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By Theodoric Meyer

With Kyle Cheney and Steven Shepard

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. (
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POPPING THIS MORNING - Poll: Menendez did it: A new Fairleigh Dickinson University poll out this morning shows 58 percent of New Jerseyans think it's at least somewhat likely that Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez did what is alleged by federal prosecutors in the indictment - including 53 percent of Democrats. Overall, Menendez's favorability rating has cratered: It's now 23 percent favorable/39 percent unfavorable, down from 30/33 last month. The poll didn't ask Garden State residents if Menendez, who has vowed to fight the charges, should resign.
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ANNOUNCEMENT SEASON - "Bernie Sanders: I'm running," by POLITICO's Jonathan Topaz: "Bernie Sanders said on Wednesday that he will run for president, giving Hillary Clinton her first official challenger to the left in the Democratic primary. The Vermont independent will officially announce his candidacy in a low-key Thursday - a noon press conference for reporters and likely a message to supporters. Sanders will visit New Hampshire on Saturday for two events, including one in Manchester, spokesman Michael Briggs told POLITICO. Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist and the longest-serving independent in congressional history, is expected to have a larger campaign kickoff event in
Vermont in a few weeks. 'People should not underestimate me,' Sanders, 73, said in an AP interview announcing his decision Wednesday."
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- Want more? Brush up on Bernie with New York magazine's recent profile:
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DRAMA IN KENTUCKY - Heiner reportedly apologizes for connection to blogger: Kentucky Republican gubernatorial candidate Hal Heiner has apologized to primary rival James Comer for the Heiner camp's relationship with a blogger peddling questionable opposition research on Comer's personal life, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported on Wednesday. According to the report, the blogger, Michael Adams, had meetings and communications with Scott Crosbie, the husband of Heiner's running mate, KC Crosbie, to discuss unflattering stories about Comer, the state's agriculture commissioner. The bizarre episode could shake up the field in a May 19 primary that also includes businessman Matt Bevin and former
state Supreme Court justice Will T. Scott; a representative of Scott's campaign also sat down with Adams.
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As Democratic candidates come out against a Pacific trade deal and details about a new Clinton book continue to seep out, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: daily news, notes and essential information for the 2015 and 2016 election cycles.

Days until the 2015 election: 187; Days until the 2016 election: 558.

Thanks for joining us. We're eager for your news and feedback. Email us at
mailto:tmeyer@politico.com
tmeyer@politico.com or find us on Twitter at
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@theodoricmeyer .

CAMPAIGN FINANCE - Supreme Court upholds restriction on judicial fundraising: A divided Supreme Court today on Wednesday upheld Florida's prohibition on the personal solicitation of campaign donations by candidates for judicial office, a rare victory for campaign finance limits before the high court. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court's four liberal justices in the
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decision , writing for the majority: "Judges are not politicians, even when they come to the bench by way of the ballot. And a State's decision to elect its judiciary does not compel it to treat judicial candidates like campaigners for political office. A State may assure its people that judges will apply the law without fear or favor - and without having personally asked anyone for money." The court's four other GOP-appointed justices dissented, including Justice Antonin Scalia who said the decision represents a "wildly disproportionate restriction" on judicial candidates' First Amendment rights.
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** A message from Estrella TV: Comcast forced Estrella TV, a top-rated Spanish-language network, off the air in three U.S. cities because it competes with the Comcast-owned Spanish-language network. Comcast's unfair and unequal treatment of minority-owned Estrella TV is anti-competitive, anti-consumer, and limits minority voices on the air. Stand with Estrella TV.
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www.estrellatv.com/choice **

ON SHELVES SOON - "Book alleges India cash swayed Hillary's nuclear stance," by POLITICO's Gabriel Debenedetti: "Hillary Clinton changed her position on a 2008 nuclear agreement between the United States and India after Indian business and government interests flooded various Clinton enterprises with cash, a highly anticipated new book alleges in a chapter obtained by POLITICO. The book - 'Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Help Make Bill and Hillary Rich' - has become a major point of contention as Clinton kicks off her 2016 bid for the White House. She
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addressed the controversy surrounding it at a campaign stop in New Hampshire earlier this month, calling it one of many 'distractions and attacks,' and her team has aggressively fought to both discredit its conservative author, Peter Schweizer, and to debunk its claims before publication."
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NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS - "Marco Rubio won't back away from Iran amendments that could scuttle deal," by POLITICO's Burgess Everett: "Marco Rubio is refusing to back down from his fight to force Iran to recognize Israel, a stance that threatens to disrupt a delicately negotiated bipartisan bill that would allow Congress to review any nuclear deal with Tehran. In an interview on Wednesday afternoon, the Florida senator and GOP presidential candidate said he has no plans to forgo his amendments to the bill, the most controversial of which would require Iran to acknowledge Israel's statehood and present a tough vote for both parties. If that vote takes place on the Senate floor, Democrats in
particular would be caught between wanting to appear strong on Israel issues and deferring to President Barack Obama, who may revive his veto threat if the measure is significantly amended."
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PRESIDENTIAL NOTEBOOK:

- Jeb Bush's PAC has hired Jim Dyke, president of the consulting firm JDA Frontline in Charleston, S.C., as a South Carolina adviser, the State reports.
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- Carly Fiorina has the support of the Marilinda Garcia, the 2014 GOP nominee in New Hampshire's 2nd District, who wrote a Concord Monitor op-ed endorsing Fiorina's potential candidacy.
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CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "What this guy proved to me is that journalism doesn't exist. I wish I'd meet this guy and pat him on the back." - Sen. Harry Reid told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the ease with which a Nevada man spread a false story that his brother, Larry Reid, had beaten him up had convinced him journalism is no more. Reid insisted the man didn't need to apologize.
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** A message from Estrella TV: Comcast forced Estrella TV off the air in three U.S. cities - including Denver and Salt Lake City, where Estrella TV had a higher Neilsen rating than Comcast-owned Telemundo - rather than negotiate a fair distribution deal for Estrella TV.

If the proposed merger with Time-Warner is completed, Comcast will control cable connection to 90% of Hispanic households, giving it unprecedented power over Latino-focused programming.

Comcast's practices are anti-competitive, anti-consumer, and anti-diversity. The proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger poses a direct threat to competition and to promoting diversity and minority enterprises in broadcasting.

Stand with Estrella TV; Oppose the Comcast-Time Warner merger.
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www.estrellatv.com/choice **

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