Undeniable Change for 2014: Obama as Albatross

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Good morning folks,

After trying to claim that the President and his party were feeling no effects of the plethora of scandals that have engulfed them, there’s been a breach in the Democratic security wall.

The Washington Post’s Morning Fix reports that “Libya is shaping up as a real political problem for President Obama, with concern extending well beyond the conservative base. More than half of Americans say his administration is trying to cover up the facts of the attack, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.” Read the poll here.

  • 55% say the Obama administration is trying to hide the facts compared to  just 33% that say it has been honest.
  • Six in 10 independents and nearly three in 10 Democrats say the administration is not being forthright.

But it doesn’t stop there. The poll shows that most Americans think the IRS scandal was “a deliberate effort to harass the groups, rather than a administrative mistake.” More respondents believe that the Obama administration is trying to cover up the facts in the scandal than believe it’s being honest.

According to political analyst Stu Rothenberg, “it is undeniable that recent events have altered, at least for now, the trajectory of the 2014 elections. …The new focus on the Obama administration puts it on the defensive and should boost enthusiasm on the political right throughout this year…. the new political narrative increases the risk for Democratic candidates in red states, where Democrats must win independent and, in many cases, Republican voters to be successful.”  

As a result of the sea-change, Rothenberg shifts the following 2014 Senate seats to an even more favorable outlook for Republicans: West Virginia (open), South Dakota (open), Arkansas (Mark Pryor), Louisiana (Mary Landrieu), Alaska (Begich), and North Carolina (Kay Hagan).

That doesn’t take into consideration how this undeniable change in the political atmosphere is affecting first time Red State Democratic candidates considering running like Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky, or Michelle Nunn in Georgia, or Nick Preservati in West Virginia. All must be wondering whether they’d be better off running in a cycle and environment in which they could actually win. Right now, it doesn’t exist.

Seize the day,

Brad Dayspring
@BDayspring

Brook Hougesen
@Brook_H

 

2014 BATTLEGROUND SONAR

(BATTLEGROUNDS) VIA POLITICO’S HUDDLE: FIRST LOOK: THE NRSC is trying to hang the IRS scandal around the necks of 2014 Democrats: It’s blasting news releases today targeting a dozen senators — most who received campaign money from the IRS union – and asking a series of tough questions. Here’s an example: Does Senator Mary Landrieu think an independent special counsel is needed to investigate the IRS efforts? Why didn’t Mary Landrieu speak out when her Senate Democratic friends and colleagues publicly pressured the IRS to target conservative groups? Will Mary Landrieu return the $23,000 in campaign contributions from IRS union? Does Mary Landrieu believe that President Obama should apologize to citizens and groups that were unfairly targeted? Does Mary Landrieu believe that President Obama and other senior White House staffers were wrong to publicly suggest that conservative groups were breaking the law? Landrieu Release.

(MASSACHUSETTS) Gomez’s goal — sensible centrism
In sum, with five weeks left in this campaign, a ploddingly predictable Markey is relying on the state’s Democratic default dynamic. It’s the higher-energy Gomez who is making this an interesting race — and winning attention and consideration as he does.

(MASSACHUSETTS) Ed Markey Falls Short on National Security
Democratic Congressman Ed Markey is feeling the heat over his weak record on national security in the tight race to fill the vacant Senate seat in Massachusetts…Gomez condemned two votes by Markey in the House against resolutions honoring the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 206 of whom lived in Massachusetts. Gomez said Markey’s vote against a 9/11 resolution was “unconscionable.”

(LOUISIANA) Landrieu attacking  tea party member for trying to legislate responsibly
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., scolded Tea Party Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, for acting like a “dictator” by demanding that Senate Democrats promise not to raise the debt limit during conference meetings with House Republicans. “We don’t have kings anymore,” Landrieu said in response to Lee on the Senate floor this afternoon. “We don’t have dictators anymore. We don’t have people with special powers . . . not anyone in this chamber is entitled to write the budget exactly the way they want it.”

  • Landrieu calls Lee a “dictator” for asking that a simple and honest process be followed.

(ARKANSAS) Pryor Politicizes Oklahoma Tornado Tragedy
Normally politicians are quick to put aside politics when a tragedy strikes, but Sen. Mark Pryor took the opportunity to try score some points.  His seemingly tame statement is a thinly-veiled attempt to take a shot as his potential 2014 Republican opponent Congressman Tom Cotton.
ON THE TWITTERS

@HotlineJosh - This prediction, just 5 days ago, isn’t looking too good http://ow.ly/lhntV 

@djrothkopf - Chuck Todd on Morning Joe re: Obama and Holder:”They are trying to criminalize journalism.” If GOP were doing it,all hell would break loose.

@BeltwayConfid - Senate Dem tells Tea Partier that he’s acting like a ‘dictator’: Joel Gehrke Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., scolde… http://bit.ly/14v1YKj

@woodhouseb - .@bdayspring you are a funny guy. Thanks for the book – I’ll put it to good use. Be well. http://ow.ly/lhsXc

@Brendan_Buck - Happy birthday, @PressSec http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skdwrdVSjjo …
NATIONAL RADAR

(WESH ORLANDO) Orlando man killed by FBI had ties to Boston Marathon bombing suspect, NBC News confirms
An FBI agent shot and killed a man overnight in Orlando who had ties to one of the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings, NBC News has confirmed.  According to NBC News, a special agent was interviewing the suspect regarding his connections to bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev and other extremists. The suspect, who was not immediately identified by officials, was originally cooperative, but he was shot after attacking the agent, NBC News reported.

(WASHINGTON POST) With more clarity, White House adds to confusion on IRS
There are still many unknowns about internal White House transactions over the past three weeks. No one has said just how explicit Ruemmler was with McDonough or others about the nature of what she was told. Did she play down the implications of the report to the point that others did not regard it as a potential problem? Maybe it didn’t seem worrisome enough to tell the president. And, had he been told, would he have responded more quickly when the news broke, rather than waiting three days to express his disapproval?

(FOX NEWS) Poll: Obama ratings dip, voters say government ‘out of control’
After a week of revelations about government spying on reporters and the Internal Revenue Service targeting conservatives, most voters feel “like the federal government has gotten out of control and is threatening the basic civil liberties of Americans.”  At the same time, a new Fox News poll finds disapproval of President Obama’s job performance is above 50 percent for the first time in a year, his honesty rating is at a new low and half of voters already think he’s a lame-duck. More than two-thirds of voters — 68 percent — feel the government is out of control and threatening their civil liberties. Nearly half of Democrats (47 percent), as well as large numbers of independents (76 percent) and Republicans (87 percent) feel Uncle Sam is taking liberties with their liberties. Those who identify with the Tea Party movement, one of the groups targeted by the IRS, are among those most likely to say things are out of control and civil liberties are being threatened:  92 percent of Tea Partiers feel that way.

(JONAH GOLDBERG) Obama’s ‘Idiot’ Defense
But, suddenly, when the administration finds itself ensnared by errors of its own making, the curtain is drawn back on the cult of expertise and the fantasy of statist redemption. Early on in the IRS scandal, before the agency’s initial lies were exposed, David Axelrod defended the administration on the grounds that the “government is so vast” the president “can’t know” what’s going on “underneath” him. Of course, it was Obama who once said, “I know more about policies on any particular issue than my policy directors.” That is, when things are going relatively well. When scandal hits the fan, he goes from the “government is us” to talking of his own agencies the way a czar might dismiss an injustice in some Siberian backwater. The hubris of omnicompetence gives way to “lighten up, we’re idiots.”

(POLITICO) FIRST LOOK: THE NRSC is trying to hang the IRS scandal around the necks of 2014 Democrats.
It’s blasting news releases today targeting a dozen senators — most who received campaign money from the IRS union – and asking a series of tough questions. Here’s an example:
Does Senator Mary Landrieu think an independent special counsel is needed to investigate the IRS efforts?
Why didn’t Mary Landrieu speak out when her Senate Democratic friends and colleagues publicly pressured the IRS to target conservative groups?
Will Mary Landrieu return the $23,000 in campaign contributions from IRS union?
Does Mary Landrieu believe that President Obama should apologize to citizens and groups that were unfairly targeted?
Does Mary Landrieu believe that President Obama and other senior White House staffers were wrong to publicly suggest that conservative groups were breaking the law?  http://bit.ly/10kL0hF

 

2014 Election Cycle: Warning Flares for Dems

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Good morning folks,

The 2014 cycle keeps looking worse and worse for Democrats. Already facing a tough map, many Democrats were already extremely worried about the chaotic implementation of ObamaCare, which Leader Mitch McConnell predicted will be the ‘biggest issue’ of the election.

As President Obama and Democrats in Washington juggle multiple major scandals, a new USA TODAY poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research finds:

  1. Nearly 3/4 Americans say the controversies will make it harder for the president to accomplish his goals.
  2. A 53% majority say the IRS targeting conservative groups was made for political reasons, something the administration flatly denies.
  3. Nearly 6/10 say the federal government threatens their rights and freedoms, a case that Speaker Boehner, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and many Republicans have repeatedly made against Democrats and the Obama Administration. 58% percent call the government a threat (35% a major threat, 23% a minor threat).
  4. Americans disapprove of Obama’s handling of the attack in Benghazi and its aftermath by 44%-37%. Critics feel more intensity about the issue: 26% strongly disapprove, compared with 16% who strongly approve.

As the scandal engulfs the Democratic agenda in Washington, it is getting ugly for them outside of Washington as well.  Democrats are in such a chaotic state that a feud between two major Democratic power brokers – Harry Reid and Tom Daschle -has gone public in South Dakota.

Politico reports that “the rift between the current and former Senate Democratic leaders threatens their party’s effort to keep control of the Senate seat held by the retiring Sen. Tim Johnson since 1997.”  The stakes couldn’t be higher. “The spat between Reid and Daschle — who refer to each other as “brothers” and have been close professionally for years — shows what’s at stake in the 2014 elections as Senate Democrats are forced to defend their majority in red states like South Dakota, Arkansas, Alaska, Louisiana, North Carolina and West Virginia. Republicans are hoping to cut into the Democrats’ 55-45 seat majority — if not take control of the Senate outright — threatening President Barack Obama’s second-term agenda in the process.”

It is so nasty that Harry Reid’s team seemed to resort to threats toward Tom Daschle. “A source familiar with Reid’s thinking said the majority leader has a long memory. ‘He’s not a guy you want to cross. He usually gets his revenge one way or another.’”  Yikes.

Democrats cannot hold their majority in this kind of environment.  This atmosphere must be an enormous concern not just Democratic incumbents running for reelect in 2014 like Mary Landrieu, Mark Begich, Kay Hagan and Mark Pryor, but for those weighing running versus waiting for a strong political environment.

Seize the day,

Brad Dayspring
@BDayspring

Brook Hougesen
@Brook_H

OKLAHOMA

Please keep keep the state of Oklahoma and all of her people in your prayers. Visit this page to understand the devastation and scale of the tornado. Here’s how to help.

2014 BATTLEGROUND SONAR

(ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT) The Road to the Republican Senate Majority is Easier than You Think:
The red path to the Republican majority would require holding states such as Georgia and Kentucky and defeating at least three incumbents, which would be equal the number they have defeated in total in the last decade. But the GOP would not need to win any of the Democrats’ open seats in Michigan, Iowa, and New Jersey. …That means all of the analysis about Republicans’ inability to appeal to swing voters or wooing moderate Democrats in blue states could be pointless. Republican candidates need to identify the voters who supported Mitt Romney over Barack Obama, in what ended up being a comfortable Democratic win, and get them to support GOP Senate nominees. If that happens, the game is over for Democrats.

(MASSACHUSETTS) Gomez on Offense: Gabriel Gomez blasts Edward Markey on safety
Republican Gabriel E. Gomez, on defense in the early weeks of his race against Democrat Edward J. Markey, on Monday unleashed a frontal attack on his opponent’s homeland security credentials, trying to put Markey on his heels just over a month before voters go to the polls and elect a new US senator. “The bottom line is: Nothing he’s done has made our nation safer,” Gomez said of Markey at a high-dollar fund-raiser, one of the two events he attended with Senator John McCain.

(MASSACHUSETTS) Massachusetts G.O.P. Hopes Lightning Strikes Again in Senate Race
Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, who is the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said that his analysis of the polling data and discussions with Mr. Gomez and others led him to conclude that the race is “clearly winnable.” “We intend to participate to the fullest extent possible and legally permissible,” he said, though he declined to say how much money the national party would put in and how it would be used.

(MICHIGAN) NRSC calls on Peters to return campaign cash to IRS union in wake of scandal
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is calling on Peters to return $6,000 in campaign contributions from the IRS Employees Union. The release comes as the IRS admitted to targeting Tea Party organizations for audits.

(COLORADO) Republicans ask Udall to give back campaign contributions from IRS union
National Republicans have urged Sen. Mark Udall, who is up for re-election next year, to give back more than $10,000 in campaign contributions from the Internal Revenue Service Employees Union.

(GEORGIA) Nunn embraces Obama in midsts of scandal-ridden investigation, prepares to make announcement
After appearing at a weekend fundraiser for Senate Democrats, party leaders expect Michelle Nunn to make a final decision on the Georgia Senate race within weeks. 

(IOWA) Bruce Braley Can’t Have It Both Ways
A few years ago Senate Democrats began pressuring the IRS to target many of the conservative groups that the embattled agency now stands accused of doing. In fact, the Senate Democrat majority even threatened to take legislative action against the agency if it failed to target the groups. Perhaps that’s why so many Democrats are today feigning outrage. This story has been well known for YEARS. Why did Bruce Braley keep quiet?

(MINNESOTA) New Minn. GOP Chair Begins Rebuilding Effort
That comeback won’t come solely from beefed-up fundraising, better candidate recruitment or savvier advertising. “Getting back out in front of the people of Minnesota is job No. 1,” Downey said. “Identifying the new groups of voters that Republicans are going to have to appeal to and making sure that we know them in a meaningful way. Making sure we have a better brochure in October of 2014 is not going to win an election.”

ON THE TWITTERS

@jiminhofe – The devastation in Oklahoma is heartbreaking. Please join me and #PrayforOklahoma. Spread the word.

@Slate – This time lapse video of the Moore tornado is absolutely bonkers: http://slate.me/163kyxx

@HotlineReid - Serious tension between Harry Reid and Tom Daschle over SD SEN seat -http://ow.ly/leKUn

@BostonGlobe – With McCain in town, Gabriel Gomez blasts Markey on 9/11 vote. http://b.globe.com/10eZjRt  #mapoli #masen

@TheOklahoman – How to help tornado victims http://okne.ws/18djMeu

@HuffPostPol- IRS faces first lawsuit over Tea Party targeting scandal http://huff.to/19XIZsw

@ArgusMontgomery – .@DemandAction made a teensy little typo in an ad thanking @SenJohnsonSD for a recent gun vote: http://ow.ly/le9h2

NATIONAL RADAR

(NYT – ROBERT PEAR) ObamaCare Cuts Payments to Doctors/Hospitals: The Obama administration said Monday that it was cutting payments to doctors and hospitals after finding that cost overruns are threatening to use up the money available in a health insurance program for people with cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses. The administration had predicted that up to 400,000 people would enroll in the program, created by the 2010 health care law. In fact, about 135,000 have enrolled, but the cost of their claims has far exceeded White House estimates, exhausting most of the $5 billion provided by Congress. Under a new policy issued by Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, “health care facilities and providers will get paid less” for providing the same services to patients in the federal program, known as the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.

(COLORADO PEAK POLITICS) CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS: Bennet Can’t Claim Concern Over A Partisan Witch Hunt He Called For
We’ve spent a good deal of time calling Bennet out for his involvement in the current IRS scandal that has been widely condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike. Since then, Bennet has been trying desperately to distance himself from the growing IRS mushroom cloud suffocating the Obama administration…Bennet is responsible, Bennet is the problem. Bennet signed and sent his letter to the IRS admonishing them to attack non-profits and highlighted only a conservative group in his press release trumpeting the letter.

(HOWARD FINEMAN – HUFFPOST) White House Response To IRS Scandal Making The Situation Worse: White House aides are tempting fate with their reluctant, piecemeal and contradictory disclosures of what they knew and when they knew it, especially about a report on the Internal Revenue Service’s 18-month effort to target tea party and other conservative groups for special scrutiny. The aides either have forgetten or are unable to implement the basic lesson of scandal control in Washington: Get the full story out — all of it — as fast as you can before your critics accuse you of a cover-up or worse. From the start, the White House’s response on this potentially explosive matter has been grudging at best and, in retrospect, ignorant or arrogant or both.

(POLITICO) White House’s shifting IRS account: The White House on Monday once again added to the list of people who knew about the IRS investigation into its targeting of conservative groups — saying White House chief of staff Denis McDonough had been informed about a month ago.

(WALL STREET JOURNAL) A Journalist ‘Co-Conspirator’
The latest news, disclosed by the Washington Post on Monday, is that the Justice Department targeted a Fox News reporter as a potential “co-conspirator” in a leak probe. The feds have charged intelligence analyst Stephen Jin-Woo Kim with disclosing classified information to Fox reporter James Rosen. That’s not a surprise considering that this Administration has prosecuted more national-security cases than any in recent history. The shock is that as part of its probe the Administration sought and obtained a warrant to search Mr. Rosen’s personal email account. And it justified such a sweeping secret search by telling the judge that Mr. Rosen was part of the conspiracy merely because he acted like a journalist.

 

—–EXCLUSIVE OFFER—- Ed Markey’s Worst Hits!!!

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Do you remember all the worst votes from Ed Markey? If you don’t, we present you Ed Markey’s Worst Hits, from the 70′s, 80′s, 90′s, and today! By ordering this series, you’ll learn more about Markey’s worst votes, going all the way back to 1976! We’re talking about big spending, big taxes, and weaker national defense!

Order your copy at www.OutofDatEd.com today!

Congressman Ed Markey has been in Congress for over 36 years. He is a relic of the past and his career is a living testament to failed Washington policies.

The Massachusetts special election is set for June 25th. The Democrats have nominated 18-term Congressman Ed Markey who was first elected to office the same year as Jimmy Carter. His Republican opponent, Gabriel Gomez is a former Navy SEAL Commander and a successful businessman.

Gabriel Gomez is a veteran Navy SEAL officer, common-sense businessman, and a family man who lives and breathes Massachusetts. Someone with new ideas on how to move the country in the right direction.  Ed Markey represents the past, Gabriel Gomez the future.

 

 

NRSC Chairman Jerry Moran Congratulates Gabriel Gomez on Massachusetts Victory

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Gabriel Gomez

Washington, D.C. – Statement from Senator Jerry Moran (KS), Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on Gabriel Gomez’s impressive victory tonight:

“Congratulations to Gabriel Gomez for his hard fought victory. The Senate is the nerve center of dysfunctional Washington and we need to get it working again.  Gabriel Gomez is just the sort of next generation leader we need to help turn it around.

“Gabriel Gomez lives, breathes, and bleeds Massachusetts, but his story is uniquely American. Throughout his life, Gabriel, a former Navy SEAL commander, has served a cause far greater than himself or any one of us.  Gabriel Gomez is the kind of results-oriented leader who will bring a never say die attitude and spirit of service to the Senate on behalf of the Bay State.

“Too often, politicians running for office try to make elections about the past, but candidates like Gabriel Gomez remind us that they are about the future, and providing responsible leadership and a better life for those who elect us.”

Senate Update: Play That Funky Music

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A Message from the NRSC’s Brad Dayspring:

Good morning folks,

On this cloudy Tuesday in the Bay State, voters will head to the polls in the Special Election primary battle.  As even the liberal National Memo notes, “As Massachusetts voters have recently seen, regardless of how conservative a Republican candidate may be, he or she should never be discounted. Prior to the 2010 general election, the thought of a Tea Party-endorsed candidate filling the late Ted Kennedy’s seat seemed entirely implausible, yet Scott Brown became the first Republican to win a Massachusetts Senate seat in over 30 years.” The general election will be on June 25.

Things have gotten ugly in the Democratic primary. Politico’s James Hohmann writes, “Lynch came out swinging during a debate with Markey one week after the Boston Marathon bombings, accusing his fellow congressman of being soft on homeland security. He also ran an ad praising first responders. Markey’s campaign called the attacks false and desperate.”

Regardless of who wins tonight’s Massachusetts GOP Senate Primary, one thing is clear – Bay Staters will have a strong contrast on June 25th between a fiscally-responsible, pro-jobs candidate and an out-of-touch Washington insider (one of whom has been in Washington longer than the writers of this email have been alive).

Congressman Lynch is at odds with his party and has risks alienating voters as the Boston Globe’s Michael Levinson reported. “The approach could produce a backlash. Lynch’s aggressive criticism of Markey’s national security record in two debates this week could turn off some voters, especially at a time when candidates traditionally focus on purely positive messages to motivate their supporters. Lynch also runs the risk of appear­ing to politicize a tragedy,”  he wrote.

And Congressman Markey? To give you an idea of how long Markey has been in Washington, during the month when he was first elected, Wild Cherry’s “Play that Funky Music” topped the billboard charts, Playboy released Jimmy Carter’s infamous ‘lusts for women’ interview, and Muhammad Ali beat Ken Norton in 15 rounds to win the heavyweight boxing title.

Elections are about the future. No matter the outcome, both Democratic candidates are creatures of the past (one, admittedly, a far more distant past). It’s just a matter of which one will be playing the funky, out of touch music.

Seize the day,

Brad Dayspring
@BDayspring

2014 BATTLEGROUND SONAR

(NC, AR, LA) Democrats on Defense in the South: For decades, Republicans have been unrelenting in taking congressional seats away from Democrats in the South. And in 2014, three of the six Senate seats in the South still in Democratic hands in North Carolina, Arkansas and Louisiana will be on the line, political analysts say, with all signs suggesting those incumbents will be buffeted by significant political headwinds. …A troubling sign for Hagan was Republicans taking control of the North Carolina Legislature in 2010. Republicans have also continued to make gains in Louisiana since Landrieu’s last re-election, he added “Both are in very difficult situations,” Wyman said. But while Pryor pleased many of his constituents by opposing the recent bill on gun background checks, Landrieu and Hagan supported it. …it should be a warning to Hagan, he added, that North Carolina has a well-established tradition of letting many of its senators serve only one term.

(MASSACHUSETTS) Democrats Angrily Clash Over Homeland security clashes define final week of Mass. Senate race: “I think one of the stark differences between myself and Mr. Markey is our voting record on homeland security,” Lynch said in his response to the question. Lynch went on to slam Markey for voting against a joint terrorism task force, a group he said “enabled our response” to the Boston bombings. He touted his own support for the measure. “You can say you wrote this and wrote that. I understand policy,” Lynch said. “But when the issue came up to create that joint task force, I voted yes, you voted no. I don’t know how you spin that.” …Markey’s campaign says Lynch “shamefully” questioned Markey’s commitment to the nation’s security in the wake of the bombings. …Lynch’s strategy has been to elevate the issue of national security during the final week of the race. He also ran a TV ad thanking authorities and first responders for their reaction to the marathon bombings.

(MONTANA) Schweitzer Weak: Montanans prefer to fill Baucus’ seat with a Republican as opposed to a Democrat by a margin of 42% to 34%.  Republicans fair better among at women at +10% than among men at +4%.  The national issue environment being driven by Washington opens up several fronts of vulnerability for Schweitzer. The debate over budget priorities between the two political parties spells trouble for Schweitzer. The Republicans’ priority of a balanced budget beats the Democrats’ priority of stopping Medicare cuts by a wide margin of 53% to 31%.  Even Montana seniors pick balancing the budget over stopping cuts to Medicare by a 50% to 32% spread.

  • Schweitzer-led bid for Stillwater Mining Co. turning nastier: The struggle over Montana’s largest publicly traded company has turned increasingly bitter ahead of a May 2 shareholders’ vote, as former Gov. Brian Schweitzer and a team of dissident investors spar with Stillwater Mining executives for control of the $1.3 billion enterprise. The stakes for Schweitzer are high – and complicated by his consideration of a run to replace fellow Democrat U.S. Sen. Max Baucus. Baucus announced Tuesday that he will step down in 2014 after six terms. Political analysts count Schweitzer as an early front-runner should he jump into the race.

(MICHIGAN) Gary Peters To Run For Senate…. Yawn: “Gary Peters already lost a statewide campaign and that was before supporting a cap and trade energy tax policy that would effectively put Michigan out of business and Obamacare which will raise health care costs,” NRSC Communications Director Brad Dayspring said. “It takes a special kind of guy like Peters to ask for a promotion from the very same people that his policies would put out of work.”

(KENTUCKY) Mitch McConnell Wants to Be the Republican Party’s Chief Tech Innovator: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has set an ambitious goal for his reelection campaign: to build the most sophisticated Republican digital and data operation to date. The Kentucky Republican, known more as tactician than technologist, is making a major investment in technology infrastructure in hopes that a treasure trove of real-time data about the electorate will help guide him to a sixth term. “We’re making a commitment that we’re going to be on the cutting edge of both digital outreach and data collection and analysis,” said Jesse Benton, McConnell’s campaign manager. “We’re committed to setting the gold standard.”

(LOUISIANA) Reid To Overlook Landrieu for Energy Chair?
But even if Landrieu wins reelection (and that’s a big if), several other dynamics would influence how much she is able to lead on that committee…When it comes to energy issues, Landrieu is one of the most conservative Democrats in the Senate. She, along with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., vote more reliably with Republicans on most energy and environmental issues than with the Democratic Party led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. This dynamic has led to rumors that Reid could seek to maneuver around Landrieu to ensure that a more moderate Democrat—such as fourth-in-line Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state–gets the Energy gavel in 2015 instead.

ON THE TWITTERS

@GlennThrush - The reason the WH waits til last minute to announce a presser is cos reporters who get questions have already been tipped off. Rigged game.

@GOP - WSJ on the coming #ObamaCare shock. Millions just starting to feel the “price (and other) shocks” of trainwreck law. http://on.wsj.com/12VZXHp

@ppppolls - Mark Begich’s net approval down 6 points after gun vote. Numbers are worse with Dems, indys, no improvement with GOP. http://ow.ly/kyWB7

@QuadCityDN –  Governor Says GOP Can Defeat Braley In Senate Race: Governor Branstad believes the record of Congressman Bruce… http://tinyurl.com/d6ovqvs

@usnews - Will Max Baucus’s retirement halt any chance of passing tax reform? bit.ly/ZZsE0R

NATIONAL RADAR

(USA TODAY/KRISTEN POWERS): Gosnell’s abortion atrocities no ‘aberration’: “If I talk, maybe people will make sure it won’t happen again.” That’s what 20-year-old Desiree Hawkins told me last week as she recounted the horror of visiting abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell in December 2009. The jury in Gosnell’s trial for the alleged murders of multiple babies and one woman heard closing arguments Monday afternoon, but they won’t hear from Hawkins. Hawkins was forced to relive the nightmare of Gosnell’s house of horrors when she was contacted by a Drug Enforcement Administration agent this year. The agent told her that one of the severed feet found in jars at the clinic belonged to her aborted baby. She was set to testify as a rebuttal witness against Gosnell until he chose to not take the stand.

(RARE/BLOOMBERG) Obamanomics: Consumer spending falls as taxes rise: Spending by U.S. consumers cooled in March after the strongest gain in five months, showing the biggest part of the economy lost momentum as the first quarter drew to a close. Purchases advanced 0.2 percent, more than projected and reflecting a surge in outlays for utilities and other services that is unlikely to be repeated, after a 0.7 percent increase the prior month, Commerce Department figures showed. Another report showed more Americans than forecast signed contracts to purchase previously owned homes in March. Higher payroll taxes that took effect in January may be starting to take a bigger toll on the American worker, chipping away at the consumer spending that accounts for about 70 percent of the economy.

(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) Millions in stimulus spending violated Buy America Act, inspector general says: Environmental Protection Agency officials overseeing a stimulus-funded wastewater treatment plant bought $3.8 million in foreign-made parts and won’t return the money or  change the rules for using foreign parts in Recovery Act projects, according to the EPA Office of the Inspector General.  A two-year dispute between the EPA and the OIG has left the question unresolved long after the money was spent.

(PEW RESEARCH) The 22 Percent: The share of Democrats who believe that use of marijuana should be legal is 22 percentage points higher than that of Republicans.

SCOOBY SNACKS

NO WAY: Friends Predicted Facebook in 2003

Science: Graphs Mislead People 

What the Internet Shares About You 

In case you were shopping: Kim Kardashian Refusing Baby Gifts, Seeking Donations Instead

Reunion No One Sought: 98 Degrees’ New Track, Premieres Off Of Upcoming Album

Indiana Woman Finds Frog in Can of Green Beans 

A Midlife Crisis is so 20th Century: 21st Century – Quarter Life Crisis

New Hampshire Man Loses Life Savings On Carnival Game

Pilot had passenger detained for not flushing toilet

Iran’s Supreme Leader is also supreme BMW dealer