Posted on 05/21/2012 6:39:59 PM PDT by mandaladon
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Amid signs that the effort to oust Republican Gov. Scott Walker is losing ground, Wisconsin Democrats and union leaders are preparing a fundraising and get-out-the-vote push to regain momentum in the final weeks before the June recall election.
Opponents of Walker are concerned that the governor, aided by a huge influx of money from conservative supporters nationwide, has opened a lead in a race that had been dead even in the polls.
Walker, who has raised $25 million, has been blanketing Wisconsin with broadcast advertising touting his handling of the economy. His Democratic opponent, Tom Barrett, who did not win his party's primary until May 8, has raised only $1 million and not been able to match the blitz. The most recent public poll on the race released last week showed Walker leading by 6 points.
"I feel like Walker does have the momentum," said Michael Brown, who was among those who organized the petition drive that netted more than 900,000 signatures to force the recall vote. "It's up to the people of Wisconsin to push back."
The effort to recall Walker, which began after he successfully pushed to remove the collective bargaining power of public employee unions, has become a nationally watched battle over worker rights.
Democratic strategists say Barrett can still rebound with a new surge of advertising and volunteer work before the June 5 vote.
"Last week was the first week that the Walker and Barrett campaigns, and their allies, were at spending parity on television," said Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Mike Tate. "We are, internally, seeing things start to move in our direction in a very substantial way."
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Belling had an interesting observation today, he went down to vote and there were VANLOADS of the usual suspects heading into vote for Tom Barrett....Turnout for Scott Walker is critical! It is going to be close with the fraud that is obviously happening....
I wouldn't be overly optimistic, knowing how Unions handle Elections (and Democrats handle Elections).
I’ll bet that there will be trainloads of flatlander “early voters”
If I lived in Wisconsin, I would be chomping at the bit to get a chance to vote for Gov. Walker. You wouldn’t be able to keep me away. Don’t Republicans realize they need to TROUNCE this stupid recall and show up in droves for him?
And the unions poured money in from all over the country to make an example of Walker.
No mention of that...
Haha, yeah I noticed that. I scanned the article for mention of “liberal supporters nationwide”...
Stoopid Democrats...they make it a choice between a Socialist Witch and the Same Loser who Walker beat 2 years ago, then they double-down on the tired old rhetoric and national talking points like “WOW” despite facts that show Walkers reforms and Act 10 are not only “working” but in fact “have worked”.
Let’s hope this time they’ve not only shot themselves in the foot but blown the whole leg off...
I sent Walker a contribution and I’m a government employee and union member here in PA.
The pensions, pay and benefits are out of hand for government employees at the state and federal levels and in many government educational institutions and local governments to boot.
Ah, the AP. They lie with such facility and ease!
The law did not remove public employees' collective bargaining rights over their corpulent salaries, only their equally corpulent pensions and bennies.
here is a true conservative—in office—who i can support with abandon and i plan to continue doing so. right up to the closing bell.
Walker for President!
I was really hoping the Chicago PD would be making mass-arrests during the NATO protests. That would have kept the Madison vote count down.
Here is why:
1. Most of us work.
2. Most of have noticed that the snotty "Recall Walker" stickers are on nicer cars than we can afford.
3. We have had enough of State employees complaining about not getting enough as they brag about going on vacation and buying land in the UP of Michigan to build a summer home.
Wisconsin Republicans do know how important this is. Walker had more votes in his primary where he faced a Madison protester who dresses like Abraham Lincoln than Barrett and Falk got combined.
Adding to that, I know several people who are planning on voting for Walker in the general, but voted in the rat primary.
Everywhere I go (although in Waukesha County where the GOP is king), I see pro-Walker bumper stickers, while the Recall Walker stickers seem to have been replaced with Obama/Biden 2012 stickers.
I can’t wait to vote for Walker and I know that the Victory Centers are full of volunteers working the phones for Walker. There is no sense of coasting.
Awwww...da poor widdle wibtawds!
Governor Walker has saved their butts and they’re too dumb to care.
I sent Walker a contribution and Im a government employee and union member here in PA.
Thumbs up from Cheesehead land
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