I've purposely held off writing on the subject of the recall elections, not because I've lacked an opinion in the whole affair, but for the sake of givng the process a chance to unfold and letting the people speak to decide which direction they wanted our state to go in.
Now that that question has been settled for the time being, I believe it would be wise to heed the advice of both candidates, and get on with the process of working together and making some hay. Both Tom Barrett and Scott Walker had some very practical advice for their respective parties during their election night speeches: Let's learn from this chapter of Wisconsin politics, close it, and move forward in bipartisanship productivity and healing of the state.
I understand that we're in a Presidential election year. The Republicans want to capialize on their momentum, and the Democrats want to rebound to support four more for President Obama. That would be true whether we had a recall or not. But at this point, Wisconsin is still "ground zero" for much of the nation, and what we do going forward could very well become a template for other states who face equally challenging political landscapes. At this juncture, we can either stand together, or fall apart.
An environment of unity and cooperation could produce some of the best legislation our state as ever put forth. I've had the privilege of being in smaller settings with both Scott Walker and Tom Barrett. They're both very fair-minded men who genuinely believe in what they are doing. Though they approach our state's challenges from vastly different perspectives, I don't think anyone would doubt the sincerity of either, or underestimate the influence each of them carry with their constituents.
Unity with purpose can be a powerful force for good. It has harnessed the unimaginable energy of rivers as in the building of the Hoover Dam, turned back raw evil as evidenced in the defeat of Adolph Hitler, and with distinction allowed man to leave earth, walk on the moon, and return safely to fulfill a fallen president's dream. Unity accomplished all of this, not uniformity.
I'm calling on all of Governor Walker's supporters to follow him in his example of being willing to learn from his past mistakes, and to take on his desire to lead with more wisdom which I would characterize as being:"quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to wrath" James 1:19.
I'm also calling on all of Mayor Barrett's supporters (including Mahlon Mitchell) to follow his example of graciousness and humility in a difficult loss, leave this chapter of anger and divisiveness closed, and move forward with the healing of the state as he so aptly proposed.
With the eyes of the entire nation watching us, if now is not the time to lead by example, set a reasonable political tone, and accomplish some great things, then when?
