Wise Words From Wise Men

Usually, I like to make "My Two Cents" about my own thoughts, but today I thought I would share the thoughts of three other men--all of whom some would consider much smarter than me:

"New rule: No do-overs.  Once you elect an official, unless he runs off with public funds or gets caught with kiddie porn, you're stuck with him.  He's the Governor, not some dude you married in Las Vegas. Maybe he's a lousy governor, but he was the one elected by the voters that bothered to show up at the polls. Their efforts shouldn't be undone by disgruntled shoppers signing a petition on their way out of Target.  Anyone who thinks this recall is an affirmation of democracy should review early American history.  This is precisely the kind of direct involvement by the howling masses that the framers wanted to avoid"

And here's another:

"This nation was founded on the proposition that we, the people are best able to chart our own destiny.  We, the people are the ones who ought to have the right to make decisions about what happens to us and to our families and to our communities.  And when we vote and when the majority votes to have a particular set of policies and ideas and individuals to be controlling the course of our future, then nobody ought to overturn the say of the people.  The people ought to govern themselves and have a right to make decisions.  The people who want to see this recall take place are disrespecting the majority who voted in the election last year, disrespecting the right of the majority to engage in self-governance."

And finally this one:

"Recalling the Governor will create a circumstance where nobody ever makes a hard decision again.  I don't want you to become a laughingstock, a carnival or the beginning of a circus in America where we just throw people out wehenever they make a hard decision.  A recall would spread instability and uncertainty among your people and across the country."

Believe it or not, none of those quotes come from the Walker campaign, anyone associated with the Republican Party or from any of the talk show hosts here on WOSH.  Those quotes come from (in order) Bill Maher, former Vice President Al Gore (the longest quote--no surprise there) and former President Bill Clinton.  All three were commenting on the recall of Democratic California Governor Gray Davis in 2003.

Ironically, President Clinton was in Milwaukee on Friday supporting the very process he derided nine years ago--for the very same reasons that he opposed back then.  His quote last week "Sometimes recall is necessary to prevent you from heading down the wrong path."  Based on President Clinton's "new logic" California residents seeing their electricity bills triple due to Gray Davis's refusal to site new coal or nuclear power plants in his state, the tripling of car registration fees, and a 38-BILLION DOLLAR budget deficit that threatened to shut down schools and public safety agencies was the "right path".

What do you say we listen to these "Wise Men" who hold themselves up as "protectors liberty and freedom".  Wouldn't that make us more "bi-partisan" and "open minded"?