Eric Kleefeld July 8, 2011, 2:47 PM

Wisconsin Democrats face the next hurdle in the state Senate recalls on Wednesday, with primaries being held in the races to go up against six Republican incumbents — and they’ll have to beat the fake Democrats before they can take on the real Republicans.

Soon after the recall elections were triggered, Republicans declared a strategy to plant fake candidates in the Democratic primaries — which they have called “protest candidates” — in order to delay the general elections from July to August, while the GOP incumbents run unopposed. Also, it turns out the whole scheme will cost local governments throughout the state over $400,000.

Now, Greg Sargent has obtained a flyer being distributed by a group called “Patriot Advisers,” 18th District race against GOP incumbent Randy Hopper — encouraging conservatives to go vote in the open Democratic primary, for Republican plant John Buckstaff against real Dem Jessica King.

On the one hand, it’s possible to look at this as a dirty trick. On the other hand, how could the Dems ever hope to take on the real Republicans if they can’t drub the fake Dems first?

The flyer refers to the fake Dem candidate John Buckstaff as “Pro-Wisconsin,” and declared: “He’ll roll up his sleeves and work with Governor Walker to eliminate special privileges for government unions.”

As for the official Dem candidate Jessica King, she is called “Pro-Union Extremist,” with the added description: “King is taking tens of thousands of dollars from pro-union groups. She will put their agenda first — even if it bankrupts Wisconsin.”

To be clear, the Dems specifically rejected entreaties by labor to respond in kind and run fake Republicans, in order to prevent this kind of shenanigans.

2011 Elections, Jessica King, John Buckstaff, Randy Hopper, Recall, Wisconsin , Wisconsin Recalls, Wisconsin State Legislature