Walker’s Wisdom to GOP: Focus on Ousting Dems

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is no stranger to controversy, nor to making tough decisions with fractious colleagues to accomplish great reforms.

After his election in 2010, financial strains on the Dairy State’s budget forced the governor to reform the collective bargaining rights of public employees. The global, unionized backlash flooded Madison and instigated Democratic lawmakers to flee the state, thus attempting to deny Walker and the state legislature’s Republican majorities the quorum to pass Act 10.

Walker worked with every member of his party, and maneuvering pass illegal challenges, they passed the key reforms which fired up limited government activists, distraught conservatives, and Tea Party affiliates.

Walker and four state senators faced a recall because of measures, yet he survived, keeping his GOP caucus together as strongly as they could. He defeated the recall in 2012, with his party winning back strong majorities in Madison later that year.

Governor Walker has recognized the peril of dissent within a party’s ranks, yet brought together every member to promote the future welfare of the state Wisconsin.

With this background in mind, the Wisconsin Governor appealed to all members of his party to work together against Democrats first before holding members within the party accountable for not towing the platform accurately.

Walker: Guest on
Mike Huckabee's talk show

Speaking with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Walker confirmed his agreement that Republicans not  focus on taking down other Republicans.

“Well, your exactly right for a lot of people, especially many of the people who helped elect us share our concerns. The Federal government is too big, too expensive, too much apart of our lives.”

Leadership is all about consistent messaging, and defining the goals as well as the opposition. Not indicting Republicans, Walker lays out of the platforms of the GOP, and encourages everyone to stand tall on it.

Walker recalled the victories of the statewide Republicans:

“In 2010, we not only elected Republican governors, we elected Republican majorities in our legislative bodies, and that made all the difference. We not only won, but we got big, bold reforms done. Why? Because we had a Republican team in place. In Washington, we don’t have Republicans leading the way on true reform. The focus should not be focusing on fighting Republicans in primaries for the house or the senate.

 I submit that much of the disorder in Washington starts with the fact that Tea Party candidates swept the majority in 2010, and the Establishment leadership did not take into account their drive for reforms beyond the rhetoric. The Republican Party in Washington D.C. is facing more growing pains than the statewide caucuses because unlike the several states, the federal government still gets to print fiat money ad infinitum to paper over the national debt. Pushing against federal interest groups is a near impossibility without unity. Besides, the Republicans only control the House, and no party can govern from one half of one branch of government.

GOP Big Wins
Across the Country

But at least they can prevent the other party from promoting their own, unconscionable policies.

Huckabee returned to Walker’s efforts in Wisconsin, asking if he would have accomplished anything if he had to fight his own party.

“No not at all. I think’s that true with what happened in Michigan, with right to work. It’s true in reforms you see across the country, where republicans lead state legislative bodies and hold governorships. We had help from the Republican Establishment, form a lot of grass roots, the Tea Party – we’re going to help  you put power back in the hands of the people.”

One more time, Walker emphasizes the many good things accomplished by his Midwestern, conservative colleagues. He puts the focus on the taxpayers, the people, and praises the three groups which liberal interests and media bias want to distract and divide: the Republican Establishment, the grassroots, and the Tea Party. While the Tea Party is learning the importance of organized, tactical efforts, the Establishment is learning that they cannot stray from principle, and the grassroots is learning to organize ally these somewhat disparate (though hardly desperate) influences.

Despite his disagreements with the latest Ryan-Murray budget compromise, Walker shared:

The real answer is not to attack Republicans who pushed for reforms in the house.

But he maintained a respect for the diligence which Americans have for their leaders, when they do not pay attention to their duties in office and their constituents abroad:

After in a year from now, if Republicans hold the Senate and the House, and they still get nothing done, then it’s time to hold people accountable.

Get Republicans in office,
then hold them accountable.

Exactly. Get the right people in office first, then get the right people to do the right thing.

Republican unity for limited government, local control, individual liberty, and fiscal discipline cannot be put aside in 2014 as partisans chase away the best candidate in the pursuit of a good one. Walker’s example as governor and his statements as a guest commentator should engage all conservatives, disaffected as well as disinterested, to fight against the opposition Democratic Party this year, take back the US Senate, and hold the newly-installed Republicans members to the party standard in the next.