SPENDING GAP? MEDIA IGNORES $21 MILLION UNIONS SPENT IN WIcdn.breitbart.com
SPENDING GAP? MEDIA IGNORES $21 MILLION UNIONS SPENT IN WI
Made popular 377 days ago in Politics
breitbart.com — The spin from the left on the morning after their disastrous Wisconsin recall election failure is that Governor Scott Walker (R-WI), who walked away with the election, did so because he spent oodles of money.
Politico’s takeaway: “Money shouts.” “Walker wins one for the plutocrats,” trumpeted Joan Walsh of Salon.com. “Outspent 7-1, Democrats couldn’t beat Scott Walker with a strong ground game.” Media Matters’ favorite Washington Post columnist, Greg Sargent, cited the Citizens United decision allowing corporate political spending no less than five times in his recap of the election – despite the fact that not one dollar spent in Wisconsin would have been illegal before Citizens United. The Post’s Chris Cillizza said, “Being outspent 10-1 (or worse) is never a recipe for success in a race. Democrats cried foul over Walker’s exploitation of a loophole that allowed him to collect unlimited contributions prior to the official announcement of the recall in late March.” Daily Kos said that with Walker’s spending edge, “It shouldn’t even be close.”
This is false.
Overall, over $63.5 million was spent on the recall effort by various parties. Walker spent about $30 million; Barrett spent about $4 million. Most of the money spent by Walker came from out-of-state sources – The Republican Governors Association spent about $4 million, almost all from out-of-state; the Kochs gave $1 million; the Chamber of Commerce gave $500,000. On the surface, then, it appears that Walker had a tremendous cash advantage.
Not so fast. As it turns out, labor unions spent an additional $21 million on the recall election. When it came to state senate recall elections back in September 2011, Democrats outspent Republicans $23.4 million to $20.5 million.
While Politico’s Glenn Thrush says that there’s “only one paragraph you really need to read this ayem, courtesy of the Center for Public Integrity,” then quotes a paragraph talking about Walker’s biggest donors, that’s hackish reporting. The CPI actually adds:
Campaign contributions tell only part of the story. National unions have kept Barrett’s campaign alive by funding outside groups dedicated to defeating Walker. More than a year since Walker limited collective bargaining rights for most public employees, the nation’s three largest public unions — the National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) — have channeled at least $2 million from their treasuries and super PACs to two Wisconsin-based independent expenditure groups.
It’s also worth noting that while Republicans largely had to build their ground game from the ground up, labor unions have a consistent ground game – funded by tax dollars. All of the donations to Walker and pro-Walker groups were not mandated. The same is not true of Big Labor dollars, which come from mandatory unions dues in most cases.
In terms of strict numbers, Walker spent some $30 million; Barrett and the unions spent $25 million. That’s not a 7-to-1 differential. And when you add in unions’ inherent advantage in ground game, you’re talking about a better-than-even split for Barrett.
Scott Walker won last night because he is a good governor. He didn’t win because of a money advantage, even though Wisconsin rules heavily favor incumbent politicians who are recalled (they can raise unlimited contributions from individuals after recall petitions are filed.

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Posted by lastbaldeagle
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Is this spin on money differential just some more of the elite liberal medias' double standard?
Yes, of course. Lies and distortions are all they have to offer in the arena of ideas.
94%
No, but democRAT politicians have done such a miserable job in every facet of governing that they are having a terrible time in trying to wrench money from honest people. They are now stuck with begging from the Hollyweird crowd and Godfather Soros.
6.2%
This is not a scientific survey, click here to learn more. Results may not total 100% due to rounding and voting descrepencies.
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lastbaldeagle
Posted 377 days ago
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A case of the "Makers" winning over the "Takers"!

To all leftists, occupiers, unionistas and malcontents,
Thank you! What an election! We couldn't have done it without you.
Without your tantrums, outbursts and boorish behavior we might have stayed home
for this election. Without your filthy, pot smoking hemp -headed minions occupying and violating the Capitol we might have been complacent..
Without your obnoxious protests, boycotts and other actions from your union
playbook, we might have sat this one out.
But you couldn't hold back. You couldn't restrain yourselves and
behave like adults. You couldn't accept the 2010 election results. We sat and
watched as you erupted in a juvenile hissy fit that embarrassed Wisconsin.
The spectacle you created is what motivated us. And thanks to your
ill-mannered behavior, we won. We turned out. Big time! And now we are organized
and energized. Committed. "All in". And we aren't going away. We now have
our own organizations (no dues required), an army of volunteers and the
means to communicate. And countless new sources of funding, including a donor
base from all 50 states. And we have "iverifythe recall" to ferret out your
infiltrators in our future local elections. (SNIP)
Thanks for the death threats, the intimidation, the bullying, belligerence, thuggery
and goonish behavior. The lack of ethics and the failure to enforce
rules and laws. Thank you for putting your selfish, greedy motives on
display for all taxpayers to see.
Your antics might have made you feel good but they didn't make you
look good. They sickened the rest of us. (SNIP)
Thank you WEA Trust for raping Wisconsin taxpayers. Thank
you Gwen Moore for your embarrassing minstrel show. And thanks all of you
for harassing the Walker family at their private home.
You have all been exposed. Your tactics have been rejected. Your bad
behavior has been forever captured on You Tube.
Thank you Peter Barca and fellow Assembly members for donning your
foolish orange T-shirts and screaming "shame" at legislators just doing their
jobs. Thank you Mark Miller and all 14 senators for fleeing the state and
making fools of yourselves in the process.
You have all been exposed. Your tactics have been rejected. Your bad
behavior has been forever captured on You Tube.
Thank you Peter Barca and fellow Assembly members for donning your
foolish orange T-shirts and screaming "shame" at legislators just doing their
jobs. Thank you Mark Miller and all 14 senators for fleeing the state and
making fools of yourselves in the process. Illinois need a few more village
idiots Thanks for showing us what democracy doesn't look like. (SNIP)
All of you helped turn Wisconsin permanently red. Your Governor, Scott
Walker, will not just complete his first term, he is all but assured
as many future terms as he seeks. He will be your governor for a long, long
time. Get used to it.
Sincerely,

A Wisconsin taxpayer
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