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By Alexander Burns (@aburnspolitico, aburns@politico.com )


FIRST IN SCORE - 'BAIT AND SWITCH' - EMILY's List and MoveOn.org are joining forces for a campaign to oppose the House Republicans' budget and brand it as a document harmful to women. The new initiative, called "Stop the War on Women," launches today and will include paid media, a website, a petition drive and other grassroots campaign activity to raise awareness about the GOP's spending plan. EMILY's List took in nearly $39 million last cycle to support Democratic women candidates who support abortion rights, and the group has vocally criticized the Republicans' proposed cuts to Planned Parenthood, Title X and women's health-related programs. EMILY's List president Stephanie Schriock summed up the new campaign's message: "They promised to focus on jobs ... Instead, Republican leaders pulled a bait and switch on the American people. And they passed a budget so backwards, so punishing, and so unacceptable to women and families that we're fighting back."


BREAKING OVERNIGHT - "Democrats look at Ted Strickland for DNC job" - POLITICO's Jonathan Martin: "Top Democrats are eyeing former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland to replace DNC Chairman Tim Kaine atop the party should the former Virginia governor step down to run for the Senate, POLITICO has learned. Two well-placed Democrats said that Strickland is seen as a strong contender for the job, but cautioned that no decisions have been made ... Former aides to Strickland wouldn't make him available for an interview, but indicated that he's keeping his options open and has not made any long-term commitments. 'He definitely wants to stay involved,' said one Democrat familiar with his thinking. 'The fight is still in him' ... [Strickland] hails from one of the most pivotal swing states on the presidential map, has raised millions over two gubernatorial runs and a 12-year career in Congress, and is comfortable in front of the camera as a surrogate." http://politi.co/hx9Psp


SCORE EXCLUSIVE - KELLER TO ACU - The American Conservative Union will announce the appointment of Gregg Keller to serve as its executive director, filling out the group's new leadership team with a widely respected Midwestern political hand. Keller is a veteran of some of the toughest elections of the last decade: He was campaign manager for Missouri Sen. Jim Talent in 2006 and national coalitions director for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in 2008. Most recently, he has been executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, the up-and-coming conservative group founded by Ralph Reed. ACU Chairman Al Cardenas, who took over the organization last month, hailed Keller's selection in a statement: "With Gregg's help, ACU will continue to unite social, fiscal and national security conservatives for the tremendous opportunities we have in 2012 and beyond."


KELLER'S COMMENT: "I am excited to join the American Conservative Union at this crucial time for our conservative movement ... I am especially looking forward to working with Chairman Cardenas and the ACU Board to help unite our movement and advance conservative positions, principles and policies."


As Rush touts Rubio, Dean Heller unites the clans and Tom Ganley lands in a whole world of trouble, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.


COMING SOON - RAND TO SOUTH CAROLINA - Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul will take his book tour to Charleston on Monday, according to a source familiar with the trip. He'll speak with the Charleston Monday meeting - a gathering of center-right leaders in the city - and hold a book signing there. This isn't Paul's only upcoming trip to an early presidential primary state: He already has trips booked in April to Iowa and South Carolina. (h/t Jmart)


TODAY - T-PAW'S TURN: Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is making his first trip to South Carolina in about nine months. He'll headline a luncheon for the Aiken Republican Club, according to CNN's Peter Hamby. Plus - worth the click: The newest video from Pawlenty's team captures his trip last week to New Hampshire in cinematic form. Watch it here: http://bit.ly/fKq3Pa ; Hamby's report here: http://bit.ly/eUz6kY


BARBOUR'S EXPECTATIONS GAME - Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told an audience in Des Moines yesterday that if he gets into the 2012 race, he'll get in to win Iowa. Radio Iowa's O. Kay Henderson reported from Barbour's speech to the Iowa Federation of Republican Woman: "As the women and a contingent of men in the room munched on sandwiches, chips and cookies, Barbour quickly turned to the reason for his trip. 'I'm seriously thinking about running for president...If I run, I'm going to run to win Iowa - to win Iowa in the Caucuses and to win Iowa in the General Election because I think Republicans can win Iowa in 2012 and, in fact, I think it'll be a key state in our campaign,' Barbour said." http://bit.ly/ht4R91


MORE - MAVERICK - Barbour staked out two headline-grabbing positions in a nighttime speech to Republicans in Davenport, strongly backing nuclear power and seriously questioning the war in Afghanistan. POLITICO's Kasie Hunt: "The United States needs to rely more on nuclear power despite the escalating disaster in Japan, Haley Barbour told an audience of Iowa Republicans Monday night ... adding, 'There may be some lessons that we need to learn' from the Japanese disaster." READ ON: "He also said that the U.S. should consider reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan ... 'I don't think our mission should be to think we're going to make Afghanistan an Ireland or an Italy' or a Western-style democracy, he said." http://politi.co/hlK3EW and http://politi.co/hJ2RGF


POPPING ON THE CABLES - LET'S MAKE A (BUDGET) DEAL: Americans United for Change is going up with a five-figure advocacy ad buy on DC cable and CNN nationally, casting the budget as a game show-style choice of funding priorities. From the script: "Behind Door No. 1: Head Start, college loans and cancer research. Behind Door No. 2: subsidies for big oil, offshoring and outsourcing ... So, what will the Republicans protect and what will they cut?" Watch the ad here: http://bit.ly/dGqciG


RUSH FOR RUBIO: Let the drumbeat begin again for Marco Rubio in 2012. Rush Limbaugh heaped adulation on the Florida senator Tuesday, praising Rubio's opposition to the continuing resolution to fund the federal government and re-floating Rubio as a national candidate. "Marco Rubio has had it, and it hasn't taken long for Marco Rubio to have had it," Limbaugh said. "I wish the guy would run for president ... Everybody's afraid of a government shutdown on our side. If that's what's necessary to fix this, then so be it." http://bit.ly/eKgiwd


CNN STIRS THE POT - DEBATES FOR SALE? The Republican National Committee has discussed, in at least some vague form, the possibility of selling rights to the 2012 presidential primary debates. From CNN's less-than-totally disinterested report: "The proposal was mentioned last week during a meeting of top RNC officials and a handful of political operatives representing potential GOP presidential candidates ... It is unclear if it is legal for the RNC to sell the broadcasting rights or whether it would constitute a prohibited political contribution in the eyes of federal law ... Kirsten Kukowski, an RNC spokeswoman, confirmed that the issue was mentioned but added, 'There isn't a proposal in front of the RNC to do that.'" http://bit.ly/fvTqYy


FLASHBACK - LAST WEEK IN POLITICO - RNC chief of staff Jeff Larson firmly denied that the committee was pushing an agenda for the 2012 debate schedule: "We didn't put forward any proposal on debates ... We asked them for their thoughts." http://politi.co/fgxcUl


THE ENSIGN SEAT - RALLY 'ROUND HELLER: Nevada Rep. Dean Heller jumped into the state's open-seat Senate race Monday, quickly winning endorsements from Gov. Brian Sandoval and Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki. The Review-Journal's Laura Myers: "Popular in Northern Nevada, Heller acknowledged he'll need to win over vote-rich Clark County where he's less known ... Just hours after his [announcement] e-mail was sent, notice went out for a March 28 fundraiser in Las Vegas, hosted by leading GOP figures such as former first lady Dema Guinn and financial backers such as Sheldon Adelson, owner of Las Vegas Sands Corp ... Sharron Angle, who lost to U.S. Sen. Harry Reid last year, and other Republicans are considering getting into the race." http://bit.ly/flzMY5


METRO SECTION - CHANGE COMES TO MIAMI: Voters in Miami-Dade County booted out Mayor Carlos Alvarez by a more than 75-point margin in last night's recall election, showing that the anti-incumbent fad is alive and well in at least some parts of the country. The Miami Herald: "Nearly nine of every 10 voted to remove Alvarez from office ... Tuesday's vote served notice that the public is thirsting for widespread reform at County Hall, long dominated by entrenched politicians and insiders. County Commissioner Natacha Seijas was similarly recalled Tuesday in a resounding defeat." http://bit.ly/hD1GpT


IN WASHINGTON - From the White House guidance: "In the evening, the President will deliver remarks at a DNC event. The President's remarks will be pooled press."


POLL OF THE DAY - THE COMEBACK TED: Ted Strickland may be a leading candidate for DNC chair, but he'd also be in a pretty good position to reclaim the Ohio governor's mansion if a rematch with Gov. John Kasich took place today. PPP surveyed the state and found dismal numbers for the new Republican governor: "Voters in the state are having significant buyers remorse ... 55% say they would now vote for Ted Strickland to just 40% who would vote for Kasich. Because this is a sample of all registered voters in the state and not just those who voted in last fall's Republican heavy electorate the self identified 2010 vote of this sample is 49% for Strickland and 46% for Kasich but that still suggests a 12 point movement toward Strickland." http://bit.ly/fWIArC


ELSEWHERE IN OHIO - GANLEY INDICTED: Remember Tom Ganley, the auto dealer who looked like a serious challenger for Democratic Rep. Betty Sutton until his campaign imploded? Now you do, thanks to this Cleveland Plain Dealer report: "A seven-count indictment accuses Tom Ganley, a high-profile auto dealer and onetime congressional candidate, of kidnapping a 39-year-old Cleveland woman and having sexual contact with her. Ganley, 68, faces three felony charges of gross sexual imposition, and single counts of kidnapping, abduction, solicitation, and menacing by stalking ... In October, while challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, a Copley Township Democrat, Ganley called the allegations 'lies, slander and false.'" http://bit.ly/gK2NKX


CENSUS READING - SNAPSHOT OF N.M. - Hispanics are now the largest ethnic group in New Mexico, making up close to half the state's population and outnumbering whites by more than 100,000. USA Today: "New Mexico's population grew 13.2% to 2.06 million from 2000 to 2010, according to the Census report out Tuesday ... Demographer Jack Baker says people have been flooding into Sandoval County and Rio Rancho in response to an aggressive marketing campaign for those two areas ... Hispanics now represent 46.3% of New Mexico's population, or 953,403, a 24.6% increase. Non-Hispanic whites are 40.5% of the population, or 833,810, a growth of 2.5%." http://usat.ly/ieClTg


EARL POMEROY FOR GOV? Stranger things may have happened. The former North Dakota congressman who lost his seat last fall may be thinking about another run for statewide office, according to the head of North Dakota's Democratic Party. The Fargo Forum reports: "Pomeroy ... was asked to consider running for governor by Mark Schneider, chairman of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party ... 'The prospect of the governor's office I think really appeals to him,' Schneider said ... Pomeroy, who could not be reached for comment Monday, took a job in Washington with the Atlanta-based law firm Alston & Bird, which has a specialty in health care." http://bit.ly/fqZGIk


CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "If his plan for America is to fire everyone, he's kind of two years too late." - Seth McFarlane, creator of "Family Guy," at the Comedy Central roast of Donald Trump last night http://politi.co/hSGIuC

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