When Governor Scott Walker was facing a recall election, many discussed how the Wisconsinite had handled the likes of big labor and union bosses. Proponents of Walker pointed to his fiscally conservative governing, which brought Wisconsin out of debt for the first time in many years. Opponents did not see the matter in such a way, though, as they decried Governor Walker’s taking away the rights of workers. Governor Martin O’Malley, a Democrat from Maryland, mentioned Governor Walker’s handling as a “rollback on worker’s rights,” but I’ll get back to O’Malley in a moment.
As the results were being announced, and during the coverage leading up to this time on Fox News, people wanted to focus on the above-mentioned issues, championing such a defeat against big labor and big unions. There was also attention spent on how the campaign was run and if it will mean anything on the national level in November. While media outlets and Facebook statuses that I came across want to talk about this, that’s not exactly what I have in mind here.
I currently live in New York. I am not, have never been, and doubt I ever will be a resident of Wisconsin. I did not get to vote for or against Scott Walker, but I’m still happy he survived his recall election, being the first governor to do so. This means that a pro-life governor is able to remain in office.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.
I’m all for running your state fiscally conservatively and I commend Walker for making decisions that may have been difficult and unpopular but were nevertheless effective in making Wisconsin debt-free. My real cause, though, is the right to life. Not only is Scott Walker a pro-life governor, but his opponent could not have made for a more stark contrast.
In trying to get various opinions on the recall election, Fox News’s Bret Baier spoke to Maryland governor Martin O’Malley. From the coverage that I watched, this seemed to make for the only mention of abortion, under the guise of “women’s rights.” When Baier asked Governor O’Malley about the “substance issues” of the campaign, O’Malley preceded his statement on “a rollback on workers’ rights” with his statement that “there’s a dynamic set off when you roll back women’s rights.” It’s no surprise that this man is of the same party as pro-abortion president Barack Obama. But there is just so much wrong with the claim that Walker’s efforts have been “a rollback on women’s rights.”
In actuality, besides being self-declared 100-percent pro-life, Governor Walker has also championed for aiding pregnant women and offering alternatives to abortion. Just one telling example is how Scott Walker, who was at the time an assemblyman, voted for a provision to allow a woman and her unborn child to be considered as an eligible family for BadgerCare. That hardly sounds like a “rollback on women’s rights” to me. Many in the pro-abortion movement accuse pro-lifers of not caring about people once they are born, or caring about the unborn child and not the pregnant woman. I myself have been criticized by those who think I hold such an opinion. Scott Walker is truly an example of a governor who really does care for all life, the born and unborn alike, just as any person should.
On the other hand, Walker’s opponent, Tom Barrett, was endorsed by Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice of America of Wisconsin, which should say enough about his record. Barrett even rejected the Hyde amendment and instead chose to support public funding for abortion. Wisconsin Right to Life, who passionately endorsed and defended the record of Governor Walker, compiled a video and a PDF detailing just how pro-abortion this candidate was and still is.
So while what goes on in Wisconsin may not obviously affect me as a New Yorker, as a pro-lifer I am relieved and overjoyed that the people of Wisconsin chose to keep a man in office who is dedicated to not only fiscally conservative policies, but also the right to life. With Scott Walker’s victory, there is also a victory for the unborn. I do hope that in remaining in office, Governor Walker will continue to be a beacon for championing the pro-life cause and will continue to have the influence to set an example for current and future governors as well.
