Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D), who is seeking to oust Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), denied that he had been slighted by President Obama, who has not campaigned for him ahead of Tuesday’s recall vote.
Asked during an appearance on CNN’s "Starting Point" if he felt ignored by Obama, Barrett said, “Not one bit.
“This is the largest grassroots movement this state has ever seen, and it started out as a grassroots movement and will end as a grassroots movement as it should.
“There are some that want to make it a national election; that’s part of my gripe ... I don’t want Wisconsin to be the experimental dish for the right wing. I want Wisconsin to return to Wisconsin values, so there are some, particularly on the other side, who do want to nationalize this. I want this to be all about Wisconsin families, about Wisconsin jobs.”
Unions and local Democrats have expressed disappointment at the lack of support from Obama, accusing him of distancing himself from a contest many view as a losing effort.
Obama's campaign team, however, argues his presence would do little to help Barrett win the recall fight.
“Actually having people organizing and volunteering and turning out the vote and doing everything they can that actually affects an election is actually more powerful," said Obama campaign spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter last week.
On Monday, Obama tweeted support for Barrett, whom he endorsed earlier this year after the mayor survived a Democratic primary.
“It's Election Day in Wisconsin tomorrow, and I'm standing by Tom Barrett. He'd make an outstanding governor,” Obama said.
Republicans have leaped on Obama’s distance from the race, with Gov. Walker saying the president's failure to personally campaign for Barrett revealed “real concern” in Democratic circles that their effort to push him out of office would fall short.
Polls show Barrett trailing Walker ahead of Tuesday’s vote, but he expressed confidence that his campaign’s get-out-the-vote effort could swing a victory, saying they were implementing the “largest ground game ever seen in the state of Wisconsin.”
“We’re going to see a huge voter turnout here in Wisconsin today. So a lot of the projections are based on the 2010 elections, when there was a very low voter turnout, but we are very, very confident that there will be hundreds of thousands of additional voters.”
The recall contest has already turned into the most expensive race in Wisconsin history, with $63 million spent by Barrett's and Walker’s campaigns and outside groups.
Barrett hammered his GOP opponent, who has raised and spent $30 million to Barrett’s $3 million, claiming out-of-state groups were propelling him to victory.
“Scott Walker’s become the rock star of the far right and been able to raise millions of dollars from out-of-state contributors,” he said.
Union groups and the Tea Party have both directed money to candidates in the race, which many view as a preview of the November elections.
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