I haven't exactly been moping around for three days. Sleeping a lot though, and that's been nice. But now it's back to business, though not business "as usual". That will take quite some time and effort. With the stakes so high, we need to reflect on what we've been through, then plan where to go. I'll start that soon after a long-delayed fishing trip (discuss in comments?), but before too much time passes, there's some "gracious in defeat" business that needs to be conducted. I'll give it a try, right after squeaking through my cheese curd.
The Walker recall was a long, difficult process, trying to the patience of everyone in Wisconsin. But now it's over and congratulations are in order.
Congratulations Scott Walker, on your victory. Your handlers spent a great campaign, so you can remain in office an indeterminate amount of time. God says "You're welcome", for the victory-speech shout-out, though I thought I heard more than a bit of sarcasm in her voice.
Congratulations Rebecca Kleefisch, on Scott Walker's victory, and for positioning yourself as likely to determine the next Governor of Wisconsin, as soon as John Doe or FBI investigations intervene. Of course, your belief that "qualifications for a governor are a Christian man", and Constitutional succession require that you pass the position on to the next qualified man-person in line, Secretary of State Doug LaFollette. Ironically, your dream of outlawing human/furniture marriage may now be lost forever, due to your sincere honesty.
Congratulations Fox News, Charlie Sykes, Mark Belling, et al, for originating the ignorant vitriol spewed at fellow citizens across Wisconsin, compliantly recycled from your omnipotent broadcasts. Don't worry yourselves over finding new victims. We're feeling somewhat defeated, but promise to stay active enough to still make great targets. We'll let you know about our availability.
Congratulations SCOTUS's Citizens United – the gift that just keeps on giving. It's the closest thing yet to perpetual motion, and required absolutely no science to develop. If elections aren't about corporate spending, then for what? You helped so many to forget that dreary democracy stuff, and just let wealth do the thinking for them. After liberating Wisconsin's electoral process from citizen control, best wishes on conquering Montana. But use caution; I hear their governor wields a hot branding iron. Since corporations are people, my friends, that would really sting!
Congratulations Koch Brothers, for purchasing and successfully defending your right to own your very own state executive branch. I know it's not your first, or your last, but it must be so very sweet considering the progressive history you've liberated your little slice of government from. Your success goes a long way toward achieving the most damage possible in one pair of greedy lifetimes. It must be comforting to know that in the end, you'll both die in good company. Who said there are no just rewards? Usually people describing victims, but there are exceptions.
Congratulations ALEC, for rescuing so many legislators from the drudgery of legislating, so they can move forward unobstructed by rules or long sessions, which just delay the fundraisers necessary to buy their next election, while a minimal crew of colleagues pushes their (actually, your) voting buttons by proxy in the chambers of the people. Outsourcing saves everyone so much trouble.
Congratulations money, for finally debunking the myth that overdosing is ever harmful. The power you yielded in Wisconsin as both bludgeon and lever really shows off your versatility. I hear people all over Wisconsin saying, "I just can't get enough money!", and it doesn't seem to matter if they're buying another yacht or dumpster-diving for food. Money, you've given us all common ground.
Congratulations GOP, for showing us the tactics of victory – calling to tell people not to vote, challenging voters at the polls, voter caging, publishing names to shame and threaten the jobs and reputations of recall signers, hiring paid canvassers, renting space for your endless supply of signs or just placing them on public spaces, stuffing unauthorized flyers into newspapers, lying, threatening, and lying some more, and as always, developing refreshing new concepts of what democracy actually is. You always surprise, so how could anyone possibly be disappointed in you?
Congratulations are due my local lieutenants of the regime, too, like Walker-appointed Marquette County D.A. Chad Hendee, for spending late hours searching the internet in vain for a legal basis to suppress free speech at taxpayer expense, and to the Marquette County Sheriff's Department, for successfully interfering in a constitutional process, or two, at taxpayer expense. You taught us lessons in free speech and legal process which we'll never forget – at least until after you're up for re-election. My liberal bias tells me we'll still be having those for awhile.
I keep hearing talk of healing Wisconsin's wounds, and of course, the superficial scratches will naturally do so as time passes. But infections don't heal without attention, and as yet, the majority is satisfied with their ignorance of serious underlying problems. As they fester, denial will continue to be the most serious problem of all, and this body will continue to weaken until enough people admit that proper care must be allowed, starting with a thorough disinfection of political pathogens.
That struggle is still ours, and will always be ours.
That's as gracious as I get.