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| Wisconsin recall election enters its final stretch – US politics live | Wisconsin recall election enters its final stretch – US politics live |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 2pm: Have failed solar companies become the high-tech mistresses of modern campaigns? First Solyndra, now this: | |
| A Massachusetts solar company to which Mitt Romney personally delivered a $1.5m loan when he was governor has gone belly up, leaving him vulnerable to the same "picking winners and losers" charges that he's been lobbing at President Barack Obama over Solyndra. | |
| The president's reelection campaign wasted no time noting Romney's support for Lowell-based Konarka Technologies, which announced Friday it had filed for bankruptcy protection with plans to lay off more than 80 workers and liquidate its assets. | |
| 1.40pm: An attack ad warning that a presidential candidate's record as governor was a poor one on job creation and so on? Yes, that'll work. | |
| Great ad. But that line of argument didn't do the job for George HW Bush in 1992 against Arkansas governor Bill Clinton. | |
| (Hat-tip for this: Larry Sabato, patron saint of election wonks.) | |
| 1.22pm: The latest polling from Wisconsin was published last night by PPP, and found that while Republican incumbent Scott Walker was ahead, his lead over Tom Barrett was a slim 50% to 47%: | |
| Barrett is actually winning independent voters by a 48-46 margin. The reason he continues to trail overall is that Republicans are more excited about voting in Tuesday's election than Democrats are. Our projected electorate voted for Barack Obama by only seven points, even though he took the state by 14 in 2008. If the folks who turn out on Tuesday actually matched the 2008 electorate, Barrett would be ahead of Walker by a 50-49 margin. It's cliche but this is a race that really is going to completely come down to turnout. | |
| That is a sliver good news, although it is highly unlikely – all things being equal – that tomorrow's turn-out will match the 2008 electorate. Not impossible, just highly unlikely. | |
| 1.10pm: Behold, it's the Mitt Romney "birthers" – the swivel-eyed types who dispute Romney's presidential qualifications as a "natural born" citizen because his dad was born in Mexico. | 1.10pm: Behold, it's the Mitt Romney "birthers" – the swivel-eyed types who dispute Romney's presidential qualifications as a "natural born" citizen because his dad was born in Mexico. |
| BuzzFeed Politics has a quote from one of them which ... well, you be the judge: | BuzzFeed Politics has a quote from one of them which ... well, you be the judge: |
| If Putin came over here 20 years ago, got some woman pregnant and she had a kid here and we find out his dad is Putin, imagine the crap that would hit the fan. Now put this back in the 1948 timeline when we really distrusted the Russians. | If Putin came over here 20 years ago, got some woman pregnant and she had a kid here and we find out his dad is Putin, imagine the crap that would hit the fan. Now put this back in the 1948 timeline when we really distrusted the Russians. |
| No, I have no idea either. The end. | No, I have no idea either. The end. |
| 12.50pm: It's that time of the campaign season when journalists write long inside-baseball accounts of who does what inside a presidential campaign. | 12.50pm: It's that time of the campaign season when journalists write long inside-baseball accounts of who does what inside a presidential campaign. |
| The end result is read by about six (non-politician, non-journalist) people and includes sentences such as this, from Politico on the Romney campaign: | The end result is read by about six (non-politician, non-journalist) people and includes sentences such as this, from Politico on the Romney campaign: |
| There were reports of tension between [campaign manager Matt] Rhoades and [admaker Stuart] Stevens at times during the lengthy primary slog, but a number of people attributed it more to different styles than anything else. | There were reports of tension between [campaign manager Matt] Rhoades and [admaker Stuart] Stevens at times during the lengthy primary slog, but a number of people attributed it more to different styles than anything else. |
| As always in these pieces, the candidate himself or herself is an organisational genius with everything at their fingertips. Until such time as things go wrong, at which point Part Two of this article is written, and reveals that everyone is fighting like rats in a sack and the candidate is totally out of touch. | As always in these pieces, the candidate himself or herself is an organisational genius with everything at their fingertips. Until such time as things go wrong, at which point Part Two of this article is written, and reveals that everyone is fighting like rats in a sack and the candidate is totally out of touch. |
| 12.37pm: There is unhappiness within parts of the Republican camp over the position of Mike Leavitt, who – as reported below – is likely to be a big part of a post-election Romney victory. | 12.37pm: There is unhappiness within parts of the Republican camp over the position of Mike Leavitt, who – as reported below – is likely to be a big part of a post-election Romney victory. |
| The trouble is that Leavitt is and remains a big fan of both Romneycare and Obamacare healthcare reforms, and has run a consultancy that "has reaped financial benefits" of implementing aspects of the Obama reforms. | The trouble is that Leavitt is and remains a big fan of both Romneycare and Obamacare healthcare reforms, and has run a consultancy that "has reaped financial benefits" of implementing aspects of the Obama reforms. |
| Now RedState's Erick Erickson worries about a Romney White House staffed with people he delicately describes as "Obamacare pimps": | Now RedState's Erick Erickson worries about a Romney White House staffed with people he delicately describes as "Obamacare pimps": |
| Conservatives should therefore consider it unacceptable that Mike Leavitt has any role on the Romney campaign. Having pushed states to start implementing Obamacare, potentially to his profit, we must ask who is doing the vetting at Team Romney. | Conservatives should therefore consider it unacceptable that Mike Leavitt has any role on the Romney campaign. Having pushed states to start implementing Obamacare, potentially to his profit, we must ask who is doing the vetting at Team Romney. |
| Mike Leavitt does not sound like the type of guy who will look Mitch McConnell in the eye in 2013 and demand, on behalf of President Romney, full and unconditional repeal of Obamacare. | Mike Leavitt does not sound like the type of guy who will look Mitch McConnell in the eye in 2013 and demand, on behalf of President Romney, full and unconditional repeal of Obamacare. |
| Yeah but there's your nominee, Erick. | Yeah but there's your nominee, Erick. |
| 12.22pm: For those who came in late: the Associated Press has a handy backgrounder on the Wisconsin recall election: | 12.22pm: For those who came in late: the Associated Press has a handy backgrounder on the Wisconsin recall election: |
| Q: What started the effort to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker? | Q: What started the effort to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker? |
| A: The recall effort was born February 11, 2011. That was when Walker released his plan to address a state budget shortfall that called on most public workers to pay more for health insurance and pension benefits, and, most important, give up nearly all their collective bargaining rights. The proposal set the recall fire, led to protests that lasted weeks and grew as large as 100,000 people. It motivated 14 Senate Democrats to flee the state for three weeks in a vain attempt to stop the bill. Walker signed it into law March 11 virtually unchanged from how he proposed it. | A: The recall effort was born February 11, 2011. That was when Walker released his plan to address a state budget shortfall that called on most public workers to pay more for health insurance and pension benefits, and, most important, give up nearly all their collective bargaining rights. The proposal set the recall fire, led to protests that lasted weeks and grew as large as 100,000 people. It motivated 14 Senate Democrats to flee the state for three weeks in a vain attempt to stop the bill. Walker signed it into law March 11 virtually unchanged from how he proposed it. |
| 12pm: A long profile of New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg in New York magazine suggests he's toying with the idea of buying the New York Times and/or the Financial Times. And it includes this nugget: | 12pm: A long profile of New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg in New York magazine suggests he's toying with the idea of buying the New York Times and/or the Financial Times. And it includes this nugget: |
| Last winter, Bill Daley, then Obama's chief of staff, discreetly called the mayor and asked him if he wanted to be head of the World Bank – Robert Zoellick was stepping down. But Bloomberg did not want to have a boss, and he'd already begun to retool his life for his post-mayoralty. He turned the job down. | Last winter, Bill Daley, then Obama's chief of staff, discreetly called the mayor and asked him if he wanted to be head of the World Bank – Robert Zoellick was stepping down. But Bloomberg did not want to have a boss, and he'd already begun to retool his life for his post-mayoralty. He turned the job down. |
| So everyone – Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice – turned down the World Bank job? Maybe they should just put an ad in the Economist next time and see what happens. | So everyone – Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton, Susan Rice – turned down the World Bank job? Maybe they should just put an ad in the Economist next time and see what happens. |
| 11.38am: The Guardian's Rory Carroll is on the ground in Wisconsin for the final day of campaigning. Here's his latest report – and it makes depressing reading for the Democratic side: | 11.38am: The Guardian's Rory Carroll is on the ground in Wisconsin for the final day of campaigning. Here's his latest report – and it makes depressing reading for the Democratic side: |
| Driving along Highway 41 linking the [Fox River] cities you see and hear one reason for the Republican surge: money. Walker billboards dot the route with not a sign for Barrett. | Driving along Highway 41 linking the [Fox River] cities you see and hear one reason for the Republican surge: money. Walker billboards dot the route with not a sign for Barrett. |
| The radio crackles with adverts attacking the Milwaukee mayor as a gun-controlling, criminal-coddling, union-schmoozing, tax-and-spend liberal dinosaur. On television it is the same. The Walker campaign, boosted by billionaire backers, has spent $31m, about seven times more than the recall side. | The radio crackles with adverts attacking the Milwaukee mayor as a gun-controlling, criminal-coddling, union-schmoozing, tax-and-spend liberal dinosaur. On television it is the same. The Walker campaign, boosted by billionaire backers, has spent $31m, about seven times more than the recall side. |
| 11am: The final day of campaigning is taking place in Wisconsin before tomorrow's recall election, the culmination of an epic battle within the state over public sector union representation and rights such as pensions. | 11am: The final day of campaigning is taking place in Wisconsin before tomorrow's recall election, the culmination of an epic battle within the state over public sector union representation and rights such as pensions. |
| So far both the Obama and Romney presidential campaigns have stayed away from the state and the election, given uncertainty over tomorrow's result, but that will change come Wednesday as both sides jostle to exploit or avoid the fallout. The Democrats sent the next best thing in the form of former president Bill Clinton, who campaigned in the state on Sunday. | So far both the Obama and Romney presidential campaigns have stayed away from the state and the election, given uncertainty over tomorrow's result, but that will change come Wednesday as both sides jostle to exploit or avoid the fallout. The Democrats sent the next best thing in the form of former president Bill Clinton, who campaigned in the state on Sunday. |
| Here's a brief summary of the latest news: | Here's a brief summary of the latest news: |
| • The Wisconsin recall election is held tomorrow – with a batch of recent polling suggesting that the race between Republican governor Scott Walker and Democratic challenger Tom Barrett is tightening, although Walker is still expected to retain his job barring an upset. Should Walker win he instantly becomes a significant figure in national Republican politics, and a possible vice presidential pick for Mitt Romney. | • The Wisconsin recall election is held tomorrow – with a batch of recent polling suggesting that the race between Republican governor Scott Walker and Democratic challenger Tom Barrett is tightening, although Walker is still expected to retain his job barring an upset. Should Walker win he instantly becomes a significant figure in national Republican politics, and a possible vice presidential pick for Mitt Romney. |
| • Mitt Romney's campaign appears to be planning ahead optimistically, as Politico reports that Mike Leavitt – the former Utah governor and Health and Human Services Secretary under President Bush – is to head Romney's post-election transition process and "has quietly taken the first steps toward drawing up the blueprint for a new administration, according to multiple GOP sources". | • Mitt Romney's campaign appears to be planning ahead optimistically, as Politico reports that Mike Leavitt – the former Utah governor and Health and Human Services Secretary under President Bush – is to head Romney's post-election transition process and "has quietly taken the first steps toward drawing up the blueprint for a new administration, according to multiple GOP sources". |
| • More unhappy news from the US economy, as official data showed output of US manufactured goods unexpectedly declined in April after demand for cars, machinery and computers fell – "compounding fears about a loss of momentum," according to the FT. | • More unhappy news from the US economy, as official data showed output of US manufactured goods unexpectedly declined in April after demand for cars, machinery and computers fell – "compounding fears about a loss of momentum," according to the FT. |
| • American Crossroads – the super pac headed by Karl Rove – has a new web ad out that blasts Obama for negative campaigning. | • American Crossroads – the super pac headed by Karl Rove – has a new web ad out that blasts Obama for negative campaigning. |
| It includes sound bites from Andrea Mitchell, Arianna Huffington, Ed Rendell and Cory Booker that are critical of the Obama campaign. | It includes sound bites from Andrea Mitchell, Arianna Huffington, Ed Rendell and Cory Booker that are critical of the Obama campaign. |