Walker Is Out-Of-State Big Dollar Favorite

A key element of Scott Walker's recall defense is that he is fighting out-of-state money and influences, yet the AP recently reported this nugget: 

Fourteen of Walker's top 20 donors are from outside Wisconsin, according to an analysis by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Nine people gave $100,000 or more, including Wyoming Republican Foster Friess, who heavily backed Rick Santorum's presidential campaign.

Take a look at the heart of the AP report:

OKLAHOMA CITY - The preacher's son laughed and joked as he took a seat among the biggest players in Oklahoma politics, some of whom paid $10,000 to break bread with their conservative hero and get a photo snapped.

It was just another day on the road for Scott Walker. A year after his showdown with labor protesters, the Wisconsin governor has become one of the most sought-after figures in the Republican Party, keeping a jet-setting travel schedule more akin to a presidential candidate than a governor trying to survive a recall challenge.

"He's exactly what this country needs in terms of leadership," said banker Bob Emery of Enid, Okla., who was seated at a nearby table, clearly in awe. "The courage he has had ... is what wells up in me. The man is absolutely doing what he believes in."

Walker now regularly huddles with the wealthy and the famous. He attended a Christmas party thrown by Grover Norquist, the conservative power broker, and raised money with Hank Greenberg, founder and former CEO of American International Group, at his Manhattan office.

Last week, he mingled with Oklahoma's corporate elite and top Republicans at a fundraiser co-sponsored by Koch Industries, the oil company led by billionaire brothers who are top backers of conservative causes nationwide. Also in attendance were executives from Devon Energy Corp., which is building a 50-story tower that is changing the Oklahoma City skyline.

As Walker stares down a June 5 recall election, he has used his cachet as a conservative hero to rake in campaign cash never before seen in Wisconsin. And it's put his Democratic challengers at a disadvantage in their effort to make him only the third governor in the nation's history to be ousted in a recall.

"He has become something of a rock star nationally for right-wing conservatives," said Mike McCabe, director of the government watchdog group the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. "There's appeal there, and I think he's found it pretty easy to get people to crack their checkbooks."

Texas financier Bob Perry cut Walker two $250,000 checks and is his single biggest donor. Perry helped pay for the Swift Boat Veterans ads that attacked Sen. John Kerry during the 2004 presidential campaign.

Those weren't the only huge checks. Three prominent Missouri home builders and contractors each gave Walker $250,000.

And Michael Bidwill, president of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and a frequent donor to Republican candidates nationwide, contributed $25,000. But that didn't even make him one of Walker's top 30 contributors.

Fourteen of Walker's top 20 donors are from outside Wisconsin, according to an analysis by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Nine people gave $100,000 or more, including Wyoming Republican Foster Friess, who heavily backed Rick Santorum's presidential campaign.

The Oklahoma event, co-sponsored by Koch Industries, Devon Energy and other conservative heavy hitters, was a fundraiser for a think tank aligned with the Heritage Foundation. Participants paid up to $10,000 per table for premium seating and a chance for a photo opportunity with Walker.