EMILY's List jumps into Wis. recall fight

EMILY'S List, a group that backs Democratic women who support abortion rights, became the latest national Democratic group to zero in on Wisconsin's state Senate recall elections Friday with a television advertisement blasting a Republican facing recall.

It's the latest signal that both parties view the elections as a testing ground for their 2012 message — and as a referendum on Republicans' policy views.

It's unusual for state Senate elections to feature television ads, especially a month in advance of the election. But nothing is usual about these elections.

Democrats and unions were galvanized earlier this year by a bill pushed through by Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Republicans in the State Legislature stripping collective bargaining rights from many state employees. The aftermath: Groups from both sides of the aisle have petitioned to recall and replace state senators, with six Republicans and three Democrats facing elections this and next month. Democrats need to net three seats to gain control of the state Senate and be able to block Republicans' agenda going forward.

The swing state will be crucial for determining control of both the White House and Congress. President Obama won the state with 56 percent of the vote in 2008, but Democrats took a beating at the state level last election, losing a Senate seat, two House seats and control of the governorship as Democrats failed to show up at the polls.

EMILY's List is not the only major national group involved in the race: Unions including the AFL-CIO, AFSCME and SEIU have joined together to create the We Are Wisconsin PAC, the League of Conservation Voters and Democracy for America are also spending there, and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee on Wednesday became the first national group to run television ads. On the right, the Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity have both gotten involved. The groups will likely spend millions of dollars combined on the campaign.

The February fight over unions fired up a depressed Democratic base, and Democrats in Wisconsin and D.C. are hoping they can keep the energy up with these recalls, and possibly recall Walker if they are successful. They also see it as an opportunity to paint a contrast between their policy vision and Republicans’ and to avoid a repeat of the 2010 elections, which were seen as a referendum on Obama rather than a choice between the parties.