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By Emily Schultheis (
mailto:eschultheis@politico.com
eschultheis@politico.com ; Twitter: @emilyrs)

With Jose DelReal

SCORE EXCLUSIVE-DSCC PUSHES BACK AGAINST AFP AD BUYS: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee will release a memo later this morning outlining why the conservative group Americans for Prosperity's latest ad buys will backfire. Calling AFP a proponent of an "anti-middle class agenda," DSCC spokesman Justin Barasky says the group's big ad buys could cause trouble for GOP Senate candidates in the four red states where Democratic incumbents are fighting for reelection: Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana and North Carolina. The memo points to specific AFP policy positions in these states-shutting down an Alaska oil refinery or opposing flood insurance in Louisiana, for example. "GOP Senate
candidates in Alaska, Louisiana, Arkansas and North Carolina are now having to answer for the Kochs' words and deeds," Barasky writes of the Koch brothers. AFP announced this week that it would spend an additional $1.4 million on anti-Kay Hagan ads in North Carolina, as well as launched a three-week ad buy against Sen. Mark Pryor in Arkansas. Read the full memo:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=812579366fdc1b3c1da86193e0c0bdc5bfea0b7b3ad0e4cfe029d7e8ebb0ff11
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=812579366fdc1b3c1da86193e0c0bdc5bfea0b7b3ad0e4cfe029d7e8ebb0ff11

FIRST IN SCORE-DOHENY UP BIG IN NY-21 PRIMARY: Watertown businessman Matt Doheny has a big lead in the GOP primary for retiring Democratic Rep. Bill Owens's New York seat, according to a new internal poll. The survey, from GOP pollster Public Opinion Strategies, finds Doheny leading former Bush aide Elise Stefanik 49 percent to 13 percent. "Doheny's high level of support on the ballot among GOP primary voters cuts across strength of partisanship, Tea Party affiliation, and region of the district," said Robert Blizzard, who conducted the poll for POS. And of those who considered themselves strong Republicans, 69 percent said Doheny deserves another shot at running for Congress. (He ran
against Owens in 2010 and lost by fewer than 2,000 votes.) Read the full memo:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7aab1c59c18fe7e6a0d7e3d3c14b30e9369a07069577fd7f5259d8de13d1a052
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7aab1c59c18fe7e6a0d7e3d3c14b30e9369a07069577fd7f5259d8de13d1a052

SNEAK PEEK-NRSC SEIZES ON CBO REPORT: The National Republican Senatorial Committee is using the latest Congressional Budget Office report-which says Obamacare will reduce the number of full-time workers by 2 million in the next ten years-to hit ten Democratic Senators and Senate candidates. In a release set for this morning, the committee will outline the ways each state would be affected, according to the report. On the NRSC's list of hits today are incumbent Sens. Kay Hagan (North Carolina), Mark Begich (Alaska), Al Franken (Minnesota), Mary Landrieu (Louisiana), Mark Pryor (Arkansas), Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire), Mark Udall (Colorado) and Mark Warner (Virginia), and Senate candidates
Bruce Braley (Iowa) and Gary Peters (Michigan). See a sample release:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e122ceea1dc9b8fc9bd4701c113cf651218cffe3d24d6a2226a516734d71be30
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e122ceea1dc9b8fc9bd4701c113cf651218cffe3d24d6a2226a516734d71be30

CHRISTIE TO TEXAS: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, finishing off yet another tough week in the Bridgegate scandal, is headed to the Lone Star State today to raise money for the Republican Governors Association. He'll make stops in Dallas and Fort Worth-but neither current Texas Gov. Rick Perry nor GOP gubernatorial nominee Greg Abbott plan to join him. The trip is part of a multi-state fundraising swing for Christie that the RGA announced in the wake of his initial round of Bridgegate headlines.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fdf2b1f35099867127a7f65bd463741eb7bf3614c821be5566a575c1592c81a5
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fdf2b1f35099867127a7f65bd463741eb7bf3614c821be5566a575c1592c81a5

MORE-NYT looks at Democrats' efforts to discredit Christie now, as they were unable to during his reelection campaign:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e91fcd6aad6962c2c618d08da14116cbae3af69ecb413f978d14c297005d3b5b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e91fcd6aad6962c2c618d08da14116cbae3af69ecb413f978d14c297005d3b5b

As the Chamber goes negative, Priorities sits this one out and New Hampshire gets some more 2016 love, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the 2014 midterms.

DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION: 271.

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Good Thursday morning and welcome to Morning Score. As always, send your tips, thoughts, and suggestions to
mailto:eschultheis@politico.com
eschultheis@politico.com or tweet them to @emilyrs.

RATINGS CHANGES THIS WEEK: Rothenberg shifts CA-52 from "Toss-Up/Tilt Democrat" to "Pure Toss-Up," and moves CA-25 from "Currently Safe Republican" to "Republican Favored" (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=993c31e92410fbf1ed58b112daa24782247f45ba8a8b28bc0e66f0b55d34319a
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=993c31e92410fbf1ed58b112daa24782247f45ba8a8b28bc0e66f0b55d34319a ). Rothenberg also shifts Kansas Governor from "Currently Safe Republican" to "Republican Favored" (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=19b37f5d5b002600eff7f1641acd7bdd2327972c1b71919de89886fedd68a484
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=19b37f5d5b002600eff7f1641acd7bdd2327972c1b71919de89886fedd68a484 ). Sabato shifted some of the 2016 GOP primary ratings: under the new ratings, Scott Walker, Rand Paul and Chris Christie are in the first tier; Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and John Kasich are in the second tier; Jeb Bush, Paul Ryan and Mike Huckabee are "wild cards," and Rick Santorum and Rick Perry are "also-rans." On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is the only first-tier candidate; Joe Biden is the only second-tier candidate; Martin O'Malley and Brian Schweitzer are third-tier candidates; Elizabeth Warren, Andrew Cuomo, Mark Warner and Kirsten Gillibrand are in the "would only run if Clinton doesn't" category, and Howard dean is the "wild
card" (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a10bc75c14a08d71f8dc7efc1e53633ef47e8e545f4a6e4efb7c70826694e126
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a10bc75c14a08d71f8dc7efc1e53633ef47e8e545f4a6e4efb7c70826694e126 ).

PRIORITIES STAYS OUT OF THE MIDTERMS: Via BuzzFeed, the pro-Democratic super PAC-which is now devoting itself to prepping for a Hillary Clinton 2016 bid-won't play in the midterms at all: "A spokesman with the group, Priorities USA Action, confirmed to BuzzFeed on Wednesday night that it would not be involved in House or Senate campaigns. 'House Majority PAC and Majority PAC are doing everything right and making a real difference. We fully support their efforts,' said the spokesman, Peter Kauffmann, referring to the main groups supporting Democratic congressional candidates."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=33d60a9352c025cf7595b0fb9feaa5e88ffb4756c55b9e4704f39134627f423d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=33d60a9352c025cf7595b0fb9feaa5e88ffb4756c55b9e4704f39134627f423d

CHAMBER HITS SINK IN FL-13 AD: POLITICO's Maggie Haberman reports on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's latest ad in the Florida 13th special: "The newest spot focuses on Sink and Obamacare, opening by saying that 300,000 Floridians will 'lose their current coverage because of Obamacare.' 'Alex Sink supported it and she still does,' the narrator says, ticking off a litany of after-effects from Obamacare before calling it 'a disaster for families and seniors. With Alex Sink, the priority is Obamacare, not us,' the narrator concludes." The ad comes the same week as the Chamber's big endorsement of GOP candidate David Jolly, and an ad from the Chamber in which former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush backs
Jolly.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8af38ffc90c3ad8e4c42face89db0021845d1ab35669fc38ba505c4f1900b0dc
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8af38ffc90c3ad8e4c42face89db0021845d1ab35669fc38ba505c4f1900b0dc

MORE FROM FLORIDA-Vice President Joe Biden is heading to the Sunshine State next week to help raise money for Sink. Per CNN, the fundraiser will be held at a private home in Coral Gables, Fla., and tickets range from $1,000 to $5,000 each.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e335956b972d5718650845deee2d3438a78ee38772744cb9bf287d137a890948
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e335956b972d5718650845deee2d3438a78ee38772744cb9bf287d137a890948

THE RACE FOR SAN DIEGO: POLITICO's Alex Burns reports on the mayor's race that has become much bigger than just a mayor's race: "The Tuesday special election in San Diego, triggered by the resignation of Democratic Mayor Bob Filner, caps a tumultuous stretch in the seaside defense-contracting-and-tourism hub that was once a stronghold of California Republicanism. Rocked in the past few years by a public-pensions meltdown that drove one mayor from office and again last year by Filner's lurid sexual harassment scandal, San Diego politics is now buffeted by a different kind of force: overwhelming outside spending. ... By the end of January, Washington-based labor unions had donated more than
$1.2 million to outside groups supporting Democrat David Alvarez, a 33-year-old freshman city councilman who would be San Diego's first Hispanic mayor. The $1.2 million figure matches the entire independent expenditure budget for GOP outside groups in the race, according to the San Diego campaign finance tracker inewsource. National Democrats have engaged in other ways, too: Both San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, the 2012 Democratic convention keynoter, and Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz have stumped for Alvarez."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c41a24c40f6f11334ba0d0292ac4116cb3ee287a4ecef93623ffde29413e2f4a
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c41a24c40f6f11334ba0d0292ac4116cb3ee287a4ecef93623ffde29413e2f4a

MORE GRANITE STATE LOVE: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will make his second trip to New Hampshire since the 2012 election: he's giving the keynote address at the Northeast Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua on March 14, per WMUR (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=da01de4204665fc3b9f34273d33ff8f6c3cf82159c11f1b4e008cf9abd3babd0
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=da01de4204665fc3b9f34273d33ff8f6c3cf82159c11f1b4e008cf9abd3babd0 ). Also making a pilgrimage this spring: Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

ACROSS THE MAP-Here are Score's top quick takes from races around the country:

SENATE-

-NC-Sen preview: GOP state House Speaker Thom Tillis will release a new web video today hitting Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan on Obamacare. "How many people will have to pay for Kay Hagan's loyalty to Obama?" the video asks.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=aa5d5768f9a2c573ee1dca7eb003f563d34aba28937969530018a4f4eff99446
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=aa5d5768f9a2c573ee1dca7eb003f563d34aba28937969530018a4f4eff99446

-GA-Sen: Republican candidate David Purdue released a new (Fred Davis-made) ad painting his opponents in the GOP primary as literal crybabies.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d29aaba4db2415c10f2b4379be344c7fc09205209ca2fbc1d277ee1ffa805c9e
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d29aaba4db2415c10f2b4379be344c7fc09205209ca2fbc1d277ee1ffa805c9e

-NE-Sen: A Harper Polling/Conservative Intel poll in Nebraska's GOP primary found Shane Osborn and Ben Sasse in a dead heat for the lead: Osborn took 30 percent and Sasse had 29 percent.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0359da08102669317b94e6d3cb99edcd03cb63216f7a238047d5cb6b56c0c9d3
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0359da08102669317b94e6d3cb99edcd03cb63216f7a238047d5cb6b56c0c9d3

HOUSE-

-CA-33: Activist Sandra Fluke announced she will not seek retiring Rep. Henry Waxman's seat, instead pursuing a seat in the California State Senate.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6c12e6593803256990b8d518302433d4f58d37b9e771e833ce7ead30ca33dd03
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6c12e6593803256990b8d518302433d4f58d37b9e771e833ce7ead30ca33dd03

-VA-10: Robert Wasinger, chief of staff to Michigan Rep. Kerry Bentivolio, is leaving his post and becoming the latest candidate to jump into the GOP race for retiring Rep. Frank Wolf's seat:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=838c4bd22cc45dab6c30144ad8589c215fcfaa6e01c2f9b8cdb94b5e280f4701
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=838c4bd22cc45dab6c30144ad8589c215fcfaa6e01c2f9b8cdb94b5e280f4701

-FL-02: AFP is out with its new ad boosting GOP Rep. Steve Southerland, which is part of a $160,000, three-week buy:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8ed449dd1f3ae017f8e608f93cf2515b4343dda6a0595e0e74e54e4619cbd750
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8ed449dd1f3ae017f8e608f93cf2515b4343dda6a0595e0e74e54e4619cbd750

-IA-03: Iowa bridge construction contractor Robert Cramer has announced his entry to the crowded GOP race for retiring Rep. Tom Latham's seat.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a73a7061e26f9f16c46684be902d5ca6beb30e5cf21f74b0376e9b0d1f2f66d0
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=a73a7061e26f9f16c46684be902d5ca6beb30e5cf21f74b0376e9b0d1f2f66d0

-NC-02: After weeks of speculation, singer Clay Aiken officially announced that he is entering the race against GOP Rep. Renee Ellmers as a Democrat, and released his first campaign video.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1b353fd45595cf170bafe451065322893470d178d6391ec964209d9668cc7fa7
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1b353fd45595cf170bafe451065322893470d178d6391ec964209d9668cc7fa7

GOVERNORS-

-CO-Gov: A new poll finds Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper with a strong lead over all his possible GOP opponents, ranging from a 6- to 10-percentage point advantage.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b64a684b3f60d133304c7c3cdd03b87e765613b891046aba60efd0c9510e02b8
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b64a684b3f60d133304c7c3cdd03b87e765613b891046aba60efd0c9510e02b8

-GA-Gov: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley took a swipe at fellow GOP Gov. Nathan Deal, up for reelection in Georgia, over his handling of the storm that crippled Atlanta last week.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=561b811a4406700688291a1496fc0e91553fa9023b8921a42a652ce259df6e15
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=561b811a4406700688291a1496fc0e91553fa9023b8921a42a652ce259df6e15

-FL-Gov: A new poll has Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist ahead of incumbent GOP Gov. Rick Scott by 7 points, 47 to 40 percent.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f6f948df103ed3ebe6a257ab0fb25aaec95cdbd3052e188b4fbe7159878c7884
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f6f948df103ed3ebe6a257ab0fb25aaec95cdbd3052e188b4fbe7159878c7884

-IL-Gov: GOP State Treasurer Dan Rutherford is launching a $1.34 million, five-week ad buy to boost his numbers in the GOP gubernatorial primary:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3a9d1945dbfff92c8a38e263d6d31707ec75e3361a715dd19f5532e974845316
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=3a9d1945dbfff92c8a38e263d6d31707ec75e3361a715dd19f5532e974845316

CODA-QUOTE OF THE DAY: "This is like frat house governor. Clearly he's trying to be friendly, but I'll watch my wallet over there." -Virginia state Del. Robert Marshall, in one of many great quotes from the WaPo story about Gov. Terry McAuliffe's efforts to schmooze with state lawmakers
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=87e79168fce407841fba07d51acacdeb981d2c9194315ca3b615fa3882a1c177
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=87e79168fce407841fba07d51acacdeb981d2c9194315ca3b615fa3882a1c177

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