Only four days to recall election day, former President Bill Clinton fired up Democrats in Milwaukee today on behalf of the city's mayor, Tom Barrett, who is challenging Republican Gov. Scott Walker.
Clinton told the crowd at a downtown riverfront park that the states experiencing an economic recovery have embraced "creative cooperation," not "constant conflict," a reference to Walker's move to effectively ended collective bargaining for most public employees, which spurred the recall.
"This divide and conquer, no compromise crowd, if they had been in control, there never would have been a U.S. Constitution," Clinton said.
Clinton admitted that he usually opposes recall elections. "But sometimes it is the only way to avoid a disastrous course."
Meantime, Walker was campaigning today with South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has proudly called herself a "union buster" and considers her state's low union membership rate an economic development tool.
At least $62 million has been spent in the recall campaign by the candidates and outside groups so far, based on a tally released yesterday by the government watchdog group the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, with Walker outspending Barrett by a 7-1 margin.
Ed will have extended coverage of the former president's speech with John Nichols, Washington Correspondent of The Nation, who talked with Clinton today, tonight on The Ed Show at 8pET on msnbc!