TPMDC Eric Kleefeld
Wisconsin Recalls
'Uncharted Territory': How Long Could The Walker Recall Campaign Take?
With the Wisconsin Democrats having officially kicked off their recall campaign against Republican Gov. Scott Walker, the state is set for the political battle to come next year. So the question is: How long will it take?
Late Thursday night, the recall group United Wisconsin announced that they have already collected over 50,000 signatures, in the two days since the launch on Tuesday: "Over 50,000 Wisconsin residents signing recall petitions in the first 48 hours is a clear sign that Wisconsin is not going to stand for Walker's lies and destruction of our state."
Of course, after months of build-up to the recall, we should expect an initial rush of signatures in the first few days. As such, the situation needs to be continually observed, to see whether the Dems can make the goal.
And then, if the Dems do make the threshold, there's no clear timetable for how long an election might take. In separate interviews with TPM, both the state Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski and state Government Accountability Board (which oversees elections in the state) spokesman Reid Magney used the same phrase to describe the situation: "Uncharted territory."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012, 2012 elections, Recall, Scott Walker, WI-GOV, Wisconsin , Wisconsin Protests, Wisconsin Recalls
Wisconsin Recalls
Walker Blames 'Big-Government Unions,' Says Recall Campaign Isn't 'Organic Movement'
Governor Scott Walker (R-WI)
Gov. Scott Walker did a radio interview Wednesday morning on NPR's Tell Me More, responding to the recall drive that was officially launched Tuesday as a backlash against his anti-public employee union laws.
During the interview, Walker stood by his policies as an important set of fiscal reforms and changes in government flexibility for the state. Later on, host Michele Martin asked Walker what the appropriate role should be in the recall campaign for interest groups outside Wisconsin, both those who favor and oppose him.
Walker began by demurring on the matter of the appropriate role for outside groups, correctly pointing out that it will happen no matter what. And then he ripped into the unions, accusing them of artificially kicking up the recall campaign from out of state.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012, 2012 elections, Recall, Scott Walker, WI-GOV, Wisconsin , Wisconsin Protests, Wisconsin Recalls
Polls
Poll: Public Opinion Turning Against Occupy Wall Street
A new national survey from Public Policy Polling (D) finds public opinion souring pretty quickly on the Occupy Wall Street movement.
The poll asked: "Do you support or oppose the goals of the
Occupy Wall Street movement?" The result was only 33% support, to 45% opposed.
In the previous poll from a month ago, when the protests were fairly new and public opinion had not yet had the chance to set in, the result was a very close 35% support, to 36% opposed.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Occupy Wall Street, Polls, Tea Party
Wisconsin Recalls
Recall Papers Officially Filed Against Scott Walker
The Wisconsin recall drive (Part II), targeting Gov. Scott Walker and other Republican officials, is now in full swing.
The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the Dems kicked off the recall drive at midnight, as they had scheduled earlier, with a celebration of sorts:
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin hosted a petition pickup party Monday night, and more than 40 recall supporters wore party hats and blew kazoos as they counted down the final seconds before 12:01 a.m.
The first completed petition was then turned in at the Dem office, at 12:42 a.m. CT, and the recall committee itself was formally filed this morning:
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012, 2012 elections, Recall, Scott Fitzgerald, Scott Walker, WI-GOV, Wisconsin , Wisconsin Protests, Wisconsin Recalls, Wisconsin State Legislature
Wisconsin Recalls
Can Anti-Recall Ads During Packers Game Save Scott Walker?
Wisconsin Dems are kicking off their efforts to recall Gov. Scott Walker, starting at midnight -- but even before that, Walker is set to run a TV ad defending his record, and urging against a recall.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Walker campaign has purchased more than $300,000 of air time between Monday and Sunday, according to sources, in the Green Bay, La Crosse, Madison and Wausau media markets.
Tonight's ad will run during tonight's football game, between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012, 2012 elections, Recall, Scott Walker, WI-GOV, Wisconsin , Wisconsin Protests, Wisconsin Recalls
Wisconsin Recalls
Wis Dems And Unions To Kick Off Walker Recall Effort At Midnight
The Democratic effort to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, in a backlash against his anti-public employee union legislation and the state budget, isn't just set to begin tomorrow -- the kickoff will now happen right after midnight!
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:
"We are going to be filing online (with the state) just after midnight that will allow us to start collecting the signatures," Meagan Mahaffey, executive director of United Wisconsin, said. "There are some midnight collection events around the state. People are ready to go and want to start as soon as possible. There's a lot of excitement about it."PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
United Wisconsin, which is helping lead the recall efforts against Walker, will also make a paper filing with elections officials at the state Government Accountability Board in Madison Tuesday morning, Mahaffey said.
Topics: 2012, 2012 elections, Recall, Scott Walker, WI-GOV, Wisconsin , Wisconsin Protests, Wisconsin Recalls, Wisconsin State Legislature
Health Care
Poll: Majority Now Support The Individual Mandate
Image From Lenetstan / Shutterstock
A new CNN poll on the issue of health care reform finds that support for the law's central and most controversial element, the individual health insurance mandate, has climbed into majority territory.
In the new poll, support for the individual mandate -- requiring people to get health insurance -- has climbed to 52%, with 47% opposed. When the last survey was taken in June, that a majority of 54% opposed it, with 44% in support.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Health Care, Individual Mandate, Polls
Wisconsin Recalls
Wisconsin Dems Kicking Off Walker Recall Effort Tuesday
Wisconsin Protests
This is a big week in Wisconsin -- with the state Democrats officially kicking off their effort to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
Under the Dems' official game-plan, the effort to recall Walker will begin on Tuesday, November 15. For the last few weeks, the Dems have been holding a series of training events and kickoff rallies, with even more happening today and tomorrow. They will need all that effort and preparation they can muster.
In order to trigger a recall, the Dems must meet a strong threshold: Signatures of at least 25 percent of the number of voters in the previous gubernatorial election must be collected in a 60-day window. That means the Dems must get over 540,000 signatures -- over 9,000 per day, statewide -- plus some significant buffer that campaigns routinely collect in order to protect against signatures being disqualified over one imperfection or another.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012, 2012 elections, Recall, Scott Walker, WI-GOV, Wisconsin , Wisconsin Protests, Wisconsin Recalls, Wisconsin State Legislature
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