Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score, presented by Sinclair Broadcast Group: Wasserman Schultz out at DNC — Meet the Senate Democrats skipping the convention — DSCC starting Indiana ad blitz Monday
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2016 08:03:15 -0600

By Theodoric Meyer | 07/25/2016 10:00 AM EDT

With Scott Bland, Maggie Severns, Kevin Robillard, Elena Schneider Matthew Nussbaum and Marc Caputo

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 OPENER - "Inside the scramble to oust Debbie Wasserman Schultz," by POLITICO's Glenn Thrush, Gabriel Debenedetti and Edward-Isaac Dovere in Philadelphia: "Hillary Clinton and her team aren't thrilled that the head of the Democratic National Committee was forced out on the eve of the nominee's coronation - but they aren't exactly distraught to see Debbie Wasserman Schultz booted from the tent.Several senior Democratic officials with ties to Hillary and Bill Clinton told POLITICO that campaign higher-ups have been trying to replace the oft-off-message Florida congresswoman from the start of Clinton's campaign late last year. John Podesta, Clinton's campaign chairman - and a former
 top adviser to Barack Obama - broached the idea of replacing Wasserman Schultz as early as last fall, only to be rebuffed by the president's team, according to two people with direct knowledge of the conversation." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8489f33ff463d364a467fab475d90876dbedb79927ed56f17cedd002715709c6

- "Democrats in chaos as convention opens," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Seung Min Kim: Bernie Sanders will address the convention tonight, "just one day after seeing his repeated calls for the resignation of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz realized. And while party leaders were eager to insist they expected a show of unity thanks to that swift action against the chairwoman, there remained some worry that Sanders could offer a moment as dramatic as Republican Ted Cruz did when he refused to endorse GOP nominee Donald Trump on national television last week. 'There will be some amount of hand-wringing over the next day. Sen. Sanders will have a role to play in this as he talks to his
 delegates,' said one House Democrat attending the convention. 'I don't expect a Ted Cruz moment.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0079b12e1dfc720d52763956c7ceac51cf4d04db2c9393c4eb7e92e3777ca50

- "Which Senate Democrats are skipping the DNC," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "Most Republican Senate candidates in tough races stayed far away from Cleveland during Donald Trump's Republican National Convention last week. This week, a selection of Democratic Senate hopefuls are doing exactly the same thing, opting to stay on the trail rather than attend the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where Hillary Clinton will accept the party's presidential nomination. Indiana's Evan Bayh, Florida's Patrick Murphy, Nevada's Catherine Cortez Masto, Wisconsin's Russ Feingold, Missouri's Jason Kander, Kentucky's Jim Gray, and Arizona's Ann Kirkpatrick will not be in Philadelphia,
 their campaigns confirmed - though most emphasized their support for Clinton and eagerness to appear alongside her in their home states." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0079b12e1dfc720fed7d293f5044c4b6490219aa7fa76dddeb249c26f1dd0c2

- "Arizona Democrats lobby Clinton to help turn state blue," by Campaign Pro's Theodoric Meyer in Phoenix: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8489f33ff463d364357ad1b951b474346cbc4ed73b1be8d9df25ccfd11c63d4c

REPUBLICAN RUNOFF - "Georgia becomes latest House GOP primary battleground," by Campaign Pro's Elena Schneider: "Local and national Republicans are lining up along well-worn party fault lines in the primary runoff for a rural patch of central Georgia, which has drawn millions in outside spending and star-studded endorsements. They are battling for the right to replace retiring GOP Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, whose seat is safely Republican, with their kind of Republican." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=38dd829e47f385b23e9214d13bba33c458e175141e72420e415f14a169979c92

Days until the 2016 election: 106. 

Days until the Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington State congressional primaries: 8.

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 baseball brawls: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin, @theodoricmeyer and @maggieseverns.

AD WATCH - New Portman ad focuses on human trafficking: GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio is out today with another testimonial ad highlighting his legislative work. In the TV ad, an Ohio woman named Theresa Flores, who was a human trafficking victim for two years and has since become an advocate, talks about Portman's work in the Senate to fight trafficking. "Rob's work has given me hope that in the future others won't have to go through what we did," she says. Portman is spending $1 million to air the 60-second spot in Ohio. Watch the ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0079b12e1dfc720b3d4cc36da0ec37dd365dc982be11e997a1001b252c726a3 

- New Restoration PAC ad backs Glenn in Colorado: Restoration PAC is going up with a new TV ad backing Republican Darryl Glenn in his uphill fight against Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet. "America loves an underdog story, and Colorado is going to love Darryl Glenn," the ad's upbeat narrator says. "He's an outsider, honest, a military veteran who will tell it like it is." Restoration PAC, a super PAC mostly financed by the conservative megadonor Dick Uihlein, is spending $800,000 to air the ad, according to the group. Watch the ad: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0079b12e1dfc7203010c5f38d9c79436a45f8f518aa9c129bdc5a9c4b3e6988

- DSCC preparing Indiana TV ads today: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=38dd829e47f385b2f5c0b2a61dd117b5236808aab2f0822688e944780a2eb297

- ALL ABOUT DONALD: The key to beating GOP Sen. Marco Rubio in the Florida primary for challenger Carlos Beruff might rest in hugging Donald Trump, who whipped Rubio in the state's March 15 presidential primary. In announcing Beruff's latest TV ad, his campaign says: ""Marco Rubio opposes Donald Trump's ban on immigrants from the Middle East and says he will be a 'check' on Trump's agenda if he's elected. Marco's wrong. It's time to get tough on terror. Carlos Beruff supports Trump's agenda to secure our borders and keep America safe." Beruff's closing line in the spot: "I'm Carlos Beruff. I'm not ashamed to support Trump and I approve this message." Watch "Tough on Terror" here: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0079b12e1dfc7202f07ab82c08978d0a661a548a4035d898e46c4609878229f

- ALL ABOUT HILLARY: Clinton is emerging as a cross-party theme in Florida advertising just over five weeks out from the state's congressional primaries. On the positive side, in a heavily Democratic Orlando district, former Alan Grayson aide Susannah Randolph is out with a TV ad Monday that opens with her standing next to an "I'm with her" sign and saying, "This year, Florida can make history by sending Hillary Clinton to the White House." Randolph then pivots to talk about how she's running to help secure the future for children like her daughter Hillary. Watch "The Hillary in Our House" ad here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0079b12e1dfc720673a88f97fb592b3b6982211a577fe86aaa585e01cd945c3

- On the negative side: In Rep. Patrick Murphy's Treasure Coast battleground district, Republican businessman Rick Kozell's first TV ad opens in exactly the opposite fashion. "Hillary Clinton should be in prison," Kozell says to the camera. "She sold her power to the highest bidder, jeopardized our national security, and then lied about it." See "Prison" here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9d2b1e5ae2892fc6c3faf25824d20c80221181fe6f8d138ac75bd1c499e0abb6

** 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! **

'40 NAMES' - "Kaine pick could set off two-election chase for Virginia Senate seat," by Campaign Pro's Scott Bland: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9d2b1e5ae2892fc6d9be9105fc4db190361376bd86f0f2c23cdecce11cd21183

- "Inside the VP hunt: How Clinton picked Kaine," by POLITICO's Edward-Isaac Dovere and Gabriel Debenedetti: How Hillary Clinton chose the Virginia senator who was always a front-runner for the VP slot, from the initial conversations until Friday evening. "Members of [Tim] Kaine's usual inner circle were left waiting in suspense as the sun began to set [on Friday], though [Clinton campaign chairman John] Podesta and a few aides had already sneaked off to intercept him in Rhode Island, where he was for a fundraiser." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9d2b1e5ae2892fc66beaca516b5ad0f449953e1b0a28e3bc42b48988d5221e43

UNDER THE FUNDRAISING HOOD - "Leaked DNC emails reveal the inner workings of the party's finance operation," by The Washington Post's Matea Gold: "The DNC emails show how the party has tried to leverage its greatest weapon - the president - as it entices wealthy backers to bankroll the convention and other needs. At times, DNC staffers used language in their pitches to donors that went beyond what lawyers said was permissible under White House policy designed to curtail the perception that special interests have access. Top aides also get involved in wooing contributors, according to the emails. White House political director David Simas, for instance, met in May with a half-dozen top party
 financiers in Chicago, including Fred Eychaner, one of the top Democratic donors in the country, the documents show." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9d2b1e5ae2892fc67291044bfb67211e3d36e67581c91aa31e3dc96e4dcfea3f

NEW THIS MORNING - DGA memo sets stage for governors at convention for governors to pitch policies: The Democratic Governors' Association is out with a memo this morning arguing the Democratic National Convention will give governors a chance to show how progressive economic policies that are blocked in Congress, including minimum wage hikes and paid sick leave, are working in the states. "America's Democratic governors are walking proof that the ideas in the Democratic platform work to create jobs and bring opportunity to more Americans," the memo reads. The memo also pitches the DGA's "Unrig The Map" initiative, aimed at winning governorships to create a more favorable map for winning the
 House. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0079b12e1dfc7205bd7feec5488b17c87d1f00de1f5acdee9d01fcd6508d0fb

GETTING THE NOD - Pence endorses Holcomb for Indiana governor: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has endorsed Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb to replace him on the gubernatorial ballot this fall. Since Indiana law forbids appearing twice on the same ballot, Pence withdrew upon joining Donald Trump's ticket and the state Republican central committee is set to pick a replacement nominee on Tuesday. Two members of Congress, Reps. Susan Brooks and Todd Rokita, are also seeking the committee's nod to replace Pence, along with a state legislator. The Indianapolis Star surveyed the 22 committee members; five have said they would support Brooks, two said they would back Holcomb and one supported Rokita. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0079b12e1dfc7202ff80c5062a8250c463cf2ca60076c7bb00bf0476d64137d

- Holcomb also wrote an email to the central committee members, obtained by The Associated Press, "suggesting that other Republicans seeking the nomination might not get help from Pence's $7 million campaign fund should GOP leaders go against the governor's wishes." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9d2b1e5ae2892fc6d84365f637d4547fac4f5a31e336251e52de3c2203a767d9

I IN NO WAY MEANT TO IMPLY WHAT I JUST SAID - "Race a factor in Obama's endorsement of Kamala Harris, Loretta Sanchez says," by The Sacramento Bee's Christopher Cadelago: "Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez, in an interview with Univision 19 that aired this weekend, suggested that President Barack Obama's endorsement of U.S. Senate rival Kamala Harris was in part based on race. Sanchez was asked why the president had endorsed Harris in the unusual race between two Democrats this year. Speaking in Spanish, she noted that Obama and Harris are longtime friends, then added: 'She is African American. He is, too.' Sanchez, in a statement after the interview aired, said she 'in no way' implied or
 intended to imply Obama endorsed Harris for racial reasons. 'I was stating the fact that the endorsement was based on their long-term political relationship,' she said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9d2b1e5ae2892fc6d7fed81bf5b1c0af06d088ce97de3741281da81d2b279225

PRESIDENTIAL SPEED READ - "Trump probably can't win Ohio, says state's governor, John Kasich," by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Andrew Seidman: A 'divider' like GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump will have a hard time winning Ohio, an important battleground that could help decide the election in November, said Buckeye State Gov. John Kasich, a former Republican presidential candidate. 'Ohio's a snapshot of the country. People in Ohio want to see a positive agenda, a positive way to move forward,' Kasich said Friday in an interview at the Union League of Philadelphia. He attended a fund-raiser for Brian Fitzpatrick, a Bucks County Republican running for an open congressional seat. Kasich's
 remarks came a day after Trump accepted the Republican Party's nomination at its convention in Cleveland. Kasich ... did not attend the convention. 'Without an endorsement, I thought it would be inappropriate for me to go in there and make some kind of a talk,' Kasich said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9d2b1e5ae2892fc6659676d6a6be5a93e5904b08e15b555677c3b62bf7c14a11

- "Wall Street takes a road trip to Philadelphia," by POLITICO's Ben White in New York: "Wall Street is taking the Acela down to Philadelphia this week. Hordes of industry executives will descend on the city to celebrate Hillary Clinton's nomination for president and renew close associations that vexed the Democratic standard-bearer throughout her primary battle with Bernie Sanders. Goldman Sachs, which paid Clinton millions for private speeches, will be well represented in Philadelphia with executive Jake Siewert, a former Bill Clinton press secretary, making the trip along with Steven Barg, Michael Paese, Joyce Brayboy and Jennifer Scully, who was a major fundraiser for Bill Clinton in
 New York in 1992." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c0079b12e1dfc7202d49a2b449ecf4905bef8f3450d3be51193b88f7e06d69b2

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "He's got a right to talk about whatever he wants to talk about, however, I don't think he was ever saying this was some sort of factual information." - Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, on Donald Trump's claim that Ted Cruz's father was involved in President John F. Kennedy's assassination. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9d2b1e5ae2892fc62dec2212fea8053df963aa084da06a670d8a0aec721e62c4

** 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
 solutions, to help your messaging break through the noise. Winning is what matters. At the Sinclair Broadcast Group, we have the ad tools necessary to help you to persuade, enlighten and activate. Contact Alan Brittan, Sinclair's Director of Political Ads for more details @ 703-236-9673. **

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