Recall Fever Spreads and Hits Wisconsin

[Khephra]

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin is struggling to rebuild its once pristine political reputation as recall fever spreads from California.

The call for recalls in Wisconsin began brewing last year as word broke of a plan by Milwaukee County officials to pay top administrators six-figure, lump-sum retirement benefits. The county executive resigned and seven county board members were recalled from office.

Now with the state locked in a bitter battle over property taxes and the airwaves abuzz over the drive to recall California's governor, Wisconsin Republicans and their allies are threatening to throttle Democratic lawmakers -- including Gov. Jim Doyle, who took office just nine months ago.

"Certainly the prominence of the California recall means this is going to be one of the things people think of first... when they're unhappy with something," said University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor Ken Mayer.

more............

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-recall-fever,0,3812958.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[trumad]

1. It's the Repukes master plan

and that's why the Dem's have to rise in CA and shut em down!

[ixion]

2. it really bothers me that politicians are focusing on

recalls and reditricting... we're spending millions of taxpayer dollars for a repug power grab, all the while not focusing on the things that are truly suffering and in a shambles: health, education, roads and the like. Elections mean nothing if they are constantly contested. Also, speaking of which, I recall (no pun intended) the noise the repugs made when Gore tried to contest the 2000 (s)election, at which point their cry was about thwarting the election process. How come no one is calling them on this? Oh yeah, the 'librul' media isn't asking those questions of the repugs.. they are only the mouthpiece. :grr:

[Sperk]

3. two can play that game...

there are more repug governors, don't think the people won't start recalling them if the repugs keep this up.

[lostnfound]

15. I wish it were true, but doesn't that take a lot of money?

The California process got started just because a very wealthy guy had a million bucks to spend, didn't it? If the DLC were as organized as the RNC, maybe they'd have already identified some republican governor prey.

Though I'd love to see my own governor Perry out the door, nothing would thrill me more (governor-wise) than a recall of Jeb Bush. He surely has done enough to warrant it, hasn't he?

[salin]

4. and a Texas paper, just yesterday, painted dems as paranoid

conspiracy theorists when claiming that this is all coordinated - that the repubs have been emboldened and keep trying to overturn elections.

The Thee Rs of the anti-democracy Republicans: Recount, Redistrict, Recall.

The thing is, that in California there was at least the grounds to frame it as a legitimate question ... that Davis had been governer the previous term - and that he had not been honest about the budget situation during the election (this has been proven untrue, btw). But in Wisconsin? Weren't republicans in charge for a long time? Tommy Thompson and his replacement when he went to Washington? That reality makes this recall movement... absurd.

[ewagner]

7. If I recall,

Wisconsin recall rules say that the recall can't take place until the incumbent has served at least 1/2 of the term to which he/she was elected. Doyle has some breathing room.

The strategy for fighting off a recall is to "fight them on the beaches" which the California Dems didn't actually do. Once the paperwork is done, the gates of hell are opened up.

[sybylla]

9. In Wisconsin, far more of the electorate has to sign petitions

than in California - 25% I believe I read in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal last week. It will take one hell of a bunch of work to get that many sigs in this state.

At this point, Libertarians are crying the loudest about a recall. They own the website http://www.recalldoyle.com and are trying to sell it to the highest (repuke) bidder, apparently.

Personally, I don't think a recall in Wisconsin is going to go very far. Our voters are too lazy and very rarely turn out an incumbent, even slimy lying repukes. I should know, my assemblyman is reknowned as one.

on edit: of course that doesn't stop local politicians from having to face recall instigated by angry voters. That happens quite frequently.

[salin]

10. Can an issue be made up this to rally the (dem) troops?

I mean the chutzpah of trying to mount a recall... and doing so (according to another poster) long before it is legal to do so... demonstrating a "laying in wait" posture? Can't letters to the editors of local papers start making an issue with simple letters such as: "What are they trying to do? Waste taxpayers money? Overturn election results? Recall the administration that caused the mess? Oh, thats right, they were turned out of office in an election..."

It sounds like a very small movement in Wisconsin. Is anyone in Wisconsin even aware of the movement? Maybe some scare tactics ala : look at the mess in California - some in Wisconsin want to bring it here... could make it a story that gets covered... and makes the movement (as little as it is) backfire by actually firing democratic voters up - far in advance?

[sybylla]

13. You can believe it will be a rallying point.

There is already a great deal of talk about it in Dem circles and Doyle isn't a rollover dem. Even a couple of repugs in this state have publicly denounced the behavior of their party recently. I think they are content letting the Libertarians float this baloon for a while. I have yet to hear a serious repug mention the word recall with Doyle's name. The repugs currently have a tenuous hold on our state houses. I doubt they are going to want to jump into the recall pool before they are certain there are no sharks to bite them in the ass.

If the RNC thinks Wisconsin Dems will rollover and play dead, they are dead wrong. Bring it on.

[Bushfire]

14. I've heard the Gov can be recalled after 12 months in office

and from another person I heard the Republican property tax legislation was for a tax "rate" freeze. Freezing the tax "rate" does not freeze anybody's taxes when your assesment changes. We should hammer the public that freezing your tax rate as the GOP is pushing will actually raise your taxes if your assesment goes up. Gov Doyle is against it for that reason I believe. Also nobody pays property taxes to the state. You pay them locally, and your local officials should be held responsible for their actions IMHO. People shouldn't be afraid to use their brains on this issue.

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. My disappointment in the Dems

is the fifth "R"...rollover and let it happen, as it did in Colorado with the redistricting for example, and as it has all along since the Republican bullies took over.

[Democat]

5. The California recall is dying, Davis gaining, time to start another

Why don't the Democrats fight back with some recalls of their own?

[eyesroll]

6. Some of the recalls in WI have been justified, I think...

because, with the pension scandal, there was a significant breach of public trust. Not everyone who got recalled deserved it -- some just got caught up in a partisan sweep -- but it wasn't entirely unfounded.

However, now they're threatening Doyle and Rep. Plale because they didn't support the property tax "freeze" (which, IMHO, is one of the worst straw-man issues in history).

At least pretty much everyone is not-necessarily-satisfied, but OK, with the districting here...

[ewagner]

8. In our neck of the woods

Recalling School Board members is quite common. Some is justified, some not. It happens with nauseating frequency.

[Lorien]

11. Recall Jeb Bush*!

That would be one recall effort I would heartily endorse!