Cap Times Editor Writes Strong Brief For Mary Burke

This thoughtful piece by Cap Times editor Paul Fanlund lays out the case to undecided voters for Mary Burke as Governor on her merits, with specifics:

Burke must be an unpleasant surprise to over-confident GOP operatives as she is so many things Walker is not. Foremost, she is a sincere and authentic contrast to an egocentric career politician...

On the minimum wage, voting rights, marriage equality, reproductive rights, pay equity, environmental regulation, consumer protection, you name it, Walker adheres to a tea party playbook, not the majority wishes of his constituents. He must actually believe in those policies, or at least has rationalized them in his relentless, career-long pursuit of the next political job...

More than anything, my message to the undecided or under-motivated is that Burke would heal Wisconsin, not embark on some boomerang-like journey of political payback and score-settling.

Having known and watched her for years, Burke is precisely what she appears to be. She is reasonable, caring, genuine and modest, which is about as far from the traits of Walker as one can get and still belong to the same species.

If her candidacy is indeed bolstered by a late tide of votes from those who have not been consumed by politics, she will win.

And at that point, the politics of healing would begin.

Fanlund's piece is well-timed, given Walker's clumsily corrosive effort yesterday to gin up his base by claiming Madison would vote against him out of anger.

Classic Walker divide-and-conquer, scapegoating agitation - - precisely what Burke is not doing with her trademark pragmatic calm.