Wisconsin - Walker almost certain to face recall

[Scuba]

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/john_nichols/article_02549746-3262-50e1-8833-17ff333c92ef.html



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Now comes the next political test, and it will be as remarkable as it is unprecedented. At least five Republican state senators who backed Walker’s assault on collective bargaining rights are now all but certain to face recall elections this summer. The number could rise to eight. At the same time, petitions have been filed to recall three Democratic senators. While serious questions have been raised about whether some of the signatures on those petitions were gathered deceitfully, at least some of these recalls are likely to proceed.

Thus, Wisconsin will experience an off-year election where legislative seats across the state are at stake. The Republicans who are being challenged represent districts that cover much of northwest Wisconsin, western Wisconsin, central Wisconsin, the Fox Valley and the Milwaukee suburbs. The targeted Democrats represent the far north, the Green Bay area and the Kenosha area. With these recalls, and special elections to fill vacant state Assembly seats in western and eastern Wisconsin, there are few parts of Wisconsin where voters won’t be voting in legislative elections.

And it doesn’t stop there. The Democratic recall drives in five Republican-friendly districts have yielded roughly 115,000 signatures. There are 33 state Senate districts. If the pattern were to hold statewide, that would yield roughly 760,000 signatures — probably considerably more when heavily Democratic areas such as Madison and Milwaukee are added to the mix.

The baseline number of signatures needed to recall Walker, in a process that can begin next January, is 540,208. Do the math and it becomes clear that, while 2011 is shaping up as a remarkable political year, 2012 could well be the year when Wisconsin shows the whole country what democracy looks like.


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[blm]

1. Here's to Wisconsin making needed history. You have made us a nation of Badgers.

Thank you!

[HereSince1628]

2. Encouraging, tho we've got to work the problems at hand...

Next step it finishing the recalls and getting candidates ready to face-off the republicon incumbents.

[elocs]

3. The recall elections this summer will blaze the way for a Walker recall.

Thousands of more signatures than the minimum will be needed to be on the safe side. A lot of hard work will be needed and every i must be dotted and every t must be crossed because there will be major challenges. The absolute best thing would be to have a strong and well known candidate to run against Walker.