Walker seeks recall campaign donations

Talk about it

Gov. Scott Walker is talking tough to the people he wants to get money from to buy TV ads in which he’s given the voters a much softer and friendlier tone so far.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said the Republican governor put out a four-page letter to possible campaign donors in which he said he’s being “demonized by Senate Democrats, vilified by the labor bosses and castigated by President Obama.”

Walker’s letter asked conservatives for $1,000 as he tries to raise $180,000 in his national mail campaign over the next month.

The governor raised $12 million last year. He’s told reporters that his fund-raising trips around the country are justified because out-of-state Democrats and unions would spend millions here to try to defeat him.

In his letter, Walker said the labor groups were being funded by Obama’s political arm, radicals from Moveon.Org, attack organizations funded by billionaire George Soros and “ultra-left-wing elites” from Hollywood and Manhattan.

Walker told his possible donors that if his opponents “barge and bully and get their way here, your state’s next.”

Earlier Wednesday, the Journal Sentinel said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett also started a fund-raising pitch which attacked Walker. The Democrat hasn’t announced yet whether he’ll run for governor in the upcoming recall election.

Assembly finance chair calls lessening of tensions

The state Assembly’s finance chairman said today there needs to be a “cleaning of the soul” after a legislative session marked by ongoing protests and recall efforts.

Racine County Republican Robin Vos told reporters he hopes both parties can work together and improve how the Legislature operates after the recall elections in May and June.

Vos is considered by some observers to be in line as the next Assembly speaker if Republicans keep control of the house in November. With a 59-39 majority, Vos is confident the GOP would stay in control. State Democratic Party spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff scoffed at Vos’ “cleansing of the soul” idea. She said the only thing that needs cleansing is “the criminal culture that Scott Walker brought with him to Madison.”

Vos said that even if Walker’s recalled, lawmakers have a duty to tell constituents, “We can do better.”

Protests have become a fixture at the Capitol since last February, when the Republican Walker first proposed ending most collective bargaining for public employee unions.

Vos has also repeatedly asked police to remove protestors who interrupted public hearings. The Legislature can limit public access to hearings under an Open Meetings Law exemption. But Vos says he won’t push for that.

He did say that, “Yelling ‘Shame’ is not sharing information.”

Vos proposed a constitutional amendment to limit recalls only to cases of malfeasance. The Assembly passed it, but the Senate killed it.

Vos says it’s needed to stop what he called “the constant state of political chaos.” Otherwise, he said Wisconsin would never be able to grow its economy.

Assemblyman to seek open Senate seat

State Assembly Republican Jerry Petrowski of Marathon said Wednesday he’ll run for the Senate seat given up five days ago by fellow Republican Pam Galloway.

Petrowski announced his bid at a factory in Kronenwetter, south of Wausau. He’s been in the Assembly since 1999.

Petrowski says he’ll stress the need for more jobs, plus better and more affordable schools and health care.

A recall election was certified for Galloway’s seat, so it will still take place in mid-May unless there’s a primary, and then a general election will be held in June.

Assembly Republican Mary Williams of Medford was also speculated to be a GOP Senate candidate, but she introduced Petrowski at his appearance Wednesday.

Petrowski’s expected to face Assembly Democrat Donna Seidel of Wausau. Seidel said the race is about moving forward and “not about partisan politics.”

But that’s exactly what Seidel and Senate GOP Scott Fitzgerald engaged in soon after Petrowski made his announcement. Seidel said voters will know that Petrowski supported “the same issues as Pam Galloway.” Fitzgerald said the election would let voters choose the person who will look out for their interests and “not bend to the wishes of out-of-state special interests as Seidel has.”

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