A failed promise & a missing candidate: With two months until Election Day, both Walker & Burke taking criticism



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A failed promise? A missing candidate? With just about two months to go until voters head to the polls in the November General Election, both gubernatorial candidates are taking criticism. Republicans want to know where Mary Burke was when President Obama was in Milwaukee on Labor Day. Democrats are using Governor Scott Walker's own jobs promise against him. So what are the candidates saying?

Governor Walker on Monday met President Barack Obama at the airport as Air Force One landed. President Obama delivered a speech at Maier Festival Park during Milwaukee's Laborfest celebration. Democratic candidate for governor Mary Burke wasn't seen next to the President on Monday -- and one day later, she was answering questions about why she chose to meet with him privately.

"I pushed him about having a manufacturing hub right here in southeast Wisconsin. We talked a little football Bears, Packers," Burke said of her meeting with President Obama.

Republicans call the closed-door meeting a political duck, with Governor Walker criticizing Burke on Tuesday.

"They don`t want the connection between Obamacare, which is increasingly unpopular and that particular candidate.  I think it`s a contrast out there," Governor Walker said.

"This is really clear. It was an official White House event -- not a campaign event and there was no role for a campaign candidate to have at that," Burke said.

Governor Walker was also taking criticism Tuesday -- as he announced he will not be making any job promises in this campaign -- after falling short of his goal to create 250,000 jobs in his first term as governor.

"The fact is Governor Walker failed in his first promise. So I guess it's understandable why he's not making another one," Burke said.

Governor Walker says he set his goals high, spending part of his day Tuesday pointing out some of his victories.

"Remember, we took a $3.6 billion deficit and fixed that coming in.  It's something we inherited," Governor Walker said.

With just weeks to go before the final bell, the back-and-forth criticism is expected to intensify.

Burke says she expects she will be seen with President Obama later on during a campaign event.

Voters head to the polls on November 4th.