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<p><strong>By Alexander Burns (@<a href="http://twitter.com/aburnspolitico">aburnspolitico</a>, <a href="mailto:aburns@politico.com">aburns@politico.com</a>)</strong> <br />
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<strong>POLITICO SNEAK PEEK - STIMULATE THIS:</strong> The Republican Party's three federal campaign committees will mount a multi-pronged communications assault today on the White House's infrastructure spending plan, pressing Democratic candidates to endorse or reject a proposal the GOP will describe as “another round of wasteful spending.” The NRCC, NRSC and RNC are working in tandem to deliver this message, according to a Republican strategist: “Washington Democrats promised to keep unemployment under eight percent and create four million jobs, but it's abundantly clear that the out-of-touch Democrat majority is only capable of offering up empty promises. After being buried under mountains of debt and higher taxes, struggling middle-class families are ready for sound economic solutions rather than political satire.” President Barack Obama outlined the proposal in his Labor Day speech in Milwaukee, describing it as a necessary step to revive the economy - and drawing immediate pushback from Republican leaders. <a href="http://politi.co/9Eb6Yy">http://politi.co/9Eb6Yy</a> <br />
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<strong>FIRST IN SCORE - AIR CHARLIE:</strong> Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is up with his first television ad of the general election and it's provoking a fierce response from his former party. The spot - picked up by GOP ad trackers - shows Crist standing against a white background, with the word “Democrats” in three-dimensional letters on one side of him and the word “Republicans” on the other. “How do we get results for Florida? By putting aside our differences and putting people ahead of politics. Washington needs to stop all the finger-pointing and focus on our common goals of fixing the economy, creating jobs and helping the middle class,” Crist says, as he starts rearranging the block letters. “As an independent, I will take the best ideas of Democrats and Republicans to get things done. Because at the end of the day, there's only one party I work for.” By this point, he's moved around the letters to spell out: “Americans.” <br />
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The NRSC is issuing a fact-check of Crist's ad, hitting the governor's economic record and taking aim at the claim that Crist would put “people ahead of politics” with a barrage of articles saying Crist has “a reputation for putting career before constituents” and “has become known more for maneuvering than governing.” “If Floridians have learned anything from Charlie Crist's politically opportunistic policy shifts and empty rhetoric, it's that he's willing to say or do anything in an attempt to get elected,” the NRSC's Amber Marchand said in a statement titled: “Crist New TV Ad Spells 'Opportunist.'” <br />
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As Joe Donnelly takes a hit, Sean Duffy's words come back to haunt him and the Really Big Show comes to Guam, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily cheat sheet for the 2010 midterm elections. <br />
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<strong>BREAKING OVERNIGHT - LUCKY THIRTEEN:</strong> Republicans hold a two-point lead over Democrats in the generic ballot, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll - and a 13-point lead among the most likely midterm election voters. Dan Balz and Jon Cohen: “For the first time in more than four years, Republicans run about evenly with Democrats on the basic question of which party they trust to handle the nation's biggest problems. Among registered voters, 40 percent say they have more confidence in Democrats and 38 percent say they have more trust in Republicans. Three months ago, Democrats had a 12-point advantage. On the economy, 43 percent of voters side with Republicans when it comes to dealing with financial problems, while 39 percent favor Democrats. … Voters were also asked whether they think it is more important to have Democrats in charge of Congress to help support the president's policies or to have Republicans in control to serve as a check on Obama's agenda. Here, 55 percent say they prefer Republicans, while 39 percent choose Democrats. The GOP's 16-point edge is double what it was in July.” <a href="http://bit.ly/aXrrxt">http://bit.ly/aXrrxt</a> <br />
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<strong>NEW THIS MORNING:</strong> Read POLITICO's ranking of the most competitive congressional elections here, in Richard E. Cohen and Charlie Mahtesian's “How the House would be w on” <a href="http://politi.co/bicCsH">http://politi.co/bicCsH</a>; and bookmark our comprehensive race-by-race index here. <a href="http://politi.co/cxmFcl">http://politi.co/cxmFcl</a> <br />
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<strong>HOUSE RACE EXCLUSIVE I - LASSA UNLEASHED:</strong> Wisconsin state Sen. Julie Lassa is dropping a new television commercial today in her campaign for retiring Democratic Rep. David Obey's seat, whacking Republican Sean Duffy on the issue of outsourcing and branding herself as the job-creator in the race. The ad opens by charging that Duffy “supports tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas,” before cutting to a clip of Duffy delivering the amazingly ill-advised quote: “The bottom line is, I can't create new jobs.” The narrator picks up again: “We need someone who can. Julie Lassa never forgot what it was like when her father got laid off. … She'll work for us.” Why it matters: The ad is a classic of the 2010 Democratic playbook, recalling the brutal commercials that broke Republican Tim Burns's momentum in Pennsylvania's special House election last May. If Democrats hold the House it'll be because of ads like this one. Watch it here. <a href="http://bit.ly/8YJemo">http://bit.ly/8YJemo</a> <br />
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<strong>HOUSE RACE EXCLUSIVE II - TARGETING TEAGUE:</strong> Americans for Job Security, the Bill Halter-slaying, Ken Buck-boosting, pro-business conservative group, is going up in New Mexico with a one-week television campaign hammering 2nd District Democratic Rep. Harry Teague on the issue of energy. The ad opens with an image of President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and declares: “They just continue the spending, taxing and bailouts.” Then, the commercial gets specific: “Harry Teague was instrumental in passing a job-killing cap and trade bill. Teague's tax would mean higher electric rates for families, higher gas prices and cost us up to 12,000 jobs in New Mexico.” Why this one matters, too: If the Lassa ad sums up the Dems' defensive strategy, this one showcases many of the reasons why Democrats are in so much trouble - tough votes, tough districts and outside groups willing to go all in. Watch it here. <a href="http://bit.ly/bv8kUv">http://bit.ly/bv8kUv</a> <br />
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<strong>THE BIGGER 2010 PICTURE - ROTHENBERG'S PROGNOSIS</strong> - The handicapper moved 20 race ratings toward the GOP last night, offering this read on the landscape: “National and local polls continue to show further deterioration in Democratic prospects. Given that, we are increasing our target of likely Republican gains from 28-33 seats to 37-42 seats, with the caveat that substantially larger GOP gains in the 45-55 seat range are quite possible. The next few weeks will be crucial, as Democratic incumbents seek to drive up Republican challengers' negatives and strengthen their standing in ballot tests.” <a href="http://bit.ly/9gUq2W">http://bit.ly/9gUq2W</a> </p><p><strong>MISSOURI READERS - CHECK YOUR MAIL:</strong> The League of Conservation Voters has dropped a six-figure on an independent expenditure mail campaign in Missouri, where the environmentalist group has been targeting Republican Senate candidate Roy Blunt for defeat. The first mailer features an image of hundred-dollar bills spilling out of an oil barrel, and reads: “For Congressman ROY BLUNT, the energy may be DIRTY, but the MONEY is just as GREEN.” On the reverse side: “Congressman ROY BLUNT has taken over $1,000,000 from Big Oil and other dirty special interests.” See it here. <a href="http://politi.co/97rAvP">http://politi.co/97rAvP</a> <br />
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<strong>NOT TAKING CATHOLICS FOR GRANITE:</strong> New Hampshire Senate candidate Ovide Lamontagne has reached out to Catholic Republican leaders in his bid to become the next - and last - conservative insurgent to catch fire this primary season. Lamontagne held a conference call with national Catholic Republicans last Friday, with former RNC Catholic outreach director Leonard Leo taking point in the effort. Greg Mueller, a former senior adviser to New Hampshire primary winner Pat Buchanan, also participated in the call. Ayotte has been endorsed by Sarah Palin and National Right to Life, but she's also taken heat for supporting Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination and over a new report from the Nashua Telegraph that she settled a case with the abortion rights group Planned Parenthood, at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars. <a href="http://bit.ly/9wN1X4">http://bit.ly/9wN1X4</a> <br />
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<strong>FIRST BLOOD - FROM THE RIGHT:</strong> The NRCC unveiled its first independent expenditure ad of the fall campaign, battering Indiana Rep. Joe Donnelly for his party-line votes. “Joe Donnelly claims he's independent, but he's voted with Nancy Pelosi 88 percent of the time: For the Obama-Pelosi health care plan, the Wall Street bailout, even the $800 billion stimulus that failed,” the narrator says. “Now, Joe Donnelly wants us to believe he's independent?” The ad is a direct response to Donnelly's own commercials, which have cast the congressman in opposition to “the Washington crowd.” The NRCC said it's airing in the South Bend media market. <a href="http://bit.ly/b5lGej">http://bit.ly/b5lGej</a> <br />
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<strong>TODAY - CVH ON OFFENSE:</strong> DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen is in New Orleans today to appear with state Rep. Cedric Richmond, the Democratic nominee against freshman GOP Rep. Joseph Cao. Louisiana's 2nd District is one of the unusual GOP-held seats that Democrats have a strong shot at picking up this year. Here's all you need to know about how ripe this district is for the taking: The topic of Van Hollen and Richmond's event is health care reform, which even incumbent Democrats in competitive races are avoiding. <a href="http://politi.co/cALPQa">http://politi.co/cALPQa</a> <br />
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<strong>AND - CONWAY'S TEST:</strong> It's money bomb day for Kentucky Attorney General and Democratic Senate candidate Jack Conway, who's been urging supporters to pledge donations for a one-day fundraising drive scheduled on Sept. 7. The money's billed as part of the “Conway Fight Fund,” and the Democrat's total could signal how engaged small donors are in the campaign against Republican ophthalmologist Rand Paul. <a href="http://bit.ly/b3ba6X">http://bit.ly/b3ba6X</a> <br />
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<strong>AFSCME'S ASSAULT:</strong> The umbrella union for public employees is launching a $1.5 million ad campaign against Republicans in Michigan, Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania, slamming the GOP for opposing the state aid bill in August. AFSCME president Gerald McEntee told POLITICO's Ben Smith: “We are going to do everything we can to make sure voters understand who worked to save our struggling economy and who chose to play politics with our lives and jobs.” <a href="http://politi.co/ayYeeX">http://politi.co/ayYeeX</a> <br />
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<strong>A REPUBLICAN (SOME) UNIONS CAN LIKE?</strong> Former Gateway CEO Rick Snyder, the Republican nominee for governor of Michigan, was endorsed this week by the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Milwrights, the largest construction union in the state. Numerous big unions have backed Democratic candidate Virg Bernero, the Detroit Free Press reports, including the UAW and AFL-CIO. But the Teamsters are still up for grabs and Snyder's camp is scheduled to meet with them this week. <a href="http://bit.ly/cmnQTe">http://bit.ly/cmnQTe</a> <br />
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<strong>DESSERT -</strong> “GOP national chairman arrives in Guam today” - From the Pacific Daily News: “Michael Steele arrives in Guam today and is expected to meet with Republican Party of Guam members at a grassroots event at the Fiesta Resort tonight. 'This is a great opportunity for Guam Republicans to come together for a common cause,' said Republican Party of Guam Chairman Jess Torres. The event is a fundraiser for the 2010 General Election. Republican gubernatorial candidates Sens. Eddie Calvo and Ray Tenorio and the 15 Republican senatorial candidates will be in attendance.” <a href="http://bit.ly/9EB10g">http://bit.ly/9EB10g</a> </p><br>
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