With a day to go before Illinois Republicans choose their gubernatorial nominee, a new We Ask America poll finds Bruce Rauner (R) in a commanding lead with 44%, followed by Kirk Dillard at 27%, Bill Brady at 19% and Dan Rutherford at 9%.
On Wonk Wire
Shaheen Leads Brown by Double-Digits
A new American Research Group poll in New Hampshire finds Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) leading possible challenger Scott Brown (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 50% to 38%.
A new Rasmussen survey finds Shaheen leading by nine points, 50% to 41%.
Quote of the Day
“I’ve been unfairly maligned about my jeans. The truth is, generally I look very sharp in jeans.”
— President Obama, in an interview with Ryan Seacrest.
Edwards to Announce Bid in Louisiana
Former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards (D) — “known for his brazen, often shocking quotes” — is running for Congress, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
“He will run in Louisiana’s strongly Republican 6th District, which snakes its way from north Baton Rouge through Ascension and all the way down to the Houma-Thibodaux area. The field is already bloated, but doesn’t yet feature a strong Democratic candidate.”
Synder’s Lead Shrinks in Michigan
A new Denno Research poll in Michigan finds Mark Schauer (D) has gained ground on Gov. Rick Snyder (R) in the gubernatorial race.
“Snyder still leads Schauer 42% to 39% — a statistical dead heat — but the governor’s track record of increasing overall education funding by $1 billion during his three years in office isn’t resonating with voters… Public perception that Snyder is spending less state money on education is consistent across party lines.”
Why Do So Many Think We’re in a Recession?
The U.S. economy began growing again in June 2009, but Wonk Wire notes a majority of Americans still think we’re stuck in a recession.
Palin to Launch Rogue TV
Sarah Palin will be launching her own digital video channel, tentatively called “Rogue TV,” Capital New York reports.
The channel will be available through Tapp, the digital video service founded by former CNN chief Jon Klein and former NBC Universal entertainment executive Jeff Gaspin. Subscriptions will cost $10 per month. Rogue is expected to launch in April or May.”
Are Democrats Resigned to Defeat in 2014?
E.J. Dionne: “Obama and his party are in danger of allowing the Republicans to set the terms of the 2014 elections, just as they did four years ago. The fog of nasty and depressing advertising threatens to reduce the electorate to a hard core of older, conservative voters eager to hand the president a blistering defeat.”
“American politics has been shaken by two recent events that hurt first the Republicans and then the Democrats. Republicans have recovered from their blow. Democrats have not.”
Robert Shrum: “In light of their loss in Florida’s special election, Democrats need to adopt a new political approach and emphasize the popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act.”
Marc Ambinder says Democrats are in “big, big trouble.”
Obama Foreign Policy Put to Test
“For five years, President Obama has consciously recast how America engages with the world’s toughest customers. But with Russia poised to annex Crimea after Sunday’s referendum, with a mounting threat to the rest of Ukraine and with the carnage in Syria accelerating, Mr. Obama’s strategy is now under greater stress than at any time in his presidency,” the New York Times reports.
Daily Beast: Obama has four days to stop Putin.
Peters Has Small Lead in Michigan
A new Denno Research poll in Michigan finds Rep Gary Peters (D-MI) edging Terri Lynn Land (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 40% to 37%.
“This poll comes as a reversal for Peters. The five recent polls have had Land up, according to Real Clear Politics. Several of the polls, however, were within the margin of error.”
GOP Consultants Survive
“Ten of the consulting firms that formed the core of the push to elect Mitt Romney — reaping a combined $1 billion in the process — have survived a tea party assault and are again among the highest-grossing and best-positioned players in Republican politics,” Politico reports,
“The firms and their consultants have been paid more than $19.6 million for 2014 campaign work through January… They’ve also cemented relationships with some of the GOP’s rising stars, setting up the firms for even bigger paydays headed into the fall, when costly advertising and mail campaigns begin, and for a 2016 presidential campaign expected to be the most expensive in history.”
“It’s both vindication for top Republican operatives — who were ridiculed by tea partiers for squandering hundreds of millions of dollars and blamed for blowing the party’s chances at capturing the White House and the Senate — and an illustration of the irreversible privatization of politics.”
Obama Surgeon General Nominee in Trouble
“A number of Senate Democrats have indicated that they might oppose President Obama’s choice of Vivek Murthy for the post of U.S. Surgeon General, according to Senate aides, putting the nomination at risk over the issue of gun control,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Dr. Murthy’s nomination is opposed by the National Rifle Association, the country’s largest gun lobby, because he has expressed support for gun control, calling it a public-health issue.”
Los Angeles Times: “The divide between the White House and the president’s party has widened in recent weeks as Obama’s low poll numbers leave Democrats increasingly concerned about their chances in the November midterm election and whether they could lose their majority in the Senate.”
What If Hillary Doesn’t Run?
Chris Cillizza: “One thing that everyone — those who want Clinton to run and those who don’t — agrees on is that she has simply not made up her mind on the race yet and likely won’t for some time. (Our guess for an announcement about her future? Around this time next year.) So, what happens if she decides not to run? In a word: Chaos.”
National Journal: For some Democrats, taking on Hillary isn’t such a crazy idea.
Internet Transition Triggers GOP Backlash
“The Obama administration’s decision to relinquish oversight over the group that manages the Internet’s architecture has raised an early red flag with Republicans, who blast the move as a threat to free speech,” Politico reports.
This Week on the Podcast
Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report gives us a state-by-state rundown of key Senate races:
Pollster Neil Newhouse sees a growing GOP advantage in the 2014 midterm elections:
Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or RSS to get episodes automatically downloaded.
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The Centrist Manifesto
Just published: The Centrist Manifesto by Charles Wheelan.
Quote of the Day
“Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country.”
— Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), quoted by Yahoo News.
