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MILWAUKEE -- With less than 48 hours before the polls open in Wisconsin's historic recall election, Democratic candidate for governor Tom Barrett and Lieutenant Governor candidate Mahlon Mitchell hope to get a boost from another high-profile Democrat -- the Reverend Jessee Jackson. Jackson led rallies in the area Sunday, June 3rd. Meanwhile, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus campaigned for Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch.
Jackson spoke at 6:00 at the Destiny Youth Plaza on 76th and Good Hope Road before heading to Racine's Bray Center, located at 926 Center St.
In conjunction with the Racine NAACP, Jackson joined community leaders, elected officials and voters to push the African-American vote. According to 2008 and 2010 exit polls, more than 40,000 fewer African Americans voted in 2010 compared to the presidential election in 2008.
In the 2010 gubernatorial election, Scott Walker won by only 124,000 votes over Barrett. The margin appears to be even slimmer this election.
"The stakes are very high, and this coming week, you're gonna see people in Madison come alive and vote their hopes and not their fears," Rev. Jackson said.
At a rally Sunday, Kleefisch appeared with Gov. Walker in Germantown and said their opponents have stopped campaigning on collective bargaining rights, since they realize the reforms are working.
"Turning our state backward, making it look like it did before his priority, and I don`t wanna go back to the days of double-digit tax increases, of punishing unemployment numbers," Kleefisch said.
"We haven't stopped campaigning on collective bargaining. This fight has been about the many issues of last year - not just Act 10, but but Act 32 and the attacks on public education," Mitchell said.
With the nationally-known names in town, the message went beyond any single issue or any individual race. Supporters on both sides were urged to consider the impact of Walker's reforms -- reforms that may very well decide the Kleefisch/Mitchell race.
Kleefisch said Sunday the fact that President Barack Obama hasn't campaigned for Barrett and Mitchell speaks volumes.
When asked about that, Mitchell jokingly said: "Isn't Clinton enough?" before saying it's Gov. Walker who's desperate for national help.
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