Why the Wisconsin Recall Sets a Bad Precedent
By Andrew J. Rotherham for Real Clear Politics
Next Tuesday, voters in Wisconsin decide whether to recall their governor — Republican Scott Walker. A successful recall petition earlier this year gives them a choice between the incumbent and Democrat Tom Barrett, a former congressman, Wisconsin state legislator, and the current mayor of Milwaukee. Walker is, of course, best known for pushing through a package of public sector reforms eliminating various collective bargaining rules in Wisconsin. In the process he bitterly divided his state and poisoned the well for a vital national conversation about public sector reform by viscerally pitting public sector workers against other citizens. Barrett seems, as evidenced by his political career, likely to be a better and more moderate governor. Despite that, count me among those who disapprove of Walker but who also don’t think he should be recalled.