[Final Update- June 6, 2012] Video- Governor Scott Walker's Recall Victory Speech and analysis, reactions from around the web.
There will be updates added all day until the Wisconsin recall election results are tallied and reported. (Results, exit polls and recount info will be listed as updates on top and interesting reading updates below the post)
[Update] Here is a laugh for everyone, describing Walker's double digit win as Walker "narrowly survived" the recall.
GOP takes the day so far for every recall race so far on June 5, 2012.
[Update] NBC has declared Scott Walker as projected winner. Fox News also declares Walker the winner. I'll provide links when they are available. Here is the MediaIte link to Walker's win. AP also called it for Walker already.
[Update] Projected winner for Lt. Gov. recall race is Kleefisch (R).
[Update] Senate races, Districts 13, 23 and 29 all show the GOP candidates ahead by double digits. District 21 is starting to come in
[Update] 24% of precincts reporting and JSOnline (Milwaukee Journal) and AP results have Walker ahead 61 to 38 percent. (Those numbers will be updated here as more results are tallied.)
[Update] AP results page HERE.
[Update] About that Democratic plan for recount, some more info:
A state official said the candidate who trails in Tuesday's voting in the governor's recall election would only qualify for a free recount of votes, if the margin between candidates is one half of one percent.
Wisconsin Government Accountability Board Executive Director Kevin Kennedy said if the margin between candidates is two percent or more, the candidate requesting a recount would be responsible for all costs.
[Update] Exit polling data is out, voters evenly split. Milwaukee Journal has the breakdown HERE.
Polls close at 8 PM central.
As of yesterday Intrade was putting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker with a 91-93 percent chance of winning against Tom Barrett and polling averages according to RCP Walker was still leading with over a 6 percent, today that margin is 6.7 percent.
Quite a bit of news coming out of Wisconsin to keep us all reading until the results are in.
Please keep in mind when reading, the voters are still voting, the outcome is not sure until those votes have been counted.
Via Meadia reports the New York Times is in panic mode "After valiantly trying to shield its readers from Walker’s lead,The New York Times is now doing its best to spare them the full horror of what is occurring in Wisconsin. The progressive left pulled out all the stops: unions, rage, “community organizers,” demonstrations, and name calling were supposed to make Wisconsin the front line for the progressive “fight back.” In a state that hasn’t been carried by a Republican since Reagan in 1984, Democrats thought this strategy couldn’t fail."
The Politico reports that Democrats are already floating the idea of a recount.
“We’re very much anticipating that there’s a chance that we could be in a recount scenario,” said Mike Tate, chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. He said the party will have more than 440 lawyers in the field on Tuesday “doing election protection activities but also tasked with recount preparation, making sure that we know where absentee ballots are at, making sure that we have a strong handle on what’s happening out there.”
Democrats, liberals and unions have been upset at Barack Obama for distancing himself from the whole affair but are sure to applaud now that Obama has thrown his weight behind Barrett at the last minute with ....... one tweet? Pirate's Cove quote of the day "Obama basically 'phones' it in on Wisconsin recall election"
Byron York at Campaign 2012 has an excellent piece touching on this whole fiasco from start to finish along with the antics from labor, liberals, Democratic Senators, etc...... Definitely a must-read.
Conn Carroll at Beltway Confidential points to two Obama supporters who understand a Walker win will have ramifications that go beyond Wisconsin.
A Walker win would be even bigger than both Brooks and Mead claim. It would show the nation that Tea Party conservatives can govern.
Both Obama and Walker passed very controversial reforms their first year in office. The difference between the two is that Walker’s reforms worked. Walker turned a $3.6 billion deficit into a $150 million surplus. Unemployment is down and job creation is up. None of the horrors that liberals described have come to pass. A Walker victory would be a sign to conservatives everywhere that you can cut spending, without raising taxes, and balance budgets.
Chicago Tribune reminds everyone that there are four other Republicans facing a recall today.
In addition, four Republican state senators are facing recall challenges, and the loss of just one of those seats would transfer control of the state senate to Democrats. In theory that could restrain Walker should he retain office, but the legislature is out of session and not scheduled to meet again until after the November elections when Republicans would have another shot at regaining power.
Fox News explains how Wisconsin voters have been suffering what must seem to be endless political warfare.
But before they get to what is already an ugly battle between President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney or what promises to be one of the roughest Senate campaigns in the nation, Badger State residents have already endured two years of non-stop campaigning.
Happy reading, remember updates will be added throughout the day. Results on top, more interesting reading down below.
[Update] Turnout higher than projected throughout Milwaukee suburbs.
