Pajama parties kick off

Opponents of Gov. Scott Walker have planned a slew of pajama parties, Green Bay Packers viewing parties and “midnight madness”-themed events to kick off their effort to recall the new Republican governor, which was set to begin just after midnight Monday.  Dozens of events were planned by groups like United Wisconsin and Democrats across the state late Monday night and throughout today to start gathering the more than 540,000 signatures required to get a Walker recall election on the ballot in 2012.

Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefsich and at least three Republican state senators also will be targeted for recall, opponents said. Paperwork was to be filed online at 12:01 a.m. today.  If filed today, supporters would have until Jan. 17 to turn in their petitions. Walker said Monday he thought people were ready to move forward and would judge him based on what he was doing to help people create jobs. 

Democrats said Monday they were ready to move forward to force a second round of recalls targeting three Republican senators: Pam Galloway of Wausau, Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls and Van Wanggaard of Racine. Republicans control that chamber with a thin 17-16 majority.  Wanggaard is seen as especially vulnerable because he represents a district that historically teeters between Republicans and Democrats.

Additional recall petitions could still be filed by other groups targeting Republicans or Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, said he expected to be targeted for recall, as a Facebook page shows recall petitions are being prepared for him. And Fitzgerald said he expected a Republican supporter would file a lawsuit arguing that recalls should take place in the new districts approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature this summer, rather than the old ones. Fitzgerald added that the GOP doesn’t plan to file any recall paperwork today, but after the holidays may try to recall Democrats.

Fitzgerald also said he would support Republicans running fake or “protest” Democrats again in recall elections targeting GOP incumbents to force a primary and give them more time to campaign. That tactic was used this summer during the first round of recalls, when two out of six GOP senators targeted for recall were ousted from office.

Wisconsin Republicans already have launched a new “Recall Integrity Center.” Thompson said voters who “suspect foul play by Wisconsin Democrats” can use the website to submit videos, recordings, photos and incident reports, which reportedly will be investigated by Republican staff members, retired law enforcement and FBI agents.

“It sounds a lot like stalking,” Tate said of the Republicans’ efforts.

Tate accused the GOP and other recall opponents of planning dirty tricks in an effort to sabotage those trying to gather recall petitions. Some people, for example, talked online about impersonating people wishing to recall Walker and then sabotaging the effort by destroying the signatures they collected, which would be a felony.

 http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20111114/OSH0101/311140086/Pajama-party-kicks-off-effort-recall-Gov-Walker?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cimg%7CFRONTPAGE