Subject: Day Two of CPAC—Florida Republicans lament Jolly campaign failings—Friday standings—Sinema won’t switch districts in Ariz.—AAN launches $1 million buy in Ark., La., N.C.—YG Network begins $500k mail program against House Dems
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 04:59:01 -0600

By Emily Schultheis ([email-masked]; Twitter: @emilyrs) and Jose Del Real (
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] ; Twitter: @jdelreal)

FLORIDA RACE NOT SO JOLLY FOR GOP: POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt reports on the GOP's frustrations with Republican David Jolly&#39;s messy campaign operation in Florida's 13th Congressional District, ahead of the special election next Tuesday: "Over the past week, a half-dozen Washington Republicans have described Jolly's campaign against Democrat Alex Sink as a Keystone Cops operation, marked by inept fundraising, top advisers stationed hundreds of miles away from the district in the state capital and the poor optics of a just-divorced, 41-year-old candidate accompanied on the campaign trail by a girlfriend 14 years his junior. The sources would speak only on condition of anonymity. ... It is
 rare for party officials to criticize one of their own candidates, even anonymously, days before an election. One explanation may be so they can point to Jolly - as opposed to the national political mood or the ineffectiveness of attacks against Sink over her support for Obamacare - if he loses." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d3274aee22106ba31e4bd81ab0856f8227a69a06723c09c7d0b8b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d3274aee22106ba31e4bd81ab0856f8227a69a06723c09c7d0b8b 

DAY TWO OF CPAC-SPEECH HIGHLIGHTS FOR TODAY: 9 a.m.: Rick Perry ... 9:16 a.m.: John Cornyn ... 10:23 a.m.: Mike Huckabee ... 2:26 p.m.: Rick Santorum ... 2:51 p.m.: Rand Paul. And Saturday-12:45 p.m.: Newt Gingrich ... 12:58 p.m.: Ben Carson ... 1:12 p.m.: Jim DeMint ... 5:41 p.m.: 2016 straw poll results announced ... 6:03 p.m.: Sarah Palin. (Full schedule: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d32743810cab9fd8ecd2b71c47abf53d0849d1d9859d051ad53c5 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d32743810cab9fd8ecd2b71c47abf53d0849d1d9859d051ad53c5 )

GOP UP-AND-COMERS SEIZE CPAC SPOTLIGHT: POLITICO&#39;s Alexander Burns reports on the powerful national platform the conference can give to emerging conservatives: "At the Washington-area conservative gathering each year, the greatest share of attention typically goes to the presidential candidates-in-waiting - the senators and governors who walk the halls with small teams of aides and bodyguards, testing out the sales pitches they'll use during GOP primary season. A well-received speech can bring a burst of positive attention from national activists, or earn a second look from skeptical conservatives eyeing the 2016 field. To others at CPAC, a breakout performance can mean far, far more.
 For state legislators or constitutional officers, underdog candidates and upstart primary challengers, CPAC is a rare opportunity to put otherwise little-known names on the national map." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d3274f8924947fc471efa2c0670554ea5006c5484ced600eb1c69 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d3274f8924947fc471efa2c0670554ea5006c5484ced600eb1c69 

SCORE PREVIEW-AMERICAN BRIDGE'S CPAC MESSAGING: Yesterday it was the major Democratic campaign committees who dissed CPAC as a Republican sideshow bound to hurt the party in this year's midterms. Today, the pro-Democratic research group American Bridge is re-upping its GOP oppo website from 2012, "It's Not Just Akin," which tied GOP candidates to Todd Akin over his infamous "legitimate rape" comments. Now, the site is updated to include all the major CPAC 2014 speakers and their views on abortion and other women's issues. See the site: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d327480631303d32b1349f0207f2f4ad0a1b9825b8d3425a76b52 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d327480631303d32b1349f0207f2f4ad0a1b9825b8d3425a76b52 

FIRST IN SCORE-AMERICAN ACTION NETWORK RUNS MEDICARE ADS: The American Action Network will begin airing a series of Medicare-related ads across the country today against vulnerable Democrats. "For the second year in a row, the Obama admin has proposed deep rate cuts to Medicare Advantage," says a sample ad against Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, showing older women sitting in a doctor's office waiting room and watching Obama speak on a TV. "Call Sen. Pryor and tell him to fight the president's April 7 Medicare Advantage cuts." As POLITICO's James Hohmann reported, the total ad buy is $1 million and will target three incumbent Democratic senators: Pryor, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu and North
 Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan, as well as a half dozen House Democrats. Watch some of the ads: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d32743fcfd2776287278441c5994f1861a2d8fa25ac2eef35fe2f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d32743fcfd2776287278441c5994f1861a2d8fa25ac2eef35fe2f , 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d3274310c4b00c84a2bc5e8fdddad3a6c2a331827edac1987bfad 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d3274310c4b00c84a2bc5e8fdddad3a6c2a331827edac1987bfad , 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d3274c9174d1e192da919be70b985b4486a1598779afe8f671bc1 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d3274c9174d1e192da919be70b985b4486a1598779afe8f671bc1 

As CPAC heads into day two, Kyrsten Sinema stays put and Rick Perry learns that surgery and presidential bids don't mix, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the 2014 midterms.

DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION: 242.

**A message from POWERJobs: Jobs on our radar this week: Facilities Program Manager at METRO, Compliance Associate at MultiState Associates Inc. and Senior Web Developer at National Association of Home Builders. Interested? Apply to these jobs and more at www.POWERJobs.com; finally, a career site made for YOU!**

Good Friday morning and welcome to Morning Score. As always, send your tips, thoughts, and suggestions to 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[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 got a boost from his well-received CPAC speech yesterday; (2) Illinois businessman Bruce Rauner, who's up in the polls in the state's March 18 gubernatorial primary and just got endorsed by the Chicago Tribune; and (3) New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who surely feels better about the possibility of a Scott Brown Senate bid after the latest poll showing her with a big lead over him.

NO: (1) Florida Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson, who's been dealing with the fallout over accusations that he shoved his wife during an argument; (2) Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, for whom a comment about GOP Rep. Tom Cotton's "sense of entitlement" in an in-depth profile became a series of national headlines; and (3) Scott Walker and Jeb Bush, the two main 2016 GOP prospects who are missing out on the CPAC fun this year (after attending last year and in previous years).

SCORE EXCLUSIVE-YG NETWORK LAUNCHING $500K MAIL CAMPAIGN: The YG Network, an arm of the Young Guns movement, is launching a half-million-dollar direct mail campaign to oppose the Obama administration's proposed cuts to Medicare Advantage. The mailers will hit House Democrats in a handful of competitive districts, including Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01), Ron Barber (AZ-02), Patrick Murphy (FL-18), Joe Garcia (FL-26), John Tierney (MA-06), Richard Neal (MA-01), Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) and Ron Kind (WI-03). 'President Barack Obama & Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter Cut $716 Billion from Medicare,' one sample mailer reads. 'Now they want to keep cutting Medicare Advantage.' See the mailer: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d32747e1ce00433143b702b5676f8f9d0abd48e42b7823d3b8f55 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d32747e1ce00433143b702b5676f8f9d0abd48e42b7823d3b8f55 

CHRISTIE'S CPAC COMEBACK: POLITICO's Maggie Haberman and Elizabeth Titus look at how Chris Christie's well-received speech yesterday was a big contrast from last year's CPAC-and from the turmoil he's gone through over Bridgegate this year: "In 2013, Christie wasn't invited to the Conservative Political Action Conference partly because of his praise of President Barack Obama during the Hurricane Sandy crisis - an embrace some Republicans believed helped kill Republican nominee Mitt Romney's shot at the White House. But this year, the crowd in the ballroom swelled ahead of his speech, he got a standing ovation even before he started talking, and his first few sentences were punctuated by
 supportive catcalls from the audience. ... The New Jersey governor, who even in recent speeches has praised the concept of bipartisanship in his state, where Democrats control the legislature, used Thursday's forum to emphasize his conservative credentials instead." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d3274e867924eb6402a2ec3d3eb6d06fc398688312879cfd51e05 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c51b201db10d3274e867924eb6402a2ec3d3eb6d06fc398688312879cfd51e05 

SINEMA STAYING PUT: Freshman Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, up for reelection in Arizona's competitive 9th district, will run again in her current district rather than switch over to the safer 7th district, she announced Thursday. "I am flattered that some of my old neighbors and friends asked me to consider running for Congress in District 7. But I love my job representing the people of the 9th district and there is so much more to be done on behalf of the middle class," she wrote on her Facebook page. After the retirement of Democratic veteran Ed Pastor in the 7th district, reports surfaced that Sinema was thinking about swapping districts-and national Republicans put pressure on her to
 do so, with the NRCC running a radio ad and robocalls against her. Staying in the 9th district means Sinema will continue to be a top target for national Republicans. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a9da2a32d27626644d69e105da5706565eb7e7414d7202784d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a9da2a32d27626644d69e105da5706565eb7e7414d7202784d 

LIGHTER CLICK-PERRY's 2016 ADVICE: "I won't have major back surgery six weeks before the announcement," Texas Gov. Rick Perry joked Thursday on CNN's "The Lead." '...This was a very humbling experience for me. The fact is we go through humbling events in our lives. And that one certainly was. Anyone who watched that campaign knows it was a very humbling time for me. But that's not necessarily bad. I judge people on how do you react after a failure." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a9625c6815c19e87521429addbfeb06029dea2dfc4b80b7dd5 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a9625c6815c19e87521429addbfeb06029dea2dfc4b80b7dd5 

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

SENATE-

-MI-Sen: Michigan Democratic Rep. Gary Peters got a new campaign manager as his campaign against GOP candidate Terri Lynn Land heats up. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a926d1dcf0639e87a8248173443e53ab5eea212ca71280150a 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a926d1dcf0639e87a8248173443e53ab5eea212ca71280150a 

-NC-Sen: Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a tea party favorite, endorsed Senate candidate Greg Brannon in the GOP primary. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a9f68929be90e25f2b277a8287a4fca2d19859d5593f519583 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a9f68929be90e25f2b277a8287a4fca2d19859d5593f519583 

-NH-Sen: Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has a 13-point lead over former Sen. Scott Brown in a hypothetical match-up, 52 percent to 39 percent, according to a Suffolk University/Boston Herald poll. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a90a4192b038c68f65db5f7966437606d5328a255fd379794f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a90a4192b038c68f65db5f7966437606d5328a255fd379794f 

-KS-Sen: Incumbent GOP Sen. Pat Roberts only spent all or part of 65 days in his home state of Kansas last year, per the Washington Examiner. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a94347cff83e08f2185ad43f8b6ab05e0042ec256c6b523626 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a94347cff83e08f2185ad43f8b6ab05e0042ec256c6b523626 

-NE-Sen: FreedomWorks President Matt Kibbe said Republicans are looking at a "win-win" situation between GOP candidates Shane Osborn and Ben Sasse, even though FreedomWorks has endorsed Osborn. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a99bdb8c96513767cb9c0c2af426917fe6f1000a94a967dd5d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a99bdb8c96513767cb9c0c2af426917fe6f1000a94a967dd5d 

HOUSE-

-AZ-01: Democrats are hitting House Speaker Andy Tobin, a Republican, on his support for SB 1062, the unpopular "religious freedom" bill vetoed last week by Gov. Jan Brewer. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a9cdccdfc89d27a0ee5cc801ac31bc8ab7a0a80cfecbc82158 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a9cdccdfc89d27a0ee5cc801ac31bc8ab7a0a80cfecbc82158 

-CA-17: Democratic Rep. Mike Honda picked up an endorsement from the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a94224944b721968c0f699059e4d1afe654820b60013f4c28b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a94224944b721968c0f699059e4d1afe654820b60013f4c28b 

-CA-35: EMILY'S List endorsed Democratic state Sen. Norma Torres in the primary for retiring freshman Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod's seat. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a93ffa3301ff7c95c4ca4b47f2abe889791730b42117880a9e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5ae9c46d45e507a93ffa3301ff7c95c4ca4b47f2abe889791730b42117880a9e 

-NY-19: The NRCC has a new web ad out hitting Democratic candidate Sean Eldridge on his residency and political connections: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33a4b3a3874ea947e4ff3d5f8760a0925b242c0f44b99f84f2 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33a4b3a3874ea947e4ff3d5f8760a0925b242c0f44b99f84f2 .Meanwhile, Eldridge also faces an FEC complaint alleging he accepted an illegal in-kind donation from a nonprofit: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33e5b5ae67fbed524e7ff57c6cc6376fc5c4cd7e8737eb2d5f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33e5b5ae67fbed524e7ff57c6cc6376fc5c4cd7e8737eb2d5f 

-PA-09: Incumbent GOP Rep. Bill Shuster, facing a primary challenge from fellow GOPer Art Halvorson, is launching a month-long, $400,000 ad buy today: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33a1552bb1acf77ac49e276f59b9a6b730cb4f405d04580c6f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33a1552bb1acf77ac49e276f59b9a6b730cb4f405d04580c6f 

-TN-09: Attorney Ricky Wilkins will challenge incumbent Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen in the Democratic primary in Cohen's majority-black district. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc3382db50216632e68c8caac8b2eb8e1712441145493f2aab0e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc3382db50216632e68c8caac8b2eb8e1712441145493f2aab0e 

GOVERNORS-

-NY-Gov: GOP gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino officially launched his campaign in an event held outside the Bronx County Courthouse. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33384134dead3ea71c064f49c7985c9a51f661f24e3e6f468a 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33384134dead3ea71c064f49c7985c9a51f661f24e3e6f468a 

-WI-Gov: GOP Gov. Scott Walker plans to launch a $100,000 ad buy just as Democratic opponent Mary Burke begins airing her first TV ad Friday. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc3352e9de9c0c12333b6ed13505da9728ece4dde8cd4cee990e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc3352e9de9c0c12333b6ed13505da9728ece4dde8cd4cee990e 

-IL-Gov: The Chicago Tribune endorsed Bruce Rauner in the GOP primary with less than two weeks until election day. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33ad82dc1e70f9d71d83eabe0dd4b0a99f6e864cf6a397440d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33ad82dc1e70f9d71d83eabe0dd4b0a99f6e864cf6a397440d 

-More IL-Gov: Meanwhile, fellow GOP candidate Kirk Dillard is out with his first TV ad of the primary: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33e6f3d66eef851c8c5b28cd3adf782d9ec7a14d56e68e3ef4 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33e6f3d66eef851c8c5b28cd3adf782d9ec7a14d56e68e3ef4 

-MD-Gov: Both Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33b4e7da2c6984682b05ebec3613b4f4174875b21a98fa9acd 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc33b4e7da2c6984682b05ebec3613b4f4174875b21a98fa9acd ) and state Attorney General Doug Gansler (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc337114d4817393c08d9fa0169b8c96dbb0cb00447f2d5e9c92 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f86188771f18bc337114d4817393c08d9fa0169b8c96dbb0cb00447f2d5e9c92 ) released their first TV ads, both 60-second bio spots, in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

CODA-QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I&#39;ll go work at Wal-Mart. I've got to have a job." -90-year-old GOP Rep. Ralph Hall, on what he'll do if he loses his May runoff election to John Ratcliffe 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=23102d6d9cd3552fcee9a1acfb08b484a10b9d8d65ed2a2489c38d183f8fca00 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=23102d6d9cd3552fcee9a1acfb08b484a10b9d8d65ed2a2489c38d183f8fca00 

**A message from POWERJobs: Tap into the power of POWERJobs for the newest job opportunities in the Washington area from the area's top employers, including Deloitte, AIPAC and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Powered by names you trust - POLITICO, WTOP, WJLA/ABC-TV, NewsChannel 8 and Federal News Radio- POWERJOBS is the ultimate career site with more than 2 million job searches and nearly 17,000 applications submitted this year so far. Connect through Facebook or LinkedIn, search jobs by industry and set up job-specific email alerts using 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=23102d6d9cd3552ffe89135ccc88ffab26b1b2398b7b7bf344266ce22ab990d8 
www.POWERJobs.com , the site for Washington's top talent.**

Go to POLITICO Morning Score Now >> http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=23102d6d9cd3552f39833822252ad91ef13cf64bf7dd9a8c7f9ecd7aab7519e5

Go to this edition >> http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=23102d6d9cd3552fa198f212e54dcba6e50f84c5d5a47766aff4ecabd686d607

=================================

2014 POLITICO, LLC

POLITICO Morning Score.

To unsubscribe, http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=23102d6d9cd3552fc3193bf73c94f6561e210044c90b034daace812e836dc76d

=================================