IT’S A BAD TIME TO BE A GOP SENATOR. Republicans hoped that once we got to Iowa, a candidate would emerge who didn’t threaten the rest of the ticket. But with just days to the nation’s first caucus, the chances of presidential nominee Ted Cruz or Donald Trump is stronger than ever and Republicans are in full panic mode.
The Hill: GOP senators: Anyone but Cruz
Jittery Republican senators think Donald Trump would actually give them a better chance of keeping their Senate majority if he were the party’s presidential nominee instead of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
“The bottom line is many people around here think Cruz would be worse for our chances of keeping the majority,” said a senior Republican senator, who requested anonymity to speak about Cruz frankly. “He’s so polarizing, it could be a wipeout.”
Politico: Senate GOP grieves over Trump, Cruz as nominee
Some Republicans are in denial. Others are mad, or clinging to hope that voters will defy the polls. Still others are gloomy over the race.
For the rest, there’s acceptance.
Collectively, the Senate Republican Conference is undergoing the five stages of grief as it grapples with the growing possibility of Donald Trump or Ted Cruz at the top of the GOP ticket — a predicament many members believe would result in sweeping losses for their party in November…
BREAKING: A 13th CANDIDATE ANNOUNCES IN COLORADO SENATE. The Colorado Statesmen reports former CSU athletic director Jack Graham is the 13th Republican to enter the race for Colorado senate. His entry comes as the primary got recognition it didn’t ask for…
…DENVER POST CALLS COLORADO PRIMARY “CLONE OF GOP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.” Check out the must-readDenver Post story here.
JOHNSON CAN’T DIG OUT FROM BAD PRESS BLIZZARD. No one is happier than Ron Johnson that this week is over. From a new report showing he missed 60 percent of his Homeland Security committee hearings to falling 13 points behind Russ Feingold, it’s TGIF for the Wisconsin senator.
Journal Sentinel: Ron Johnson comes under fire for being MIA at committee hearings in first four years
In his first four years in office, Johnson missed 60% of the hearings held by the homeland security committee and the subcommittees to which he was assigned. Even according to numbers supplied by Johnson’s campaign, he made it to only 83 hearings out of a total of 207 from 2011 to 2014.
Among the hearings Johnson missed were one on homegrown terrorism, one on terrorist travel 10 years after 9/11 and three on border security. On at least two occasions, Johnson made it to fundraisers in 2011 on the same day he missed a homeland security hearing.
Milwaukee Business Journal: Feingold maintains double-digit lead over Johnson, Trump gains in Wisconsin: MU poll
Democrat Russ Feingold maintained a double-digit percentage lead over Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in the latest Marquette Law School pol … Feingold, who has held a sizable lead over Johnson since entering the race in May 2015, garnered the support of 50 percent of likely voters in the poll while Johnson received 37 percent. Feingold’s percentage was up one point from the November 2015 MU poll, while Johnson was down one percentage point.
Capital Times Editorial: Ron Johnson should reject false attack on Russ Feingold
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson has an obligation to defend former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, his Democratic challenger who is being attacked unfairly by a so-called “third-party” group that is led by veteran Republican aides.
…But, in the case of a recent attack that touches on particularly sensitive and concerning issues, and that clearly paints an untrue picture of Feingold, Johnson can and should make it clear he recognizes and rejects false statements regarding troubles at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah.
The Hill: Ex-Pentagon chief donates to Feingold
Asked about the donation, Hagel, who previously served as a Republican senator from Nebraska, touted their work together in the Senate.
“[I’ve] worked with him on many issues. I believe that the Senate needs more senators like Senator Feingold who [will] work across party lines to help govern our country,” the former Defense secretary said in a statement to The Hill.
GIZMODO: Six Ignorant Senators Want to Slow Down High-Speed Internet
Johnson was among six Senators who signed a letter to the FCC pushing back minimum broadband requirements and here’s Gizmodo’s take:
“These Senators are incredibly short-sighted and it’s clear that they haven’t done any research or read any periodicals or spoken to any experts beyond the lobbyists begging them to write this letter in the first place. Their letter suggests that they operate in a vacuum where Netflix isn’t nearly 40-percent of all internet traffic and 4K televisions aren’t rapidly increasing their marketshare and their own constituents aren’t clamoring for better access to the internet.”
BONUS: Johnson Praises Corporate Tax-Dodging as “Responsible” Thing to Do
In an interview with CNBC, Senator Ron Johnson talked about the decision of Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls to move its headquarters to Ireland after a merger to avoid U.S. taxes. Johnson said: “A hundred fifty million dollars is what they’re going to save. You know if you’re a responsible corporate manager, how can you not take that type of move?”
MEMO TO GOP: ONE HEARING WON’T UNDO HARMFUL VOTES TO CUT SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT. Rob Portman and Kelly Ayotte both spent the week bragging about their participation in a Senate hearing on the heroin and prescription drug epidemic, but their words can’t hide their shameful records of voting to cut substance abuse treatment. Portman was called out byCleveland.com for his blatant hypocrisy on such a critical issue.
HEADLINE VIA CLEVELAND.COM: SEN. ROB PORTMAN TOUTS ANTI-HEROIN MEASURES, EVEN THOUGH HE VOTED AGAINST THEIR FUNDING
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman wants to fight the heroin scourge — the one killing more than 120 Americans a day from overdoses, a deadlier toll than from either car crashes or firearms.
But he voted against the very bill that would pay for his proposed solutions. Portman aides confirmed to cleveland.com that money for fighting heroin addiction would come from the $1.1 trillion spending bill Congress passed in December, a measure that Portman denounced as wasteful and likely to drive up deficits.
This puts the Ohio Republican in an awkward position…
…Portman lobbied colleagues to include heroin-fighting and addiction-treatment dollars in the 2016 $1.1 trillion “omnibus” or comprehensive government-spending bill that Congress passed in December. This was just one of more than a dozen provisions Portman got in the bill, and he bragged about at least 14 in separate press releases…
Yet he then he joined a minority of Congress members voting against the entire spending package.
BONUS: Check out Cleveland.com’s slideshow of all the programs Rob Portman opposed in Washington, but tried to take credit for in Ohio.
AYOTTE IS “VISIBLY AGITATED.” Reporters are descending on New Hampshire to cover the state’s other big contest between Governor Maggie Hassan and vulnerable Senator Kelly Ayotte and their takeaways aren’t good for the incumbent. While Politico and theObserver highlighted Hassan’s work to address the heroin crisis and her “deliberate” and “relaxed” presence, Politico noted that Ayotte was “visibly agitated” when asked about her desperate attempts to rewrite her record in the face of an uphill reelection battle.
And now, Ayotte has another reason to be upset: the National Journal reported that a conservative group is collecting ballot signatures to mount a third party campaign against her, fulfilling a threat made months ago should the state legislature re-authorize Medicaid Expansion—despite the fact that Ayotte has voted 5 times to repeal or defund the program on the federal level. It doesn’t look like things are going to get any easier for Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire…
PANIC CONTINUES OVER TOOMEY IN PA. Pat Toomey was already facing an uphill re-election battle after spending his Senate term voting with Republicans 94% of the time and protecting Wall Street billionaires at the expense of Pennsylvania families. While national Republicans flock to Trump over Ted Cruz, both options remain a problem for Toomey and Pennsylvania Republicans are panicked over his ever slimmer re-election chances. This week, the Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Politics PA all highlighted why either one of the current GOP frontrunners is keeping the Toomey campaign up at night.
Associated Press: Pennsylvania GOP eyes Trump, Cruz effect on Toomey’s chances
But, in a state where Democrats hold a four-to-three registration edge over Republicans, political analysts and strategists say Toomey cannot win in a presidential election year without attracting support from conservative Democrats or independent voters. And a number of Republicans argue that nominating the poll-leading Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, the Texas senator, would make that task far more difficult for Toomey.
Politics PA: Could Trump Hurt Toomey?
“You’re held captive to the [party’s presidential nominee] if you’re running down-ballot,” Muhlenberg College political science professor Christopher Borick told Levy. “I’m sure the Toomey campaign thinks about that night and day.”
Philadelphia Inquirer: Will Trump or Cruz sink Toomey re-election bid?
Republican anxiety is growing in Pennsylvania and corners of New Jersey over the possibility that Donald Trump or Ted Cruz will win the party’s presidential nomination.
Tough races loom down the ballot in both states – most prominently Republican Sen. Pat Toomey’s re-election bid in Pennsylvania – and establishment figures worry that the bombastic New York billionaire or acerbic Texas senator could make the GOP toxic to critical swing voters in both states.
DSCC LAUNCHES DIGITAL ADS HIGHLIGHTING BLUNT’S CONFLICTS OF INTEREST. This week, the DSCC launched adson Facebook and Twitter to highlight the conflicts of interest at the heart of Roy Blunt’s reelection campaign. Blunt’s son Andy is pulling double duty as campaign manager while continuing his work as an active lobbyist for big corporate clients in Missouri. Blunt has been attempting to dodge questions about the unique arrangement for months, and these ads will make sure Missouri voters have the facts about the Blunt family’s deep lobbyist ties.
PAUL GETS DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER AS REPUBLICANS BEG HIM TO RETURN TO KENTUCKY. Even before Mayor Jim Gray filed in Kentucky’s Senate race, Rand Paul had serious political problems at home, as the New York Times stated that “Some in the state say he risks losing a contest that he himself engineered — a development that could prove embarrassing in his other race, the one for the Senate.” Now with a strong Democratic challenger in the race, Politico reported that Paul’s got a “major bummer on the home front” with Kentucky Republicans wondering at what point his dueling election bids become “really embarrassing.” And as Paul faces a serious re-election challenge, he will need help from the GOP establishment – who probably won’t be eager to help after being the target of Paul’s attacks for years. For months, Paul has made it clear to Kentuckians that serving as their senator is just a consolation prize, and now in-state political operatives are warning he’s losing ground with the voters he needs to keep his seat.
Politico: Pressure grows on Paul to ditch presidential bid
…Republican strategists have been trying to pull Paul’s attention back to Kentucky since the fall, when his chances of winning the GOP nomination began sagging amid heightened concerns over national security after terrorist attacks and his libertarian leanings fell out of step with the GOP electorate. Nationally and in Iowa, his poll numbers haven’t cracked double digits since June, according to the RealClearPolitics poll tracker, and his campaign has become less about his big ideas and more about what debate stage he’d appear on.
…
Party insiders give Paul a few more weeks before things become truly worrisome. Their concern is less money and more about “making sure that folks back home don’t hate you for it,” said one national Republican strategist.
“When does it get really embarrassing?” the strategist asked with exasperation.
“Gray’s done a great job as mayor and is without question a very credible opponent. Rand suddenly has a very serious race on his hands,” said a GOP operative in Kentucky.
But the calculation for Paul is more complicated than simply getting a Democratic challenger. He and the state party have expended massive resources in rewriting the party’s rules to change to a presidential caucus state in March: How would it look if the state Legislature and the party went to all that effort for no discernible reason?
IN THE STATES
NORTH CAROLINA – Deborah Ross posted her first fundraising numbers as a candidate for Senate, raising $585,000. Ross raised $100,000 more from individuals than Burr did in the fourth quarter.
OHIO – On Monday, Ted Strickland spoke before the Akron Press Club to talk about why he’s running for US Senate: to keep good-paying jobs in Ohio, make college affordable for working families and secure programs seniors have earned. In the meantime, Rob Portman jetted off to New Hampshire to play national politics.
ARIZONA – Ann Kirkpatrick spoke with KAWC this week, outlining her vision for Arizona.
FLORIDA – In the latest installment of Florida GOP primary fight club, Carlos Lopez Cantera and David Jolly’s campaigns traded barbsover Jolly’s attendance at a fundraising reception. Lopez-Cantera’s spokeswoman said Jolly was “typical DC,” while Jolly’s spokeswoman decried Lopez-Cantera’s “snarky sniping…petty attack.”
MORE FLORIDA – Patrick Murphy gained another big endorsement this week, with the Laborers’ International Union of North America announcing their support.
NEVADA – Catherine Cortez Masto announced a group of African American state lawmakers, pastors, and community group leaders who will help promote her campaign in the African American community.
MORE NEVADA – Catherine Cortez Masto penned a must read op-ed in the Reno Gazette-Journal about why Democrats and Republicans must come together to end human trafficking.
TWEET OF THE WEEK – This week’s Tweet of the Week goes to Alex Roarty for highlighting how the DSCC has expanded the map by recruiting strong candidates in states across the country (PS: congrats on the new gig!): @Alex_Roarty: “Kirkpatrick in Az, Kander in Mo., Eldridge in Ar, and now Gray in Ky. – Senate Ds have host of credible candidates in 2nd-tier battlegrounds.”
