Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score, presented by iHeart Media Inc Radio: Adelson, incumbents pony up — AFL-CIO hits mailboxes — ‘Debbie, you think I don’t know?’
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 08:03:12 -0600

By Elizabeth Titus

With Tarini Parti, James Hohmann and Alex Guillen

The following newsletter is an abridged version of Campaign Pro&#39;s Morning Score. For an earlier morning read on exponentially more races - and for a more comprehensive aggregation of the day&#39;s most important campaign news - sign up for Campaign Pro today. (
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SHOW ME THE MONEY - "Adelson cracks open checkbook for GOP," by POLITICO's Kenneth P. Vogel: "Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson has donated $10 million to a Karl Rove-backed outfit boosting Republican Senate candidates and promised a similar amount to an allied group focused on House races, POLITICO has learned. The check to the Rove-conceived Crossroads GPS and the pledge to American Action Network represent the first major foray into the 2014 congressional midterms by Adelson, according to multiple sources who travel in big-money GOP circles. ... The donation and pledge coincide with major media buys from Crossroads GPS and American Action Network. ... It's unclear how far a major
 influx of cash from Adelson would go at this late stage in the campaign, since much of the best stretch-run TV time has been purchased and that which remains is astronomically expensive. That's why the operatives who run Republican-allied outside groups for months had been traveling to Adelson's office in his Venetian resort hotel and casino on the Vegas strip to plead for big checks early in the cycle." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e42439bb6a8e859c60d8fd2d0e69219706a3735add870bd4eb008 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e42439bb6a8e859c60d8fd2d0e69219706a3735add870bd4eb008 

- "GOP senators pony up $3M for midterms," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett and John Bresnahan: "Republican senators this week pledged to transfer about $3 million from their campaign accounts to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a significant infusion of cash in the party's effort to flip the chamber in November. The commitment came during a GOP caucus lunch on Tuesday, sources said, and came after party leaders implored senators in July to pony up for the midterms. ... Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) and GOP Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee, Jeff Sessions of Alabama and John Thune of South Dakota pledged significant contributions, according to sources familiar with the
 lunch." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e424326974e45ca15c4cdd83dc9c5c2f9453cb2423a3e59652851 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e424326974e45ca15c4cdd83dc9c5c2f9453cb2423a3e59652851 

- "House Democrats, DNC Pledge Millions for Midterms," by Roll Call's Abby Livingston: "The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee picked up $1.7 million in member pledges at its quarterly caucus dinner Tuesday night. In addition, DCCC Chairman Steve Israel announced that the Democratic National Committee, an organization that struggled financially until this spring, had pledged to transfer $2 million to the DCCC for the midterms." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e4243c6432b537596def9bb28546c7b37df57a0b31f250fa176d0 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e4243c6432b537596def9bb28546c7b37df57a0b31f250fa176d0 

FIRST IN SCORE - AFL-CIO hits mailboxes: Voters in 10 states will soon see direct-mail pieces from the labor organization as it starts its 2014 program, the group said today. The gist: "The mail specifies the economic stakes this fall for all working people. The program is built on the trust and solidarity within unions and is designed to encourage voting even among working people who are discouraged by the weak economy. Subjects include the need for working people to vote to counteract corporate control of politics, hold accountable pro-Wall Street politicians, support public education and enable paid sick leave." See 20 of the pieces here, including the Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky and Michigan
 Senate races and the Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Michigan and Wisconsin gubernatorial races: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e4243ee59b52c8941dc34365f7a02569de0be5b07c5c5e2eea7e7 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e4243ee59b52c8941dc34365f7a02569de0be5b07c5c5e2eea7e7 

DeMaio adds another positive spot: Republican Carl DeMaio, running in California's 52nd District, is going up with an ad today that draws heavily on the U-T San Diego's editorial endorsing him this spring. It's his second ad of the general election. The buy is for at least 1,000 points on San Diego broadcast and cable over the next two weeks, his campaign said. SRCP Media is the ad maker. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e42430cc8b22357de37fc4ee840ba43f0976d28dbb3b503c8ea3f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e42430cc8b22357de37fc4ee840ba43f0976d28dbb3b503c8ea3f 

SNEAK PEEK - AARP unveils voter guide: The nonpartisan lobby for retirees, which says it "does not support or oppose any political candidates," will unveil its federal guide for the midterm elections today. It poses three questions on Social Security, Medicare and financial security to candidates in all 471 federal races: How would you protect Social Security? How would you put Medicare on stronger financial ground? And how would you help Americans save more to live independently later? Most of the responses are built around public campaign info. AARP did election-specific surveys this year in Arkansas, Illinois, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Anyone can
 enter their home address to see responses from general election candidates in the races they will vote on here: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e4243795211d5f80d2b023f0ee9e6cd53f376e04c6b085146a090 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e4243795211d5f80d2b023f0ee9e6cd53f376e04c6b085146a090 

As Mark Udall shares internals, Colorado governor goes to "tossup" and Twitter issues how-tos, here&#39;s POLITICO&#39;s Morning Score: your daily guide to the 2014 midterms.

Days until the election: 47.

Thanks for joining us. We're eager for your news and feedback. Email us at 
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** Did you know that iHeart Media radio stations reach over 245 million Americans each month? Now with our exclusive Audience Delivery Optimizer ('AuDiO'), iHeart Media can help you target voters with even more accuracy. Put AuDiO to work for you! For more information, contact Will Leaverton, VP Political Strategy, 
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TOP TALKER - "Democrats turn on Debbie Wasserman Schultz," by POLITICO's Edward-Isaac Dovere: "After the election, Obama's top political operatives - strategist David Plouffe, reelection campaign manager Jim Messina and then-DNC executive director Patrick Gaspard, now U.S. ambassador to South Africa - debated the decision of retaining her as DNC chair so intensely that there was already a replacement in mind: R.T. Rybak, the former mayor of Minneapolis and a DNC vice chairman. But there was nervousness about the optics of Obama dropping a woman from the party leadership. Plus, the sense internally was that they had originally picked her largely to help win the women's vote and avert
 problems with Jewish donors, and both had indeed happened, whatever the other problems. ...

"This year, Obama has taken a somewhat more active interest in the DNC, appearing at 20 fundraisers so far compared with only a handful previously, with two more planned in Washington this week and an 'intimate dinner' event next month at Gwyneth Paltrow's home in Los Angeles. In mid-June, he attended two in one afternoon in New York, including the DNC LGBT Gala. Wasserman Schultz waited until the end of the photo line to swoop in. 'Mr. President,' she said, according to people familiar with the encounter. 'I just want you to know, the DNC has retired its debt.' Obama looked at her. 'Debbie, you think I don't know?' he said. 'I'm the president of the United States.'" 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e42437a04424c6a049d3b39184d5c664868166235b9f873ac9a7c 
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AIR WARS CONT'D - Young cancels airtime in IA-03: Iowa Republican David Young&#39;s campaign went dark this week after going on air with its first spot last week, according to two sources tracking the air war. Young, who is facing Democrat Staci Appel to succeed GOP Rep. Tom Latham, reserved airtime and later canceled it. Young is going dark just as the NRCC hit the airwaves with its first positive of the cycle, featuring testimonials from Latham and Sen. Chuck Grassley. And today, the NRCC is going up with another spot to run alongside the first - an attack ad suggesting Appel supports "passports for terrorists" (backstory: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e424355be40d3939feb88644704db80c7c344f2f8f7a0e3414d6b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e424355be40d3939feb88644704db80c7c344f2f8f7a0e3414d6b ). 
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Green group runs Colorado GOTV ads: Defend Our Future, the get-out-the-vote campaign in Colorado on which the Environmental Defense Fund is spending $2 million, will spend $450,000 of that on digital ads. The ads will appear to Colorado users on sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and are 'specifically designed to attract the attention of millennials,' according to Alicia Prevost, who is running the campaign for EDF. The spots are nonpartisan but urge viewers to pledge their votes 'to cut pollution and help solve climate change.' The campaign also has organizers on the ground at Colorado State University and University of Colorado-Boulder. Defend Our Future is the pilot project for
 what could become more national get-out-the-vote initiatives, and builds on the idea that younger voters, whatever their party affiliation, are more likely to vote green. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e424334fd80253c6ff258cad705fb27f2df220b90f8ec0608dd4d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e424334fd80253c6ff258cad705fb27f2df220b90f8ec0608dd4d 

RATINGS CHANGES: Sabato's Crystal Ball moved Minnesota Senate to "likely Democratic" from "leans Democratic," North Carolina Senate to "leans Democratic" from "tossup" and New Hampshire Senate to "leans Democratic" from "likely Democratic." It also moved these gubernatorial races: Colorado to "tossup" from "leans Democratic," Idaho to "likely Republican" from "safe Republican," New Mexico to "safe Republican" from "likely Republican" and Pennsylvania to "likely Democratic" from "leans Democratic." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e4243f0a33701655ab1b5cd1ca121e0b481b66c1b652102b85f4e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e4243f0a33701655ab1b5cd1ca121e0b481b66c1b652102b85f4e 

STATE OF THE ART - "The breakout star of the 2014 primaries is not a candidate," by the Washington Examiner's Ashe Schow: "Those following election night coverage on the Internet this primary season may have noticed that a newcomer - the Ace of Spades Headquarters Decision Desk (that's @AOSHQDD on Twitter) - often tallied the votes faster and called the results sooner than the Associated Press. The Decision Desk, run by blogger Brandon Finnigan as an extension of the conservative Ace of Spades blog, began as an idea a decade ago. In 2004, Finnigan was attending college and watching the election night results between President George W. Bush and then-Sen. John Kerry. ... 'Maybe they just
 have a method that they've used for so long that no one's considered that there might be another way to get these numbers faster,' Finnigan said. 'And since no one's ever challenged them, it just keeps being the same thing.' It would be seven years before Finnigan would revisit the idea." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e4243d6b808bf68d422fe82d72b3a9ff135f162edd6f77667a390 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e4243d6b808bf68d422fe82d72b3a9ff135f162edd6f77667a390 

"Twitter's new guide for campaigners," by POLITICO's Darren Samuelsohn: "The 137-page report is Twitter's first comprehensive publication that puts in place the basics on everything from setting up an account (believe it or not, there are still a few stragglers in Congress) to the best way to get a retweet (post a photo). It also gives campaigners hints on what kinds of messages can break through the clutter, namely by giving authentic and behind-the-scenes glimpses of what it's like to serve in office. Two examples: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during Hurricane Sandy posted a photo on Twitter of him speaking by phone with President Barack Obama and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) telling
 his followers how he had hit a deer on the road." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e42434d6a41877e4ba4cfdeffba80891e075f5a03fc48ed4141fc 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e42434d6a41877e4ba4cfdeffba80891e075f5a03fc48ed4141fc 

A GLIMPSE OF THE GOP'S COMING URBAN REVIVAL? In the newest installment of POLITICO Magazine's "What Works" series, Ethan Epstein, a writer for The Weekly Standard, writes that Mesa, Arizona, is just one of several places where Republicans are creating a new model of conservatism for the post-tea party era. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e424337294570c1d830482c8153e3df39d13812b05d00b234b97f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=2eac7d1dda2e424337294570c1d830482c8153e3df39d13812b05d00b234b97f .

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Just bereft of humor." - A pessimistic source in Elizabeth Wilner's latest Cook Political Report column on the fall TV programming that will accompany homestretch political ads. 
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** Radio is still 'King of the Road!' According to the Wall Street Journal, 86% of Americans listen to radio when they are in the car. The average American listens to three hours of radio a day! Moreover, radio reaches every key target at scale! Over 90% of moms, Hispanics, African Americans and millennials listen to radio every week.

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