Karl Rove and the rest of the Republican Party know how important the Wisconsin recall election is, and Rove has offered his support for Walker. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Walker’s democratic challenger for governor, talks with Ed Schultz. 

St. Sen. Lena Taylor (2011)

State Senator Lena Taylor, an Ed Show favorite, took some time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions about her recent endorsement of Tom Barrett in Wisconsin's gubernatorial recall election. Here's what she had to say:

Why not Kathleen Falk? (Particularly because she has been outspoken about her goal to restore collective bargaining rights)

Kathleen is a great figure in Democratic politics, but I think Tom Barrett has the passion, the commitment to the issues WI needs.  And he is the candidate who gives us the best chance to win.  The most important thing about this election is to remove Scott Walker from power before more damage is done.

What about Kathleen Vinehout?

Again, Kathleen is a great friend and colleague.  She has a long future of leadership in this state ahead, but in this crucial time for our state it is Tom Barrett who has the best ability to win this race.   

Has there been any discussion among the Wisconsin 14 to endorse a candidate as a group (Sen. Erpenbach also endorsed Barrett) seeing as the group was a powerful fixture in the 2011 protests?

Scott Walker is touting his success on property taxes (property taxes went down in the state 0.4%). What would you say to that?

Scott Walker raised fees paid by Wisconsinites by $110 million, and he oversaw a WI economy that lost more jobs than any other state in the country in 2011.  And he gave massive tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations while raising taxes on seniors and the working poor.  From the moment Walker began his political career he has consistently campaining on no tax increases and then he raises taxes.  He has no credibility on these issues, if not most issues. Watergate figure and former White House Counsel, Jon Dean, called Walker “more Nixonian than Nixon” for this kind of manipulation of the truth in the reckless pursuit of power.

How will Tom Barrett reverse Walker’s jobs record?

Unlike Scott Walker and his Republican allies, Tom Barrett will focus on jobs.  Walker came into office promising 250,000 jobs.  Instead he launched an ideological civil war that divided us like never before.  WI lost more jobs than any other state in the country last year.  I know Tom will launch a real jobs plan -- manufacturing, clean energy, worker training.  And let’s not forget the jobs we can create by investing in our infrastructure.  These are the investments Tom will make to create jobs, investments that Walker has not and will not make. 

Last night Vice President Joe Biden told Ed that Wisconsin's recall election is the template for overcoming the cash advantage Republicans have as a result of the Citizens United ruling. Today- Wisconsin Senator Jon Erpenbach stars in a new ad for Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s run in the Wisconsin gubernatorial recall.  The ad positions Sen. Erpenbach as one who lead the charge against Scott Walker’s “war in Wisconsin”—making him a valuable endorser for all those who participated in the 2011 protests.

“I’m Jon Erpenbach, and I want you to know that I’m supporting Tom Barrett for governor. Tom will restore collective bargaining for teachers and public employees and he’ll stand up for our jobs, our schools and our families. Tom Barrett will beat Scott Walker and bring Wisconsin together.”

Barrett’s spot comes the same day Scott Walker rolled out an ad apparently touting job growth in Wisconsin—saying that the state added more than 17,000 private sector jobs in the first two months of this year (but it fails to mention that when you take into account last year’s losses the amount of private jobs added since Walker’s been in office amounts to 8,100). Didn’t Walker promise to create 250,000 jobs by 2015?

Apparently Barrett's campaign has drawn the attention of Walker's. While Walker's team has produced ads targeting both Barrett and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk he's currently only bought ad time for the anti-Barrett spot. Which Barrett's team seemed to take as a good sign:

The Wisconsin recall elections just got a little bit more fair. The official in Waukesha County who miscounted votes which then pushed a Republican over the top in a tight race last year will not be involved in the recalls. 

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, facing a recall election on June 5 for his union-busting legislation, launched an all-out attack in the war on women this week from a crouched position, hiding in the shadows out of public view.

Walker quietly signed a set of contentious GOP bills barring abortion coverage through health insurance exchanges, requiring doctors to consult privately with women seeking abortions and mandating sex education teachers stress abstinence.

If that's not enough, Walker also signed a bill that repeals a law that made it easier for victims of wage discrimination to have their day in court!

The Republican Walker signed the bills yesterday behind closed doors but didn't announce the move until midday today, when his office released a list of dozens of bills he signed over the past two days.

Walker's spokesman, Cullen Werwie, said it was simpler to lump all the bills signed over the two days into one announcement.  

Democrats heaped criticism on the governor today, calling the delay in announcing the signings cowardly and the bills bizarre social policy.

"Perhaps he thought that in doing this behind closed doors,with no public notice, before a holiday weekend for many families, his actions would go unnoticed.  He was wrong. We will not be silent-- these issues are too important to ignore," Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, said in a statement.

Obviously, it was a classic Friday document dump, an effort to minimize negative news coverage by releasing bad news when fewer reporters (and political opponents) are on duty.  

In this case, it was a Good Friday document dump!

Happy Easter Gov. Walker! 

The FBI is investigating what could be a case of domestic terrorism in Wisconsin two days before that state's Republican presidential primary.

Officials say a small homemade explosive device placed on an outside window sill Sunday evening caused a fire and minimal damage at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Grand Chute, Wisconsin.  No one was in the building at the time.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin CEO Teri Huyck said in a statement that there was minimal damage to an exam room and that the clinic will reopen tomorrow (Tuesday).  

"Women deserve safe and compassionate care and we're proud to provide it," Hucyk said. 

The state has been debating a number of bills that critics say amount to a "war against women," including one limiting abortion coverage in private medical plans and another basically equating single motherhood with child abuse. 

And that war on women is really starting to show up in the polls for this year's presidential campaign (remember Romney's vow to "get rid of" Planned Parenthood?).  

A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows President obama opening the first significant lead of the 2012 campaign in the nation's dozen top battleground states, boosted by a huge shift of women to his side.  In the poll, Romney leads among all men by a single point, but the president leads among women by 18.

Ed will have a lot more on the Planned Parenthood bombing and the growing gender gap in the presidential race tonight on The Ed Show, live from Madison, Wisconsin, at 8pET on MSNBC!

BREAKING: A bad day for Republican Gov. Scott Walker.  First the recall election is officially approved.  Then this:

A federal court has struck down portions of Wisconsin's law curbing collective bargaining rights, saying dues can be automatically withdrawn and annual certification votes can't be required.

Today's ruling keeps the majority of the law pushed by Walker in place.  A coalition of unions filed the lawsuit last summer shortly after the law was passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

The lawsuit argued that the law violated the U.S. Constitution by taking away union rights to bargain, organize and associate and illegally discriminates among classes of public employees.

U.S. District Judge William Conley in an order today rejected the argument that the law violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution. But he ordered that automatic dues withdrawal be reinstated no later than May 31. 

Earlier today,  the Wisconsin elections board voted to order a recall election of Walker after certifying that enough valid signatures had been submitted.

The Government Accountability Board voted 5-0 to order the recall, a move that has been expected for weeks given the large number of signatures gathered between November and January in response to his law curbing collective bargaining rights.  

Assuming a Democratic primary is necessary, it will be in just 39 days on May 8.  The actual recall vote then will be June 5, just 67 days away.

Three Democrats already have announced they are running and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, whom Walker defeated in 2010, has said he would announce his intentions before Tuesday.

Ed will talk about the situation in Wisconsin tonight on The Ed Show at 8pET on MSNBC with Ruth Conniff, Political Editor for the Progressive magazine.

BREAKING: Wisconsin elections officials are recommending that a recall election against Gov. Scott Walker proceed.

Staff of the Government Accountability Board say in a memo released today that more than enough signatures were collected on petitions seeking recalls of Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.

The board was scheduled to vote tomorrow on certifying the election. The primary would be May 8 and the general election would be June 5.

The board has already said enough signatures were collected on petitions seeking the recalls of four Republican state senators. It plans to vote Friday on certifying those elections for the same dates as those against Walker and Kleefisch.

Thursday's memo says there were 900,938 valid signatures on the Walker petition, far more than the 540,208 needed.

You've seen him on The Ed Show and several other media outlets since the worker revolt began in Wisconsin early last year.

Now, Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin President Mahlon Mitchell is running for lieutenant governor as a Democrat. 

Mitchell, 35, is a lieutenant on the Madison fire department, where he has served for nearly 15 years.  He's has been active in the effort to recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, speaking across the country against taking away public workers' collective bargaining rights. 

Milwaukee private investigator Ira Robins has also said he plans on running for the Democratic Party's nomination.   

Once election officials determine enough signatures were gathered to trigger a recall, any primary would be May 8 with the general election June 5.

Mitchell will be Ed's guest tonight on The Ed Show at 8pET on MSNBC. 

Wisconsin Sen. Pam Galloway, one of four GOP state senators facing recall elections, said today she's resigning to deal with health issues in her family, effective at midnight.

The recall elections were prompted by the lawmakers' support for a law that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers.

A spokesman for Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says Galloway's resignation has nothing to do with the recall election.  He said her family has been dealing with a health issue for a few months.

Galloway's departure will leave the state Senate with an even 16-16 split between Republicans and Democrats, although the Senate wrapped up its legislative session yesterday and isn't scheduled to reconvene again this year.  

Meantime, Fitzgerald, who is also facing recall, and Democrat Mark Miller, the minority leader, will lead the chamber together.  However, there is no precedent for breaking a tie in the Wisconsin Senate.  Committee rosters will be changed to be equally divided.  

The recall election against Galloway will still move forward but her name won't appear on the ballot, said Reid Magney, a spokesman for the Government Accountability Board. 

"It doesn't change my plans," Seidel said of Galloway's planned resignation.

The other two senators facing recall are Terry Moulton and Van Wanggaard.  The GAB has until March 30 to review signatures on recall petitions against Gov. Scott Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.  

Grab your calendar and circle the date of Tuesday, June 5, 2012.

That's the likely date that Gov. Scott Walker and five other union-busting radical Republicans will stand for recall in Wisconsin. 

Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess approved an agreement today that schedules any required primaries for May 8 with a general election set for June 5.

Four Republican state senators definitely face recall elections. The Government Accountability Board, which runs elections in Wisconsin, has until March 30, to review signatures on recall petitions against Walker and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.  

It appears nearly certain that both Walker and Kleefisch will stand for recall since they haven't challenged the more than 1.7 million signatures submitted, and it takes 540,208 signatures to trigger each of their recalls.  

The recalls were motivated by anger over Walker's proposal that was passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature last year that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers.

Maybe it's just as well Walker find another job.  On Monday, he told conservative radio host Charlie Sykes that his wife "would love it if I'd go back to the private sector and make some real money" as opposed to his current $144,423 salary."

Walker makes three times the average salary of a public school teacher in the Badger State.  Didn't his union-busting law take money out of the pockets of those teachers?

A significant victory for the campaign to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.

A top Walker aide said today the Republican governor won't challenge any of the one million signatures submitted on petitions seeking his recall from office because his campaign staff ran out of time to go through them all.

Walker had until 5 p.m. today to file challenges after being granted a 20-day extension to examine the signatures submitted last month (a request for a further two weeks was denied).

Spokeswoman Ciara Matthews said the Walker campaign found an error rate of about 10 percent to 20 percent among the entries it did examine, which is consistent with the 15% figure in a random sampling by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which is about normal for election petition drives.   

Democrats and their allies submitted nearly double the 540,208 signatures needed to force a recall election against Walker, who is one of six Republican elected officials facing recall efforts.

The Government Accountability Board, which oversees Wisconsin elections, has until March 19 to rule whether there's enough valid signatures to trigger a recall election against Walker.  If a recall election is called, it must take place within six weeks (by April 30).

Meantime, the Wisconsin Democratic party today released its first ad.  “Walkergate” compares the investigation into current and former Walker aides to the Watergate scandal, juxtaposing news clips about the probe with coverage from the 1970s.