Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score, presented by Sinclair Broadcast Group: REPUBLICAN CONVENTION STARTS TODAY — Speakers, events line-up — Digging into Q2 FEC numbers — Senate Republicans outpolling Trump in swing seats
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2016 08:04:06 -0600

By Elena Schneider | 07/18/2016 10:00 AM EDT

With Kevin Robillard and Theodoric Meyer 

The following newsletter is an abridged version of Campaign Pro's Morning Score. For an earlier morning read on exponentially more races - and for a more comprehensive aggregation of the day's most important campaign news - sign up for Campaign Pro today. (http://www.politicopro.com/proinfo)

CONVENTION CLOCK: ZERO - "Make America ___ Again" themed daily events, speakers: The 2016 Republican National Convention is here, and the program schedule in Cleveland has finally, at practically the last possible moment, been released. The convention schedule and daily headliners: Monday: Make America Safe Again ... Headliners: Melania Trump, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke, and Jason Beardsley. Also speaking: former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, actor Scott Baio, Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, Sen. Tom Cotton, Sen. Jeff Sessions and Rudy Giuliani, among others.

- Tuesday: Make America Work Again ... Headliners: Donald Trump Jr., West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, Ben Carson and Kimberlin Brown. Also speaking: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, among others.

- Wednesday: Make America First Again ... Headliners: Lynne Patton; Eric Trump; Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista; and Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Also speaking: Radio host Laura Ingraham, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Newt and Callista Gingrich, among others.

- Thursday: Make America One Again ... Headliners: Peter Thiel, Tom Barrack, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6830cd3b76c31ceac966547f26488d1c3518c83e38e8b030524c81d351cf9b52 

FEC CHART - See who raised what in the House battlegrounds in our Q2 FEC table: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6830cd3b76c31ceab62070f5ca71f5c385f0cf035aedc0f06a13fdebcee3ae5d

"DONALD WHO?" - "Vulnerable Senate Republicans outpolling Trump," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Kevin Robillard: "Top Republicans have an unusual argument underpinning their quest to keep the Senate: that presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, whose mere tweets generate their own national news cycles, will have virtually no effect on how voters consider down-ballot Republican candidates this fall. ... Instead of pouring energy into running as a ticket or even actively repelling Trump, most Republican Senate candidates are focusing on local strategies and topics - health care in Arizona, water in Nevada, national defense in North Carolina, and fighting heroin addiction in
 Ohio."

- "So far, the divide is holding. Sen. Marco Rubio polls about 5 percentage points ahead of Trump in Florida, Sen. Rob Portman is 4 points up on him in Ohio, and Sen. Pat Toomey has a 6-point edge over the nominee in Pennsylvania, according to RealClearPolitics rolling averages. Those numbers alone wouldn't guarantee Republicans stay in the majority, but they certainly don't yet point to the sweeping losses that Democrats believe are brewing. ... Patient Democrats privately admit that the looming anti-Trump wave won't crest until September, when the campaigns really kick into gear. And publicly, they say the GOP tactics of trying to localize races and break with their party's standard
 bearer smacks of Democrats' own ineffective campaign strategy in 2014." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6830cd3b76c31cea21848d1a14f5608cce28151b7e07d58497b3f0e19504e4ff 

Days until the 2016 election: 112. Days until the Democratic National Convention: 7.

Thank for joining us. You can email tips to the whole Campaign Pro team at [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked] and [email-masked].

You can also follow us on Twitter, where we tweet a lot about campaigns and occasionally about politically passionate millennials starring in a reality show in Washington, D.C., because why: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @theodoricmeyer and @maggieseverns.

CHANGE OF HEART - "Ron Johnson to speak at GOP convention after all," by POLITICO's Seung Min Kim: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6830cd3b76c31cea44689e196f28fd9b35305318dcb0822dce7f95820e3b4ab5

** A message from Sinclair Broadcast Group: Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest and most diversified television broadcasting company in the country today, delivers not only TV, the primary medium for reaching potential voters, but also targetable digital (mobile, video, email, social media and native) ad solutions. Contact Alan Brittan @ 703-236-9673. Sinclair, busy - Making Political Ads Work! **

- CALL THE ROLL -  "GOP lawmakers skip Cleveland for fly-fishing, farming and haircuts," by POLITICO's Seung Min Kim and Rachael Bade: "Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) jokes he'll be getting his hair done. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) will be fly-fishing with his wife instead of joining the Donald Trump coronation. And Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) says conventions aren't his thing, so he might use the coming week to irrigate his ranch. A noticeably large number of Republicans from Capitol Hill won't be on hand in Cleveland as the convention kicks off Monday. Many of the no-shows are locked in competitive races and would rather use the time to campaign back home. ... House insiders predict just
 under 200 Republicans from their 247-member conference will attend. Meanwhile, well over a dozen Senate Republicans are saying 'no, thanks' to the Cleveland festivities." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6830cd3b76c31cea102c71eb35ae8f7903c3e0c7710f8f239408f5fe42a1a1c9 

VEEPSTAKES - "Tim Kaine as vice president? That would leave a key opening in the Senate," by the Washington Post's Jenna Portnoy: "Top Democratic possibilities include sitting congressmen such as Don Beyer, Robert C. 'Bobby' Scott or Gerald E. Connolly. Others say Attorney General Mark R. Herring or Brian Moran, a member of McAuliffe's cabinet, would be smart choices. If McAuliffe decides to nominate a placeholder who would not seek election, former governor L. Douglas Wilder or recently retired Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim are good options, experts say. However, that move would rob the eventual candidate of the advantage of incumbency. Potential Republican candidates in 2017 would likely
 include former attorney general Ken Cuccinelli II, Rep. Rob Wittman or Rep. Barbara Comstock. And Rep. Dave Brat, the tea party hero who ousted Majority Leader Eric Cantor two years ago, told CNN that he would consider a run if Kaine's runs." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6830cd3b76c31ceac91e5319b29411af0a5b0ccba0c8158214255055aa1ed4a4

NEW THIS MORNING - Ohio Sen. Rob Portman's campaign is out with a $100,000 digital attack ad buy during the RNC's convention, calling Democrat Ted Strickland as "Cleveland's Biggest Enemy." The ad "features Ted Strickland's own comments about Cleveland, referring to Cleveland as its own worst enemy, and highlights how Strickland was called the worst governor for Cleveland in a lifetime," per a statement from the campaign. Watch the ad here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6830cd3b76c31cea6312277dc02cd9a5cfec545de3013461af58daaf6b041cbe 

- Senate Majority PAC reserves Ohio TV during convention: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6830cd3b76c31cea0569b779de0a4a3f25f5a2509aa5daf3448243887e063cb8

LATE-ARRIVING SENATE FUNDRAISING NUMBERS - In Nevada ... Republican Rep. Joe Heck raised $1.8 million in the second quarter, with just under $4.8 million. Heck has an approximately $1.3 million cash advantage over Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto, who has $3.4 million in the bank. 

- In Iowa ... Iowa Democrat Patty Judge has just $228,000 on hand for her challenge to GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley, after raising $502,000 in the second quarter, according to an FEC filing. Grassley has $5.9 million on hand after raising nearly $2 million in the second quarter.

- In California ... California Attorney General Kamala Harris raised $2.8 million in the second quarter, according to a statement from the campaign. Harris's campaign finishes the quarter with $2.75 million in cash on hand, a strong showing after her campaign initially struggling to rein in spending.

- PRIMARY WATCH - In FL-02 ... Republican Mary Thomas raised $267,000 in the second quarter, finishing with $459,000 in cash on hand, per the campaign FEC filing. Republican Neal Dunn raised $288,000 in the second quarter, ending with $313,000 in cash on hand, per the campaign FEC filing. 

JUDGE REPLACES CAMPAIGN MANAGER AS FUNDRAISING STRUGGLES - Patty Judge has demoted Sam Roecker to deputy campaign manager and hired Joe Fox to lead her campaign. Roecker will continue to head up the campaign's communications, research and digital operations. The switchover might be connected to the paltry $228,000 Judge has on hand at the end of the second quarter. 

EVENTS ON EVENTS IN CLEVELAND, IF YOU'RE AROUND - ALERT: Playbook Breakfast is live each morning at the RNC in Cleveland! Join POLITICO's Mike Allen, Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman as they take on House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, the NRSC's Ward Baker, the NRCC's Rob Simms and more at the POLITICO Hub - 925 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Learn more: politi.co/29UTSpZ. Sponsored by Bank of America.

- AND MORE EVENTS - Join Playbook authors Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer to open the POLITICO Hub in Cleveland. They'll start the night with Kristin Soltis Anderson, Cavalry's Josh Holmes, Funny or Die's Brad Jenkins and MTV News' Ana Marie Cox talking millennials and the election. Stick around after for cocktails, conversation and live viewing from the floor. Tonight, 5pm, POLITICO Hub at 925 Euclid St. (9TH and Euclid) politi.co/29Hc4mv

- EVENT ALERT: Join Nancy Scola and POLITICO on Tuesday, July 19th at the RNC for Digital Campaigns: How can republicans win with tech? 12pm, POLITICO Hub (925 Euclid Ave.), #DigitalCampaigns. To register and learn more about RNC and DNC events click here. This event is sponsored by Microsoft.

- EVENT ALERT: POLITICO Caucus: Energy and the Election: Join POLITICO's Nick Juliano and Steven Shepard at the Republican National Convention as they bring presidential campaign advisers and POLITICO's Caucus members together for a deep-dive discussion about the energy policy issues facing the next president. Wednesday - 12:45p.m. - POLITICO Hub - 925 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Learn more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6830cd3b76c31ceaa4ec9f16ae1aeecbcbd58c0360f24305fa8251c3e31b40c9

PRESIDENTIAL SPEED READ - "Donald Trump's One Unbreakable Policy: Skip the Details," by POLITICO Magazine's Michael Grunwald: "...The quadrennial conventions are usually a time not only for presidential nominees to make their opening arguments to the nation, but for the major parties to lock down where they stand on the burning and lukewarm issues of the day ... But that is not how Trump rolls, and that is not how his four-day celebration of his hostile takeover of the Republican brand is likely to play out. The theme of the convention will be Make America Great Again, but if the campaign so far has been any indication, its blueprint for how to do that will have less to do with specific
 11-point policy plans or conservative ideology in general than the sheer awesomeness of a turnaround artist named Donald J. Trump, who will promise to do for the United States what he did for the 11th hole at Turnberry." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c54a4c241afb905f27273841b5cf564a8d05fb442a6357140686c3df180aad31 

- "Trump panic drives progressives toward Clinton," by POLITICO's Benjamin Oreskes in St. Louis: "...The scene at the three-day conference was emblematic of the uneasy truce between Clinton and many of the pro-Bernie Sanders progressives who came for the training sessions and to sit in on panels featuring liberal luminaries like billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer and Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin. There was little enthusiasm for the presumptive Democratic nominee, only a grim recognition of the need to join together to stop Donald Trump in November. ...The lingering bitterness among many activists, candidates and elected officials who backed Sanders wasn't far from the surface. But
 in more than a dozen interviews, nearly all of these progressives mentioned the urgency of defeating Trump. They'll worry about Clinton later." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c54a4c241afb905f35ad6fe62407a7f53e9226b94eca678cc4a888a148c22982 

- "Donald Trump's Deals Rely on Being Creative with the Truth," by The New York Times' David Barstow: "...As Mr. Trump prepares to claim the Republican nomination for president this week, he and his supporters are sure to laud his main calling card - his long, operatic record as a swaggering business tycoon. And without question, there will be successes aplenty to highlight, from his gleaming golden high-rises to his well-regarded golf resorts, hit TV shows and best-selling books. But a survey of Mr. Trump's four decades of wheeling and dealing also reveals an equally operatic record of dissembling and deception, some of it unabashedly confirmed by Mr. Trump himself, who nearly 30 years ago
 first extolled the business advantages of "truthful hyperbole." Indeed, based on the mountain of court records churned out over the span of Mr. Trump's career, it is hard to find a project he touched that did not produce allegations of broken promises, blatant lies or outright fraud." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c54a4c241afb905fbe1e8f55d0fe2956930863941ea852ae447888ef7c14866b 

- "As Clinton launches registration effort, community groups focus on Asian Americans," by The Washington Post's Michelle Ye Hee Lee: "...Finding eligible voters and persuading them to register has always been part of the strategy of winning elections. Eight years ago, unprecedented voter registration among young people and African Americans helped sweep then-Sen. Barack Obama to his historic victory. But this year, there are new pockets of potential voters to register - and a new reason to draw them out: Donald Trump. The presumptive Republican nominee's controversial statements about Muslims, Mexicans and immigrants have alienated legions of nonwhite Americans. The challenge for Democrats
 is to find those Americans and make sure they are eligible to vote. That's exactly what they're doing in a strong push across the country." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c54a4c241afb905fc68b44ac790c107f0b91d62afd9295ac69d7e459190d29e1 

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I actually was at a fundraiser for Mr. Trump the other night with my wife, and he invited me to speak at the convention, which was completely unexpected and out of left field," said "Happy Days" actor Scott Baio, who will speak today at the convention, POLITICO reported. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c54a4c241afb905f05031670094558a5f78d20a0585653a28ac82e3ceaa81f7b

** A message from Sinclair Broadcast Group: News, opinions, and entertainment surround us 24/7, yet a fundamental truth remains, whether for competitive races or impactful ballot measures, the TV commercial reigns as the medium for reaching potential voters. TV helps strongly at the margins. Television is also the easiest way to reach undecided voters. Those passive folks who don't show up at the rallies or ask for email updates, but will be there to pull the levers on Election Day. At the Sinclair Broadcast Group, one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country, we combine TV with targetable digital (mobile, video, email, social media and native) ad
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