Robocall Campaign Seeks Recall of Wisconsin State Senators

Two national liberal political groups, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America, announced plans to run robocalls in five Wisconsin state-senate districts, arguing that the GOP state senators who represent them should be recalled.

Three of the senators -- Luther Olsen, Robert Cowles, and Dan Kapanke -- are eligible for recall right now. The other two -- state Senate President Michael Ellis and Dale Schultz, who has sought compromise with Democrats -- won't be eligible for another year. Under state law, Wisconsin elected officials can only be recalled after serving one year of their current terms; the three eligible senators were elected to their current terms in 2008 (Wisconsin staggers its state senate elections).

PCCC says the robocalls will cost "thousands" of dollars and begin going out today. Listen to one of them below:



Democratic strategist Ken Strasma raised the possibility of recalling GOP state senators yesterday, releasing a study that suggested recalls would be viable. For a recall to succeed, petitioners must gather a number of signatures equal to 25 percent of the general electorate. A successful recall does not mean an official is removed; it simply means another election is held, and the official must run for his/her job again.