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By Kyle Cheney

With Lucy McCalmont

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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A NOMINATION IN JULY - RNC dates set, by POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt in Coronado, Calif.: "The GOP's presidential nominating convention will be held July 18-21 in 2016, notably earlier than past such gatherings. The dates for the event, to be held in Cleveland, were revealed Wednesday as Republican National Committee members gathered for a meeting in San Diego that was expected to draw several potential presidential contenders. 'The convention will be held significantly earlier than previous election cycles, allowing access to crucial general election funds earlier than ever before to give our nominee a strong advantage heading into Election Day,' RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a
statement. 'We're excited to continue working with our partners in Cleveland and we look forward to showcasing everything the city has to offer to our delegates and the world in 2016,' he added."

- The Columbus Dispatch reports that Mayor Michael Coleman will be heading to D.C. this week to make a last pitch to bring the Democratic convention to the Ohio state capital.
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ON TAP - Steyer Senate decision coming today? Billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer will join an "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit today at 2 p.m. ET; although the topic is expected to be the Keystone XL pipeline, he's also likely to field questions about whether he intends to run for Senate in California.

2016 GOP - "Chris Christie, odd man out?" by POLITICO's Ben White and Maggie Haberman, with Kenneth P. Vogel: "The New Jersey governor is suddenly moving quickly to build a campaign infrastructure in the wake of announcements by Romney and Bush that they are exploring White House bids. Christie has brought on a finance chairman, is launching a leadership PAC and is heading to Iowa for a cattle call later this month. A big chunk of his State of the State speech this week was about the rest of the country. Even his biggest supporters acknowledge that Christie - who was already burdened by federal investigations, state fiscal problems and fundraising limits - now has a tougher task ahead ...
Christie plans to launch a leadership PAC in the next month or so, an effort that follows a similar move by Bush. Bush allies also have launched a super PAC that can take unlimited donations from megadonors."

- Ken Langone quote: "They can say whatever they want. I could say I'm going to kick King Kong's ass, but you won't know until I've done it. They could say the sky is going to come up yellow tomorrow. I am going to work my ass off to make sure that Chris Christie never needs money."
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- "Romney backlash intensifies," by POLITICO's Katie Glueck, with Kyle Cheney: "A Republican backlash against Mitt Romney that had been simmering for days boiled over on Wednesday ... In a Wednesday evening interview with POLITICO, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who's considering a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, said that the re-emergence of Romney could offset the Republicans' advantage if their Democratic opponent is Hillary Clinton. 'I think the best way to counter something from the past is with something new,' Walker said. And on it went from there."
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- Journal rips Romney: The Wall Street Journal's influential editorial board slammed the former governor for considering a third presidential bid, POLITICO's Lucy McCalmont reports. "If Mitt Romney is the answer, what is the question?," the editorial begins. "Romney is a man of admirable personal character, but his political profile is, well, protean ... Republicans are likely to have a far better field in 2016, so voters won't lack for plausible Presidents ... It's hard to see what advantages Mr. Romney brings that the many potential first-time candidates who have succeeded as governors do not."

CLINTON DEEP DIVE - Former top Obama aides Robert Gibbs and David Axelrod joined Chris Matthews on MSNBC's "Hardball" to discuss Hillary Clinton's campaign apparatus and the recent hires she's made:
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While Warren helps an ally and Republicans rebuke a gadfly, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: daily news, notes and essential information for the 2015 and 2016 election cycles.

Days until the 2015 election: 292; Days until the 2016 election: 663

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

NOTES FROM THE RNC MEETING - "RNC moves to punish controversial committeeman," by Alex Isenstadt in Coronado, Calif.: "The Republican National Committee moved on Wednesday to punish a party official who has a history of making racially inflammatory remarks. The RNC's executive committee, meeting behind closed doors here this week at the organization's annual winter conference, voted to censure David Agema, a Michigan national committeeman who has come under fire for recently reposting an article from a white supremacist magazine on his Facebook page. Previously, Agema had posted an anti-gay essay on his page and another one that questioned Muslims' contributions to American society. The RNC
also demanded Agema's resignation."
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- Walker calls for RNC member to step down: Gov. Scott Walker added to the anti-Agema chorus yesterday, demanding his resignation and calling his posts "abhorrent." In an interview, Walker recoiled at the notion that the episode would allow GOP critics to paint the party as intolerant. Democrats have already been hitting Republicans over allegations that House Majority Whip Steve Scalise appeared at an event sponsored by a white supremacist group 15 years ago, an appearance Scalise said, if it occurred, was inadvertent as he traveled his district to promote a tax plan. Asked whether he worried that Democrats would combine the Scalise and Agema controversies to label Republicans as hostile
to minorities, Walker said it's only possible if the media spins that narrative. "I think voters are smarter than that," he said.
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CALIFORNIA SENATE - Warren boosts Harris: Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsed California Senate candidate Kamala Harris on Wednesday, calling the Democratic state attorney general a "smart, tough, and experienced prosecutor who has consistently stood up to Wall Street." Warren, a favorite of the left, will add immediate populist heft to Harris's bid. In her endorsement, Warren also made clear that she was repaying Harris for supporting her Senate bid in 2012. "Kamala came to Massachusetts to help our campaign in 2012, and I'm doing what I can to make sure Kamala Harris makes it to the United States Senate in 2016," she wrote in a post on her campaign website. A link at the bottom of the page
allows donors to give money, through ActBlue, to Harris and Warren's respective Senate campaigns.

CHAMBER MUSIC - "Chamber of Commerce: We could play in Democratic primaries in 2016," by Hotline's Andrea Drusch: "Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue said at a press conference Wednesday that his political team will focus its energy in 2016 on electing candidates it thinks bring 'competence and experience' to the legislating process, regardless of party affiliation. 'There could even be primaries on the Democratic side that we'd be interested in,' said Donohue.
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THE NUMBERS - Reid's precarious position: In Geoff Skelley's latest on Sabato's Crystal ball, he points out that Sen. Harry Reid has pulled off a pretty remarkable feat: "Reid has won five straight elections for Senate, starting in 1986. His average share of the vote in those contests was 52.1%. If we compare Reid to other senators who won at least five consecutive contests (including special elections), his mark is the lowest average percentage won by any qualifying senator. Reid also had the lowest median percentage (50.3%). Overall ... there are 72 senators who qualify for such a list, eight of whom later lost renomination or reelection." The column:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9794952c70e16b097af7ca3b246372fb258b72e7aa8335d66c51bfe2c93314fd
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=9794952c70e16b097af7ca3b246372fb258b72e7aa8335d66c51bfe2c93314fd ; the table:
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CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I try never to start it. I just finish it," Sen. Rand Paul on the escalating war of words with NH1.
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