FollowUp 26: Wisconsin Republican Dirty Tricks

About a week ago, I wrote about Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker complaining about big money being spent against him in the recall effort.  With the recall primary just one week away, a couple of news articles are germane.

The Duluth News Tribune reports that unions are about to spend $1 million in ads on behalf of Kathleen Falk, who is currently polling behind Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the Democratic primary race.

A group supported by the statewide teachers union, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, as well as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees announced it was buying $1 million of television, cable and online advertising time beginning Friday and running through May 7, the day before the primary.

The teachers' union is having an internal debate over this because while Mr. Barrett has not been a union friendly in his role as Mayor of Milwaukee as the unions would like he is polling considerably better than Ms. Falk.  The union wants to back a winner and wants to defeat Governor Walker.

Falk won union support after promising to veto any state budget that doesn't restore collective bargaining rights. Barrett refused to make such a pledge.

Barrett spokesman Phil Walzak said despite the barrage of negative ads, “the polls show Tom is the consensus favorite of the people to take on Scott Walker.”

Falk and representatives of numerous unions — including WEAC, AFSCME, the Sierra Club, Emily's List and the American Federation of Teachers — said they would get out the vote through phone banks, mailings and word of mouth to deliver a victory. Wisconsin For Falk said it was using its 18 field offices across the state to drive voter turnout.

It should be noted that Mayor Barrett lost to then Milwaukee County Executive Walker in the last gubernatorial race.  So, big money is being spent as Mr. Walker claimed.  But, based on a report in the Republic, an Indiana newspaper, there appears to be more money flowing toward the Governor than his opponents.

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin's leading business lobbying group says it has purchased $2 million worth of television air time to run a spot in support of Republican Gov. Scott Walker starting Monday.

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce vice president James Buchen says the spot running statewide does not mention any of the Democrats seeking to take on Walker. Instead, Buchen says the spot is designed to make the case that Walker's policies are improving the state.

The ads from Scott Walker, against Tom Barrett and against Kathleen Falk, are decidedly not what WMC is going to run.  It is likely that the WMC will run something like what the Stop the Recall folks did previously.

So, where is the money?  Everywhere it seems.  Despite his whining about money on the other side, Mr. Walker seems to be more than well funded.  We'll really see things heat up after 8 May (the primary).

16 November 2011, Original Pedantic Political Ponderings post.
30 November 2011, FollowUp 1.
4 December 2011, FollowUp 2.
11 December 2011, FollowUp 3.
14 December 2011, FollowUp 4.
15 December 2011, FollowUp 5.
30 December 2011, FollowUp 6.
13 January 2012, FollowUp 7.
17 January 2012, FollowUp 8.
25 January 2012, FollowUp 9.
2 February 2012, FollowUp 10.
9 February 2012, FollowUp 11.
12 February 2012, FollowUp 12.
18 February 2012, FollowUp 13.
22 February 2012, FollowUp 14.
6 March 2012, FollowUp 15.
12 March 2012, FollowUp 16.
16 March 2012, FollowUp 17.
30 March 2012, FollowUp 18.
31 March 2012, FollowUp 19.
3 April 2012, FollowUp 20.
4 April 2012, FollowUp 21.
11 April 2012, FollowUp 22.
14 April 2012, FollowUp 23.
17 April 2012, FollowUp 24.
21 April 2012, FollowUp 25.

2 May 2012, FollowUp 27.
6 May 2012, FollowUp 28.
10 May 2012, FollowUp 29.
13 May 2012, FollowUp 30.
23 May 2012, FollowUp 31.
24 May 2012, FollowUp 32.
30 May 2012, FollowUp 33.
2 June 2012, FollowUp 34.
4 June 2012, FollowUp 35.
5 June 2012, FollowUp 36.