Washington Post political columnist Chris Cilizza, tags labor as a "big time" loser in the recent primary elections for its "all in" approach to defeating Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D. Arkansas). Reportedly labor spent $10 million to defeat Lincoln. Lincoln defeated Lt. Gov. Bill Halter 52%-48%.

It is fascinating to watch from a distance the politics of Wisconsin. So much now driven by the struggle between a Republican governor determined to reign in public sector unions and allies of labor. It has certainly made the 2010 political trend favoring Republicans short lived. The real question is the resurgence of support for labor evidenced in Wisconsin likely to play out on a national scale. More after the jump
I tend to think the attack on labor in states like Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, New Hampshire, Missouri and others may indeed favor labor, and Democrats in 2012. Conversely, there will be little positive effect in Louisiana, Mississippi and states nearby. Wisconsin's governor was elected three times as Milwaukee County Executive, a Republican success story in a Democratic bastion. In 2008, he won with 59% of the vote. But last night the candidate supported by Democrats (the election is officially non-partisan) thumped his Republican state representative who supported the Governor's anti-labor agenda (61%-39%). Details at TPM (left leaning). There was also a race involving an incumbent, Republican supported supreme court justice. Not sure its the same as here, where you do not see many challenges to sitting judges, but I tend to bet it is. This race however was a proxy fight over the Governor's policies, and its too close to call with 99% of the vote counted.

Labor's disappointment with the accomplishments of the current administration is visible. Pundits have suggested labor would sit out the 2010 elections. But the AFL-CIO has announced its rational mid-term strategy to firewall vulnerable democrats in union strongholds like New York, California, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois. The AFL-CIO pledges to spend more than the $53 Million it spent electing President Obama. Democrats who have not supported labor's agenda can expect labor will support primary opponents.