Now’s the Perfect Time to Buy a Wisconsin GOP Senator at Rock Bottom Prices!

As counter-intuitive as it may seem, the Wisconsin recall is actually a golden opportunity for high dollar campaign donors. Because of the lax recall finance rules, these folks can shovel unlimited amounts of money into candidate’s coffers under the auspices of ‘paying for recall expenses” (wink, wink). State senators are only allowed to except $1000 per person, per election cycle (every 4 years) to conduct their typical campaigns. The recall is allowing some donors to contribute 80 years worth of cumulative donations in one fell swoop. It’s essentially created a situation where donors are buying a career’s worth of influence all at once.

Under the recall finance rules there are no contribution limits (unlike during normal campaigns) and some big time GOP donors are using the recalls as as opportunity to make generous contributions to politicians that may be able to help them later on down the line:

State Sen. Randy Hopper has raised more than $100,000 since voters unhappy with his support of a bill scaling back collective bargaining launched a recall drive last month.

A campaign finance report filed this week shows Hopper has raised $131,447 for the year to date. The funds include monetary campaign contributions and contributions that were specifically designated to cover the costs of fighting the recall effort.

Contributions to support or fight a recall effort are not subject to election campaign contribution limits which allowed some large donations including $20,000 from Ocoonomowoc resident Jere Fabick, owner of Fabco Equipment, and $10,000 from the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate.

Hopper’s on the powerful Joint Finance Committee. If you need money from the state, or don’t wan the state taking any more of your money, the Joint Finance Committee will eventually have a hand in the matter. Also on the committee is Alberta Darling:

Joint Finance Committee Co-chair Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, leads the way for fundraising among recall targets with $188,226 through March 21. She also spent $15,579 and had $177,863 cash on hand. Her biggest donor was Daniel McKeithan of Tamarack Petroleum, who gave $20,000.

The normal contribution limits for state Senate candidates are $1,000 from an individual or a committee.

Darling’s report includes a number of heavyweights from the Milwaukee business community, including Bradley Foundation CEO Michael Grebe ($5,000) and Lubar & Co. founder and Chair Sheldon Lubar ($2,000). Her other largest donors include $11,000 from retiree Reid Marion and $10,000 from Joe Alexander of Alexander Management.

By the way, these numbers will be dwarfed by the kind of cash that will come to Scott Walker’s aide — and from all across the country — next January.