Subject: POLITICO’s Morning Score, presented by POWERJobs: The 2014 governors’ landscape— LCV will focus on Jolly in FL-13—The Walker scandal that wasn’t—Friday standings—DCCC outraises NRCC in Jan.—Wagner joins Pa. gov primary
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 04:52:56 -0600

POLITICO's Morning Score:

By Emily Schultheis ([email-masked]; Twitter: @emilyrs)

With Jose DelReal

THE BIG PICTURE-GOVERNORS LANDSCAPE: As governors descend on D.C. for the National Governors Association meeting this weekend, your Score correspondent looks at the 2014 gubernatorial map: "Of the Republican governors swept into office on the GOP wave of 2010, all of whom are now facing reelection, several are fighting uphill battles-and Democrats are confident they'll pick up at least some seats in November. Pennsylvania's Tom Corbett's approval rating stands in the 30s or even in the 20s in some polls; Maine's Paul LePage faces a three-way race with a strong Democratic recruit, and his penchant for gaffes hasn't helped; Florida's Rick Scott, despite having almost $25 million in the bank,
 is consistently down in the polls. But there are other reasons for the GOP to be optimistic about avoiding big losses in gubernatorial races. A trio of Midwestern governors who are high on Democrats' target lists-Wisconsin's Scott Walker, Ohio's John Kasich and Michigan's Rick Snyder-are posting big fundraising numbers, leading in the polls and facing Democratic opponents who are still relatively undefined and unknown." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4869d2780db38e94d3f1f9184102d8a294fb841bf5e2836041ef33339c5bda95 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4869d2780db38e94d3f1f9184102d8a294fb841bf5e2836041ef33339c5bda95 

FIRST IN SCORE-LCV NAMES JOLLY TO 'FLAT EARTH FIVE': The League of Conservation Voters is poised to get involved in the special election for Florida's 13th district, Score has learned. Next week, the group will name Republican David Jolly as the first member of its 2014 "Flat Earth Five" program, its list of targets among GOP House candidates who do not acknowledge evidence of climate change. In 2012, LCV targeted Reps. Dan Benishek (MI-01), Dan Lungren (CA-07), Joe Walsh (IL-08), Ann Marie Buerkle (NY-24) and Francisco Canseco (TX-23)-and four of the five candidates ended up losing their seats that year. LCV officials wouldn't comment on the amount they're planning to spend against Jolly
 yet-but in 2012, the group spent $3 million on this program as a whole. With all the outside money in and attention on the Florida race in its final weeks, LCV could have a big impact, depending on how much it spends.

MORE IN FL-13: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's latest ad in the race hits Jolly over his position on abortion: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4869d2780db38e94614d72b142d675029f09c20b6fc4f8e1a1e2795a46cc5faf 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4869d2780db38e94614d72b142d675029f09c20b6fc4f8e1a1e2795a46cc5faf 

THE WALKER SCANDAL SNOOZER: POLITICO's Elizabeth Titus looks at how the emails of Scott Walker's aides aren't grabbing the public's attention the way other politicians' scandals have: "A trove of the Wisconsin governor's aides' emails released this week so far appear to contain few of the elements of a career-damaging digital scandal. Instead, the most serious accusations involve campaign laws more likely to elicit yawns than outrage. Even ordering a public employee axed over shots of her in a thong got more eye-rolls than anything else. It's as if, to borrow from Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the controversies of recent years are defining digital deviancy down. Whereas once an embarrassing
 email could do some major damage, the Republican governor is following in the footsteps of pols who have raised the bar on what is truly shocking." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357dd954a1251ae20690499953aa9523efbe20ce25851a18730 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357dd954a1251ae20690499953aa9523efbe20ce25851a18730 

As Greg Abbott gets more heat for campaigning with Ted Nugent, an Olympic snowboarder endorses Mead Treadwell and Harry Reid likens himself to a pregnant high-jumper, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the 2014 midterms.

DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION: 256.

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Good Friday morning and welcome to Morning Score. As always, send your tips, thoughts, and suggestions to [email-masked] or tweet them to @emilyrs.

FRIDAY STANDINGS-Here&#39;s Morning Score&#39;s take on how some of the most important candidates, campaigns and political players should answer the question: Are you better off now than you were a week ago?

YES: (1) Chris Christie, who held his own at a town hall meeting Thursday without any mention of Bridgegate; (2) Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer, who got a lot of attention for his plans to spend big on midterm races across the country (3) Georgia GOP Gov. Nathan Deal, who will soon be getting help from a new super PAC launched to aid him in his reelection bid.

NO: (1) Scott Walker, who had to deal with headlines about the emails released in the John Doe investigation, despite the fact that they're unlikely to cause lasting controversy; (2) Michigan Democratic Rep. Gary Peters, who's now getting the AFP treatment in his Senate race; and (3) Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, whose gubernatorial campaign has dealt with the fallout from inviting Ted Nugent to campaign with him.

COMMITTEE FUNDRAISING NEWS-DCCC OUTRAISES NRCC: The DCCC outraised its Republican counterpart in January, according to figures from both committees. The DCCC brought in $6.8 million, compared with $6.1 million for the NRCC. Democrats have $32 million on hand, compared with $24 million for Republicans; neither committee has any remaining debt. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357960e65bfef288fcfdedb197bdb56e4ba484cf8656ccd15ce 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357960e65bfef288fcfdedb197bdb56e4ba484cf8656ccd15ce 

PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR-WAGNER GETS IN: An already huge Democratic primary field got bigger Thursday, when news broke that former state auditor general Jack Wagner is planning to run. He'll be the eighth candidate in the race to face off against GOP Gov. Tom Corbett; others in the race include Rep. Allyson Schwartz, state treasurer Rob McCord, businessman Tom Wolf and former state environmental protection secretary Katie McGinty. Wagner is the only candidate to hail from western Pennsylvania, with its vote-rich Pittsburgh area; he's known statewide but also lost the 2010 gubernatorial primary to Dan Onorato (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb126333579733c76907548d139444eaa82aff4f74433e23d28f4a4b55 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb126333579733c76907548d139444eaa82aff4f74433e23d28f4a4b55 ). McGinty got some big news Thursday as well: former Vice President Al Gore is backing her. As a former staffer for Gore, it's not surprising that McGinty got his support; in such a crowded field, it's one of the few things that could help set her apart (and help her raise money). 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb126333572af6bea7b3d19da247fe5824b86fde46b1e5294a2f715757 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb126333572af6bea7b3d19da247fe5824b86fde46b1e5294a2f715757 

CHRISTIE BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT: POLITICO'S Maggie Haberman reports from Chris Christie's first big public event since the Bridgegate press conference last month: "For 105 minutes, everything was right in Chris Christie's world. The New Jersey governor held court, theater-in the-round style, at his 110th town hall on Thursday, his first since his administration was rocked by scandal. ... This time, a more restrained Christie was on display. ... There were no questions about the federal or state legislative investigations into Bridgegate, the infamous traffic jam heard 'round the country that a handful of his aides set in motion in Fort Lee, N.J. last year. But that topic hovered over the
 forum - some 18 television cameras lined up to catch any Christie utterance about it - and was never far from the minds of reporters seated a few rows away from Christie. The event was the first extended interaction Christie had with voters since his marathon, two-hour press conference in January after he fired a top deputy whose emails revealed she'd ordered up &#39;traffic problems in Fort Lee.&#39;' 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357679308745c71dbf1ba82fe7ea80c83bf2c02dc02e910ff7f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357679308745c71dbf1ba82fe7ea80c83bf2c02dc02e910ff7f 

LIGHTER CLICK-Joe Newman, age 101, is planning to become the country's oldest congressional candidate when he launches a write-in campaign against GOP Rep. Vern Buchanan in FL-16. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357fa8f8b2556cf51735cb32d1be16e3ffd8d8ecaff7c1cc493 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357fa8f8b2556cf51735cb32d1be16e3ffd8d8ecaff7c1cc493 

ACROSS THE MAP-Quick takes from races around the country:

SENATE-

-IA-Sen: Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley became the first candidate in the Senate election to visit all of Iowa&#39;s 99 counties. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb126333579c502068fe2879c53056f47b527fc3788b4334214d15c855 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb126333579c502068fe2879c53056f47b527fc3788b4334214d15c855 

-MS-Sen: The Club for Growth is out with a new ad hitting incumbent GOP Sen. Thad Cochran over his vote to raise the debt ceiling. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357d5b193680e0fcf0ec7b2022b1741167dc6cd029bc28bd13b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357d5b193680e0fcf0ec7b2022b1741167dc6cd029bc28bd13b 

-AK-Sen: Olympic snowboarder Ryan Stassel is returning from Sochi to endorse Republican Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell in the Senate primary. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357eb56a1a48e5c045e15ba9e3968c2f58df0cdc18e18625b28 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357eb56a1a48e5c045e15ba9e3968c2f58df0cdc18e18625b28 

HOUSE-

-AR-01: Heber Springs Mayor Jackie McPherson, a Democrat, is running against GOP incumbent Rep. Rick Crawford. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357f796c7d14497ebc9a6a524366c4909ed2b54d473b8581047 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6e9224fb12633357f796c7d14497ebc9a6a524366c4909ed2b54d473b8581047 

-CA-35: State Sen. Norma Torres, a Democrat, will enter the race for the newly vacated seat. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa42ca8237bc5347af6e1239156375469cfb32fc10c6aed3bff 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa42ca8237bc5347af6e1239156375469cfb32fc10c6aed3bff 

-FL-19: Only three candidates turned in signatures to get on the ballot for the special election so far: Republican state Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, GOP businessman Curt Clawson, and Democrat April Freeman. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa474845cba13fb2ec10ba932c4c28b1d9962413daad262e0f3 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa474845cba13fb2ec10ba932c4c28b1d9962413daad262e0f3 

-ID-02: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed incumbent GOP Rep. Mike Simpson. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa481c780a7565e1881fe8bbd7ad0020ff03cb58b02ed6fb877 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa481c780a7565e1881fe8bbd7ad0020ff03cb58b02ed6fb877 

-CA-17: The San Jose Mercury News is calling on incumbent Democratic Rep. Mike Honda to debate his primary challenger, Ro Khanna. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa4d4db0c067cbb4d0eedb4ba00f046361a986648544e786902 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa4d4db0c067cbb4d0eedb4ba00f046361a986648544e786902 

GOVERNORS-

-IL-Gov: Illinois Freedom PAC is out with a second ad hitting Republican candidate Bruce Rauner: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa45e58a6732a5dba5ee4c1184c5028e85f4b6541413acbbe12 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa45e58a6732a5dba5ee4c1184c5028e85f4b6541413acbbe12 

-TX-Gov: Annie&#39;s List released a video attacking GOP candidate Greg Abbott for campaigning with rocker Ted Nugent. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa4df13e5cb143bac7e62559fd58397cead824627d0bd8116f4 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa4df13e5cb143bac7e62559fd58397cead824627d0bd8116f4 

-FL-Gov: RNC Co-chairwoman Sharon Day ripped into Democrat Charlie Crist, calling him a 'political opportunist' and a 'serial politician who can&#39;t be trusted.' 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa414f1ee42a9556b1ae257310e3e568b3d7cacf2fc55e6128b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa414f1ee42a9556b1ae257310e3e568b3d7cacf2fc55e6128b 

-PA-Gov: Democratic businessman Tom Wolf is out with another new ad, this one focusing on the state's lack of a natural gas extraction tax. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa4995c46967936f4c8b79e5dfbc8039aedf639b5c8a8d8987e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b1833e7708996aa4995c46967936f4c8b79e5dfbc8039aedf639b5c8a8d8987e 

CODA-QUOTE OF THE DAY: "It is hard to acknowledge a move that was comparable to a pregnant high jumper, but that is what my move was. It didn't go over very well." -Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, speaking about his 2011 efforts to ban legal prostitution in Nevada

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