Wisconsin state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) appeared Wednesday afternoon on Fox News — and as it turned out, Megyn Kelly gave him something of a grilling on his claim that the Obama administration is behind the effort to recall members of his caucus in the battle over Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-public employee union proposals.
Kelly expressed skepticism of the new claim about the recall campaigns. In response, Fitzgerald revealed what he said was evidence that the White House is connected to the recall, for what he described during the interview as an effort to strengthen the unions and regain partisan advantage in this key swing state.
“Specifically, one of the targeted senators, Alberta Darling, the individual that filed the petition in that seat is a former member of MoveOn.org, and also was very much involved in President Obama’s last election cycle in Wisconsin,” said Fitzgerald.
“It’s what we suspected. There’s eight recalls that have been launched, and as you know, Wisconsin has been a battleground state in the presidential election. And there’s a great deal at stake, and certainly I’ve been told by, not only some of the Wisconsin members of the Congressional delegation, but those that work in labor, that this is about the presidential election in 2012.”
Kelly challenged Walker on the claim of linkage — saying that there is a distinction between saying that people who support Obama are behind the recalls, and that the White House itself would be involved.
As she said later in the conversation: “Well there’s no question that, you know, the White House would like to see — I think there’s no question — would like to see your side lose this battle. They’ve come out and spoken on behalf of the unions, saying that you’re trying to assault them with these policies and so on. I don’t think that’s really much in dispute about what side the White House, you know, ideologically is aligned with.
“But you came out with an allegation that the White House is behind the effort to recall these Republican senators. And I gotta tell you, sir, listening to you here, it doesn’t sound like you have the evidence of that. I mean, a guy, somebody from MoveOn, who is involved with Obama’s re-election push. I mean, shoot, that’s all of MoveOn. That’s not the White House, that’s MoveOn.”
As it turns out, Fitzgerald doesn’t even have to look that hard for a Democratic connection — the state Dems are officially backing the recalls.
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