Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score: McConnell, Paul silent on Kentucky primary — Report: Baron Hill running for Senate — Christie hires two top campaign aides
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 May 2015 08:03:00 -0600

By 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. (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2644eb1f8919314f975dbf128e9d8d5c2e36be315afd39b20 
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DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME - It's the final weekend in the Kentucky GOP gubernatorial primary. Here's Friday's big news:

- "McConnell, Paul lay low in Kentucky primary," by Campaign Pro's Kyle Cheney in Louisville: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd20d00a7cdb7d966547ce5af658e671c82548f838f09c8a7ec 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd20d00a7cdb7d966547ce5af658e671c82548f838f09c8a7ec 

- "Heiner ad calls out Comer, Bevin for scoring &#39;political points&#39; on Comer abuse charges," by Kyle Cheney in Louisville: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2dc5b56c6985947a7be5585ff85297e36ff6ad61fb8daa432 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2dc5b56c6985947a7be5585ff85297e36ff6ad61fb8daa432 

- "Republican candidates play nice while honing their closing arguments," by the Lexington Herald-Leader's Sam Youngman: "Weeks of mudslinging and controversy took a back seat Thursday night as the four Republican candidates for governor laid out their closing arguments just days before Kentuckians are set to go to the polls. The candidates, speaking at the Jefferson County Lincoln Day Dinner in downtown Louisville, combined their standard stump speeches with arguments about why they and not their opponents are uniquely suited to defeat likely Democratic nominee Jack Conway in the fall election. It was a peaceful affair, considering the tenor of the campaign." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2d610d9cf66a47327ccb2d4e0e33ee3c946ddce6ec6a4447c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2d610d9cf66a47327ccb2d4e0e33ee3c946ddce6ec6a4447c 

- "10 percent voter turnout predicted in Kentucky Tuesday," by the Herald-Leader's Jack Brammer: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd28d35f04ed3a913aecfcae8424562d59812a88bf330420705 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd28d35f04ed3a913aecfcae8424562d59812a88bf330420705 

SENATE RACE RUMBLES -

- "Baron Hill says he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2016," by the Columbus (Ind.) Republic's Mark Webber: Former Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind.) "told Democrats at the annual Bartholomew County Jefferson Jackson Dinner that he plans to run for the U.S. Senate in 2016. 'I want to be your next Senator,' Hill told a crowd of nearly 200 people [Thursday night]. The announcement ends speculation that he will run for governor next year. A formal announcement will be made before the start of the summer, Hill said." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2d9edeaedf958a6c868da55f9917f2d2dab6a4d0269063caa 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2d9edeaedf958a6c868da55f9917f2d2dab6a4d0269063caa 

- "Russ Feingold running for Wisconsin Senate," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "Former Sen. Russ Feingold said Thursday he would seek a rematch with Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson in a race crucial to Democrats' hopes to win back the Senate in 2016. Feingold spent 18 years representing Wisconsin in the Senate before losing to Johnson, a tea party-affiliated businessman, by five percentage points in 2010. But the Democrat starts the 2016 race with an apparent advantage over Johnson: A Marquette Law School poll last month found Feingold earning 54 percent of the vote, to 38 percent for the incumbent. 'Let's fight together for change,' Feingold says in an announcement video filmed at his
 home in Middleton, Wis. 'That means helping to bring back to the U.S. Senate strong independence, bipartisanship and honesty. So, today, I'm pleased to announce I'm running for the U.S. Senate in 2016.'" 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd204e13f70a8da0988c745242c3482d44ad5ebb4810d7e94f3 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd204e13f70a8da0988c745242c3482d44ad5ebb4810d7e94f3 

- "Russ Feingold and His Ghosts," by WisPolitics.com editor JR Ross, in POLITICO Magazine: "The Russ Feingold of 2016 will face a much better environment than the Russ Feingold of 2010. But can he find the magic he had in 2004, 1998 or 1992 without seeming dated? ... As Wisconsin insiders size up the race, they see several things that will play in Feingold's favor: He has a Democratic base that's already fired up for his comeback, the state is much more Democratic in presidential elections than off years and Johnson has largely failed to connect with the moderate voters he'll need to have a shot in 2016." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd25c1383bad1617952100ece004e86a713699b61f1bdb45160 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd25c1383bad1617952100ece004e86a713699b61f1bdb45160 

- "Sanchez launches California Senate campaign," Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd237ef9bf56f399df25526dd20909918e62e45a623695b24d4 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd237ef9bf56f399df25526dd20909918e62e45a623695b24d4 

- "Sittenfeld tacks left in Ohio Senate primary," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd280ac1b0584ee0244a076fc044f8cd39fa25fdd3f04a81f6d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd280ac1b0584ee0244a076fc044f8cd39fa25fdd3f04a81f6d 

- "[Sittenfeld] backs pot legalization," by the Toledo Blade's Jim Provance in Columbus: "Sittenfeld said Thursday he does not like everything about the marijuana legalization proposal likely headed for the November ballot, but he will vote for it if it's the only choice. Following a speech on the Statehouse steps to present himself as the proudly liberal Democrat alternative to the party's endorsed candidate, former Gov. Ted Strickland, the Cincinnati city councilman gave a weak endorsement of the proposed Responsible Ohio constitutional amendment. 'I look at the current laws around marijuana, and I see brutal drug dealers and cartels make billions of dollars,' he said. 'That money could
 be going to building roads and bridges. I look at folks who have cancer or Alzheimer's who need the palliative care." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd279fa3a520d58baf9b481f392e9e6858b3c8ab2a7879abbc9 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd279fa3a520d58baf9b481f392e9e6858b3c8ab2a7879abbc9 

As Dems gripe about Hillary and the Frank Guinta fallout continues, here&#39;s Campaign Pro's Morning Score: daily news, notes and essential information for the 2015 and 2016 election cycles.

Days until the 2015 election: 173; Days until the 2016 election: 544.

Thanks for joining us - it's been a privilege guiding you through the week in politics. Please congratulate 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2a9e7b6cf1fe4742640b304833a78e008ded9bfca8290cdf4 
@ec_schneider  on her Cubbies' four-game-series sweep over my Mets - and her restraint in not gloating about it. Email tips or condolences at 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] , or find me on Twitter at 
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@POLITICO_Steve .

2016 IN 2 MINUTES -

- "The POLITICO Caucus: Dems say Hillary must campaign more," by POLITICO's James Hohmann and Katie Glueck: "Four in 10 Democratic insiders in the early states warn that Hillary Clinton is not spending enough time on the campaign trail, making her vulnerable to possible challenges from the left and dampening the enthusiasm of progressives who are already committed to her. The POLITICO Caucus - our weekly bipartisan pulse-taking of the most important activists, operatives and elected officials in Iowa and New Hampshire - also finds Democrats almost evenly divided over whether Clinton needs to take a firmer position on the trade battle that's gripped Washington this week, but many approve of
 Bill Clinton's efforts to be a more silent partner in his wife's campaign." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2be4c9ea1d03642fbc279df3e08961771d77d4e376d661f01 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2be4c9ea1d03642fbc279df3e08961771d77d4e376d661f01 

- "Bush backpedals amid Iraq furor," by POLITICO's Eli Stokols in Tempe, Ariz.: "After three days of hemming and hawing about his brother's decision to go to war in Iraq, Jeb Bush finally came up with a clear answer: 'Knowing what we know now, I would not invade.' Only days earlier, Bush was aggressively dismissing 'hypothetical' questions about the war in an effort to end the first real controversy enveloping his likely White House run - even saying it would be 'a disservice' to Iraq veterans to address those questions at all." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2710b36d76f4d2823fe73c0f33208e774d86093ae2beb0e6b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2710b36d76f4d2823fe73c0f33208e774d86093ae2beb0e6b 

- "Christie shrugs off doubts, hires two top campaign aides," by POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt: "Despite sagging poll numbers and lingering fallout from the Bridgegate scandal, Chris Christie continues to take steps to run for president in 2016. The New Jersey governor has made two new hires for his prospective campaign, bringing on Tom Dickens to serve as his national field director and Hayden Stone to be his national director of data and analytics, according to a source familiar with the moves." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd20762bf7f964aeeaad6b55367b273be54735e5ee14c3caada 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd20762bf7f964aeeaad6b55367b273be54735e5ee14c3caada 

- "Stephanopoulos says he should not have donated to Clinton Foundation, will not moderate GOP debate," by POLITICO's Dylan Byers: "George Stephanopoulos says he should not have donated money to the Clinton Foundation and that he will not moderate the ABC News-sponsored Republican primary debate in February after failing to disclose those contributions. In an interview with POLITICO on Thursday, Stephanopoulos said that while he made the donations 'for the best reasons,' he now realizes he should not have given. 'In retrospect, I probably shouldn&#39;t have, even though I did it for the best reasons,' he said. Stephanopoulos also said that, contrary to earlier reports, he has given a total
 of $75,000 to the Clinton Foundation. That figure represents charitable contributions of $25,000 in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2fe2c8bbe1d34e68aa3b159222a5d518d49401393a1bd69bb 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd2fe2c8bbe1d34e68aa3b159222a5d518d49401393a1bd69bb 

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I'm not scared. Do I look scared?" - Johnson, commenting on Feingold's announcement in an interview with POLITICO's Burgess Everett. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd204e13f70a8da0988c745242c3482d44ad5ebb4810d7e94f3 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd204e13f70a8da0988c745242c3482d44ad5ebb4810d7e94f3 

BONUS CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "We are a unique family." - Guinta's explanation to the Union Leader for the financial arrangement with his parents at the heart of his FEC settlement. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd267c7770dff45e5f007fa0c9115d3fba83bac70822b61a500 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f55a26b324fdebd267c7770dff45e5f007fa0c9115d3fba83bac70822b61a500 

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