OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN: Walker's rising star

By Cameron Joseph, Josh Lederman and Emily Goodin - 06/06/12 06:07 PM ET

TOP STORY: Total recall

Gov. Scott Walker's (R-Wis.) triumph in Tuesday’s recall election made him the talk of the political world on Wednesday.

The victory has cemented him among the GOP's "bright, shining stars" and put him in line for a primetime speaking slot at the national convention in August, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said.

"He's got a pretty good advocate here at the RNC," Priebus told The Hill.

Priebus, who was born in Wisconsin and formerly ran the state GOP there, called Walker a close friend and suggested he would be exactly the kind of person the party seeks to highlight at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.

Democrats were regrouping after the loss as Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) slammed unions and liberal activists for pushing to recall Walker.

"I think the people on the Democratic side made a big mistake and the funding thing was a big deal," Frank told The Hill, alluding to Republicans' big cash advantage in the race. "My side picked a fight they shouldn't have picked. The recall was upsetting to people, the rerun of the election with [Democratic Milwaukee Mayor] Tom Barrett — it's not a fight I would have picked."

And President Obama will need to double down on his efforts to keep Wisconsin safely in his column after Walker’s resounding victory.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) said the Wisconsin result should be a "wakeup call" for outside groups supporting Democrats, and that if they don't quickly ramp up their fundraising, his party could be crushed in the fall.

"Our allies across the country have to look at Wisconsin and use it as a wakeup call. They need to build a robust defense for what's coming in September and October," he said. "Our allies are way beyond where they were in 2010, but in my view they're not where they need to be to compete effectively against Republican outside groups. They've got work to do and I think Wisconsin showed them they've got work to do."

Read more Thursday in The Hill’s print edition or at thehill.com.

TOMORROW’S AGENDA TODAY: President Obama has a fundraiser in Los Angeles and then will stop in Las Vegas before returning to Washington. First lady Michelle Obama will meet with campaign volunteers in Woodbridge, Va., and then attend a fundraiser in Washington, D.C. Mitt Romney will campaign in St. Louis, Mo.

TWEET OF THE DAY: “Hey @BarackObama... I don't drink. Please fire the cop who arrested me. I also don't hit and run. The end.” — Actress Amanda Bynes, who was charged with driving under the influence in April.

TUESDAY’S RESULTS:

— Democrats will have no one running in the general election against Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) after Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar, a top Democratic recruit, finished in third place in the all-party primary Tuesday night.

— Reps. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) and Howard Berman (D-Calif.) will continue their heavyweight battle through November.

— Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and former Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) won their primaries, setting up what could be a tight general election between the two.

— Rep. Bill Pascrell (D) crushed Rep. Steve Rothman (D) in a member vs. member primary in New Jersey.

— Donald Payne Jr., the son of the late Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.), easily defeated five other Democrats in his primary, giving him a clear path to the House seat his father held until his death in March.

— New Jersey state Sen. Joe Kyrillos (R), a close friend and ally of Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.), easily won his party’s nomination to take on Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.).

POLL POSITION:

President Obama is retaining his commanding lead over Mitt Romney in Pennsylvania, topping the Republican presidential nominee by 12 points in a Franklin & Marshall College poll, 48 percent to 36.

Americans' perceptions about the economy took a dip this week on the heels of a disappointing May jobs report, with the percentage of those saying the economy is getting worse jumping 9 points from last week's Economist/YouGov survey. Now nearly four in 10 Americans believe the economy is getting worse, while a third say the economy is staying "about the same" and 20 percent say it is getting better.

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE:

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is booking another $19 million in airtime in 24 districts across the country, bringing to more than $46 million the amount the committee has reserved after Labor Day.

Arizona: Another day, another ad in the costly and closely watched special election to replace former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). This one comes from Democrat Ron Barber, who touts the jobs he created as the owner of a small business and his dedication to bipartisan cooperation. Barber, Republican Jesse Kelly, and the House campaign committees for both parties are on the air ahead of the June 12 election.

New Jersey: President Obama called Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) to congratulate him on his victory in Tuesday's member vs. member primary, a Pascrell aide confirmed. The call from Obama was unexpected because Obama summoned Rothman to the White House last week to signal his support, and sent top adviser David Axelrod to New Jersey to endorse Rothman.

SENATE SHOWDOWN:

The 60 Plus Association, a conservative seniors group, is dropping $2.1 million on ads targeting incumbent Democratic senators in two states that are also swing states in the presidential race. The group will spend $1 million on a week-long ad buy attacking Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and $1.1 million on a two-week buy knocking Florida Sen. Bill Nelson. The ads criticize the two Democrats for voting for the stimulus and for President Obama's healthcare reform bill.

Connecticut: Former wrestling mogul Linda McMahon has expanded her lead in the Republican primary for Connecticut’s open Senate seat, and has also narrowed the gap in the likely general-election match-up to just 3 points. McMahon leads former Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) 59-30 in a Quinnipiac University poll. That’s a major gain from March, when McMahon led Shays 51-42. And in a general election against Rep. Chris Murphy (Conn.), the Democratic front-runner, McMahon is just 3 points behind. In March, Murphy led McMahon by 15 points.

Virginia: The pivotal Senate race in Virginia remains a dead heat, with former Govs. Tim Kaine (D) and George Allen (R) separated by a mere point. Kaine is clinging to a 44-43 percent lead, according to a survey from Quinnipiac University, foreshadowing what is certain to be one of the hardest-fought campaigns this November.

Wisconsin: Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) downplayed the political impact of Democrats' failure to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R). "This was voters saying 'We don't like the idea of a recall,' " the Senate candidate told The Hill on Wednesday afternoon. "I think that's what we learned ... I think that was one of the most remarkable things we saw from it."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Mitt Romney said Gov. Scott Walker's victory in the Wisconsin recall election was a repudiation of the policies of President Obama in a traditionally liberal state, arguing the win bodes well for his chances in November. "Yesterday’s vote was won by the people of Wisconsin doing the right thing and voting for conservative principles," Romney said.

The Secret Service is investigating the potential hacking of Romney’s personal email account.

Romney's campaign kept the focus on Hispanic voters Wednesday by announcing the new leadership team of his Hispanic Steering Committee.

First lady Michelle Obama presented the “Top Ten” list on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said Democrats in Wisconsin will tell President Obama “go back to Illinois, you weren't here for us and we're not gonna be there for you.'"

Red Hot Chili Peppers preformed a free concert for Obama volunteers at Cleveland's House of Blues, jamming in front of an electronic "Obama/Biden" sign. The recorded event was produced into a Web video that the Obama team released on YouTube Wednesday.