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<p>By Alexander Burns (@aburnspolitico, aburns@politico.com) <br />
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<strong>POLITICO SNEAK PEEK -- ENERGY WARS</strong>: The League of Conservation voters and the conservative American Action Network are going on the air in separate Senate contests today, each targeting a high-value candidate on the issue of energy. The LCV offensive is aimed at Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt, slamming him for his ties to the petroleum industry just two days after Blunt won the Republican Senate primary. The ad campaign for the American Action Network hits New Hampshire Rep. Paul Hodes for supporting cap and trade, boosting Republican Senate hopeful Kelly Ayotte in the process. <br />
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<strong>FROM THE LEFT -- IN MISSOURI</strong>: The LCV spot starts airing today on broadcast and cable television in St. Louis and Kansas City, with a door-to-door canvass planned in the latter location to coincide with the commercial. The spot begins with a clip of Blunt appearing on KSPR-ABC, dodging an interviewer's question about whether he “took nearly a million dollars from big oil and energy interests.” Blunt replies evasively -- “Well I don't know if that's true or not” -- before a narrator cuts in: “Actually, congressman, public filings show you did take big contributions from Big Oil. At the same time, Blunt voted for billions in tax breaks for BP and Exxon and against clean-energy jobs for Missouri.” Blunt is one of the LCV's “Dirty Dozen” candidates targeted for defeat this year, with a lifetime LCV rating of two percent. <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/bcXtXR">http://bit.ly/bcXtXR</a> <br />
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<strong>FROM THE RIGHT -- IN NEW HAMPSHIRE</strong>: The American Action Network spot going after Hodes is running statewide beginning today, and opens with an arresting image of an older woman opening her eyes in bed as the narrator intones: “Winter's here soon. Guess Congressman Hodes has never spent nights sleepless unable to pay utility bills. Why else would he vote for the cap-and-trade tax?” The ad continues, warning that the Democratic energy proposal could “increase gas to four dollars, cost us another two million jobs,” and ends with a plug for Ayotte: “Kelly Ayotte would stop the cap-and-trade tax cold.” The commercial was designed by Republican ad man Fred Davis and has about $450,000 behind it. <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/bXc0Lb">http://bit.ly/bXc0Lb</a> <br />
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As Dan Mongiardo plays nice, Mark Kirk's ex doesn't and California diverts the 2010 conversation, here's POLITICO's Morning Score: your daily cheat sheet for the 2010 midterm elections. <br />
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<strong>TENNESSEE VOTES -- VIEWER'S GUIDE</strong>: It's a very special Thursday primary night in Tennessee, with a heated fight for the Republican gubernatorial nomination and several even nastier races down ballot. Here are the top contests to watch as returns come in: <br />
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(1) The Republican primary for governor, where moderate Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam has consistently led Rep. Zach Wamp and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey in both polls and money, though not by overwhelming margins; (2) The 8th District Republican House primary, where NRCC-favored candidate Stephen Fincher has been massively outspent by self-funding physicians Ron Kirkland and George Flinn, and Democratic state Sen. Roy Herron has a clear shot his party's nomination to succeed Rep. John Tanner; (3) The 9th District Democratic House primary, featuring former Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton in a racially charged effort to unseat white Rep. Steve Cohen, who's running with the support of President Barack Obama and the Congressional Black Caucus; (4) Two other succession battles, in Wamp's 3rd District (featuring former state GOP head Robin Smith and attorney Chuck Fleischmann) and Democratic Rep. Bart Gordon's 6th District (a nasty race on the GOP side between several state legislators and a local party official), which have little general-election import, but lots of entertainment value. <br />
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<strong>2010 CURVEBALL -- PROP 8 FALLS</strong>: U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker issued an opinion Wednesday striking down the ban on gay marriage California passed by referendum in 2008, writing that the state “has no interest in differentiating between same-sex and opposite-sex unions.” The decision puts gay marriage front and center for this year's elections in California -- and beyond -- as the appeals process goes forward. The San Francisco Chronicle explains: “A Field Poll last month found that a majority of California's registered voters approve of allowing same-sex marriage, which boosts the chances of a 2012 initiative. ... Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown praised Wednesday's invalidation of Prop. 8, saying Walker 'came to the same conclusion I did when I declined to defend it' ... A spokesman for Republican Meg Whitman, who supported Prop. 8, said the 'ruling is the first step in a process that will continue.' The state's U.S. Senate hopefuls also disagree. Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer praised the ruling, while Republican Carly Fiorina said that 'the people of California spoke clearly on this issue at the ballot box in 2008.'” <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/9UQFk3">http://bit.ly/9UQFk3</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/c9x3cm">http://bit.ly/c9x3cm</a> <br />
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<strong>TODAY -- OBAMA IN CHICAGO</strong> -- From the White House guidance: “In the afternoon, the President will deliver remarks on behalf of Senate Candidate Alexi Giannoulias at the Palmer House Hilton. Later, the President will deliver remarks at a DNC finance event at the Chicago Cultural Center. ... In the evening, the President will attend a DNC finance event at a private residence.” Obama's fundraiser for Giannoulias caps months of events for the state treasurer's campaign hosted by administration officials, including senior adviser David Axelrod, deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Vice President Joe Biden.</p><p><strong>THE GOP MESSAGE</strong> -- An RNC research hit, dropping today, sums it up: “Obama Returns To Chicago To Raise Cash For Banker Pal Alexi Giannoulias, Despite Ties To Seedy Chicago Underworld” <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/9wB4Bw">http://bit.ly/9wB4Bw</a> <br />
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<strong>ELSEWHERE IN ILLINOIS -- GOING ROGUE</strong>: Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk's ex-wife gave a jaw-droppingly blunt interview to Chicago Magazine, criticizing her former husband's support for the ban on gays in the military and attacking one of his advisers as a “Svengali figure.” “There's a person who is a very pernicious force on his team who is wielding a disproportionate amount of negative influence on him,” Kimberly Vertolli said, naming PR consultant Dodie McCracken as the aide in question. “I think she would like to be able to control the direction of Mark's politics in any way that she can, whether it's on his staff or continuing as a consultant.” Asked if she was insinuating that Kirk and McCracken had a more than professional relationship, Vertolli replied: “I will not characterize their relationship.” <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/c2PUOi">http://bit.ly/c2PUOi</a> <br />
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<strong>TOGETHER AT LAST</strong>: Former President Bill Clinton will visit Scranton on Tuesday to stump for Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak's Senate campaign, reuniting two men whose relationship dates back to the 1990s, and who appeared together repeatedly during the 2006 and 2008 campaigns. Clinton was last sighted in the Pennsylvania Senate race hinting to Sestak that he could pursue an Obama administration job instead of challenging Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary. <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/bHpgDo">http://bit.ly/bHpgDo</a> <br />
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<strong>CLOSING POSITIVE -- SORT OF</strong>: Connecticut gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont is airing a new, upbeat ad in the final days of his harsh primary fight with former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy. The two Democrats have been tearing into each other -- in debates and on television -- and Lamont's ad shifts the tone a bit by showing a number of Connecticut workers echoing the sentiment: “I believe in Ned Lamont.” “He has the best plan to create new jobs,” the narrator says. “Working families can count on only one candidate.” A new Quinnipiac poll on the governor's race is due out this morning. <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/baj6KY">http://bit.ly/baj6KY</a> <br />
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<strong>COUNTDOWN TO AUG. 24</strong> -- JEB DEPLOYS: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is about to hit the campaign trail for state Attorney General Bill McCollum, as the longtime Republican officeholder works to close the gap with gubernatorial primary opponent Rick Scott. The St. Petersburg Times reports: “Bush will join the attorney general for a statewide fly-around Monday, the first day of early voting. Bush endorsed McCollum early in the contest and appeared in the campaign's first television ad -- back when the campaign took a positive tone.” <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/drieQi">http://bit.ly/drieQi</a> <br />
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<strong>SCORE'S TAKE</strong>: By the time Bush appears with McCollum, there will be just 15 days before the primary. That's not a lot of time for McCollum to overcome what multiple independent polls have shown to be a double-digit deficit. So the question here is: How far will Bush go for McCollum? Will he say the words “Medicare fraud”? <br />
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<strong>SCOTT'S BIGGER PROBLEM?</strong> Columbia/HCA, the health care giant that settled a $1.7 billion fraud case under Scott's leadership, isn't the only company the insurgent self-funder has to answer for. The Miami Herald turns its attention to Scott's newer health chain, Solantic, and its history of litigation: “The Glencross lawsuit and nine other court actions filed against the company since 2001 in Duval County ... portray the company, and sometimes Scott by extension, as a ruthless employer that discriminated or cut corners in pursuit of profit. ... [F]rom 2003 to 2005, five Solantic employees and two job applicants claim that the company regularly discriminated against people who were overweight or minorities. All filed suits with the same Jacksonville law firm in 2006 and settled a year later. Solantic was then sued in a wrongful-death suit that was settled last year.” <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/cGVdUE">http://bit.ly/cGVdUE</a> <br />
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<strong>EHRLICH TO PALIN: BRING IT ON</strong> -- The former Maryland governor has no fear of Sarah Palin, if his response to her endorsement of primary challenger Brian Murphy is any indication. When Palin issued a surprise endorsement for Murphy Wednesday, Ehrlich spokesman Andy Barth embraced the news as a development that “highlights, reaffirms Bob Ehrlich's independence.” Making Palin a foil for Ehrlich in Democratic-leaning Maryland, Barth explained: “He is not bound to a particular ideology. He does what he believes what is in the best interest of Maryland.” <a href="http://politi.co/bBZEln">http://politi.co/bBZEln</a> <br />
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<strong>ACROSS THE BIG MAP</strong> -- with POLITICO's Tim Alberta: <br />
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-- Mongiardo backs Conway. Kentucky Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo finally backed state Attorney General Jack Conway for Senate, more than 11 weeks after losing a hard-fought race for the Democratic Party's nomination. Also popping in Kentucky: turns out Rand Paul never graduated from Baylor University, but rather took classes there before going on to Duke for his medical training. He does not have a college degree. <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/cx2Hhl">http://bit.ly/cx2Hhl</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/as8xd7">http://bit.ly/as8xd7</a> <br />
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-- Walker's part of the blueprint. Wisconsin Reps. Paul Ryan and Jim Sensenbrenner endorsed Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker for governor Wednesday, putting the state's highest-profile Republican members of Congress in Walker's camp ahead of the Sept. 14 primary. Walker's opponent for the nomination is former Rep. Mark Neumann, whose time in Congress overlapped with Sensenbrenner's but not Ryan's. <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/9EehgL">http://bit.ly/9EehgL</a> <br />
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-- Haley's bad habit. South Carolina state Rep. Nikki Haley has a history of filing her taxes late, and in 2005 and 2006 paid up more than a year after the deadline, The State reports. Haley released her tax information in response to a challenge from Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, who has been pressing her for more disclosure as she campaigns on the issue of transparency. <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/ay3eDd">http://bit.ly/ay3eDd</a> <br />
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-- Snubbing Allen West. The Palm Beach Post backed long-shot Republican candidate David Brady for the GOP's nomination against Democratic Rep. Ron Klein. Praising Brady's views on entitlements reform, the newspaper also criticized Republican frontrunner Allen West's “breezy description in a campaign video” of an incident in Iraq in which he fired a gun near a civilian's head. <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/aEC8bN">http://bit.ly/aEC8bN</a> <br />
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-- Herbert gets labor. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert became the first Republican gubernatorial candidate in 18 years to be endorsed by the Utah Public Employees Union, winning applause for what the group's PAC leader called a “willingness to work with public employees.” Herbert's Democratic challenger, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon, has also been running as a deficit hawk and criticizing Herbert's record on the budget. <a target="_blank" href="http://bit.ly/dt35qS">http://bit.ly/dt35qS</a> </p><br>
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