"This is our tremendous opportunity:" Gov. Scott Walker outlines plans for second term

MADISON (WITI) -- Less than 24 hours after his re-election, Gov. Scott Walker met with his cabinet at the State Capitol on Wednesday, November 5th. They talked about plans for a second Walker term in office -- and the governor gave each of his cabinet secretaries a directive.

"Let's take the time to look agency by agency, division by division and employee by employee," said Gov. Walker. "This is our tremendous opportunity to do that and provide more effective, more efficient and more accountable government."

Gov. Walker handily defeated his Democratic challenger, Mary Burke. He got 52 percent of the vote; Burke pulled in 47 percent. While Walker has earned another four years as the chief executive of Wisconsin, some observers believe he wants to take his message to Washington.

In his victory speech on Tuesday, Gov. Walker spoke of American optimism -- and he cast himself in the role of a reformer.

"We took the power away from the Washington-based special interests and we put it in the hands of the Wisconsin taxpayers," said Gov. Walker.

Wednesday's New York Times listed Walker as one of ten possible 2016 presidential contenders. But Badger State voters clearly want him in Wisconsin, not Washington. A recent poll showed only 25 percent of voters would like him to run for president.

"I want to see him run because the same reforms he's done in Wisconsin, I believe he can do to the United States of America and turn this nation around," said Joel Roberts, a Walker supporter.

"I would love to see him run for president, because I know what happened when Paul Ryan ran for president, because the national press isn't like the corporate media that protect him here," said Barbara With, a Walker opponent.

In the meantime, the Solidarity Singers, a relic of the 2011 labor fight, gathered once again outside the Capitol on Wednesday to protest Walker in song.

"It's our way to say, this is how we feel about the dark money, about Walker misrepresenting himself," said With.

For Gov. Walker, the arguing and the campaign is over. He said he's looking to the future.

"How do we take that to the next step?" asked Walker.

The governor did not take any questions from reporters on Wednesday -- and spent the afternoon dealing with -- in his words -- "budget minutia" with his cabinet. The goal for the governor will be to pass a quick, clean and non-controversial budget that cuts taxes before presidential speculation really heats up.