By Collin Roth

Just before the holiday weekend, the We Are Wisconsin PAC issued a press release announcing that after just six weeks, the organization had “over $4 million raised, $2 million on hand, operations in every WI Senate recall district, and a robust volunteer apparatus set to knock 100,000th door over the weekend.” Quite an impressive feat for an organization that prides itself on “the grassroots energy of ordinary Wisconsinites.”

So where is all this grassroots money coming from? Wisconsin?

No, the We Are Wisconsin PAC is a clearinghouse for national union dollars. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the PAC received over $3 million from the national AFL-CIO, as well as six-figure donations from AFSCME, United Food and Commercial Workers, and WEAC.

Look no further than the spokesman for the organization, Kelly Steele, to learn that We Are Wisconsin is no “grassroots campaign” but a well-funded union operation with support from the Democratic Party. Kelly Steele, a native Michigander, is a veteran of numerous Democratic campaigns in Oregon and Washington, gaining notoriety as the tenacious spokesman who liked to “push the envelope” for the Washington Democratic Party. Most recently, Steele worked on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s re-election campaign, where many credit his “cutthroat” style, “relentless” attacks, and “merciless and withering criticism,” with righting the ship for Reid and defining his opponents in a way they could not overcome.

Listed as Field Director for We Aren’t Wisconsin is Kristen Crowell, former Executive Director for the organization Wisconsin Progress. Wisconsin Progress is “a state-based organization committed to recruiting, training and developing progressive leaders at the state and local levels” whose motto is “don’t get mad, get elected.” The Wisconsin Progress PAC has already inserted itself heavily into the recall efforts, committing thousands of dollars and hired field organizers for each district.

Finally, listed as treasurer for We Are Wisconsin is Phil Nuenfeldt, current president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. Nuenfeldt’s leadership denotes exactly what this organization is. An umbrella under which Democratic political operatives and Wisconsin labor leaders can unite to try and flip the Senate with the help of millions in national labor money.

With millions in national labor dollars pouring in and the addition of political operatives like Kelly Steele, the We Are Wisconsin PAC is hardly a grassroots effort. In fact, a better title would seem to be the We Aren’t Wisconsin PAC.