The National Showdown in Wisconsin

Three months after Wisconsin's Republican Governor Scott Walker took office last year there were massive protests at the state capitol. Democrats fled the state to prevent a legislative quorum for his proposals. But Walker finally got his way with enactment of new laws to restrict almost all collective bargaining for public employees and to increase their payments for health insurance and retirement benefits. The first-term governor is making the kind of history politicians fear most, becoming only the third governor in US history to face a recall election. But Walker's being called a "hero" by Mitt Romney, and his fate could have a major impact on this year's presidential election. Big-time money from Republican outsiders is pouring into a state that could be the archetype of political polarization. If Walker survives, will it help Romney's chances against President Obama in the industrial Midwest? Will it be a blow to clout of organized labor?