Subject: POLITICO’s Morning Score: A potential Toomey challenger opens up -- How Mitt Romney got to ‘no’ -- Strickland still weighing Senate bid
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2015 09:02:05 -0600

By Kyle Cheney

With Sandhya Raman and Steven Shepard

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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TODAY ON CAMPAIGN PRO - Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes discusses potential challenge to Sen. Pat Toomey: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf510690edd4a0f51e7cec9506c7a6bfddbc985ae55dc06b29 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf510690edd4a0f51e7cec9506c7a6bfddbc985ae55dc06b29 

ZWICK EMAIL: AMERICA MISSED OUT ON ROMNEY - Spencer Zwick, who played a key role in organizing the donor meeting that thrust Mitt Romney back into the presidential conversation, had some wistful words for his allies after Romney pulled out of contention Friday. In a Saturday letter to supporters, obtained by Campaign Pro, Zwick thanked Romney supporters and added, "It should not come as a surprise to you that while I certainly support Governor Romney's decision [Friday] not to run for president in 2016, I also feel that our country has missed out on an opportunity to see the sweeping, positive effects of a true leader." He then links to an article by another top Romney adviser, Stuart
 Stevens, posted by the Daily Beast, which he called an "accurate portrayal" of Romney's decision against running. The article: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf900384eb69b32e26bbc068d443d67413a8430750c08c14d7 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf690057060f99b6fce7a143cad689262f1d164316cc081902 

-- "How Romney got to 'no,'" by POLITICO's James Hohmann, with Ben White and Katie Glueck: "There was no one moment or factor that changed the Republican's mind, according to interviews with more than a dozen people who have been in touch with Romney since he announced to a group of donors early this month that he was seriously interested in a 2016 bid. It was, by all accounts, a gradual process. A clear-eyed Romney approached the deliberations like the former Bain Capital executive he is, encouraged by the warm response he got on the campaign trail in 2014 but fully aware of the difficult path forward and the indignities that come with running for president. 
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As Scott Walker vaults to the fore and the GOP kicks pot policy to the states, here&#39;s POLITICO&#39;s Morning Score: daily news, notes and essential information for the 2015 and 2016 election cycles.

Days until the 2015 election: 274; Days until the 2016 election: 645

Thanks for joining us. We're eager for your news and feedback. Email us at 
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kyledcheney .

STRICKLAND STILL ON THE FENCE - A source familiar with former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's thinking say he's still actively weighing a Senate bid but has not yet committed to running against GOP Sen. Rob Portman in 2016, despite a published report that he's decided to mount a bid. The Vindicator of Youngstown, Ohio, reported Friday that Strickland told allies Thursday he's jumping in the race and plans a mid-February announcement. The report has made the rounds on social media and news aggregation sites, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee issued a statement hitting Strickland's "misguided policies and failed leadership" during his one term in Columbus.

-- In fact, the NRSC is planning another volley today, highlighting the voices of other Democrats who have discussed reservation about a potential return to the spotlight for Strickland.

RACE TO NOVEMBER (2015) - Republican Hal Heiner's up with another early ad in the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear. the ad hits the Obama administration for a "war on coal," hearkening to themes that helped Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell win reelection last year. The ad calls Heiner, a former Louisville Councilman a "Frankfort outsider" and highlights his business career. The ad is airing in the Lexington, Louisville, Bowling Green and Eastern Kentucky (which includes 20 counties in Kentucky's Appalachia region) broadcast markets. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf5b958803dcfc90d032008bf4f81bd59591fbddc7087bae34 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf5b958803dcfc90d032008bf4f81bd59591fbddc7087bae34 

2016 DEMS - "Iowa Dems high and dry as Hillary decides," by POLITICO's Ben Schreckinger: "Democrats are beginning to worry that Hillary Clinton is creating a drought in Iowa. A year out from the Iowa caucus, some party members fret that Hillary Clinton's dominance in the Democratic field will leave the party high and dry as the campaign season intensifies. A lack of competition within the party may hurt fundraising and makes it hard to develop the new blood that often grows out of highly competitive races, some party activists say. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caff9768c726adfd85ac0673dc0f02673e0d71187e655573689 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caff9768c726adfd85ac0673dc0f02673e0d71187e655573689 

MORE 2016 GOP - "Scott Walker's big week," by Jonathan Topaz: "The Wisconsin governor has scored rave reviews for a major speech in Des Moines, soared to the top of the polls with Iowa caucus voters and is making the rounds in Washington while assembling a likely 2016 campaign. Thanks to Mitt Romney's decision not to seek the White House, Walker now finds himself in prime position to compete for the 2012 Republican nominee's endorsement and the donors who would have backed him .. [S]everal Iowa Republicans have told POLITICO that, particularly following eight years of former Sen. Barack Obama running the country, they would prefer a governor in the White House. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf68c90fbd7131eb7e10894d336ad67ad2aea1921bdbe95f00 
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-- "Jeb's big test," by Ben White and Anna Palmer: "If the former Florida governor can scoop up many of Romney's big donors, he would set himself up as the dominant front-runner in the establishment wing of the party - and make life much more difficult for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ... While Christie has not formed a super PAC yet, he will also be under pressure to post a large first quarter haul for his leadership PAC. Christie has already been able to pick off some of Romney's supporters, including Ray Washburne, a Dallas-area bundler and former Republican National Committee finance chairman ... Romney was scheduled to dine with Christie on Friday night. But the engagement was
 scheduled before Romney's announcement and was not meant to signal any kind of endorsement, people familiar with the matter said.

"Several donors said that Romney's withdrawal could help other candidates besides Bush. Marco Rubio, for one, might get a fresh look: The Florida senator has made the rounds on Wall Street and enjoys support from Blackstone Group executive Wayne Berman, among others ... In addition to Romney giving Bush the brush-off on Friday, there is also the question of whether prominent bundlers will be wary of getting lost inside the Bush juggernaut, where they might not enjoy top-dog status." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf43cc3b10408c2b034a5a2c8f8199e31d178fbd31080ad315 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf43cc3b10408c2b034a5a2c8f8199e31d178fbd31080ad315 

"Jindal to rename PAC, ramp up cash quest," by POLITICO's Katie Glueck: "Bobby Jindal plans to rebrand and ramp up his fundraising efforts in the coming months as he eyes a presidential bid. The Louisiana Republican governor will change the name of his federal political action committee, currently called 'Stand up to Washington,' to match that of a super PAC that's already in place to back his potential 2016 run. Both entities will soon be called 'Believe Again,' according to an adviser." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf8fe3820555375bdaae345641ae2d6d59f045977740d12e8a 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf8fe3820555375bdaae345641ae2d6d59f045977740d12e8a 

POLICY POLITICS - "Is pot the new gay marriage for the GOP?" by POLITICO's Jonathan Topaz: "[M]ost Republicans would rather not talk about it, except to punt to the states. But when it comes to the 2016 presidential race, a series of legalization ballot initiatives - and a certain outspoken Kentucky senator - could make it harder for the Republican field to avoid the conversation. When asked to articulate their positions on recreational marijuana, several potential GOP 2016 candidates have tried to strike a tricky balance: stress the downsides of pot use and the upsides of states' rights." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7ea603394f9caf1d57901555c65978c8ccb1fee4fc75203680580a769bb12c 
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CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY:  "I essentially said that the potential contributors should not risk making an enemy of the state treasurer." - Pennsylvania state Treasurer Rob McCord, who resigned Friday and said he'd plead guilty to illegal efforts to raise campaign contributions for his 2014 gubernatorial campaign.

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