Does the Wisconsin recall election matter outside the Gopher State? Until Walker's win by a large margin Tuesday, organized labor thought so. Now, not so much. 

Fiscal conservatives hoping to rein in public employee compensation, particularly high pension and health insurance costs, thought the election mattered all along. Now, they see it as mattering even more, with Walker's victory an affirmation of his signature policy initiative.

Earlier I linked to the video of the WRC video. Both our featured speakers, Mickey Kaus and Jennifer Rubin, see national significance in the election. (Voters in San Jose and San Diego also showed overwheming support for changing pension plans for public employees.)

I've rounded up some of the campaign coverage below.

Sean Trende reviews the inaccurate exit polls.

Reason magazine's Nick Gillespie says the results show that the voting public is finally getting the message that we can't keep spending far more than we take in at every level of government.

JP Donlan of Chief Executive magazine thinks Walker's victory may spur reform efforts in other states struggling with budget crises and lousy economies.

Peggy Noonan uses her WSJ column to argue that what happened in Wisconsin signals a shift in political mood and assumption.

The New York Times editorial board sees big money mischief. 

Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne identifies danger on both sides. But danger on the right is greater because winning an epic fight is a heady experience and conservatives can claim a real victory. 

Labor leaders look beyond the election, saying the recall battle has mobilized millions to work for their cause. (The link is to statements by AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka and Washington State Labor Council president Jeff Johnson.)

Washington Federation of State Employee spokesman tells Olympian reporter Brad Shannon that, well, all politics is local and Wisconsin's results won't travel.

Three newspapers in our state find meaning in the results:

    The Seattle Times says Wisconsin matters.

    The News Tribune writes public employees meet their ultimate employers: voters.

    The Yakima Herald-Republic concludes citizens are sending the message that they believe public workers are serving themselves more than the public.

It's going to be a long five months to November.