Scott Walker Shines in Iowa as 2016 Buzz Builds

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin was in Iowa, home of the first presidential caucus, late last week to give a speech to the state GOP. Already something of a Republican folk hero for standing up to government employee unions and crushing an effort to remove him from office, Walker earned high marks from Republicans across Iowa for his speech. The Hill has the details on Walkers trip to Iowa and the reaction from state Republicans.

Theres a tendency by the national media to focus on Beltway figures as the 2016 presidential buzz starts. This means that Republicans in the Senate and House -- namely Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky, but also Ted Cruz of Texas and Paul Ryan of Wisconsin -- get most of the attention. Certainly the 2008 presidential election saw a host of senators -- like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Fred Thompson and Chris Dodd -- battling it out for the White House. But more presidents -- George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, FDR, Woodrow Wilson -- use being governor as a launch pad for the White House than being in Congress.

Having called Iowa his boyhood home, Walker is set to be a major player in the 2016 race if he chooses to run and if he wins another term in Madison next year. Last weeks trip to Iowa was an indicator that, if he runs, Walker will be one of the major contenders for the Republican nomination.