Democrats and Big Labor Unions Fail to Unseat Wisconsin Gov Scott Walker

Wisconsin GOP Governor Scott Walker has made history, perhaps to the detriment of an entire political party: of the three recall elections of governors in U.S. history, Walker is the only one to survive. What was all the fuss about? As usual, republicans attempting to derail out of control spending and democrats convinced that more spending, or at least leaving current spending models in place, is the answer. Walker eliminated collective bargain agreements for most state employees to cut a multi-billion dollar Wisconsin budget shortfall and it sent Union leaders into an absolute rage.

It all began when Walker & Republicans in the state legislature repealed what they considered excessive collective bargaining rights of Wisconsin public employee unions. Democrats and their big labor union allies, furious at Walker and his band of Republican cohorts, insisted the red team had stepped over the line and spent well over a year organizing huge protests as well as collecting 900,000 petition signatures for the recall vote. Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett adopted the challenge of going up against Walker. Approximately $63 million was spent on the race, with much of Walker’s campaign funds coming from outside of Wisconsin.

Walkers victory in Wisconsin, a state that went blue for Barack Obama in Election 2008, gives republicans a great deal of renewed hope that Wisconsin may vote for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in November. The outcome is a considerable blow to Wisconsin Big Labor, which allocated top priority spending into the failed effort to remove Walker, the states 45th Governor, from office.

Walker’s lieutenant governor, Rebecca Kleefisch, has survived her recall election as well.