It's on:
The state Democratic Party chairman said Monday the recall effort against GOP Gov. Scott Walker will begin on Nov. 15, setting up a likely year of expensive political battles in Wisconsin in 2012.
Mike Tate made the announcement on the "The Ed Show" with Ed Schultz on MSNBC. Tate said recall efforts would be coordinated with the group United Wisconsin and would begin shortly after the first opportunity - one year after Walker was elected in November 2010.
After the recall this summer of two senators who supported Walker and his legislation repealing union bargaining, Tate and recall organizers are now aiming for a much larger target. The effort comes on top of an open race for U.S. Senate in the state and the presidential race - where Wisconsin will be a likely battleground - and sets the stage for a solid year of high-stakes politics in 2012. [...]
Recalling Walker won't be easy. Just to trigger an election, organizers will need to gather more than 540,000 signatures in 60 days.
Wisconsin Dems have deliberately been tight-lipped about possible candidates, but I have to imagine they've got someone in mind, since I don't think you'd launch a petition drive this massive if you didn't also have the firepower to knock off Walker in the actual recall election. Former Sen. Russ Feingold has already said he won't run, but Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (our 2010 gubernatorial nominee) hasn't ruled out the race, and ex-Rep. David Obey has sounded surprisingly keen (given his age).
One bit of good news is that the state's Government Accountability Board says it would be "impossible" for any recall to coincide with the state's presidential primary—helpful to us because only the Republican nomination will be contested, of course. And Chris Bowers reports that Wisconsin Democrats are also looking at the possibility of further state Senate recalls, too. I think this is a great idea because a) we only need to take one more seat to win control of the chamber; b) there are fewer vulnerable Democrats eligible for a recall; and c) conversely, there will be more eligible Republicans who would be vulnerable to a recall. (My understanding is that the old district lines would be used.) Also, signature-gatherers ought to be able to carry petitions for both efforts.
Polling has shown a very tightly divided electorate on the subject of a recall, pretty much as you'd expect in a state like Wisconsin. So if Democrats can force Walker on to the ballot and land a strong candidate, this race will, it almost goes without saying, be a serious barn-burner. Hold on to your hats.
P.S. If you want to help in signature-gathering efforts, visit this special RecallHQ page set up by the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Daily Kos is supporting this drive as well, and you can donate via our ActBlue page.