Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score: Barnes wins, Handel and Deal to runoff - Ellsworth introduces himself, hits DC - Ramsey on attack in Tenn., plays Gore card - DSCC, NRCC win June cash race - Poll: Perriello in peril - Clinton to stump in RI
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:46:15 -0400 (EDT)

By Alexander Burns (@aburnspolitico, [email-masked])

SENATE EXCLUSIVE -- MEET BRAD ELLSWORTH: Indiana Rep. Brad Ellsworth will launch the second television ad of his Senate campaign today - a personal, biographical spot that allows the Democrat to introduce himself to a statewide audience. “Growing up in Indiana, my parents instilled the values of hard work,” Ellsworth says, looking into the camera. “Dad raised our family working at Alcoa. I paid my own way through college working at Sears.” He continues, emphasizing his career as an officer of the law and knocking the nation's capital: “My twenty-five years as Sheriff was all about putting other peoples' needs first. The US Senate needs that same approach. Senators should be helping other people - not just helping themselves, like Washington always does.” Like many fellow House members running for the Senate this year, Ellsworth conspicuously avoids the title “congressman.” Watch the ad here. http://bit.ly/d4fFeb

GOV RACE EXCLUSIVE -- ON TWO FRONTS: Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, running a competitive third in the GOP primary for governor, is going on the attack this week with a new ad that takes aim at Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, the first-placed candidate, and Rep. Zach Wamp, who's in second place. The ad describes Ramsey's opponents thusly: “Congressman Wamp: he's from Washington, voted for the Wall Street bailout, voted to raise the national debt ... Bill Haslam: As mayor, he raised taxes. Haslam once backed Al Gore for president -- Al Gore!” And then, the positive: “Ron Ramsey: he stood up to both parties to stop higher taxes.” The primary is Aug. 5, with whichever Republican wins heavily favored in the general election. Watch Ramsey's ad here. http://politi.co/bc1Uoy

As the Ox stumbles, Randy Pullen rings the alarm and Joe Manchin gets closer to a clean shot, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily cheat sheet for the 2010 midterm elections.

LAST NIGHT -- WHAT HAPPENED IN GEORGIA: (1) Former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel took 34 percent of the vote in the GOP's gubernatorial primary, heading into an Aug. 10 runoff with former Rep. Nathan Deal, who came in second with 23 percent. State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, the former frontrunner and GOP cash leader, flopped in fourth place. (2) Former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes won his party's primary with 66 percent of the vote, averting a runoff in his comeback bid; (3) Democratic Reps. John Barrow and Hank Johnson survived primary challenges with support in the mid-50s and room to spare; (4) GOP Rep. Tom Graves was forced into a runoff by Lee Hawkins, the former state legislator he recently beat in a special election; (5) In the race to succeed Republican Rep. John Linder, former Linder chief of staff Rob Woodall and pastor Jody Hice will compete in a second round of voting. FULL RESULTS and more at politico.com/2010

THE CASH RACE -- SPLITTING JUNE: The party campaign committees delivered a split decision in June fundraising, with the NRCC narrowly outraising the DCCC while the DSCC posted an impressive monthly haul. The House Republicans' campaign arm brought in $9.1 million to the Democrats' $9 million, but the DCCC maintained a massive cash on hand advantage of $33.8 million to $17 million. On the Senate side, the DSCC pulled in $7.15 million to the NRSC's $4.03 million. But the Senate committees were more closely matched in their reserve totals, with Democrats stockpiling $21.6 million to the Republicans' $19.7 million.

SCORE'S TAKE: The NRCC's receipts show that House Republicans have their act together in a way they didn't even a few months ago, but the financial sea wall the Democrats have in place will seriously test the GOP's momentum. That's an advantage Senate Democrats don't have, despite their strong monthly performance.

RNC HIDING DEBT? The Washington Times's Ralph Z. Hallow reports that the RNC may have concealed some $7 million in debt from the FEC, in a move that could trigger significant penalties for the committee. RNC Treasurer Randy Pullen is accusing Chairman Michael Steele and chief of staff Michael Leavitt of keeping information about the debt away from him and making the committee's finances appear healthier than they are. http://bit.ly/cCyf7w

AND ON THE OUTSIDE: American Crossroads GPS, the 501(c)4 companion group to the conservative campaign organization American Crossroads, plans to raise some $43 million to focus on “issue” ads, from donors who won't have to disclose their identities publicly. POLITICO's Ken Vogel reports: “[A] veteran GOP operative familiar with the group's fundraising activities said the spin-off was formed largely because donors were reluctant to see their names publicly associated with giving to a 527 group, least of all one associated with Rove, who Democrats still revile for his role in running former President George W. Bush's political operation. GPS's concept paper says that if it meets its fundraising goals, it will spend $18 million on 'issue advocacy,' $15 million on 'targeted grassroots advocacy,' $3 million on 'issue research,' $2 million on polling and $5 million buying, renting and enhancing lists.” http://politi.co/bLfAdO

POLL OF THE DAY -- WORLD OF HURT: Virginia Democrat Tom Perriello starts his general election fight at a strong disadvantage to GOP challenger Robert Hurt, according to a SurveyUSA poll of Virginia's 5th Congressional District. The first-term congressman took 35 percent of the vote in the poll, compared with 58 percent for Hurt, a state senator. Independent Jeffrey Clark, a tea party-aligned candidate with a knack for grabbing the media's attention, had just four percent support in the automated survey. http://bit.ly/d6zb4Z

TAKING A PASS: Republicans have encouraged West Virginia Rep. Shelley Moore Capito to challenge Gov. Joe Manchin in their state's special Senate election, but the Washington Post confirms she's poised to meet expectations and say thanks, but no thanks, for that bridge to nowhere. The decision leaves Manchin an overwhelming favorite to take the seat formerly occupied by the late Robert Byrd. http://bit.ly/9D8rYi and http://bit.ly/9P1D3T

42 WATCH: Former President Bill Clinton is headed to Rhode Island next Thursday to stump for gubernatorial candidate Frank Caprio, the state treasurer who effectively locked up the Democratic nomination when state Attorney General Patrick Lynch dropped out of the primary last week. http://bit.ly/bActzh

THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid beat back suggestions Tuesday that he's spoken with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist about caucusing with Democrats if he's elected to the Senate as an independent. POLITICO's Manu Raju reports: “'You must be reading somebody's mail other than mine,' the Nevada Democrat said Tuesday when asked why he'd spoken with Crist in recent weeks. 'I don't know what you're talking about.' ... 'I placed one call to Gov. Crist, and I was glad I did that - that conversation was several months ago.' Reid said that talk focused on issues relating to Florida, given that it's expected to become the nation's third most populous state in 2011, and that he'll 'continue' to have such talks.” http://politi.co/8Xp2z1

PLUS -- ESCALATING: Crist condemned the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature as a “do-nothing legislature” after it refused to move on the offshore drilling ban demanded by the governor during a special sessions. Republicans criticized the session as a political stunt, with state House Speaker Larry Cretul saying it wouldn't “put a single new skimmer off our beaches. http://bit.ly/aTdXOq

ACROSS THE BIG MAP -- with POLITICO's Tim Alberta:

-- Cahill gets conservative backing. Democrat-turned-independent state Treasurer Tim Cahill won the endorsement of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, an anti-abortion group that called him “an outstanding advocate for the unborn, the disabled and the elderly.” Both Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick and GOP challenger Charlie Baker have taken “anti-life positions,” the group said. http://bit.ly/dc6x6z

-- Romanoff running on fumes. Former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff raised about $620,000 for his Senate campaign in the second quarter of 2010. That leaves him at a strong financial disadvantage to appointed Sen. Michael Bennet, who he's challenging in the Democratic primary: Bennet ended June with $2.6 million on hand to Romanoff's $465,000. http://bit.ly/96kAEh

-- Lincoln (still) lags. The Arkansas Democrat is still in dire shape for her reelection fight, a month and a half after beating back a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. Lincoln has just 35 percent support, while Republican Rep. John Boozman has 54 percent of voters behind him, according to an Ipsos poll. http://bit.ly/bieBba

-- Hannemann advances in a different direction. Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann is finally resigning to make official his bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. He's required to step down under Hawaii's “resign to run” law and his primary opponent, former Rep. Neil Abercrombie, quit Congress months ago to focus on his campaign. The two are competing in a Sept. 18 primary, with the GOP nominee expected to be Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona. http://bit.ly/ccNIok

-- Police split Ohio endorsements. The Fraternal Order of Police divided its top two endorsements in Ohio between the parties, backing Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland for reelection and former GOP Rep. Rob Portman for Senate. The group boasts 26,000 members statewide and provides a helpful symbolic seal of approval, too. http://bit.ly/a70NVt

Go to Morning Score Now >> http://www.politico.com/morningscore

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