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Liberal groups can report that they have raised over $2 million to support recall efforts in Wisconsin. This includes $750,000 from the PCCC and Democracy for America, $860,000 from MoveOn and $340,000 from Daily Kos.
Since the state Supreme Court race, which comes April 5 and could shift the balance of power on the highest court in Wisconsin, is publicly financed, the recall of the Republican 8 is the first opportunity for national low-dollar donors to contribute to the effort in Wisconsin.
And we might want to modify that and call it the Republican 6, because in particular 6 of the 8 races are being looked at seriously:
Union officials and progressive activists on the ground in Wisconsin say that six specific lawmakers have been targeted for recall (before Wednesday night that number had been eight). Of those, three were considered top tier “gets:” Sen. Randy Hopper (District 18) who won his last election by 184 votes, Sen. Alberta Darling (District 8) who won her last election with 51 percent of the vote, and Sen. Dan Kapanke (District 32) who also won his last election with 51 percent of the vote, in a district where President Obama won 61 percent of the vote in 2008. The other three lawmakers on the list were Sen. Robert Cowles (District 2), Sheila Harsdorf (District 10), and Luther Olsen (District 14).
“Without full capitulation this is the best possible political outcome,” said one top-ranking labor official, trying to put a good spin on a damaging development. “It is going to drive [Walker’s] negatives over 65 [percent] and we are looking at possibly winning six recall elections”
MoveOn put out a poll yesterday on two of the top three in this race, Hopper and Kapanke, and the results were favorable, though it was a one-day poll. On the other hand, it came out before Hopper and Kapanke voted for the bill stripping public employee collective bargaining rights. So those numbers could swing even worse for them.
If three Republicans are ousted by Democrats, the state Senate flips back, and Walker’s narrow window for radical transformation in the state closes.
By the beginning of 2012, Walker himself could face a recall election. And by November 2012, the entire state Assembly will be up for grabs, including those candidates who flat-out lied to teachers. It’s plausible that by January, 2013, the entire state government in Wisconsin could flip from Republican to Democratic. And they would get there thanks to a people-powered, youth-labor, progressive alliance.
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There’s also evidence that the enthusiasm gap has flipped — Republicans and indies who actually have been impacted by Walker’s actions (particularly those in the police and firefighters’ unions and the state patrol, which is close to open revolt over Walker’s trying to turn it into his palace guard) are either sitting on their hands or joining with Democrats, whereas the Democrats are fired up beyond belief.
Notice that we haven’t heard much about the Utah-funded threats to recall Democratic state senators in the past week? All the money in the world won’t help if you can’t get the signatures.
Yeah the enthusiasm gap has flipped. I was in wisconsin last weekend, and what really struck me was how many older rural “real american” types (i.e., stereotypical republicans) were out in the streets absolutely incensed with Walker. There were also quite a bit of signs saying “i voted for Walker and I’m sorry”
I also help volunteer in the recall effort against Olsen. Turns out he has never had a democratic opponent on the ballot, but people kept saying “he will now”. He actually was “given” the nomination by the previous holder of that senate seat.
Mike, thank you for sharing that. It’s heartening to hear. I am so proud of and grateful to the people of Wisconsin for not giving up on this fight. I wish I could be there to support them.
What pisses off Liberals and Progressives is the fact we put Cave Man/Con Man in the WH.
Imagine if in 2010, Dems made Reps defend tax cuts for the rich before the mid-terms, (we now know Obama intentionally kept this from happening, because he wanted to give tax cuts to the rich)
this simple strategy would have probably kept Dems in power in Wisconsin
Imagine if in 2009 Dems would have force Blue Dogs, and Reps, not to support the Public Option (we now know Obama killed the Public Option in the summer of 2009)
this simple strategy would have probably kept, Dems in power in Wisconsin
Up pops Gov. Walker, few people knew he would become the best thing to ever happen to progressives in decades.
it takes evil to destroy evil, Gov. Walker is going help Real Dems take the Dem party back from evil people like Obama, Blanche Lincoln, and Ben Nelson.
I spend too much time on a college football board. One of the guys is Airforce, works on nukes in Montana. Total teaparty, hates Obama. Scott Walker and the Koch brothers have him voting Democratic. His true north is working people and he can’t abide what Walker has done.