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11/13/2008
Lasee: Realignment of Power
Last week at the polls, we had a realignment of power. Our nation will be led by Democrats (Democratic President and Democratic majority in the United States House and Senate) and so will our state. In Wisconsin the Democrats picked up five Assembly seats and won the majority (click here for what a majority does for your agenda). In January, we will have a Democratic Governor and a Democratic majority in both the Assembly and the Senate.
As part of that realignment, I lost my bid for reelection. While I was disappointed, I’ve also realized it’s time for me to move on to the next stage of my life. I am excited about that.
This realignment was a move away from a philosophy of government quite eloquently described by President Kennedy, “And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” I think the majority of voters had another phrase in their minds when they voted, “Ask not what you can do for your government, ask for what your government can do for you.”
Kennedy was trying to set a positive tone for the future by asking Americans to give of themselves for a greater good. A “good” that Thomas Jefferson, so many years earlier, saw as a potential danger when he said, “A government big and powerful enough to give you everything you want, is big and powerful enough to take from you everything you have.”
Losing my election has been a liberating experience. In the end, in my case, it wasn’t a campaign of ideas between my opponent and me. It was a campaign of my ideas, record and limited funding against the Wisconsin Education Association Council’s (WEAC) war chest of millions. They spent $2.1 million on five Assembly races, including mine (that they have reported—the regular media never reported this, it was only available on WisPolitics.Com’s Premium Service). For a $2 million investment, the ultra-liberal teacher’s union won three out of the five Assembly races (pretty good for them). In the end, I fear the voters will pick up the ultimate tab.
On Tuesday, November 4th, many people voted for change. My words of wisdom are: be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it.
Frank Lasee is a Republican and represents the 2nd Assembly District.
COMMENTS
I absolutely voted for change. I have not seen any work on the republican side that has balanced a budget, or focused on getting us in and out of a war (Iraq has never been explained to the American people as to why we are there). American companies have slashed and cut and slashed and cut over the years and our government has only grown and spent us into oblivian. Deficits out of this world. Shown to us by the previous Bush and Reagan administrations. Now this administration is performing massive bailouts at the end of their term. I know that people will say that these initiatives were started by the democratic hand but Bush had eight years of warnings to smooth out any of what we have today and he did nothing. Eight years of this has been enough for me. I need change. I am a republican but this party cannot send average people to run for president and expect us to back them when we need extraordinary people to tackle complex national and world issues. That's my message to the Republicans. I remember the Clinton economy. Balanced budgets, strong economy and world diplomacy.
Mike (Thu Nov 13 09:56:33 2008)
Mike - Do you also remember that during the Clinton administration the Republicans were in charge of Congress? That's why we had balanced budgets and a strong economy - a balance of power. I agree that the Republican Party has disappointed over the last eight years in their expansion of gov't and insane levels of spending, but I fear that if you believe that the Dems will spend less, you will be sorely disappointed given that they now control Washington entirely. Sorry to see that you have given up on the Republican Party. I only wish that more people like you would themselves get more involved in the party on a local level and make changes from within...the principles of the party are still strong, it's the leadership of it that has failed us.
Jim Steineke (Thu Nov 13 13:32:22 2008)
Jim, I've tried to "make changes from within" but it doesn't work. The Republican leadership is not interested. Remember Michels' challenge to Russ Feingold? The stupid Republican party kept push-push-pushing Russ Darrow! If they'd stood behind the right candidate from the beginning, we might have had a better senator by now. What conservatives need to do is LEAVE the idiot Republican leaders and form a different party.
emily matthews (Sat Nov 15 10:04:32 2008)
Frank, I respect you for sharing your opinions by posting them on a blog. However, you're throwing around some big stones in your fit of pique. You do not have any evidence for your assertion that Americans are now asking "what your government can do for you." Americans simply want a COMPETENT government and anyone with any objectivity will acknowledge that Republicans currently are not competent to govern.
Lastly, you may whine about the teacher's union (which is not "ultra-lberal"), but the bottom line is that voter's in YOUR district did not think you were doing a good job FOR THEM. Perhaps you need to acknowledge that they are other issues that people care about beyond paying as little tax as possible; people actually care about providing good schools for children, fixing crumbling infrastructure, and, yes, even having the government help the less fortunate members of our society.
Ron Peck (Sat Nov 15 11:25:56 2008)
Ron, I wish I'd seen your comment sooner...YES< the teachers' union IS ultra-liberal! My husband is in it, and thus we get all their publications.
As to many Americans wanting government to do something for them, just work in an ER long enough, and you'll see the truth of it. Deadbeat people don't come here "because they can't get in to see a dr" but because they want convenience, or free meds; knowing that the taxpayers will foot their bill.
emily matthews (Mon Nov 17 16:52:39 2008)
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