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By James Hohmann (
mailto:jhohmann@politico.com
jhohmann@politico.com ; Twitter: @jameshohmann)

FACING A FIRESTORM, ROMNEY TRIES DAMAGE CONTROL: "I am sure I can state it more clearly and effectively than I did in a setting like that," Mitt Romney told reporters at a hastily arranged press conference last night before a California fundraiser at which he raised $4 million. "I am talking about a political process of drawing people in my campaign. ... My campaign is about helping people take more responsibility...This is ultimately a question about the direction of the country. Do you believe in a government-centered society that provides more and more benefits? Or do you believe instead in a free-enterprise society where people are able to pursue their dreams?" Anna Palmer's story:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e30c53de1a21a0f770a40a8ac74608c25a66059bd442fa222
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e30c53de1a21a0f770a40a8ac74608c25a66059bd442fa222 . 2.5-minute video of Romney's avail via CNN:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598edf1fe2ce399b76c982d2f8761b2b8b3498cd062500a311a4
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598edf1fe2ce399b76c982d2f8761b2b8b3498cd062500a311a4 .

MORE TAPE THIS MORNING - Posted by Mother Jones at 3 a.m.: "During the freewheeling conversation, a donor asked Romney how the 'Palestinian problem' can be solved," David Corn writes. "Romney immediately launched into a detailed reply, asserting that the Palestinians have 'no interest whatsoever in establishing peace, and that the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish.' Romney spoke of 'the Palestinians' as a united bloc of one mindset...He informed his donors that a former secretary of state-he would not say who-had told him there was 'a prospect for a settlement between the Palestinians and the Israelis.' Romney recalled that he had replied, 'Really?'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e55097e14b80c7d78c6e3b8d5e526fcd20007443fe55aecb4
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e55097e14b80c7d78c6e3b8d5e526fcd20007443fe55aecb4

THE 47 PERCENT - What Romney said at a May 17 fundraiser in the Boca Raton, Fla., home of investment banker Marc Leder: "There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it...These are people who pay no income tax...my job is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.' Original scoop by Mother Jones' David Corn (with video from the fundraiser):
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e79409fbd22e403ede7e0340cf737d2ab50e1e73ca5fdf523
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e79409fbd22e403ede7e0340cf737d2ab50e1e73ca5fdf523 .

HOW BAD IS THIS? So much for that Romney Reset. This is more damaging than Libya because it feeds the caricature that Romney is heartless, arrogant and not concerned about "people like you." It will fire up the president's base, and it could break through to a segment of low-information voters who could care less about foreign policy. It comes at a time when Romney (facing a coagulating "campaign in disarray" story line) needs desperately to land a punch on Obama. On the other hand, many conservatives are likely to rally behind Romney. Many who don't pay income tax think they do. Here are some questions that will determine how long this story's legs are:

(1) Will down-ballot Republicans distance themselves?

(2) How damaging is the additional tape Mother Jones has?

(3) What does Romney do to show that he does not think 47% of voters are moochers?

(4) How much paid media will the Obama campaign put behind highlighting the line? "It's hard to serve as president for all Americans when you've disdainfully written off half the nation," Jim Messina said in a statement last night that could foreshadow an attack ad. American Bridge 21st Century already turned a web video, the first of what will surely be many:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e5f83328e1215b2ece0c8c3ae5bec78fef6b57b0a2ebcdce7
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e5f83328e1215b2ece0c8c3ae5bec78fef6b57b0a2ebcdce7 .

(5) Do Obama's two New York fundraisers today compel him to personally pull his punches or will he engage with the story on Letterman?

CHANNELING THE ELITES - DAVID BROOKS LASHES OUT: He takes a hard whack at Romney in his New York Times column. "Who are these freeloaders? Is it the Iraq war veteran who goes to the V.A.? Is it the student getting a loan to go to college? Is it the retiree on Social Security or Medicare? ... The people who receive the disproportionate share of government spending are not big-government lovers. They are Republicans. They are senior citizens. They are white men with high school degrees ... Romney's comment is a country-club fantasy. It's what self-satisfied millionaires say to each other. It reinforces every negative view people have about Romney. Personally, I think he's a kind, decent man
who says stupid things because he is pretending to be something he is not - some sort of cartoonish government-hater. But it scarcely matters. He's running a depressingly inept presidential campaign. Mr. Romney, your entitlement reform ideas are essential, but when will the incompetence stop?"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eb4e7a348df95bad1b5b59df765d9cec00204b9f398a752c9
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eb4e7a348df95bad1b5b59df765d9cec00204b9f398a752c9

CHANNELING THE WONKS - EZRA KLEIN CHALLENGES MITT'S ASSUMPTIONS: "For what it's worth, this division of 'makers' and 'takers' isn't true," says the Washington Post blogger. "Among the Americans who paid no federal income taxes in 2011, 61 percent paid payroll taxes - which means they have jobs and, when you account for both sides of the payroll tax, they paid 15.3 percent of their income in taxes, which is higher than the 13.9 percent that Romney paid. Another 22 percent were elderly. So 83 percent of those not paying federal income taxes are either working and paying payroll taxes or they're elderly and Romney is promising to protect their benefits because they've earned them. The
remainder, by and large, aren't paying federal income or payroll taxes because they're unemployed."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e0c67648f586022a8d73d8b22e645a9ce9b48eb1eeac24844
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e0c67648f586022a8d73d8b22e645a9ce9b48eb1eeac24844

CONSERVATIVE BLOGS DOWNPLAY AND/OR DEFEND-

National Review's Jonah Goldberg: "To read many of the reactions on Twitter, you'd think Mother Jones had just found video of Mitt Romney strangling a hooker with her own pantyhose...Ultimately Romney's division of the electorate has an odd Marxist twang to it, as if those dependent on government are simply voting their naked economic self-interest...I don't think this video is good news for Romney. But if Romney showed a little more of the spirit he shows in this video, I'm not sure it wouldn't help."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ee0b3512010950793016f70dfadbcbb31939a15ea8479d858
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ee0b3512010950793016f70dfadbcbb31939a15ea8479d858

Breitbart.com's John Nolte: "When I saw these videos, my first thought was, 'Gee, I wish Romney would talk this way on the campaign trail.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e240dc8d4c20152c9d9e9b641d44d9284b9ce5ba3628ce5ec
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e240dc8d4c20152c9d9e9b641d44d9284b9ce5ba3628ce5ec

RedState's Eric Erickson: "The Romney campaign should double down on what he said. They should own it."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e560f1ee1758a1a8d63f9a65ade4f03d8fbc2d5faefbb3170
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e560f1ee1758a1a8d63f9a65ade4f03d8fbc2d5faefbb3170

Hot Air's Allahpundit: "Everyone thinks they're a 'maker,' not a 'taker,' due to whatever little tax they pay, so when Mitt lays into freeloaders, even people who pay no income tax think he's talking about someone else. It's sort of the flip side of senior citizens saying that America needs small government while telling politicians 'Hands off my Medicare.' I doubt it'll end up hurting Romney badly, but the media will do its level best. Buckle up!"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eea00a87cf240fdae4678e6698c722d3bb14e98059c6bd130
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eea00a87cf240fdae4678e6698c722d3bb14e98059c6bd130

TAKE A DEEP BREATH: Political scientist John Sides argues that gaffes like this ultimately don't move polls on his Monkey Cage blog. He cites Obama's 2008 comment at a closed-door fundraiser that people cling to guns and religion. Lots of charts:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eae4c256dcba75015d1a819b954febe91c0d17744056568d1
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eae4c256dcba75015d1a819b954febe91c0d17744056568d1 .

As Dick Durbin predicts the Republicans keep the House, more than 10 thousand turnout to see Michelle in Florida and Jimmy Carter's grandson gets credit in the Mother Jones story, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.

THE TRAIL TODAY-

OBAMA in NEW YORK CITY: He welcomes the WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx to the White House this afternoon. Then he flies to New York for a 4:40 taping with David Letterman. After, he attends a 7:40 reception at the Waldorf Astoria and delivers remarks at a 9:45 reception at the 40/40 Club. Jay Carney briefs at 11:15.

ROMNEY in UTAH and TEXAS: He flies to Salt Lake City (lands at 11:10 MT) and then goes on to Dallas.

BIDEN in IOWA: On the second day of his swing, the vice president holds rallies in Ottumwa at 10:30 CT and Grinnell at 2 CT.

RYAN in NEW HAMPSHIRE and VIRGINIA: 11:10 town hall at the McConnell Community Center in Dover, New Hampshire. 5:25 rally at the Ferguson Center Concert Hall in Newport News, Virginia. Then he flies to North Carolina, landing in Greensboro at 7:50.

COUNTDOWN: 49 days.

MESSAGING-

NEW ROMNEY AD FOCUSES ON WOMEN: A new television ad features a blonde mother holding a precious, newborn baby girl as a female narrator reads a letter. "Dear Daughter," she says. "Welcome to America. Your share of Obama's debt is over $50,000. And it grows every day. Obama's policies are making it harder on women. The poverty rate for women - the highest in 17 years. More women are unemployed under President Obama. More than 5.5 million women can't find work. That's what Obama's policies have done for women. Welcome, daughter." Watch:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ec9ab6ab95960450d31d00dbfee2f1977ede1348a144b73be
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ec9ab6ab95960450d31d00dbfee2f1977ede1348a144b73be .

NEW WEB VIDEO FOCUSES ON DEBT: The Romney camp is also releasing a new web video called "Prairie Fire." The 30-second video pairs Romney's stump speech riff with grim music and photos of neighborhoods:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e15d93641671659a03c4946c32900280723a4688e2741492c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e15d93641671659a03c4946c32900280723a4688e2741492c . They'll send an accompanying research hit on Obama's past criticisms of the debt in the past. And they're organizing 16 events in nine states (Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Virginia) focusing on Obama's failure to rein in government spending.

OBAMA AD PUSHES BACK ON ROMNEY CHINA ATTACKS: "Tough on China? Not Mitt Romney," a narrator says in a spot they rolled out last night that will run on national cable. "When a flood of Chinese tires threatened a thousand American jobs, it was President Obama who stood up to China and protected American workers. Mitt Romney attacked Obama's decision...said standing up to China was 'bad for the nation and our workers.' How can Mitt Romney take on the cheaters when he's taking their side?" Watch:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e9701998050d4dd4cb093b19fbd746994f885a850f45ea14e
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e9701998050d4dd4cb093b19fbd746994f885a850f45ea14e .

THE AIR WAR-

CHAMBER ADS TARGET MAINE, OHIO AND MONTANA-The U.S. Chamber of Commerce will go on the air today with attack ads against Angus King, Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester.

CHALLENGING KING'S INDEPENDENCE: Republicans are trying to put Maine in play as they look for a way to make up for the near-certain loss of Missouri, hoping they can win a three-way race by driving up the negatives of independent Angus King and boosting Democrat Cynthia Dill. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has bought time in the Pine Tree State, and now the Chamber is going back on the air with another fiscally-focused attack. "Angus King, he's the king of spending," a narrator says. "While King was governor, state spending skyrocketed to $2.6 billion. The king of mismanagement: when King left office, he left Maine with a billion dollar budget shortfall. Declare your
independence from this King. Mainers can't afford to send Angus King to Washington. Maine needs jobs!" Maggie Haberman reported last night that the Chamber's buy in Maine is for $280,000 and runs through Sept. 30. The three candidates debated yesterday (AP):
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ecb454025921ae2fbf3c947832c51dc32b2d12057f333219d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ecb454025921ae2fbf3c947832c51dc32b2d12057f333219d . Watch the Chamber's ad:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e41155c4557497ba8a4efd9eb8b489b866102636245775da4
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e41155c4557497ba8a4efd9eb8b489b866102636245775da4 .

GIVING TESTER AN "F": "It's time for Jon Tester's Washington report card, and it ain't pretty," the narrator says. "Sen. Tester cast the deciding vote for government-mandated health care - which will cost over $1 trillion (with) $716 billion in Medicare cuts - and Tester voted for cap & trade...Washington has changed Jon Tester, and he has failed Montana."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e1719c23e250dc18e17e6f42d86b9de01cc2a0f43507dd60f
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e1719c23e250dc18e17e6f42d86b9de01cc2a0f43507dd60f

TARGETING BROWN ON ENERGY: "Brown voted to keep up more dependent on oil from unstable regimes, and Brown voted for costly regulations that could cause electricity rates to skyrocket or force layoffs," a narrator says. "Stop Sherrod Brown..."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e077dd0bea4daadb473a1f58a808afa4eac3a0ffe0d176c19
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e077dd0bea4daadb473a1f58a808afa4eac3a0ffe0d176c19

NORTH CAROLINA EXCLUSIVE - RGA LINKS DALTON TO PERDUE: The Republican Governors Association launches their first television ad of the fall in North Carolina today, tying Democratic Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton to unpopular incumbent Bev Perdue. "Year after year, Walter Dalton's raised taxes on families and businesses," a narrator says. "Under Dalton and Perdue, North Carolina has the worst business taxes in the South. The Dalton-Perdue record: Higher taxes. Killing jobs." They've broadcast two radio ads already and ran two ads against Dalton after the Democratic primary in May. Both also linked Dalton to Perdue. North Carolina is arguably the swing state where Romney is currently strongest
positioned. Watch the 15-second spot:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e6d4de5d5037961fbc2d9138f1438624fa27c8c0defa52676
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e6d4de5d5037961fbc2d9138f1438624fa27c8c0defa52676 .

NEW YORK EXCLUSIVE - DCCC UPS AD BUY AGAINST CHRIS GIBSON: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has been advertising on cable against Republican incumbent Chris Gibson, but they're placing an additional buy for the next two weeks on Albany broadcast for just over $300,000. The first ad will be the same one that features Gibson along with Paul Ryan and focuses on Medicare. "Chris Gibson voted for Paul Ryan's budget that leaves seniors at the mercy of the insurance industry," a narrator says. "Chris Gibson, one of the crowd - the crowd that wants to end Medicare." Watch:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eece555ead1b4f4f988e1f81ac5a459bd3d13347cca66b8ca
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eece555ead1b4f4f988e1f81ac5a459bd3d13347cca66b8ca .

NEW HAMPSHIRE PREVIEW - EMILY'S LIST TARGETS THREE REPUBLICANS: The group will announce a "Women Vote!" project in New Hampshire today that targets gubernatorial candidate Ovide Lamontagne, along with congressmen Frank Guinta and Charlie Bass. Democrats have nominated women to run against all three. They'll target a universe of 50,000 women who support abortion rights with online ads (banner, Facebook, pre-roll), direct mail, radio and a microsite. The 10-piece direct mail program includes six hits on Lamontagne's record, two pieces in each district on Frank Guinta and Charlie Bass's record and an additional two pieces in each district with information linking Ovide with the
representative in that district. 'Our strong pro-choice Democratic women- Maggie Hassan, Carol Shea-Porter and Anne Kuster - will protect Medicare and women's health care decisions,' says Stephanie Schriock, the group's president. See NewHampshireWomen.org:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e42e876433beec3293d75f227521883368bf0e450b5a8a9b8
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e42e876433beec3293d75f227521883368bf0e450b5a8a9b8 . Here's the pre-roll YouTube ad that paints the men as radical (they plan to release a new one every week):
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ef127eab3723cc5b454983673df835f180c5847c2b46c3ab1
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ef127eab3723cc5b454983673df835f180c5847c2b46c3ab1 .

CROSSROADS PUTTING MONEY INTO HOUSE RACES: Alex Burns reports on a new $10 million ad offensive from the conservative super PAC. "The first Crossroads House target is New York's 1st Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop is in a tough race against Republican challenger Randy Altschuler. It's just the beginning of a congressional campaign push that will add up to the 'tens of millions,' a Crossroads official said."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eed80df36938f4543684d52ba1e2de4d42252e9527a9320fa
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eed80df36938f4543684d52ba1e2de4d42252e9527a9320fa

POLLING-

FIRST IN SCORE - SEIU/KOS HAS OBAMA UP FOUR: The weekly survey, conducted by Public Policy Polling, shows Obama leading 50-46, with four percent undecided. He leads 59-35 among union households. Romney leads 56-41 among whites, but Obama makes for it with overwhelming strength among every other group. The only income group which Romney leads in is those earning $50,000 to $75,000 a year. 9-pages:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eae05d1227555a4534cb68d47bf8c554345bf8298ba1d41ce
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eae05d1227555a4534cb68d47bf8c554345bf8298ba1d41ce .

PPP (D) of WISCONSIN: Obama basically ties Romney 49-48, with 1 percent undecided:

http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e4e56e9a5100a82ba63553a5b853004a960a5cdf1061f6df9
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e4e56e9a5100a82ba63553a5b853004a960a5cdf1061f6df9 .

SUFFOLK of MASSACHUSETTS SENATE: Liz Warren leads 48-44. Obama leads 64-31.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e8d3371a00dd4a93400afe52c1311a496ea4ab686936271ed
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e8d3371a00dd4a93400afe52c1311a496ea4ab686936271ed

PEW: 45% approve of Obama's handling of the Libya situation. 26% approve of Romney's comments on the situation, and 48% disapprove.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e83f805e498ae610c5087439fe01c86519873b53069ef5f1f
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e83f805e498ae610c5087439fe01c86519873b53069ef5f1f

OBAMA TALKERS-

WHY OBAMA IS WINNING: Jonathan Martin identifies the three factors propelling the president to reelection in a story leading our site this morning based on interviews with some two dozen political veterans from both parties.

1) A Democratic landscape: "The Upper South and interior West are now competitive terrain and will be in future White House races. That means Democrats have more margin for error than Republicans when it comes to cobbling together 270 electoral votes. As more voters, both transients from other states and immigrants, have poured into states like Nevada, Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina, political demographics in these places have been transformed." And, of course, there's a structural problem with Hispanics...

2) The incumbent's staying power: "Minorities have been harder hit by the recession than whites, yet surveys show that they feel better off now than before Obama and are more optimistic about the future than whites...Swaths of centrist voters believe the president inherited a mess and that George W. Bush and the Republicans are more to blame for the dismal economy than Obama and the Democrats."

3) The challenger's flaws:"Romney's advisers have started coming in for the predictable criticism that's inevitable in a campaign that's losing. But as big an issue is the candidate's own profound weaknesses - he has a resume that's uniquely vulnerable to attack during difficult economic times and has little in the way of political self-awareness... Beyond his background, Romney also is often his own worst enemy on the stump."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ef09b2458691f6a8402f22fcedab7ee851bb844d398e65af4
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ef09b2458691f6a8402f22fcedab7ee851bb844d398e65af4

MORE LIBYA STORIES CHALLENGE ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNT: Fox News cited an intelligence source on the ground saying there was NO demonstration outside the U.S. consulate in Benghazi ahead of the attack, which challenges the Obama administration's account:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ec6df56d124cab4e540254ecd46e08281d661a9bda3b5b0c1
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ec6df56d124cab4e540254ecd46e08281d661a9bda3b5b0c1 . CNN reported last night that there were potentially multiple targets in Libya:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e6d13aa0e28964a8352ae8be43f38346951506a8cd6983142
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e6d13aa0e28964a8352ae8be43f38346951506a8cd6983142 . Wired Magazine reports that a British security firm was hired to protect the U.S. consulate, despite the State Department spokeswoman insisting otherwise last week:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e776325c8ddf9d84aa96993bc8f70bde8bf02444f1ffe1896
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e776325c8ddf9d84aa96993bc8f70bde8bf02444f1ffe1896 . Meanwhile, the AP reports that diplomats at the U.S. embassy in Beirut have started to destroy classified information as a security precaution:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e3967d2235f4d5d1f341d4d6085939bcf8f2af3756271241c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e3967d2235f4d5d1f341d4d6085939bcf8f2af3756271241c . Lost in the Mother Jones blowup was that Romney got his first national security briefing yesterday.

NYT A1 - "LIMITS PLACED ON IMMIGRANTS IN HEALTH CARE LAW": "The White House has ruled that young immigrants who will be allowed to stay in the United States as part of a new federal policy will not be eligible for health insurance coverage under President Obama's health care overhaul," Robert Pear writes on the front page of today's Times. "The decision - disclosed last month, to little notice - has infuriated many advocates for Hispanic Americans and immigrants. They say the restrictions are at odds with Mr. Obama's recent praise of the young immigrants."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e14cac130dba8dd309788cd137f6badf29631c833d4119890
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e14cac130dba8dd309788cd137f6badf29631c833d4119890

ROMNEY TALKERS-

RICKETTS AD BLITZ LIKELY TO BE ON MESSAGE: "Unlike the controversial aborted pitch for a $10-million attack highlighting Rev. Jeremiah Wright, billionaire investor Joe Ricketts's new super PAC campaign will use themes and players blessed by Romney and his allies," Ken Vogel reports. "The Ricketts-funded super PAC Ending Spending Action Fund on Monday announced that it would spend $10 million on ads starting this week boosting Romney and another $2 million on ads boosting GOP congressional candidates, the Wall Street Journal reported. POLITICO has learned that the team assembled to carry out the campaign overlaps significantly with the one behind the Romney-blessed super PAC Restore Our
Future, including election lawyer Charlie Spies, and ad-maker Larry McCarthy."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eac48087d036211e52a6e0cdcdd4b8d95fbfdc01b43729f2e
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eac48087d036211e52a6e0cdcdd4b8d95fbfdc01b43729f2e

ROMNEY CLAIMS HE'S NEVER MET KRIS KOBACH: The Kansas secretary of state is loathed by Latino activists for his hardline positions, and Romney's campaign has called him an "informal adviser." But during a Univision interview yesterday, Romney said he's "not met with him yet." The campaign later clarified that they've met at campaign events but not in "formal policy meetings." CNN's Peter Hamby:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e82b48b15327ac3bf188700391320298b78a8764aae77010c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e82b48b15327ac3bf188700391320298b78a8764aae77010c .

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http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e7461bbda64d13188ccac9dcfa687f1b540b0bde50a51e3b5 ***

BATTLEGROUND BRIEFING-SWING STATE HEADLINES:

USA Today: "Romney campaign promises details, but not new ones."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e061f682af1959f91159a9edae4f637436c5bfe9e4e926f37
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e061f682af1959f91159a9edae4f637436c5bfe9e4e926f37

Akron Beacon Journal: "Romney and Obama embrace coal industry."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ebbeef9dcceba46c0383965dd940b548f571d89cd297ecc04
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ebbeef9dcceba46c0383965dd940b548f571d89cd297ecc04

Columbus Dispatch: "Math class in the park; Obama returns to Columbus."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eb6a31724afc033787db4e65dc019fce637204005e3d1828b
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eb6a31724afc033787db4e65dc019fce637204005e3d1828b

Cleveland Plain Dealer: "Ohio voter registration list nearly 500,000 smaller than in 2008."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e97bc88874f2c767f7f6029eef8e53d0f5805e0268038267a
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e97bc88874f2c767f7f6029eef8e53d0f5805e0268038267a

Cincinnati Enquirer: "Obama talks China, mocks GOP on taxes."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e60eef591ba9529044fba89a8663a290c873f8d662b62bc8d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e60eef591ba9529044fba89a8663a290c873f8d662b62bc8d

Denver Post: "Obama aides lower debate expectations." AP:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e730ad30ce57366749fbdbf5b3ef4093aa36445084647cc36
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e730ad30ce57366749fbdbf5b3ef4093aa36445084647cc36 .

Des Moines Register: "GOP's Ryan equates Obama re-election with economic disaster" (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e76cf933be76eea73ec9714a537cd24c0163640e1e90fa66d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e76cf933be76eea73ec9714a537cd24c0163640e1e90fa66d ); "Biden's Burlington Stop: VP salutes union workers, and vice versa." (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ef487166c114afefbd67d17b7f6c55312e085a169c4815f3e
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ef487166c114afefbd67d17b7f6c55312e085a169c4815f3e ); "King, Vilsack deal blows in 3rd debate" (
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e28f55dc4d2bdfdd904a3080c2f2743bf2b9291842d583c88
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e28f55dc4d2bdfdd904a3080c2f2743bf2b9291842d583c88 ).

Sioux City Journal: "Sioux City business owners tout benefits of 2nd Obama term."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e98f3da9c6fe52bdeeb597bf2d5216d79fd0fc33263204381
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e98f3da9c6fe52bdeeb597bf2d5216d79fd0fc33263204381

Miami Herald: "Starting at UF, Michelle Obama vies for Florida's youth vote." 10,750 people came to see FLOTUS at her rally yesterday:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ea2a2483c8015c43335e30afb6c3fa14e09ef6b62afa420ba
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ea2a2483c8015c43335e30afb6c3fa14e09ef6b62afa420ba .

Tampa Bay Times: "US Rep C.W. Bill Young changes course, says U.S. should withdraw from Afghanistan."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e02b1bf5f679fcf8b3a3b24a5309a1d3bcef10982acea5892
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e02b1bf5f679fcf8b3a3b24a5309a1d3bcef10982acea5892

Palm Beach Post: "'Women for Mitt' bus makes a stop in Boca Raton."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eec3853c31f8a3989d02c9bb01b74fd458a98fb622672d24e
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eec3853c31f8a3989d02c9bb01b74fd458a98fb622672d24e

Orlando Sentinel: "McCain to rally Romney troops in Casselberry Tuesday."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ec99bd815672814e72a31c8dca15839bb4fa35eec0cd16c5a
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ec99bd815672814e72a31c8dca15839bb4fa35eec0cd16c5a

The Washington Post: "Ryan proposed automatic defense cuts in earlier budget plan."

http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ebf2295ceb2036487e5e18f82971eeff0fc4916504f14590c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ebf2295ceb2036487e5e18f82971eeff0fc4916504f14590c

Las Vegas Sun: "Battle Born state is a fierce political battleground."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eb5254e49bb3c02e7c9c793d19bea717f29bdb8ac7c0225a3
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eb5254e49bb3c02e7c9c793d19bea717f29bdb8ac7c0225a3

Raleigh News and Observer: "2010 NC law could swell ranks of voters." 16-year-olds can preregister:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e5c6a235a6874a0cdbf081aa928b45f31df5341b269b95825
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e5c6a235a6874a0cdbf081aa928b45f31df5341b269b95825 .

Charlotte Observer: "1965 Voting Rights Act faces challenge." Bloomberg:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ec8e91d3d7f5b493f8238a90a557addb0ade1ada427779ae9
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ec8e91d3d7f5b493f8238a90a557addb0ade1ada427779ae9 .

Union Leader: "McCain urges Romney to stay on the offensive on Obama Middle East policy." He did a town hall in New Hampshire:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ee476595a3b4834315e236719a6e42e4e3442627f1527e412
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ee476595a3b4834315e236719a6e42e4e3442627f1527e412 .

Concord Monitor: "McCain stumps for Romney; Calls Obama's foreign policy weak."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ea307a0a08ff5ac3249c63d8768108cb07049221765717fc7
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598ea307a0a08ff5ac3249c63d8768108cb07049221765717fc7

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Jill Biden applauds fight for women."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e23b7333acca8f170414f7a1b0586cb457cc83c705426bc0e
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e23b7333acca8f170414f7a1b0586cb457cc83c705426bc0e

Richmond Times-Dispatch: "Va. Democrats to pick 2013 slate in primary."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e26500017ddc80e60854ee0fc34bb78a3d1aaa4ee4461e07c
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e26500017ddc80e60854ee0fc34bb78a3d1aaa4ee4461e07c

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Wrangle over union law will keep courts busy."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e93fbeea6ecb579846676140d9b82cddb675013b3f4aa1aeb
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e93fbeea6ecb579846676140d9b82cddb675013b3f4aa1aeb

CHICAGO STRIKE - COURT HEARING SET FOR WEDNESDAY AFTER UNION VOTE: "Chicago Public Schools students will miss a seventh day of classes Tuesday as Mayor Rahm Emanuel's attempt to get the courts to quickly end the teachers strike did not produce immediate results," the Chicago Tribune reports. "Instead, a judge opted to hear arguments on the mayor's request Wednesday from the school district and the Chicago Teachers Union. By then, the legal matter could be irrelevant. Union leadership could decide at its Tuesday meeting to end the walkout in anticipation of a vote by teachers down the road on a new contract proposal that was hammered out during marathon negotiations last week."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eb3a69f4f88a5cdfdb2780e803acd5e56ad8c4cf6429729f3
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598eb3a69f4f88a5cdfdb2780e803acd5e56ad8c4cf6429729f3

INDIANA SENATE - LUGAR DOESN'T PLAN TO HELP MOURDOCK: "I've not been a factor in the campaign, and I do not intend to do so," Sen. Richard Lugar told conservative Indiana blogger Abdul-Hakim Shabazz in an interview posted Monday. AP:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e166256da14f8788c51845b32c1e2e078b141250eb4198abf
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0d17ca771752598e166256da14f8788c51845b32c1e2e078b141250eb4198abf . The NRSC's week-long buy to boost Mourdock is for $700,000, Maggie Haberman reports.

VIRGINIA SENATE - WARNER STUMPING WITH KAINE: "For the third time this cycle, [Tim] Kaine hit the campaign trail with popular moderate Democratic Sen. Mark Warner on Monday in an explicit bid for the 6 percent to 8 percent of the electorate who have yet to make up their minds," Dave Catanese reports from Richmond.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e11232421cbfcb9ab036d78941e699674c395fea2a7d5cab4a55
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e11232421cbfcb9ab036d78941e699674c395fea2a7d5cab4a55

ILLINOIS HOUSE - DICK DURBIN PREDICTS GOP MAJORITY: "I think it's likely we'll see an outcome similar to what we have today," Dick Durbin told the Daily Herald yesterday. He went on to describe a "Democratic majority in the Senate but not 60 votes, and a Republican majority in the House but less than it is today." Kerry Lester says Durbin thinks Tammy Duckworth has "the edge" and believes Bill Enyart. He called the other targeted Illinois races toss-ups.
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e11258f4b4c4f112aa7160388551b6eb252850adc8977172c96d
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e11258f4b4c4f112aa7160388551b6eb252850adc8977172c96d

LIGHTER CLICKS -

JIMMY CARTER'S GRANDSON, a looking-for-work opposition researcher named James, helped connect Mother Jones with whoever recorded the video of Romney's fundraiser. He talks with New York Magazine:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e112ed8e9706abdd12195d9aca7dbef2bf878c604b57846593af
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e112ed8e9706abdd12195d9aca7dbef2bf878c604b57846593af .

STEPHEN COLBERT made fun of Romney's premature Libya announcement:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e112d2797e9d79d9379dce63c51ffbbc58667fbf415c30203e91
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e112d2797e9d79d9379dce63c51ffbbc58667fbf415c30203e91 .

JON STEWART attacks Sean Hannity for hypocritically criticizing Obama for democracy promotion when he praised George W. Bush for the same thing:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e1120d238e6f8a0e6ee8f7b63f1af1c47cd16565e667061eaa96
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e1120d238e6f8a0e6ee8f7b63f1af1c47cd16565e667061eaa96 .

A YOUTUBE VIDEO rearranges quotes from Obama's "you didn't build that" speech to the tune of MC Hammer's 1990 hit "U Can't Touch This."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e112aedf6e868e27c81d499c49ee795a665c42a56bfb7d156a52
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e112aedf6e868e27c81d499c49ee795a665c42a56bfb7d156a52

FOX AND FRIENDS got pranked by a 20-year-old:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e11230c8b8a64fb7cc3b6668f95cb5c8fa984d78d60ef2d983af
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e11230c8b8a64fb7cc3b6668f95cb5c8fa984d78d60ef2d983af .

CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "My dad, as you probably know, was the governor of Michigan and was the head of a car company. But he was born in Mexico ... and uh, had he been born of uh, Mexican parents, I'd have a better shot at winning this." - Romney jokes that "it would be helpful to be Latino" at the surreptitiously-recorded fundraiser
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e112e0364b976ff87c376f37ebb4b092f78ea05cb37a1518d2e3
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=969e92936f34e112e0364b976ff87c376f37ebb4b092f78ea05cb37a1518d2e3

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