Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score: 7 candidates confirmed for NH debate - NRCC attacks on debt limit - Obama to Ohio for jobs day - RNC preempts his Chrysler trip - Christie reimburses chopper flights - Ron Paul's seat in danger?
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 03 Jun 2011 03:50:44 -0600

By Alexander Burns (
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] ) and James Hohmann (
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] )

BREAKING OVERNIGHT - "7 candidates to appear in Republican primary debate" - New Hampshire's WMUR: "Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum will participate in the June 13 debate on the campus of St. Anselm College. This is the first time that Bachmann, Gingrich and Romney will appear in a 2012 presidential debate. The event is being sponsored by WMUR, CNN and the New Hampshire Union Leader."
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THE MOST IMPORTANT NUMBER OF THE WEEK: Predictions are grim for the May jobs report, which is set to be released by the Labor Department at 8:30 a.m. The AP previews the announcement, with its clear 2012 implications: "While employers added jobs at the fastest pace in five years from February to April, economists expect that a report due out Friday will show weakening job additions in May. Several economists have cut their expectations for economic growth."
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HOW OBAMA WILL MESSAGE IT - From the White House guidance: "[T]he President will travel to Toledo, Ohio [and] tour Chrysler Group's Toledo Supplier Park ... In the afternoon, the President will deliver remarks to plant workers at Chrysler Group's Toledo Supplier Park ... The President will also hear first hand from local business owners and residents about the importance of the auto industry resurgence to the community as a whole and the economic devastation it would have faced had Chrysler been allowed to fail."

RNC PREEMPTS - 'FALSE ADVERTISING' - The Republican National Committee is dropping a research hit - with video accompaniment - to undercut Obama's message on the Chrysler rescue. From the research doc: "Obama really wants to put you behind the wheels of his supposed success story, but first, let's kick the tires on this clunker ... Obama said, 'We are going to get back all the money that we invested' ... .Ron Bloom admits the CBO expects a $14 billion loss." Full research hit here:
http://click.politicoemail.com/?qs=7433ef764576adfb9b08d85bac1fd2ea5fb8c1f2adbeae4cda6fe1d9cd28078d 
http://click.politicoemail.com/?qs=7433ef764576adfb9b08d85bac1fd2ea5fb8c1f2adbeae4cda6fe1d9cd28078d ... Video, "Obama's Auto bailout, then and now," here:
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THE HOUSE CAMPAIGN - FIGHT TO THE DEBT - The National Republican Congressional Committee is launching a set of robo-calls to attack Democratic lawmakers for voting to raise the debt ceiling this week, as both parties continue to wonder how exactly the standoff over the nation's debt might be resolved. From one script targeting Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes: "We are drowning in government debt...owed to countries like China. The national debt is now 14 trillion dollars, and Congressman Jim Himes just voted for two trillion dollars MORE debt....without any budget cuts." The committee is also running a cable TV ad against North Carolina Rep. Brad Miller, warning that "more American debt means
 fewer American jobs." Ten other Democrats will be targeted in the messaging offensive.

As Ted Cruz gains airspeed, Russ Feingold gets his feet wet again and Chuck Norris finds a new Republican to boost, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.

ROMNEY'S ROLLOUT - TIMING IS EVERYTHING: The new jobs numbers aren't the only thing coming at 8:30 a.m. today. Mitt Romney is also scheduled to hold his first New Hampshire town hall at that time, at the University of New Hampshire's Manchester campus. After kicking off his campaign with an economy- and jobs-heavy speech in Stratham yesterday, Romney took his message to Fox, reintroducing himself to voters as a political outsider with a record of private sector leadership. The Los Angeles Times: "Romney largely [stuck] to the themes he outlined in his kickoff speech Thursday afternoon -- that Obama has failed the nation, and that he's uniquely suited to fix the economy, which is 'in my
 wheel house.' 'I spent my life not in politics -- I've only been in politics four years. I was governor for four years. I didn't inhale,' Romney jokes. 'My life has been as a private-sector guy -- I understand how to compete.'"
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2012 CATTLE CALL IN D.C. - The Beltway's premier political event of the next two days is the Faith and Freedom Conference at DC's Renaissance Hotel. It's a major opportunity for candidates to court values voters, as well as a big coming-out moment for Ralph Reed's young organizing group. Score will be at the conference from 8:45-1:30 p.m. to hear from Paul Ryan, John Boehner, Jon Huntsman, Reince Priebus and Pete Sessions. Speakers at a later session, from 7-10:30 p.m., include Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Donald Trump and Glenn Beck. On Saturday: Rick Santorum gets a morning speaking slot and Herman Cain keynotes the evening dinner. Full schedule:
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GINGRICH SENDS REGRETS, VIDEO MESSAGE: Newt's name was included on a working agenda of Saturday speakers. But he pulled out citing scheduling conflicts, and spokesman Rick Tyler told ABC News: "He and Mrs. Gingrich had planned time off early in the campaign, and it coincided with the event."
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WRAPPING THE BUS TOUR - DID IT HELP? Sarah Palin managed to seize the media spotlight for a full week with her wild trip up the East Coast. But she didn't do much to convince skeptical GOP activists and officials that she's getting ready for a real campaign. Your Morning Score correspondent and POLITICO's Dan Hirschhorn report: "As it played out on TV this week, Sarah Palin's 'One Nation' road trip of U.S. historical sites was a masterpiece of political mischief-making ... That's not how the bus tour looked to Republicans on the ground, many of whom are more convinced than ever that the former Alaska governor is simply not serious about running for president ... Palin hasn't made it
 particularly easy for fans to seek her out, interacting with supporters largely at impromptu events that haven't been announced in advance. That means she's not just blowing off officials, but also regular voters ...'If she planned this to just take her family around, return to our roots and get back to the Constitution, then she should have done it quietly,' [longtime New Hampshire activist Fran] Wendelboe said in advance of Palin's visit."
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TONIGHT - MCCOTTER IN N.H. - The Michigan congressman, who continues to flirt with a long-shot presidential bid, is making a debut trip to the Granite State this evening. Fox News: "McCotter is a surprise late addition to the Belknap County Lincoln Day Dinner Friday night. The party takes place on the MT Washington Cruise ship which does laps on Lake Winnipesaukee, on which Mitt Romney owns a lake house." Jon Huntsman is also headed back to New Hampshire this evening, and is scheduled to participate in the cruise.
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AND AFTER THE WEEKEND - SANTORUM TO ABC - Rick Santorum will make his big 2012 announcement exclusively on "Good Morning America" Monday. George Stephanopoulos is taking questions:
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THE BIGGER 2012 PICTURE - 'UNIMPRESSED' - Asked in a Pew/Washington Post to describe the Republican field in one word, more respondents chose "unimpressed" than any other adjective. Pew: "Overall, 44% offer negative words to describe the Republican candidates, 19% use neutral words and just 12% use positive words...Even Republicans and Republican-leaning independents use mostly negative words to describe their party's presidential candidates. Nearly four-in-ten (37%) use a negative word, 22% a positive word and 18% a neutral description."
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NOT A GOOD HEADLINE - "Weiner calls the police after CBS 2's Marcia Kramer asks for an interview" - From the station: "Kramer tried to get an interview with the six-term New York Democrat and as a result had the cops called on her. Kramer walked in to Weiner's office, announced herself as being from CBS 2 in New York City and said she'd like to see the congressman. Those few words created quite the stir. Doors slammed and people pretended she wasn't there ... After Kramer left Weiner's office, his staff called the Capitol Police. Police officers asked for identification. One cop told Kramer that if she went into Weiner's office and didn't leave if she was asked, she could be arrested."
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AND ACROSS THE HUDSON - CHRISTIE CLEANS UP - After initially defending his use of a government helicopter to attend his son's baseball games, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie quickly backtracked and reimbursed the state. The Star-Ledger: "The Republican State Committee has paid $1,232.29 for the flight from the Tuesday baseball game to Princeton, the Republican State Committee said today ... Christie is also paying $919.20 for a flight on Friday to see his son play in another baseball game. That flight was not previously disclosed."
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TROUBLE AT HOME - RON PAUL EDITION - This time, the Texas congressman may not have the option of returning to the House at the end of the 2012 race. According to the Texas Tribune, Paul's seat has become a redistricting target: "Paul ... would see his congressional district transformed in a new GOP map proposed Thursday night by Senate Redistricting Commitee Chair Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo. District 14 would pick up about 300,000 new voters, including all of Jefferson County .... Democratic operative Jeff Crosby believes the change is intended to target Paul, who has drawn a cult-like following among conservative activists but is not such a darling in the Texas Republican political
 establishment."
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ELSEWHERE IN TEXAS - "Roundhouse for the trial lawyers" - Chuck Norris teams up with Americans for Job Security's Steve DeMaura, to pump up Rick Perry in the WSJ: "This week, Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed a law that will help free Lone Star State businesses from the threat of frivolous lawsuits by enacting 'loser-pays' tort reform ... Texas-a trailblazer in pro-growth policies and, as a result, home to one of the nation's lowest unemployment rates and strongest business climates-has developed a model for reform, and its example should be replicated."
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ONE MORE - CLUB FOR CRUZ: Former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz has won the support of the Club for Growth in his bid for Kay Bailey Hutchison's Senate seat. Cruz was already gaining ground as the conservative dreamboat in the 2012 primary, and this should add an extra boost of momentum. Also helping Cruz: another activist favorite, Michael Williams, is planning to drop out of the GOP primary and run for the House. http://click.politicoemail.com/?qs=5e35899aa144c510cbbe9b0d70ef091777e339320ff12d887c3a0284a16bf9cd and
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FEINGOLD WATCH: The defeated senator is starting to act more like someone who wants to stay in the game. He'll be at the state Democratic convention in Milwaukee this weekend, and in a fundraising appeal Thursday Feingold said his new group - Progressives United - would back "every single Democratic candidate" in Wisconsin's recall elections." Of a possible 2012 Senate run, Feingold told the Journal Sentinel to look for a decision by Labor Day: "I feel I should take some time to think this through. For me the question right now is whether it's a good idea for me to go back into this sort of life."
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SENATOR WALKER? Not Scott - David. Former U.S. Comptroller David Walker, a prominent spokesman on debt reduction issues, is leaning toward running for Senate in Connecticut as a Republican. "Top Republican campaign officials, both nationally and in Connecticut, are encouraging him to run for Sen. Joe Lieberman's vacant seat," a person close to Walker told POLITICO's Matt Negrin. "Walker moved out of Mount Vernon, Va., for Bridgeport, Conn., last year and is registered as an independent."
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CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Trial or not, John Edwards is the Charlie Sheen of American politics - great hair and no chance for rehabilitation" - Jack Quinn, on the former VP candidate's imminent indictment
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