Subject: POLITICO's Morning Score: Tom Perriello's secret weapon — Congressional Leadership Fund pulls ground game support for Iowa's Young — Ted Poe leaves Freedom Caucus
From: "Morning Score" <[email-masked]>
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Date: Mon, 27 Mar 2017 07:29:13 -0600
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By Daniel Strauss | 03/27/2017 09:25 AM EDT

With Scott Bland and Elena Schneider

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)

TAPE ON DECK - "Tom Perriello's secret weapon," by Campaign Pro's Kevin Robillard: "Perriello is sitting on perhaps the most potent weapon in Democratic politics: a 15-minute tape of former President Barack Obama praising Perriello as a model public servant and Democrat. Obama is not expected to wade into the Virginia gubernatorial primary between Perriello and former Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam this spring. But in a way, he already has. Obama traveled to Perriello's district on the eve of the 2010 election to rally support for the one-term congressman, who won his admiration by taking tough votes on health care and other issues."

- "TV advertising has not started yet in the Virginia governor's race, but when it does, the clips are a set of tools any Democrat would want. 'Barack Obama is the single best surrogate a Democratic candidate can have,' said Doug Thornell, a Democratic strategist at SKDKnickerbocker. 'Past footage of him praising your candidate will go a very, very long way in a primary.'" Full story. 

WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE - CLF holds fire on opponents to GOP health care: The Congressional Leadership Fund, closely aligned with Republican House leadership, yanked ground game support for Iowa Rep. David Young, who opposed the GOP's health care plan. But, for now, it "only applies to Iowa's 3rd Congressional District," Ruth Guerra, a spokeswoman for the group, said in an email. "CLF, like any organization, analyzes and makes spending decisions on a daily basis and will continue to do so over the next two years."

NO POE - "Freedom Caucus member resigns from group over Obamacare rift," by POLITICO's Rachael Bade: Rep. Ted Poe said in a statement: "I have resigned from the House Freedom Caucus. In order to deliver on the conservative agenda we have promised the American people for eight years, we must come together to find solutions to move this country forward." 

SPECIAL ELECTION WATCH - A Green Party candidate and an independent candidate are suing to get on the ballot alongside Democrat Rob Quist, Republican Greg Gianforte, and Libertarian Mark Wicks for the Montana congressional seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, MTN News' Aja Goare reports. "A lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Great Falls, names Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton as the defendant. The complaint was filed by Missoula's Thomas Breck, a member of the Green Party, and Bozeman's Steve Kelly, an independent. Breck and Kelly said in the complaint that they want to run for the vacant U.S. House seat, which was left empty when former Congressman Ryan Zinke was elevated
 to the U.S. Department of Interior."

DON'T FORGET - "Lawmakers predict GOP bill will be 2018 campaign issue," by Roll Call's Simone Path&eacute;: "Former National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden, now chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, admitted as much Friday evening. 'Everybody staked out their position so they'll be able to reap the benefit of that position or take the hit.' ... Some Republicans actually do have recorded votes that will be used against them. The Democratic Congressional Campaign on Monday will debut a five-figure digital ad campaign attacking 14 Republicans who voted for the bill in committee." Full story.

Days until the 2017 election: 226.

Days until the 2018 election: 590.

Happy Monday and welcome to Morning Score. Your Morning Score author today is still mourning Michigan's loss to Oregon in March Madness. Email me and my colleagues tips! You can reach the Campaign Pro team at [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked] and [email-masked].

You can also follow us on Twitter: @politicoscott, @ec_schneider, @politicokevin and @danielstrauss4.

OFF MESSAGE PODCAST: The committee hearing that wasn't: Everything that Roger Stone did or said he did or said he didn't do during the 2016 campaign, especially related to the WikiLeaks founder and Russia, is under intense scrutiny. In the latest episode of Off Message, Stone gives a faux testimony on the allegations of Russian interference in the election and why there is no proof. Asked if there was anything he discussed that he'd plead the Fifth on if he ever gets called in front of the committee. "No," Stone said. "Why would I?" Listen and subscribe on iTunes. 

ADMINISTRATION SPEED READ - "White House blame game intensifies as Trump agenda stalls," by POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt: "Senior aides are lashing each other over their inability to stem a never-ending tide of negative stories about the president. There is second-guessing of the Republican National Committee's efforts to mobilize Trump's electoral coalition on behalf of his legislative priorities. ... The environment, many Trump aides are convinced, has been created by the president himself - a larger-than-life figure famously loath to admit error. As Trump's health care plan ran into problems, he found ways to divert blame - sometimes turning on his own staff." Full story.

BALLOT MEASURES

Arizona: GOP Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill "that opponents say would make it tougher to get citizen initiatives on the ballot, but supporters say will reduce fraud in signature gathering. ... House Bill 2404 bans groups seeking to put an initiative on the ballot from paying petition circulators by the signature and makes it easier to challenge citizen initiatives in court," The Associated Press reported.

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "He doesn't eat the most healthy food" - Florida Gov. Rick Scott said of President Donald Trump while describing spending a day at the White House last month, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

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