As I think about the last debate scheduled Friday night between Scott Walker and Mary Burke I am reminded of something that happened in the first weeks of Governor Tommy Thompson’s first term. I had worked hard for Tony Earl’s election and admired him as a politician. While I had found a job inside the capitol (my first day was Inauguration Day) the person I wanted leading the state was not there to craft a budget or lead the party. But I was still very excited about all the action that was taking place including the morning when one of the swinging doors to our office opened and Thompson walked in grinning and looking all about. One of our staff was a woman who had worked decades inside the building and the governor had heard she was now employed for a different Democratic legislator. I will never forget how Ruth Schohl stood and shook Thompson’s hand. I do not recall what was said except he just wanted to stop in and say hello to someone who had worked so long under the dome. It was a gracious move and one that helped me come to terms with the fact that while Thompson had not been my candidate for office he was now my governor. The past four years has been a most difficult time in our state as politics has divided us in ways that we really had not experienced before. Families found themselves on opposite sides of union issues, communities were splintered, and there was even genuine fear at times among some elected official’s for personal safety. All of that was so very out of character for Wisconsin. As we await the final debate Friday for governor I am quite certain most voters following the campaigns are pretty sure what the positions are between the two candidates when it comes to unions, Medicaid, jobs, marriage, and taxes. I think most people have heard all they want to hear on these topics. However, what I strongly suspect voters want to hear something about is what will be done in concrete ways to mend the broken fences and join the frayed fabric of this politically-torn state. How can there again be comity in the statehouse and a mature sense of compromise in the way we tackle the issues that confront us as a state? I would urge one of the reporters Friday night to demand an expanded response from both Walker and Burke as to how we move forward as a state and again be whole. Do not allow either candidate to look backwards as to what happened over the past four years, or allow blame to be placed here or there—as everyone has his or her own perspective of how we reached this point. Instead have both candidates present a road map of how to get beyond this present anger and resentment. It was nearly 27 years ago that Thompson made a simple act of opening a door and shaking some hands that still resonates as to how leadership can prove to unite people. There is no doubt this state needs a grand unifying act. Many of my fellow citizens are yearning for it to happen.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 01:01:14 +0000
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