COMMENTARY | What effect will Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's recall election victory have on the national election contest? Republicans will want it to have the largest possible impact, but it's up to the Democrats to nip it in the bud. Luckily for them, the right wing is handing them the tools to do it.
Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican candidate to run against Obama, left all the openings necessary when he commented on the election. All the Democrats need is to call him out on what I'll call the "lies of omission" -- the critical things left unsaid in the hope the public won't notice.
Romney called the election proof that taxpayers can fight back against "runaway government costs imposed by labor bosses," according to CNN. Romney leaves himself open to attack on why he is so ready to kill government expenses that keep people employed while leaving alone much bigger expenses that make big corporations rich.
According to the Washington Post, Romney is known to be fantastically wealthy and pays virtually no taxes compared to the average American. He's a fan of big business. Democrats should attack him where he is vulnerable -- his complete disconnect from the realities of life for most Americans.
By taking the side of Walker and complaining about salaries of working-class people, Romney shows himself as the financial enemy of Americans. The best part from the perspective of Democrats is Romney is likely to keep doing it for the election season. He can't stop or his big business supporters will wonder if he's not committed strongly enough to them.
Romney is politically trapped into shooting himself in the foot repeatedly, but that won't make a difference unless Democrats pick up on it and work that into their campaign strategy. They should be willing to surprise Romney with questions like, "Why do you fight so hard to keep Americans poor?" Democrats must make the campaign about how badly Republican policies will rob the poor and middle class. If they do, the Walker win could be the first step toward a Romney loss.
