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


BREAKING FROM THE DCCC - ROARING BACK - The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took in an eyebrow-raising $19.6 million in the first quarter of the year and cut its debt by more than half by the end of March. The committee, which owed $19.5 million in January, is now $8 million in the red - a much more manageable sum that represents a huge step toward contesting the House in 2012. What's more, the DCCC's quarterly total of $19.6 million is actually higher than the $17.2 million it raised in the first quarter of 2009, when Democrats had the House majority. "Republicans' radical agenda to end Medicare and play chicken with a government shutdown, while protecting taxpayer giveaways for Big Oil, is turning off independent voters and energizing our Democratic supporters," DCCC Chairman Steve Israel said in a statement set for release. "As a result, the DCCC is back on sound financial footing and aggressively focused on holding Republicans accountable for their radical agenda."


PLUS - DETAILS - In an announcement today, the DCCC will tout strong levels of member giving and online support, including $1.2 million raised over the web in March. The committee had its two strongest online fundraising days ever in the last month: The best was March 31, the last day of the quarter. The second-best was April 8 - or as the DCCC calls it, "the day Republicans nearly shut down the government to pursue their radical social agenda." The DCCC finished March with $4.6 million in the bank.


COMING TODAY - DEMS GUARD THE CHANGE - Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, former Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and Center for American Progress executive Neera Tanden have announced a press briefing today to unveil an initiative defending the Affordable Care Act. New details: The operation will involve two groups. One is a 501c(3) organization dubbed Know Your Care, focused on explaining the positive effects of health care reform to the American people. The other, Protect Your Care, is a 501c(4) that will lobby to defend the law from efforts to defund or repeal it. There's already a star-studded team in place to steer the groups, stacked with Obama campaign alums: Paul Tewes and Ami Copeland of New Partners will serve as senior adviser and finance adviser, respectively. GMMB's Jim Margolis will be the media consultant, while John Anzalone has signed on to do polling. Tanya Bjork, who ran Obama's Wisconsin campaign, will hold the title of campaign manager.


MORE - FROM THE COMMS SHOP - The communications director for the groups is former AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale, while David DiMartino of Blue Line Strategic Communications will be communications adviser. Vale broke the news yesterday that the groups will mount "an aggressive campaign educating the American people about the Affordable Care Act's life-saving consumer and patient protections." Flashback - POLITICO's Jennifer Haberkorn previewed the rollout here: http://politi.co/fu8OwZ


As Joe Sestak drops some hints, Mitch Daniels wrings his hands and the Mike Haridopolos fundraising machine delivers, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily guide to the permanent campaign.


KICKOFF IN CHICAGO - From the White House guidance: "In the evening, the President will deliver remarks at DNC events at N9NE Restaurant and MK Restaurant in Chicago ... Later, the President will deliver remarks at a DNC Event at Navy Pier." The Tribune raises the curtain: "The Navy Pier event Thursday night is billed as a 'fundraising kickoff' for Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, according to an invitation. Tickets are $250 and $100 ... The fundraising blitz in Chicago will jointly support the DNC and the Obama campaign." http://bit.ly/icDr6h


LAST NIGHT - SMALL STEP FOR SANTORUM - The former Pennsylvania moved into the "testing-the-waters" phase of the 2012 campaign, announcing the Rick Santorum Exploratory Committee in an interview with Fox's Greta Van Susteren. Explained Santorum: "The test for me is whether we can raise the money that's necessary ... We're going to determine over the next few weeks as to whether the resources are going to be there to do it." The move was widely anticipated for Santorum, who has already committed to the first two presidential primary debates in South Carolina and New Hampshire. http://reut.rs/gX3ZJA


THE BUDGET FIGHT - PAWLENTY DISSENTS - Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty became the first establishment-friendly GOP presidential candidate to oppose the 2011 budget deal Wednesday, declaring: "The more we learn about the budget deal the worse it looks." MinnPost: "Pawlenty's position is well to the right of House Republican leaders, who hailed the measure after negotiations finished. In fact, on this point he has allied with Michele Bachmann (who opposes it because it doesn't strip out health reform implementation funding)." http://bit.ly/efmEXI


DANIELS WATCH - IN AND OUT: Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels is "deeply interested in launching a campaign" for president the Indianapolis Star reports - but you wouldn't know it from the way the Republican talks about 2102. Asked to comment on the GOP presidential field, Daniels told the Star that "odds are I will likely end up supporting one of them." Daniels continued to spell out the kind of tough-love platform he would want to run on: "It would take the right message, he said. 'I hope you would call the American people to the challenge of our day,' he said ... [I]s the nation, and the political world, truly capable of a reasonable debate over such hot-button issues? Recent history casts doubt on that premise. 'I can't prove it to you,' he said. 'But we'd better find out.'" http://bit.ly/ee5JLJ


POLL OF THE DAY - TWO MAKES A TREND - President Obama has fallen behind Mitt Romney in the essential battleground of Florida, according to a pair of polls released this week. The newest numbers come from a Suffolk University/7NEWS survey that shows Romney ahead by a single point, 43 percent to 42 percent. Romney had a slightly wider, 5-point lead in a Ron Sachs Communications/Mason-Dixon poll published Monday, edging Obama 48 percent to 43 percent. If you want a third data point: Quinnipiac recently put Obama three points down in Florida to a generic Republican challenger, 38 percent to 41 percent. http://bit.ly/gIpys5 and http://bit.ly/dIZ1Ki and http://bit.ly/i11zJM


AND - N.J. SAYS NO - National Republicans may be yearning for a Chris Christie presidential campaign, but voters in New Jersey say by a lopsided margin they don't want their governor to run. Just 22 percent of registered voters said they wanted Christie to run in a new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll, versus 65 percent who said the opposite. Support for a Christie presidential bid is higher among Republicans, at 44 percent, and New Jerseyans aren't opposed to their governor's outspoken ways: "[Thirty-six] percent of voters think having a governor on the national stage helps New Jersey's image, 42 percent say it makes no difference and 21 percent say it hurts the state's image." http://bit.ly/fGVodT


NOTED ON THE TWITTER - From the Tribune's @paulwestdc: "Kasich: I'm for Haley. Ohio guv says he's with Barbour if Miss guv runs for prez." More on that later ... ? http://bit.ly/dJmVFw


WISCONSIN AIR WAR - GOPAC STRIKES AGAIN - The conservative organizing group GOPAC is about to go on the air with its second commercial defending a Wisconsin legislator staring down a recall campaign. GOPAC's Wisconsin branch has already run ads defending state Sen. Randy Hopper, one of two Republicans against whom Democrats have already filed recall petitions. Now GOPAC is about to defend the other one, state Sen. Dan Kapanke, in a 10-day ad buy commencing April 18. "Loud voices won't change the facts about what we need to do in Wisconsin. The state government is flat broke," the ad begins. "Dan Kapanke knows it's time to act now to create jobs and fix government spending." The recall fight picked up this week when Kapanke and Hopper both drew announced Democratic opponents - Osh Kosh Deputy Mayor Jessica King has declared against Hopper and state Rep. Jennifer Shilling has jumped into the race against Kapanke. Watch the new GOPAC spot here: http://bit.ly/g2AENv


FRONTIERS OF SPENDING - "Democrats form Super PAC" - CNN's Kevin Bohn: "Democratic activists Wednesday started another so-called 'Super PAC,' this one aimed at helping them regain control of the House of Representatives. House Majority PAC will be able to accept unlimited funds. The names of their donors will be reported to the Federal Election Commission. Recently Democrats launched two other independent party organizations: American Bridge 21st Century, which will be involved in a variety of races, and Majority PAC, which is aimed at helping Democrats [retain] the Senate ... 'The House Majority PAC is committed to building a long-term organization that can take on the Republican outsider groups for the House Majority,' said Alixandria Lapp, the group's executive director." http://bit.ly/dKYYlN


BIRTHER BILL ADVANCES: The Arizona Senate has voted to pass a bill requiring presidential candidates to provide a birth certificate or other citizenship papers in order to appear on the ballot. The AP has more: "The bill approved Wednesday would make Arizona the first state to pass such legislation ... Under the bill, candidates who don't have a birth certificate could show two alternative documents, including a baptismal or circumcision certificate, a hospital birth record or a postpartum medical record. The proposal was prompted by the claim that there is no proof President Barack Obama was born in the United States ... The bill goes to the House for a final vote." http://bit.ly/dGFgnF


BACK TO FLORIDA - HARIDOPOLOS LEAPS AHEAD: Florida state Senate President Mike Haridopolos raised $2.6 million last quarter for his challenge to Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, outpacing the incumbent and giving him a strong financial lead over the other Republicans eyeing the race. The Times/Herald reports that after posting a "nearly $2 million haul," the Nelson camp will report "between $4.5 million and $5 million in the bank so far for his re-election bid. Former Sen. George LeMieux only recently announced his candidacy. Other possible contenders are former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, retired Col. Mike McCallister and Orlando lawyer Will McBride." http://bit.ly/gVoS24


DEPT. OF BAD TIMING - Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, the No. 2 man on the GOP's leading gubernatorial ticket, is bogged down in an uncomfortably public divorce case just as the campaign gets underway. The Herald-Leader: "Farmer made his first legal response Tuesday to his estranged wife's divorce petition ... Farmer said he disagrees with her statements that their marriage is irretrievably broken and cannot be reconciled and that she should have custody and control of their three children ... Rebecca Farmer ... claimed in an affidavit that Richie Farmer, 41, "has limited her access to the parties' finances" ... Asked if Rebecca Farmer filed for divorce for any reason other than finances, [attorney Brian] Logan said, 'I'm not going to comment.'" http://bit.ly/f8KXaa


NEXT ACTS - KEYSTONE EDITION: Former Pennsylvania Rep. and Senate candidate Joe Sestak is planning to announce his plans for the future "within the next three to six months," StateCollege.com reports. It's not clear whether Sestak hopes to run for office again, but that's a very 2012-friendly timeline if he does. From the site: "Whatever he does next, he told StateCollege.com, he wants to help Americans 'believe again.' At this point, Sestak said, he's not ruling anything in or out. But he would like to pursue some type of service, he added." http://bit.ly/eZguDP


CODA - QUOTE OF THE DAY: "The Speaker has always honored President Reagan's '11th commandment.'" - Michael Steel, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, on Pawlenty's opposition to the budget agreement http://bit.ly/efmEXI

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