Walker invokes holiday spirit in ad

MADISON (AP) - Opponents of Republican Gov. Scott Walker are saying "bah, humbug" to his latest campaign ad asking people to put aside their political differences in the holiday season.

The ad Walker unveiled Wednesday that is running statewide features the governor and his wife Tonette talking about the spirit of the season alongside images of them with their teenage sons wrapping presents and serving food to the needy at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission.

"In this season of peace, our hope is that we can put our differences aside and move forward together," Tonette Walker says, surrounded by her family.

But the message isn't resonating with those working to recall Walker from office.

"The jobs losses, cuts to schools and education, and enrichment of corporations paint a far more Dickensian picture than Walker's ad," said Scot Ross, leader of the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now. "Good thing he and the family are `volunteering' for a food kitchen, because his policies are going to make even longer lines as more in the middle class fall into poverty because his policies aren't working."

The effort to recall Walker was motivated largely by his proposal that effectively ended collective bargaining rights for public workers and forced them to pay more for their health insurance and pension benefits as part of a move to balance a $3.6 billion budget shortfall.

But Walker has also been attacked for other budget-balancing moves including cutting state aid to public schools by $800 million, not allowing those schools to make up the difference through higher property taxes, and forcing a projected 65,000 children and adults off Medicaid programs to save half a billion dollars.

If Walker really wanted to give Wisconsin residents a Christmas gift, he should reverse some of his policies that are costing jobs and hurting children, families and seniors, said Michael Browne, a spokesman for Democratic Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller.

Walker has been running campaign ads since the night before the recall effort was launched in mid-November. Circulators need 540,208 signatures by Jan. 17 to force a recall election sometime in 2012.

Walker reported last week that he had raised more than $5 million so far in his campaign to hold on to his seat.

Watch the ad: