Democrats fall short in massive battle of money organizing
Texas Insider Report: MADISON Wisc. The outcome was a big setback for Democrats organized labor and progressive groups whod sought retribution against six GOP allies of Gov. Scott Walker who earlier this year enacted a labor law overhaul that ended collective bargaining rights for many public sector workers. Two Democratic incumbents face recalls next week but even if Democrats win those they will still be in the minority.
With the split in Wisconsins Senate at 19 Republicans and 14 Democrats as the day began a turnover of three would have changed party control.
But Tuesday however Republicans held onto control of the Wisconsin Senate by beating back four Democratic challengers in a recall election despite an intense political backlash against GOP support for Gov. Scott Walkers effort to curb public employees union rights.
Fueled by millions of dollars from national labor groups the attempt to remove GOP incumbents served as both a referendum on Walkers conservative revolution and could provide a new gauge of the public mood less than a year after Republicans made sweeping gains in this state and many others.
Turnout was strong in the morning and steady in the afternoon in communities such as Whitefish Bay Menomonee Falls and Shorewood where Sen. Alberta Darling was one of the four Republicans to hold onto her seat.
Until this year there had been only 20 attempts since 1913 to recall any of the nations state lawmakers from office. Just 13 of the efforts were successful.
The outcome may give an inkling about party motivation and organizing ability as strategists ponder the 2012 election in what could be a pivotal state.
Obama won the state in 2008 with 56 percent but George W. Bush nearly won Wisconsin in 2004 falling short by only 11000 votes out of nearly three million
votes cast.
Obamas campaign manager Jim Messina has identified the state as one of the targets for 2012. And many of the presidents ideological allies suggest Obama needs a sharper weightier economic message perhaps a revamped policy plan as well.
With the retirement of Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl theres also an open U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin next year.
The Cook Political Report rates that race as one of seven toss-ups in what are now Democratic-held Senate seats. Republicans need a net gain of four to win control of the U.S. Senate.
Big win for Walker?
Republicans saw the race as a big win for Walker and a confirmation of his conservative agenda.
Republicans are going to continue doing what we promised the people of Wisconsin improve the economy and get Wisconsin moving back in the right direction Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said in a prepared statement after the victory.
Walker attempted to strike a bipartisan tone in victory saying that he reached out to leaders in both parties.
In the days ahead I look forward to working with legislators of all parties to grow jobs for Wisconsin and move our state forward Walker said.
The stakes in Wisconsin were clearly much larger than control of the Senate. Democrats cast the recall results in which they picked up two seats as a rebuff of the Republican revolution started by Walker but it clearly wasnt all that they wanted. Both parties also were testing messages ahead of the 2012 presidential race in which Wisconsin was expected to be an important swing state.
Republican and Democratic strategists were leery of reading too much into the results heading into next years campaign.
The recall effort helped stir passions in the Democratic base in ways we might never have been able to achieve on our own said Roy Temple a Democratic
political consultant with extensive experience in the Midwest. But he said that doesnt mean the recall can offer much more than hints about broader trends.
Wisconsin was a swing state before and it will be after Temple said. Maybe (the recall) is a sign of strong intensity and thats not meaningless but its not predictive.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said the party was all in to win the races. A coalition of national unions spent millions on attack ads and other campaign activity to wrest seats from the Republicans. Conservative groups also spent millions.
It all amounted to a summer unlike any other in Wisconsin. More than $31 million was estimated to have been spent on the nine recall efforts rivaling the $37 million spent on last years governors race.
The Legislature that had been approving Republican-backed bills in rapid succession will likely grind to a halt if Democrats win back the Senate. They would then be able to block anything from passage without a bipartisan agreement.
Any newly elected senator will take office within 15 days a brief window in which Republican Senate leaders could call a lame-duck session if they are about to lose control.
The races next Tuesday target Sens. Bob Wirch of Pleasant Prairie and Jim Holperin of Conover.
