Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said on Monday that more people should go to college, walking back from comments made by presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who has been critical of the president and his support of higher education.
At a campaign event on Saturday, Santorum echoed his criticism of President Obama’s initiative to get more people to go to college, calling him a “snob.” He said that one of the president’s motivations was to indoctrinate the students, through liberal professors, to remake them "into his image.”
Although he said that education policy should be made more at the local and state level, Walker stepped back from that criticism with a moderate approach to college education.
“I'll set aside the politics,” the Republican governor said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. “The reality is, people want results, and in most of our states, there needs to be a mix. We need more kids in colleges and universities, also more kids in our technical schools because increasingly in states like Wisconsin, there are manufacturing jobs available, welding and high-skilled machining. We don't have enough bodies to fill those and we need to work hard.”
Walker continued: “I don't care whether it's the president or anyone else, I'll work with anyone that wants to help us do that.”
Walker, who is in Washington for the National Governors Association conference, is facing a difficult recall effort back home in Wisconsin. He was critical of out-of-state money that he says is influencing the election and distracting. He said, however, that he was encouraged by improving economic numbers and how they will affect his reelection.
“I think any time the economy's showing signs of relief, it's probably a benefit to any incumbent—whether it's me, a local official, or the president,” Walker said.
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