Wisconsin will be holding recall elections for six Republican state senators in July, a fact that has the Wisconsin GOP suffering a major case of heartburn. Governor Scott Walker made no bones about it: The only thing that could stop the radical Republican agenda are these recall elections.
So rather than campaign to save their seats, they're playing a little dirty politics. Via the LaCrosse Tribune:
La Crosse County Republicans discussed running a spoiler candidate against Democrat Jennifer Shilling in an effort to delay the recall election of Sen. Dan Kapanke, according to a secret recording of the party's general membership meeting last week.
On the recording obtained by the Tribune, party vice chairman Julian Bradley says he just spoke with Mark Jefferson, executive director of the state GOP, and "we are actively keeping our ears to the ground and if anybody knows anybody for a candidate that would be interested on the Democratic side in running in the primary against Jennifer Shilling.... So if anybody knows any Democrats who would be interested, please let us know."
Kapanke, a second-term Republican, is expected to face a recall election July 12, unless more than one challenger comes forward. Shilling, a five-term state representative from La Crosse, is the only candidate to declare her intention to run.
Should a primary be necessary, the general election would be pushed back, according to scenarios proposed by the Government Accountability Board.
That, Bradley said on the tape, "would give the state senator an extra month to campaign in. The opposition would obviously have to spend more time and more money."
Mark Jefferson was just named to be the Midwest regional director for the national GOP and is a former aide to Reince Preibus, RNC Chair.
Dirty politics, indeed, but not surprising. What I enjoyed about this tape was hearing just how nervous they are about these recalls. When you're hoping that public employees -- the same public employees who just turned up en masse to protest Scott Walker's radical agenda -- are sleeping through the recall elections, I'd say it's pretty certain you know you're toast.
