Former Milwaukee mayor shares perspective after 1 year as US ambassador to Luxembourg

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- America from the outside looking in. We got that perspective Friday from former Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. 

Barrett has now spent more than a year as U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg. 

On a zoom call Friday, Barrett spoke of his new home, its wealth, its work with refugees from Ukraine and its historic appreciation for America after WWII.

And when Barrett talked about the bitter political climate in the United States, he said the difference between America and other places is that "we air our dirty laundry."

"In a democracy, sunlight is the best disinfectant. And so, you see countries around the world where...oh no, you don't see the dissent and you don't see the rancor. Well, that's because they're putting people in prison," Barrett said. 

Speaking of his 17-year tenure as mayor of Milwaukee, Barrett said, "I tried as hard as I could for as long as I could."