6/6/11 – Wisconsin Republicans are reportedly using some rare tactics to give at least two state senators more time to campaign in this summer’s recall elections. According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Dan Bice, Republicans have lined up two fake Democrats to run against real Democrats in a July primary. That would give Republican senators Randy Hopper of Fond du Lac and Luther Olsen of Ripon an extra month to prepare, since a general election would be pushed back to August if there’s a primary in July. Dan Feyen, who chairs the Sixth District Republican Party, wrote a letter asking conservatives to get enough signatures to put the fake candidates on the ballot – and he told Bice that the State Republican Party is coordinating the whole thing. The state party has not commented. According to the paper, G-O-P contributor John Buckstaff would run against Democrat Jessica King in a primary for Hopper’s seat. Feyen said King’s getting an unfair head start on her campaign, since Hopper is busy voting on legislation – so Feyen says he doesn’t feel guilty at all about keeping King busy with a fake primary. Also, Bice says Republican donor Rol Church would run in a primary for Olsen’s seat. Church wouldn’t confirm his candidacy yesterday but he told Bice quote, “Stay tuned – it will all be announced soon.”
