Thursday, April 21, 2011

Recounting Another Missed Opportunity For David Prosser

After the Waukesha County vote counting fiasco, I wrote that David Prosser should be leading the calls for an independent review of the County clerk's procedures.

After all, he is an incumbent justice on the State Supreme Court where important issues of fairness, ethics, procedure and law are resolved.

I think it would have helped make the inquiries and prescriptions that are needed in Waukesha County more bi-partisan, or non-partisan, but Prosser and his people were not taking my advice.

I think he missed another opportunity for judicial and political leadership by failing to enthusiastically endorse JoAnne Kloppenburg's request for a recount.

The recount will help do more than verify the winner of an election.

It will re-establish the reputation of the state's election procedures, soured, ironically, in an election for a seat on the High Court.

And during which there were revelations about harsh words ("total bitch") and ("I will destroy you") Prosser had aimed at the Chief Justice but which diminished him and the court.

Prosser could have erased all in an instant with a magnanimous gesture, but now lingers in his legacy.

And I'm not getting dragged in to all the what-ifs and speculative conflations about who would have done what if this or that situation were reversed or transferred to another election.

David Prosser could have made a new name for himself, chose not to, and the rest of the process will play itself out.

7 comments:

Dale niggeman said...

Thanks for the great article. I think you are spot on when you say Prosser should have taken the opportunity to check into the vote count issue and he did not.

Anonymous said...

what do you make of the allegation that prosser met with walker one day after the election, which prosser has vehemently denied?

James Rowen said...

To anonymous: Hard to say. Politics is filled with rumors. With a story involving people at that level, and with the stakes as high as they are, I think you have to be prepared to have your sources speak up.

Anonymous said...

Prosser didn't ask for a recount because a) he won and b) a recount won't change the outcome. The only thing it will do is take time, money and energy away from the recall efforts. Thank you, Kloppy!

James Rowen said...

Anonymous at 9:29. I deliberately did not say that Prosser should ask for a recount. I said he should support it.
Walker, too. anyone in authority.

Anony Too said...

Each time when given the opportunity to do the bigger thing, to be more generous, to be judicial, to take the high road, Prosser has taken the low road and then stepped down into the ditch. He's a petty, vindictive, childish, potty-mouthed meanie, unfit to be judge of a kangaroo court.

Anonymous said...

So if Aaron Rodgers throws a touchdown pass that could be challenged but the other team doesn't have any challenges left, Coach McCarthy should throw out his challenge flag for the sake of fair play. If he doesn't, he's not a reputable coach.