Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score: Kaine's status report - Kendrick Meek, presidential BFF - The most powerful man in GOP politics - Clint, Dino and Patty - 'Extreme' buzz
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:39:14 -0400 (EDT)

POLITICO's Morning Score:

By Charles Mahtesian (@charliepolitico, [email-masked])

COMING TODAY -- KAINE'S STATUS REPORT: Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine will announce at the party meeting in St. Louis today that the DNC raised $11.5 million in July, finishing the month with $10.8 million cash-on-hand and $3.5 million in debt. The July take is expected to be the party's second best month of the entire cycle, according to a DNC official.

The DNC holds its summer meeting today and Friday at the Union Station Marriott Hotel, with Kaine, St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay and Missouri Democratic Party Chair Crag Hosmer scheduled to speak at Thursday's Executive Committee Meeting. Speakers for Friday's General Meeting include Vice President Joe Biden, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Kaine.

KENDRICK MEEK--PRESIDENTIAL BFF: President Obama wrapped up his three-day fundraising trip in Florida Wednesday, in front of an audience of around 650 at the Fountainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. He singled out Alex Sink as “the next governor of the great state of Florida,” but more important, he finally showed some love for Rep. Kendrick Meek, who is seeking the party's Senate nomination.

Ok, so Meek only got about half as much praise as Sink. But after being held at arms length for much of the campaign, the Miami congressman got to hear the president refer to him as “the next senator from the state of Florida.”

“We need that kind of fighter in the United States Senate,” Obama said.

And there was more to come. Later, the Hillary Clinton-backing congressman and the president shared a moment during an unannounced stop at Jerry's Famous Deli in South Beach, where the president ordered two corned beef sandwiches. After paying for the meal, the pool report noted, Obama had this to say to Meek: “Don't say I never gave you anything."

As Haley Barbour flexes his muscle, Clint Didier keeps his powder dry and Republicans buzz over a slick new web ad, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily cheat sheet for the 2010 midterm elections.

THE FIRST MUSLIM PRESIDENT?: A new national survey by the Pew Research Center finds the number of Americans who think the president is a Muslim is on the rise. From the report: “A substantial and growing number of Americans say that Barack Obama is a Muslim, while the proportion saying he is a Christian has declined. More than a year and a half into his presidency, a plurality of the public says they do not know what religion Obama follows.

“[N]early one-in-five Americans (18%) now say Obama is a Muslim, up from 11% in March 2009. Only about one-third of adults (34%) say Obama is a Christian, down sharply from 48% in 2009. Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama's religion is. The survey was completed in early August, before Obama's recent comments about the proposed construction of a mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center.” http://bit.ly/cNm9dP

AWKWARD 2008 FLASHBACK: 60 Minutes' Steve Kroft: “You said you'd take Senator Obama at his word that he's not…a Muslim. You don't believe that he's…”

Sen. Clinton: “No. No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know.” http://politi.co/aUiqsw

THE MAN TO SEE: POLITICO's Jim VandeHei, Andy Barr and Ken Vogel team up to take a look at “The Most Powerful Man in GOP Politics”-- Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.

“Barbour, who runs the Republican Governors Association, has more money to spend on the 2010 elections - $40 million - than any other GOP leader around. And in private, numerous Republicans describe Barbour as the de facto chairman of the party.

It's not just because he controls the RGA kitty but rather it's due to close relationships with everyone who matters in national GOP politics-operatives like Karl Rove, Ed Gillespie and other top Republicans running or raising cash for a network of outside political groups. Together, these groups are essential to Republican hopes of regaining power because Democrats are cleaning their clocks through more traditional fundraising efforts.” http://politi.co/8YvIsA

THE WASHINGTON SENATE PRIMARY, THE DAY AFTER: From the Washington secretary of state's office: “Washington primary voters may have set a new modern record for participation. As of [Wednesday] morning, over 950,000 ballots have been counted - or nearly 27 percent of the state's 3.6 million registered voters. The rule of thumb is that between 50 and 60 percent of the expected votes are tallied on election night, with the rest arriving in the mail today and in the coming days.

Elections Director Nick Handy says the eventual turnout could be in the mid-to-high 40s or even more. Based on historic turnout for a mid-term, non-presidential year primary, the Elections Division had forecast a 38 percent turnout, which would tie the recent record set in 2006.” http://bit.ly/bQXe3j

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT DINO AND PATTY: Jim Brunner of the Seattle Times: “[Sen. Patty] Murray's Tuesday totals were dismal compared with 2004, when she took 54 percent of the statewide vote in the primary. She went on to easily defeat George Nethercutt that November. Yet some were surprised she didn't fare worse in a primary where Republicans had more reason to turn out than Democrats.” http://bit.ly/9qoaIR

Seattle PI's Joel Connelly: “Sen. Patty Murray frequently and proudly points to the investment of $2 billion in federal stimulus dollars at Hanford to speed the cleanup of America's largest concentration of high-level radioactive waste. Did conservative voters in the nearby Tri-Cities show any gratitude in Tuesday's primary election? No way! Murray received some of her lowest vote totals anywhere in Washington. Instead, Benton and Franklin Counties voted for a Clint Didier, a Republican out of the Tea Party movement and local alfalfa farmer. Didier vociferously denounced the stimulus package on the campaign trail.” http://bit.ly/atm0wf

Seattlest's Mary Perkins: “If Rossi wants to succeed in November he must: siphon votes from conservatives who supported Didier and Akers, drum up support in the red areas of the state, and keep blue King County's million voters away from the polls.” http://bit.ly/9C4QBA

CLINT TO DINO: IT'S NOT A GIMME: Third-place Senate finisher and tea party fave Clint Didier suggests on his campaign website that some TLC will be required before he signs on with the GOP against Murray in November: “While I may not be your official representative in the 'other Washington' this time, I won't betray that trust. I won't throw you under the bus because we didn't get one of the top two spots. The establishment here in Washington has done that to you too many times before… “And you've told me your votes aren't just an automatic 'gimme' because of the letter next to a candidate's name. Anyone who wants to represent you wonderful people needs to hear - no, make that really listen to - what you have to say. To listen to the wisdom of the people, and to make commitments that will be kept. You need to see some fire in the belly and some real conviction to get your votes.” http://bit.ly/cpdhpb

TAMPA, SITE OF A STRESSFUL 2012 GOP CONVENTION: A study released by Forbes.com ranks Tampa, site of the 2012 Republican National Convention, fourth on the list of the 10 most stressful cities in the nation. The most stressful city in the U.S.? Harry Reid's Las Vegas. http://bit.ly/9M4zq3

THE FLORIDA SUPREME COURT RIDES AGAIN: The state supreme court heard oral arguments on three constitutional amendments Wednesday, including two proposals of national political consequence: one that affects congressional redistricting and another that is a direct challenge to the new federal health-care law. The amendments were struck from the ballot by lower courts. http://bit.ly/9GhMm3

BUZZING ON TWITTER: A new NRSC ad has Republicans atwitter on Twitter. Titled 'Extreme,' the slickly produced web spot slams Democratic messaging about the GOP being a party of extremists by pointing to poll results in various Senate races and popular support for various Republican positions. Watch it here. http://bit.ly/cRwiTh

ENDORSEMENT WATCH: NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip for GOP nominee Bill Haslam in the Tennessee governor's race; Rep. Mike Pence for Daniel Webster in the Florida 8th District GOP primary; Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for Martha Roby in Alabama's 2nd, Renee Ellmers in North Carolina's 2nd, Jackie Walorski in Indiana's 2nd and Vicky Hartzler in Missouri's 4th.

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

The Advocate details how a now-dismissed aide to Sen. David Vitter used office expenses to travel to two court dates http://bit.ly/9RQRVC

Barbara Boxer's Senate campaign calls on Robert Redford to drum up support for the California Democrat as he sends out a fundraising email on her behalf. http://bit.ly/aAtyux

Former Senate majority leader and one-time GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole gave $1,000 to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's Senate bid-after he left the GOP to run for an independent, according to his most recent FEC filing. http://bit.ly/cDvgZD

GOP candidate Jon Golnik in Massachusetts' 5th District soldiers on despite a fire that destroyed his campaign office http://bit.ly/ce8o6G

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

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