Scott Walker Says Romney Will Lose Election 2012 if He Does Not Offer 'Bold Ideas'

After a week in which Democratic surrogates of President Barack Obama embarrassed themselves and the party by going off message on crucial issues such as taxes and the economy, Republicans have been rejoicing in their rivals’ disarray.

But this Sunday, the tables turned on the GOP as Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, the party’s new poster child who survived a long and divisive recall election, contradicted the GOP presumptive nominee for president by saying Romney won’t beat Obama “if it’s just about a referendum on Barack Obama,” and that the former Massachusetts governor will fail in November “unless he offers bold ideas.”

The comments might come as a surprise to Romney and a handful of Republicans who have been pounding Obama and the Democrats after a couple of rough weeks that saw not only the president’s surrogates going rogue but also produced a devastating jobs report and a demoralizing loss in Wisconsin, that the GOP is trying to paint as a mandate to end unions and wipe out teachers, nurses and firefigthers across the nation.

However, Walker, the only governor in the history of the United States who has survived a recall election, responded to a statement Romney made on Friday, in which he said President Obama wanted to “add more to government (…) and  another stimulus [to] hire more government workers.”

“He says we need more firemen, more policeman, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin?” Romney said.

To which Walker responded: "I know in my state our reform allowed us to protect firefighters, police officers and teachers; that's not what I think when I think of big government."

Wait, what? Either Walker is trying to be conciliatory in order to unite his deeply divided state or he really dislikes Mitt Romney, in which case it’d be tough to be considered as the Republican nominee’s running mate to take on “big government” Obama come November.