Now is the time for all good tea partiers to come to the aid of Wisconsin. Fiscally conservative leaders in the Badger State are under coordinated siege from Big Labor, the White House, the liberal media and the judiciary. The yearlong campaign of union thuggery, family harassment and intimidation of Republican donors and businesses is about to escalate even further. This is the price the Right pays for doing the right thing.

The most visible target is Gov. Scott Walker, who faces recall on June 5 over his tough package of state budget and public employee union reforms. Three state GOP legislators — Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, Sen. Van Wanggaard and Sen. Terry Moulton — also face recall. A fourth target, staunch union reformer and Second Amendment advocate Sen. Pam Galloway, announced she was stepping down last week — leaving the legislature deadlocked and Democratic strategists salivating.

Walker and the GOP majority ended the union compulsory dues racket, allowed workers to choose whether to join a union, curtailed costly bargaining rights and enacted pension and health contribution requirements to bring the government in line with private-sector practices. The Walker reform law helped prevent massive layoffs in public education by saving tens of millions of dollars in bloated benefits bills. Ending the state union monopoly on teachers’ health insurance plans allowed dozens of school districts to switch their coverage to more competitive bidders.

The free-market MacIver Institute reports that at least 25 school districts did so, saving the districts more than $200 per student. Hundreds of millions more in savings are in the works as school districts and local governments turn deficits to surpluses. And Walker’s actions have nearly wiped out the nearly $3.6 billion deficit he inherited from his free-spending predecessors.

New poll data released on Tuesday show two potential Democratic rivals neck and neck with Walker. Wisconsin politicos tell me his national name recognition has bolstered public awareness and fundraising efforts. He’s currently sitting on a $5 million war chest. Walker supporters believe the Big Labor-fueled fight will be dirty, but with vigilant backing, he’ll survive.

Read More at Michelle Malkin By Michelle Malkin, Creators Syndicate

Rick Santorum, showing signs of fatigue and frustration while grasping for strategies to right his unsteady White House bid, is trying to derail Republican front-runner Mitt Romney using any means available — even contradictory messages.

Santorum has called Romney “the worst Republican in the country” to challenge President Barack Obama, but in a subsequent interview he said he would consider serving as Romney’s running mate. He is not letting pass a vulgar fight with The New York Times while betting big on the health care debate, which his campaign says is intensifying at the perfect time to resurrect his fading candidacy.

“This is the most important issue in this election,” Santorum declared outside the Supreme Court on Monday while attorneys inside debated the constitutionality of the president’s health care law. “There’s one candidate who’s uniquely disqualified to make the case. That’s the reason I’m here and he’s not.”

Seizing on the health care debate as Romney focuses on the nation’s economy, Santorum is fueling tea partyers’ lingering skepticism about the former Massachusetts governor, who signed into law a state-based health care program that helped inspire Obama’s plan. He dismisses Romney’s broadening support as the product of political elites, while pitching himself as an up-from-his-bootstraps candidate who came from “public housing” — a misleading claim that offers a stark contrast with Romney’s life of wealth and privilege.

In spite of Santorum’s loosely plotted uphill strategy, a growing number of establishment-minded Republicans are coalescing around Romney. On Monday, GOP House Whip Kevin McCarthy of California became the latest member of the party’s leadership in Congress to sign on. Romney remains on pace to capture the nomination in June.

Read More at OfficialWire By Philip Elliott and Steve Peoples, OfficialWire

Beware of open microphone! It might pick up something you didn’t mean for other people to hear. President Obama was unaware that a microphone was recording him when he asked outgoing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev Monday for “breathing room” until after the November 2012 election. It would be at that point that negotiations on missile defense could resume in earnest.

“On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved, but it’s important for him to give me space,” President Obama told Mr. Medvedev at the end of their 90-minute meeting. The “him” is apparently a reference to incoming Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr. Medvedev replied, “Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…”

Here’s what’s disturbing about this muted conversation. “This is my last election,” President Obama said. “After my election, I have more flexibility.” The Russian leader responded, “I understand. I transmit this information to Vladimir.”

Let me do my best to translate this for you:

Read More at Godfather Politics By Gary DeMar, Godfather Politics

(CBS News) FRANKSVILLE, Wis. – In directing what appeared to be a new level of vitriol toward Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum on Sunday described his rival as “the worst Republican in the country to put up against Barack Obama.” Santorum later, however, bristled at the notion that he was referring to anything other than Romney’s position on health care.

After a rally at the South Hills Country Club here, Santorum asked Republicans to “pick any other Republican in the country” than GOP presidential front-runner Romney, based on issues that make the former Massachusetts governor “uniquely disqualified” to run against Obama.

Reporters swarmed him for clarification, only to have Santorum testily reply that it was unreasonable to take his comment outside the context of health care.

“I would say, as for, on the issue of health care, yes, that’s what I was talking about – Obamacare, as you heard me say,” he said. “That’s what I said. I didn’t say anything different than that. That’s exactly what I said.”

Minutes later, Jeff Zeleny of The New York Times followed up with a question about his outburst, to which Santorum asked, “What speech did you listen to? Stop lying.” (watch the full exchange at left)

Read More at CBS News By Lindsey Boerma, CBS News