Yup, efforts to recall Dems in Wisconsin are flagging - by kos (Daily Kos)

 

Try to find ONE Wisconsin Republican this fired up. (Darren Hauck / Reuters)

I speculated a bit ago that Republican recall efforts to recall Democratic state senators in Wisconsin were running into problems, and I attributed it to lack of energy on their part (in addition to a lack of solid Democratic targets). Well, here's some confirmation:

While the Wisconsin Democratic Party, with major assists from progressive groups and unions, has harnessed resentment towards the governor into a full-throttled effort to recall eight GOP Senators, neither the enthusiasm nor organizational acumen exists on the Republican side of the aisle. “It's clear that Democrats and liberal organizations are engaging in an attempt to make recall more than a mere hypothetical possibility for some Wisconsin Republicans,” said Liz Mair, Vice President of Hynes Communications and former RNC Online Communications Director, who has worked closely with officials on the ground in Wisconsin. “Even though Governor Walker acted to end the impasse, Republicans and conservatives should not be acting like this is done and dusted.”

A conservative activist working inside the state on recall efforts was even more explicitly distraught. The Wisconsin Republican Party, the operative said, was not lending resources to the recall campaign groups had launched against Democratic Senators, in turn causing those groups to narrow their target list down from eight lawmakers to just three.

There should be no doubt that the Roves and Kochs will engage, but they'll likely do so in defense of their incumbent Republicans. There is a reason why Republicans have refused to give updates on signatures gathered -- they just don't have the juice to make it happen.