, you better be writing a book.… He’s somebody we definitely have to consider is looking at 2016,” Robert Costa, Washington editor of the National Review, told CNBC Wednesday.

Former Obama campaign consultant David Axelrod also used the book announcement to forecast a Walker run. He tweeted Wednesday: “When politicians write memoirs they’re generally thinking ahead. Scott Walker is writing his memoirs. You figure it out.”

Sentinel publishers launched in 2003 and has focused on high-profile conservative figures. To date, Sentinel has published bestselling books by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R), South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R), former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), former Republican presidential nominee Mike Huckabee, and tea party pundit Ann Coulter.

According to the National Review, Walker personally selected Marc Thiessen as his co-writer. Mr. Thiessen is a former adviser and speechwriter to President George W. Bush and Mr. Rumsfeld. Later, he became a columnist for The Washington Post. He also wrote “Courting Disaster,” a 2010 New York Times bestseller that defended the torture interrogation methods used by the CIA in the war on terror and criticized the intelligence capability President Obama’s administration.

A poll released last week by Marquette University in Milwaukee shows Walker’s approval rating remains relatively unchanged since last fall. Fifty percent of voters approve of the job Walker is doing, compared with 49 percent in October.