Walker to mend political divide with brats, beer
Gov. Scott Walker, fresh from becoming the nation’s first governor ever to survive a recall election, wants to go about mending Wisconsin’s political divide in an egalitarian way: over brats and beers.
Walker defeated Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett on Tuesday for the second time in year and a half, turning back a recall effort that began with the collection of more than 900,000 signatures seeking his ouster. It was only the third gubernatorial recall in U.S. history.
Now the rising Republican star is focusing his message on what lies ahead. His term runs through 2014, and he faces a state that’s still bitterly divided over his move to end collective bargaining rights for most public employees.
“It’s time to put our differences aside and find ways to work together to move Wisconsin forward,” Walker said in an interview minutes after his victory. “I think it’s important to fix things, but it’s also important to make sure we talk about it and involve people in the process.”