Walker instead bowed to his right-wing, suburban talk radio base and succeeded in getting Wisconsin's $810 million in federal funding won by Doyle from the Obama administration pushed to other states.
Sacrificed for right-wing politics: thousands of construction jobs, a Milwaukee-based train assembly and repair factory, and an extension of the Chicago-Milwaukee "Hiawatha" Amtrak line to Madison.
That extension was to be a segment of the planned Midwest regional high-speed system - - but Walker used the issue as a campaign cudgel against cities, Democrats and even Doyle even though Doyle was not on the ballot.
Light rail, commuter tail, Amtrak rail - - it's the same partisan, anti-urban dog whistle, even though the stance costs the state commerce and employment.
The "Hiawatha" is setting ridership records because it's a pleasant alternative to Illinois tolls, highway congestion and pricey parking.
Now the planned Midwest system - - laid out with more regional connections, upgraded track and faster trains - - is set to expand, with the participation of WisDOT but without the Madison-Milwaukee-Chicago connection or service northwest to the Twin Cities, and beyond.
Killing the train was really all about sticking it to Madison, denying a Democratic city a transportation option for tourists, students, business officials and university researchers.
