Wis. GOP seeks to blunt Walker recall risk

Democrats say Republicans want to prevent a recall of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker by arranging for a likely vote to be held on the GOP presidential primary day. The April 3, 2012, Republican primary is when GOP voter turnout is highest. Democrats, for their part, are angling to have the likely recall vote Nov. 6, the day of the general election, when Democratic voter turnout expected to be is highest, The Washington Post reported. The maneuvers are taking place as Wisconsin's state Senate recall battle resumes Tuesday with races in three districts. Two are primaries, but one contest is for keeps. Dave Hansen, a Green Bay Democrat, faces Republican challenger and recall organizer David VanderLeest, also from Green Bay. Hansen faces a recall because he and 13 other Democratic state senators left the state around Feb. 20 for nearly three weeks in a failed bid to deny the state Senate a quorum to vote on a divisive Walker bill to limit public employees' collective-bargaining rights and raise their contributions to healthcare and pension plans. Hansen is one of three Democratic senators facing recalls for leaving the state, which petitioners allege was a violation of their responsibilities. Six Republican senators are up for recall for voting for Walker's law, which was passed through a procedural maneuver amid huge protests at the state Capitol in Madison. Walker signed the bill in March and the state Supreme Court last month let the law take effect. Tuesday's Hansen-VanderLeest vote is the first of nine state elections this month and next that could change the state power balance. A change of three Senate seats would give control of the chamber -- currently controlled by Republicans -- to Democrats, which analysts say could ruin Walker's drive to press his ambitious legislative agenda. Republicans took control of both legislative chambers and the governor's seat in November's general election. Democratic challengers who won primaries last week will take on six Republican senators Aug. 9. The two Republicans who win Tuesday's primaries are to square off against two Democrats Aug. 16. As for Walker's possible recall, "Democrats have privately spoken with top Republicans who think triggering a spring recall election is their best path to protecting Scott Walker and preserving his agenda," Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski told the Post's Plum Line blog. So they will encourage Democratic activists to start collecting Walker-recall signatures soon after the current elections conclude, which would point to an April 3 recall vote, Zielinski said. Republicans may even start their own drive to recall Walker to force an April 3 vote, the Post said. Top Democrats will push to start the Walker-recall petitioning next spring or later to ensure the election takes place Nov. 6, the Post said. "The best shot at beating Walker is November 2012, when President [Barack] Obama and competitive congressional races are also on the ballot," a source familiar with the discussions told The Plum Line. "We play right into Scott Walker's hands by doing this recall sooner. That's exactly what he wants. It's a death trap." The Republican Party says it does not advocate one recall-election date over another.