Obama Heads To Bush Library Opening; Businessman Takes On Dayton; This Mayoral Race Is Too Damn Fun

National Journal

Click hereto read online and see our archives.

WHAT'S NEWS

  • Pres. Obama held a fundraiser for the DNC in Dallas where he "previewed his message" for the grand opening of George W. Bush's library today. Obama: "Whatever our political differences, President Bush loves this country and loves its people. ... But what's also true is that policy matters" (Dallas Morning News). Obama will hold his first fundraiser for the DSCC this cycle in Atlanta next month (The Hill).

  • NYC Mayor '13: Ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner (D) "granted at least four" local, on-camera interviews and said he would make a decision within "days or weeks" about a campaign. He also said there could be more lewd photos of himself "out there" (New York Observer). Perennial candidate Jimmy McMillan (Rent Is Too Damn High) announced his campaign with an anthem on Wednesday. A sampling: "The rent is too damn high / My mustache and haircut is too damn fly" (New York Times).

  • AK SEN: The Council for American Job Growth released a new TV ad touting Sen. Mark Begich's (D) record on job creation. It will run statewide on broadcast and cable beginning today (release).

  • HI SEN: Sen. Brian Schatz (D) received $285K in Q1 donations from at least 96 individuals who also gave to Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) in '09 or '10, when they provided a major infusion of cash to her last competitive campaign. She only drew about $36K from those donors in early '13 (On Call).

  • KY SEN: Environmental atty Tom FitzGerald (D) said that he is "being encouraged" to run and is "considering a campaign" (Louisville Courier-Journal).

  • MI SEN: Longtime GOP operatives are open about their desire to see Rep. Mike Rogers (R) run, but worried about a damaging primary with Rep. Justin Amash (R). Rumors are circulating that Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and ex-Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) are pressuring Amash to stay out of the race (On Call).

  • MN-02: Former CaringBridge CEO Sona Mehring (D) dropped her bid against Rep. John Kline (R), "just three weeks after announcing her run" (St. Paul Pioneer Press).

  • PA-12: Marine Corps vet. Larry Stiles (R) announced that he will primary Rep. Keith Rothfus (R), whom he dubbed "too conservative" (PoliticsPA).

  • MN GOV: Businessman Scott Honour (R) announced his campaign, becoming the "first high-profile" GOPer to mount a bid against Gov. Mark Dayton (D) (Minneapolis Star-Tribune).

  • SC GOV: The Movement Fund, a group backing Gov. Nikki Haley (R), has reserved about $130K in airtime "in three major markets starting next week" (Politico).

  • WH '16: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) gave an interview to the Des Moines Register, clarifying his view on drones (Des Moines Register). The Washington Post profiled ex-FL Gov. Jeb Bush (R), focusing on his ties to the Hispanic community. ACU chair Al Cardenas: "Culturally, Jeb is even more Hispanic than many in the young generation of Hispanics in America today" (Washington Post).

NUMBER BRUNCHING

  • According to a new Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor poll of nat'l adults, conducted 4/5-9 by FTI Consulting, 46% approve of the way Obama is handling his job as POTUS, while 49% disapprove. In the previous poll, conducted 11/25-12/1, 54% approved of Obama, and 42% disapproved (release).

  • NH SEN: According to a new WMUR-TV Granite State Poll of adults, conducted 4/4-9 by UNH Survey Center, 59% have a favorable opinion of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D), while 23% have an unfavorable opinion. In the previous poll, conducted 1/30-25, 59% viewed Shaheen favorably, and 22% viewed her unfavorably (release).

OUR CALL

Hotline editors weigh in on the stories that drive the day

• Alison Lundergan Grimes is between two rocks and a hard place. A 2014 Senate bid means facing Mitch McConnell's $9M warchest and an electorate likely to be skeptical of Democrats. A 2015 GOV bid means, at minimum, facing AG Jack Conway in the primary, plus other Dem and GOP candidates. A 2016 Senate bid would seem promising, if it weren't for the awkwardness of having to run for re-election in 2015 before being able to announce or fundraise for federal office.

• The to-do list for new state legislative majorities looks like this: 1) Find the light switch. 2) Pass new voting rules that benefit your side. The Colorado legislature will soon pass an all-mail voting bill that will significantly boost turnout, and Democrats' standing in a swing state. The North Carolina legislature, now backed by Gov. Pat McCrory (R), is working to pass voter ID legislation before the end of their session, a measure Republican-dominated states have passed in recent years.

•While GOPers couldn't get Reps. Tom Latham or John Kline to run for Senate, their swing House seats are safer with them running for re-election; a pair of early Dem candidates have already withdrawn their candidacies in those districts not long after announcements the incumbents weren't going anywhere.

HAIR OF THE DOG

FRESH BREWED BUZZ

  • "He was raising just tons of money, and voted against the gun control measure and we were just going to shut the f--- up and support him. He told everyone, '100 percent, I'm running.' So yeah, I'm a little pissed right now" -- a donor to Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) (BuzzFeed).

  • Congressional leaders are quietly discussing the possibility of "exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join" under the Affordable Care Act, "sources in both parties said" (Politico).

  • "You know the saying, 'Don't shake a hornets' nest?' Well, you don't want to be shaking a truckload of bees when you're driving them around, either!" -- beekeeper/CA-10 candidate Michael Eggman (D), on his district's "crumbling infrastructure," including roads (Hotline reporting).

  • Ex-Obama senior adviser David Plouffe is joining Bloomberg TV as a contributor and strategic adviser and will "appear regularly" to "offer analysis and commentary on political and business issues" (release).

  • "By the way, that's not that easy to paint, water hitting water just so, you know, and the perspective ... It's a beauty, isn't it? It may reflect my precocious nature, me painting myself in a bathtub" -- George W. Bush, on his now infamous self-portrait (ABC News).

  • NC Dem strategist Jamie Hahn, the wife of NC Dem strategist Nation Hahn, "died overnight from wounds suffering in a knife attack. Raleigh police said they would seek a murder charge against a friend of the couple, Jonathan Broyhill" (Raleigh News & Observer). Broyhill was the best man at their wedding (Daily Beast).

  • "What we've said to the girls is, 'If you guys ever decided you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will get the exact same tattoo in the same place. And we'll go on YouTube and show it off as a family tattoo" -- Obama, on how he and FLOTUS Michelle Obama are dissuading their daughters from getting tattoos (Washington Post).

  • "Student misses Santorum's dog-pee story after tweeting threat" (Philadelphia Inquirer).

  • Former ricin suspect Kevin Curtis serenaded his atty with a Randy Travis song, live on CNN yesterday (CNN).

SWIZZLE CHALLENGE

  • Ex-Rep. John Hall (D-NY) was one of the chief organizers, along with Jackson Browne, Graham Nash and Bonnie Raitt, of the famed "No Nukes" concerts in 1979.

  • The winner is Dan Neumann, and here's his Swizzle Challenge: "Who is the only person inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame on three separate occasions? Name the individual and the bands he or she was inducted as a part of." The 3rd correct e-mailer gets to submit the next question.

NJ'S EARLY BIRD SPECIALS

SHOT...

"We've had enough Bushes" -- ex-First Lady Barbara Bush, on Jeb Bush running for president (AP).

...CHASER

"If you're saying I play favorites, you're wrong. I love all my children equally" -- Lucille Bluth.
"I don't care for Gob" -- Lucille Bluth, earlier that day ("Arrested Development").

Sarah Mimms, Editor