Tuesday, November 11, 2014

A word about Mary Burke

Mary Burke has said she will not run again for statewide office.


Our loss.

Georgetown University. Harvard Business School. Hands-on corporate experience. Board service for non-profits.

You don't see too many people with resumes like that in our state willing to lay it all on the line.

I give Mary Burke all the credit in the world for running for Governor.

In an off-year cycle without the benefit of the presidential campaign.

Against an unprincipled, narcissistic, careerist incumbent with access to power and money and a coordinated media and organizational machine for which he shills that her side could never match.

A machine which swift-boated her.

I'm not getting involved in the criticism made by others against Democratic Party officials, or Burke 'handlers,' or advisers, or strategies.

It's Monday-morning quarterbacking.

I am saying that people ought to thank and support Mary Burke for making the run, for putting up with the crap and the inevitable personal destruction which came her way.

You and I feel badly about the outcome; imagine how she feels.

I do not blame Mary Burke for saying one-and-done for statewide races.

And I am glad to see that she's planning to continue the work that helped make her a strong antidote to everything that Walker and his people are doing to the state.

There will come a time when Walker and his gang and their insufferable selfish arrogance are gone from state government, and when the turnaround comes, people will remember that Mary Burke in 2014 did her part to set the stage.


18 comments:

Laurette McGovern said...

I agree; I wish her the best.

Anonymous said...

Hear, hear. Hard as it must have been to resist, she did not descend to the depths of her opponent's smear campaign and more.

We may not see her run for statewide office again -- note: never say never in politics -- but she also showed that, even in this state with its poor record for almost a century now for women running statewide, she did well, and with integrity. And that may encourage more good women and men to do so.

Anonymous said...

Well said .....she returned civility to political campaigning by the words she chose and the manner in which she spoke them. It is indeed too bad that she wasn't allowed the opportunity to return civility to Wisconsin's governance!

Anonymous said...

I too am grateful for Mary Burke's efforts. She offered us a rare opportunity. Our loss.

Alas, a complacent working class has bought into far-right propaganda that has cost themselves living wages, reasonable health care, sustainable environmental practices and pride in their community's public education.

Walker's handlers will be using the demonstrated support of the voting majority of gullible Wisconsin citizens to further demonstrate his strong Tea Party credentials this year. We will see legislation that further shifts advantages to the very wealthy corporate interests. Walker's well-practiced public communication skills and corporate backing will place him in the running for president.

In a year, Walker will step aside to feed the Walker-brand Tea Party fever that sweeps the nation. The voters of Wisconsin have pre-selected Becky Kleefisch to carry on the fight at home. Her brand of religious fundamentalism will work to assure us that any changes in marriage laws will not lead to people marrying dogs. America's Dairyland is 'open for business'...Massive corporate farms masquerading as salt-of-the-earth family farmers. Kleefisch's ‘significant’ business and community leadership experience will engage 'proven' supply-side and trickle down concepts to bring new levels of security and prosperity to all of the right kind of Wisconsinites.

This is going to be a tough four years. Mary Burke will not run again...Our loss, indeed.

Anonymous said...

Well said. Mary Burke's intelligence, business experience, compassion and integrity would have made her an excellent Governor. Thank you, Mary!

nonheroicvet said...

Mary Burke is one classy lady

eddee said...

Thank you for this! Well said.

JoAnn said...

A big thank you to Mary. She is one tough woman. I wish she could have been Wisconsin's Governor.

Anonymous said...

I, too, want to give a big THANK YOU to Mary Burke for the excellent job she did in running against Scott Walker.

Mary Burke's candidacy gave voters a clear choice: vote for healing the bitter divide amongst Wisconsin citizens or vote for 4 more years of widespread HATRED for our neighbors, especially public employees and teachers.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin is filled with a majority of voters who really enjoy HATING people not like them. Walker's Wisconsin is now a place where parents teach their children to HATE their neighbors, rather than love their neighbors.

The Bill Clinton ad on the final weekend brilliantly closed Mary Burke's campaign. Unfortunately for the future of Wisconsin, Wisconsin just wasn't ready for a Governor who brings people together and who works across party lines to get things done.

While Wisconsin wallows in Walker's divide and conquer HATRED over the next 4 years, our neighboring states will continue to kick our economic asses. The brain drain that costs our state 10,000 college graduates each year will escalate as young people seek better lives in states where the citizens are not at war with each other.

Thanks again to Mary Burke for fighting the good fight and subjecting herself and Trek Bicycles to the wrath of the right wing. With the beating that Trek Bicycles took from Walker supporters, I wouldn't blame them if John Burke moved the company to a more hospitable state like Minnesota.

Arcturus said...

I thought she was a good candidate. Thanks for giving up a year, Mary.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Mary Burke? In your prior blog post Mr. Rowen, you talk about Gov. Walker and the 1%’ers then praise Mary Burke? In case you haven’t noticed, Ms. Burke was the ultimate 1%’er who has not held any type of job for the last 7 years! You lefties whine about charter assassination but continue to ignore Tom Albers, the #2 man at Trek, who told the story that Ms. Burke was removed from her position by her brother Dick Burke. Ms. Burke claimed Mr. Albers had “an axe to grind” but only she makes that claim. Just keep drinking the leftist Kool-Aid since it appears to affect your memory and is continuing to make you an unhappy, bitter old man. Somewhat sad but then again, fun for us right-wingers to watch.

JoAnn said...

I think you are the unhappy bitter old man/woman.Keep supporting your crook Walker,it is your right. No need to come on here and be so negative.

Anonymous said...

I don't blame Mary Burke. I blame the Wisconsin democratic party. A collection of wanna be GOP-light morons who think that holding hands circa 1970 is the way to win modern elections. Eat it up Wisconsin, thanks to the DPW there is NO progressive representation anywhere in state government. Job well done!!!!

Jake formerly of the LP said...

Do you think they'd "Stand with Walker" if they had an ounce of class or decency? THIS IS WHO THEY ARE, and anyone who voted for Walker that's not a pile of human garbage is a complete SUCKER.

Sigh. Just another Elephant's mess the good guys will have to clean up. And it'll be sooner than you think

Anonymous said...

I don't blame Mary for saying she won't run for state wide office again. Especially after the Koch machine has shown it can get a trained monkey elected 3 times. Nationally, I hope Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders force the Democratic party to run campaigns touting the good democrats stand for, not just negative ads and denying President Obama. The good he is doing now will stand the test of time and I believe that he will go down in history as one of the best!

jeff said...

So Uper Jake thinks 52% of Wisconsinites are either have no class or are a pile of human garbage. Ok, that attitude is going to win over a lot of independents.

Jake formerly of the LP said...

Awwww, your fee-wings are precious to me, Right Side. Here's a clue, the guy who accurately described your type as "bitter clingers" won with independents, sunshine. Maybe there's something to be said about that

Anonymous said...

(a little off topic)it is so stupid that wanker needs 3 times the security!!! for what? who in their right mind would waste their freedom on the idiot!!! he is a stupid little KOCH sucking a$$hole!!!