In Wisconsin, the recall campaign against state Sen. Mary Lazich (R) has fizzled. Organizers of the recall effort said Monday that it likely would not have the signatures required to force her into a recall election. It also looks like Democrats won't be able to recall state Sen. Glenn Grothman (R), also due to a lack of signatures.
By my count, that leaves six Republican State Senators who will face recall efforts this summer. Bear in mind, of course, that gathering sufficient signatures to trigger a recall election is a far cry from actually recalling representatives. The people of Wisconsin have already declined to pitch a political tantrum over Governor Walker's budget fix, and recent polling indicates that they aren't especially inclined to do so (by a 35/53 margin) when the recall elections roll around. Conservatives will also have two or three bites at the apple to recall fleebagger Democrats and cancel out any successful recalls against Republican Senators.
Incidentally, are Wisconsinites thirsting for an opportunity to recall Gov. Walker himself for his crimes against labor unions? Not so much:
A slight majority, 51%, of voters oppose recalling Governor Scott Walker, with 44% supporting this idea. 37% of those who voted in the 2010 Governor’s Election are willing tosign a petition to recall Walker. Of the 44% who support recallingWalker, 83% are willing to sign their name and address to a petition todo so.
Wisconsin voters seem to be slowly but surely absorbing the substance of Gov. Walker's crimes against organized labor, which I described shortly after its passage:
- Places Wisconsin on a path to fiscal solvency, saving hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Does not increase the tax burden on Wisconsinites, preserving the Badger State's competitive advantage over its southern neighbor.
- Saves at least 1,500 middle class jobs.
- Maintains more expansivecollective bargaining privileges for Wisconsin state workers than areavailable to federal employees and public workers in 24 other states.