Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker reacts at his victory party in Waukesha, Wis.
There are always winners and losers in Washington, and Washington Whispers always keeps track. Every Friday, we'll tell you who gained the most and who lost out that week.
The failed recall effort for Scott Walker in Wisconsin led the news this week — and determined the winner and loser, too.
The outcome sent a clear message to other states that there is an alternative to raising taxes for dealing with problems like the debt and public employee pensions. The Scott Walker alternative.
"A victory for the hard-working taxpayers," Walker declared after being named the winner. And it's hard to argue with that.
Whispers winner of the week: The Americantaxpayer.
There may have been one bright spot for the President in Wisconsin's outcome, with recall voters saying in exit polls they would pick Obama over Mitt Romney for president by a 54-42 percent margin.
But it's hard to deny that every other aspect of the week was pretty awful for POTUS. The GOP's enormous fundraising heft in Wisconsin. Former president Bill Clinton going off message and applauding Romney's business success. The deepening euro crisis. Accusations of White House leaks of classified national security information. And to really slather the icing on the cake, Obama's unfortunate sound bite Friday that the private sector is "doing fine."
Whispers loser of the week: President Obama.
Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below who you think won and lost this week.
- Scott Walker's Win Strengthens Mitt Romney's Candidacy
- Obama Should Worry About Scott Walker's Win
- Check out U.S. News Weekly: an insider's guide to politics and policy.
Elizabeth Flock is a staff writer for U.S. News & World Report. You can contact her at eflock@usnews.com or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Reader Comments (