In a sign of just how high the stakes could be for the the potential state Senate recalls in Wisconsin, in the wake of the recent passage of Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-public employee union bill, one of the targeted Republican legislators has hired a campaign manager with national experience.
As the Fond du Lac Reporter notes, GOP state Sen. Randy Hopper has hired Jeff Harvey, whose previous high-profile campaigns have included roles with Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ). Harvey arrived in the state this past weekend.
In addition to the new anti-public employee union law, Hopper faces other obstacles related to his ongoing divorce, and public accusations of adultery by his estranged wife. A survey released earlier this week by Daily Kos, conducted by Public Policy Polling (D), showed Hopper trailing a generic Democrat by a margin of 49%-44%.
As Greg Sargent reported Wednesday, Hopper is already on the airwaves with a new radio ad, attacking public employee unions as being overpaid and sapping local budgets.
One part of the ad references a Madison bus driver who made $160,000 a year — which as Greg points out, was a single case that in fact involved a man who worked a truly enormous number of overtime hours, equal to more than 100% of his regular work time. And afterward, the union and the city ultimately renegotiated certain relevant terms of overtime.
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