In seeking a recall against Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker, Democrats and Big Labor thought they could punish him for curbing public unions’ power, but it looks like the result may be exactly the opposite.
Five major polls conducted this month show Walker leading his Democratic opponent, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, by at least four percentage points in the June 5 recall race. And Walker scored a 12-point lead in the latest survey, conducted by We Ask America this week.
With the election playing out nationally as the two parties prepare for battle in November, Democrats may end up turning the first-term governor into a national hero,
Politico reports.
“Not only will Walker be lionized by his GOP colleagues for embarrassing Big Labor and forcing the left to pour cash down the drain in a presidential election year, he’ll be credited with making the state more competitive for Mitt Romney,” the news service states.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee called Walker a “hero” ahead of Wisconsin’s primary last month and grappled with then-opponent Rick Santorum over who was the bigger Walker supporter.
Walker is a “gutsy, courageous governor” Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, told Politico. “The more Scott Walker can reduce the unemployment rate and balance the budget and return Wisconsin to fiscal prosperity, I think the more people would say going forward that he has maybe other opportunities.”
Republicans are showering Walker with more than love. National donors have helped him garner more than $25 million since January 2011, with more than $13 million coming in during just over three months this year.
“His profile is as high as I’ve ever seen a governor’s profile in the country,” Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips told Politico. “I’ll mention Gov. Walker in every event, and the loudest applause of the day will be for him.”
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