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
I grew up in Menomonie, WI (home of UW-Stout) and return to my dad’s place in the country every weekend, to help my sister care for him... he is 95 yrs old, WW II vet and retired professor of math & physics at UW-Stout. He is a staunch conservative as well. All this being said, I believe the majority of WI residents (conservatives & independents) are getting sick & tired of the constant recalls & frenzied attacks by the dimTurds, primarily with their recalls and their non-stop attacks & articles in the ratTurd liberal newspapers. Believe me, I am convinced that WI voters (conservatives, Repubs & independents) realize what is at stake here. I hope & pray the turnout is very heavy...if so, that will favor the Repubs, including Walker & Kleefisch as well as the 4 recalls against very good & hardworking GOP senators. We need to work like crazy, contribute to Walker AND the state senators under recall attack and make phone calls. I am actually more concerned that we will lose 1 or more state senate recall races, and that would give the demoRAT turds a 1 or more majority in the state senate. We cannot allow that to happen. Pray & work & call I predict Walker will win by 53-47% but I am concerned for the 4 state senate recall races, as the RATs are targeting these senators.
From your lips to God’s ears, my friend.
We are going to win and it’s not going to be close - even with the cheating.
Mark My Words.
Wisco will lead the way to November - major TP/Convervatives in Congress / local and national - Romney may very well be the next accidental Reagan.
I say all this living in Dane County WI - Suburb of Madistan - I’m in the belly and they know they are done - many many dems I talk to are pissed that there is even a recall and think this is killing them.
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.
Thanks! I just thought of another reason that will benefit the GOP with the recall elections on June 5. That is due to the state universities finished classes mostly last week and the remainder this week. That fact alone will stop probably 100,000 or more illegal votes by libTurd college kids who register on college campuses, vote in the WI elections and I am convinced they still go back and vote in their home districts or mail-in ballots. Plus the libTurd kids are too busy with their summer parties & bong parties to fuss about another recall election.
Please do all you can between now and June 5 to ensure victory in the recall. What more can freepers do to help you Wisconsin guys out? I already sent money to Walker. I really think this recall may be the key to the Presidency if we can move an unexpected 10 EV into the Republican column in November due to GOP enthusiasm in Wisconsin from the recall. I’m worried about New Hampshire and Virginia going D in November. We need Wisconsin and Iowa!
YEP..... that's EXACTLY how we DO feel. You have hit the nail on the head with your comment. These nasty, arrogant union thugs, Obama / Soros money driven vindictive recall efforts have hacked us off to no end!! Unless the union thugs bus enough flatlanders up here to vote fraudulently, we will win this, perhaps ever so close.
Keep the faith, get out the vote as we will need EVERY LAST vote to maintain our freedom here in WI. We elected Walker once and beat Barrett, now we'll show the whole country what we're made of, with the Good Lord's help.
Thanks for your support!
As for your being convinced that they vote in elections from their campus residence addresses and then vote again in their home districts, or even by absentee ballot in their home states -- based on what I've heard the little numbskulls say when they think they're safely amongst like-minded people, you can be pretty confident that this does happen. Often.
Republicans have to work twice as hard because Democrats vote twice as often.
As for your being convinced that they vote in elections from their campus residence addresses and then vote again in their home districts, or even by absentee ballot in their home states -- based on what I've heard the little numbskulls say when they think they're safely amongst like-minded people, you can be pretty confident that this does happen. Often.
Republicans have to work twice as hard because Democrats vote twice as often.
Sorry for the double-tap.
To give you an idea how developed the Walker ground game is, I was at a conservative rally in Missouri last weekend where they were organizing individuals to come up to Wisconsin to walk precincts, make calls and coordinate with local tea party groups. Individuals will come up for four-day assignments with fully paid airfare, room & board and materials. Based upon the interest I saw, the quota got filled.
I seriously doubt if this would of happened in the pre Tea Party era. This type of coordination would of never materialized against the union machine. Walker would of been in deep doo-doo.
Recalls should only be used when crime of malfeasance has been committed by the office holder, NOT because a class of public sector unions disagree with the office holder’s policies.
I don’t think you need worry about our side becoming complacent. They are P.O.ed by this whole stupid stunt as are many typical Wisconsinites and the results are going to take a huge strip out of the RAT’s pelts.
Recalls should only be used when crime of malfeasance has been committed by the office holder, NOT because a class of public sector unions disagree with the office holders policies.
Well said and worth repeating!
That was the feeling of the union guy I discussed this with over the weekend up in Appleton. He was especially p.o.ed by the antics of the Fleebaggers.
Folks can’t get complacent and think its a slam dunk. If they’re really down in points, they’ll say the failure of the recall is a “done deal” and suppress turnout that way. Then it’s left in the hands of the die-hards and cheaters.
Just get out and VOTE!!!
“I wonder why!”
Because the unions have dumped everything into Walker’s defeat only to be handed their rear ends every time.
Now the union coffers run very thin, yet Walker looks to do very well. Way to beat them politically, while simultaneously draining those incestuous coffers!
Schadenfreude!
This article really shows you who AP is and where they lie.
To: FrdmLvr
I would be chomping at the bit to get a chance to vote for Gov. Walker. You wouldnt be able to keep me away...
Well, IF you’re serious about voting, get an absentee ballot or go to Milwaukee on Memorial Day and vote, get in the free “Free Voters Addresses” line (make it look legit). In fact, if you are creative, like most Demorats, you can vote many, many times. For example, if you are in Chicago, find one of the bus stops where they are loading “potential WI voters” for the trip to Milwaukee to vote. Geeeeeeeeesh, there are hundreds of ways to vote here in Wisconsin...Vote Early and Vote Often!!!!
Is this progressive short hand meaning, "we think we have a way of stealing the election" or "we think we've got a judge that will let us have countless recounts until we get the results we want all we have to do is make sure we don't lose by more than 10 percentage points."???
Please... You are kidding right? Walker is NOT a "Conservative." He's just as much a "conservative" as John McCain, Mitt Romney and Chris Christie... He just realized that his state was broke and headed for bankruptcy so a smidgen of common sense stirred way down deep in that liberal mind of his and he realized he needed to do something radical. He did something that was a little bit good for someone other than himself. He slowed down the marxist beast that has taken over his state.
Don't worry, with obomney in office for four more years it won't matter who is the governor of the state of Wisconsin. Our country is doomed.
JMHO
Troll.
They ARE! They're pushing your recall into the dustbin of history!
Tired of all the recalls? 58-42 for Walker will shut them down. Won’t have to suffer through the Presidential ads.
So your contention is Walker is a RINO, then... care to elaborate, or are you sticking with a drive-by statement?
She’s not guilty but the fireman needs to put on his turnout gear and go to work. It’s for the chill’run.
Not the most insightful post ever made.
Not the most insightful post ever made.
This article is completely and patently dishonest. It isn’t Walker money. The Unions have raised an equal amount or more. It isn’t that Barrett JUST got the nomination and that Walker has been blanketing the airwaves with his message. For over a year and a half the corrupt media has played up story after story of the protests, the recall signature efforts, the “million” signatures gathered, the rage, etc. — for over a year!
The left can now paste ther “Recall Walker” stickers next to their Kloppenburg stickers. Hey, maybe they should put all their stickers on their windshields!
Me! *grin*
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.