Details About Palin's Meeting With Wisconsin Guv Candidate

After Sarah Palin spoke to 4,000 people at a Wisconsin Right-to-Life event last Friday night, she met for thirty minutes with Scott Walker, the Milwaukee County executive and the Republican frontrunner for governor in 2010.  With incumbent Democrat Jim Doyle not seeking re-election, Walker is favored by many GOP powerbrokers to win the September primary next year and perhaps beat whomever the Democrats nominate.

In a room at the fabled Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee (just a block from where Jerry Seinfeld had lunch earlier that day at Zarletti), Walker made the case to Palin and a few of her aides about why she should endorse him.

Walker is well-connected for a local pol, with ties to many former Bush administration officials and Fred Malek, a major Republican fundraiser who helped McCain raise money and has remained close to Palin since the 2008 campaign ended.  Malek and other mutual friends helped set up Walker's unusual session with Palin, who has mostly avoided such political meetings as she prepares for her book tour that starts next week.  Among those expected to help Walker are former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Newt Gingrich.

Walker briefed Palin on his front-running poll standing, and his strong fundraising to date.  Palin, tired from a long day, engagingly asked Walker what his campaign slogan is, who is involved in his bid, and why he is running for governor.  She urged him to adopt a positive, optimistic message and said it was a good sign that Republicans won gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia earlier in the month by running on such sunny platforms.

Palin said she was going to focus on her book tour through December, but planned to turn to politics and helping party candidates starting in January.  Her aide, Jason Recher, another former Bush aide, asked Walker what kind of help he would like from Palin.  Walker pointed out that the state's late primary and the likelihood that the White House would raise a lot of campaign cash for its side meant he needed help as soon as possible next year.  Walker urged Palin to come on board and do an event with him in the state's Fox Valley area.