MADISON — Organizers of an effort to recall Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker from office say they have collected nearly enough signatures to force an election.

The United Wisconsin coalition said Thursday that more than 507,000 signatures had been collected in just 30 days. They need 540,208 signatures to force the recall election sometime in 2012. Petitions are due Jan. 17.

The coalition says its goal is to collect 720,000 signatures.

BS Alert: Mickey Mouse And Adolf Hitler Have Not Joined Scott Walker Recall Effort

There’s an almost irresistible story circulating on the internet that seems to suggest that petitions for the recall of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker have been signed by the likes of Mickey Mouse and Adolf Hitler, and that those signatures will be counted in that recall effort. It’s the kind of story that makes for ideal two-minute filler on 24-hour news outlets, so before it gets a head of steam, let’s look beyond the overreaching headline (“Mickey Mouse, Adolf Hitler Allowed On Wis. Recall Petitions“) and vague copy, to what is actually a run-of-the-mill process story.