What has happened to Wisconsin?
Like many others in Madison I spent a part of Tuesday at the Wisconsin State Capitol. The weather was fantastic, the sun made the statehouse stand out against the blue sky, and the new trees which have been planted on the lawn looked healthy. All seemed perfect.
It was not. Far from it.
Inside the Capitol an “Extraordinary Session ” had been called to pass a state budget. Outside thousands gathered to protest Governor Walker and the Republicans concerning the collective bargaining law. The State Supreme Court sent down a major ruling before the end of the day allowing the union law to take effect, and as newsworthy as the decision itself were the Chief Justice’s blistering words for the majority. To top the day off it was announced that six Republicans are running as Democrats to force a primary election on July 12 in the recall elections.
What has happened to Wisconsin? Our political process? To our shared sense of being Wisconsinites?
After today I can hardly believe there are any Republicans or Democrats that can say this is how we want to be remembered for having conducted our political affairs. Win or lose, this is not a day to be proud of. I am also certain that the average citizen is not amused or pleased with the relentless rhetoric and high-stakes power plays that have come to dominate the public arena.
Not so long ago there was a time when differences between the political parties under the dome did not mean all out rancor and meanness.
Before going to the Capitol I encountered a friend who once worked as an aide for a state representative. I asked about his views on some issues, and if he ever thought about working at the statehouse again. He quickly said no, and added “Things are just so mean now.”
There was a time when staffers at the end of the day, regardless of party or political differences, gathered here and there around the Capitol for a drink and perhaps a game of darts. I now hear reports of staffers being unable to say hello to each other in the hallways under the dome since the rancor and partisanship has settled in so deeply.
As I stood in the sunshine Tuesday and looked up at the Capitol, that grand building where powerful ideas are to be sorted out in order to move our state forward, I wondered how things could have changed so much. Walking on the sidewalk I saw a man wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “F… Scott Walker”. A car driven by someone who wanted to make a point blared the radio with a shouting right-wing talk show host. No one could be pleased with any of this!
I love a frothy debate as much as the next guy in this state. I like the tug and pull of ideas. Spirited campaigning is fun too. Throughout our nation’s history we have always had intensity in our political affairs. That is a good thing for democracy.
Yet in Wisconsin something has happened in the recent past that leaves those of us who have followed politics here feeling uncomfortable and uneasy with where the road lies. The shared sense of purpose at finding the way forward seems to have become lost by both sides due to hyper-partisanship and gutter-ball politics.
We have now come to a place where there are nine recall elections slated for this summer! If that does not speak to the level of anger that has developed I do not know what would.
I certainly feel the anger about the way the collective bargaining issue was handled, and have scored my political punches in the past months on this blog. As such, I take my share of the blame for the problem of which I write today.
I think the recalls are needed in light of not only what happened, but more importantly how it happened. The political process should not be discarded as we witnessed this year. Having said that, however, I am not completely at ease with recalls for policy disputes. My old-fashioned sense tells me regular elections are the best remedy for these matters. Somehow I wish elder statesmen on both sides of the aisle could have used reason to tame the electorate away from jumping off the cliff with the recalls.
At the end of the day there must be a level of civility maintained in the political process or the worst will play out and claim the day. I fear that we are perhaps too far down the road of anger and resentment for things to change anytime soon.
Something tells me we have been sucked into this mess and will have to ride it out. Not even a sunny day on the Capitol Square can save us now.