Unemployment Falls To 7.5%; Bloomberg Group Goes After Pryor; Rand Paul Beefs Up National Operation
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WHAT'S NEWS
The economy created 165K jobs in April, "and the unemployment rate fell to 7.5% from 7.6% even though the size of the labor force increased." Meanwhile, "hiring in March and February were revised up by a combined 124,000" (MarketWatch).
In the "first big test" of its "reach," Organizing for Action has "almost no successes to point to": it did not "sway a single vote" on background checks, "and so far, they haven't been able to" make any of the sens. who opposed them "feel any heat" (Politico).
MA SEN Special: FLOTUS Michelle Obama will headline her first post-election fundraiser in Boston on May 29, supporting Rep. Edward Markey (D) (Boston Globe).
NYC Mayor '13: After two ex-aides "were convicted of breaking campaign finance laws," Comp. John Liu (D) vowed to continue "full steam ahead" with his campaign, arguing that the convictions were "no reason for New Yorkers not to trust him" (New York Daily News).
AR SEN: Mayors Against Illegal Guns "brought the father of a student" killed at Newtown, CT, to AR Thursday "in the hopes of arranging a meeting" with Sen. Mark Pryor (D) and will soon run radio ads and direct mail against him (AP).
HI SEN: Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D) officially announced that she will challenge Sen. Brian Schatz (D) (release).
IA SEN: Ag. Sec. Bill Northey (R) announced that he won't run, "drawing out the cliffhanger over who will" challenge Rep. Bruce Braley (D) (Des Moines Register).
LA SEN: The Koch brothers gave "their largest single" PAC donation in Q1 to Rep. Bill Cassidy (R), just days before he announced his candidacy, signaling that the race could be a top priority for conservatives (New Orleans Times-Picayune).
TN-04: State Rep. Joe Carr (R) officially announced his campaign, becoming the second GOPer to mount a bid against Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R) (Nashville Tennessean).
WH '16: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) CoS Doug Stafford is stepping down to manage Paul's "national political operation," one of the "clearest sign(s) yet" that Paul is "building a presidential campaign" (National Review). VP Biden and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) are the "keynote speakers" at the SC Dem and GOP fundraising dinners tonight (Columbia State). National Review criticized Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-FL) support for the Gang of Eight immigration bill in its cover story. Rubio welcomed constructive criticism in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, arguing Congress now has an opportunity to toughen the bill. Washington Post looked at Biden's "long shot" bid.
OUR CALL
Hotline editors weigh in on the stories that drive the day
• How fascinating that an entire storyline -- that senators who voted against Manchin-Toomey are losing support -- is being driven entirely by one polling firm, Dem-leaning PPP, and their clients. And the rest of the media is picking it up; witness the myriad stories on Kelly Ayotte's town hall meetings, and the fact that outlets actually sent reporters to New Hampshire to watch.
• How much juice does the late Sen. Daniel Inouye's network have now that he's not at its center? Colleen Hanabusa has other things going for her in her Senate primary against Brian Schatz in Hawaii, but that figures to be a central question as the campaign develops over the next year.
• We'd be surprised if Jack Conway is "only interested in what's right" for Alison Lundergan Grimes. He continues to counsel her about a Senate bid in 2014 and is now mentioning her as a potential LG running mate in 2015 -- anything to avoid a GOV primary with her that year.
HAIR OF THE DOG
FRESH BREWED BUZZ
Commerce Sec.-designate Penny Pritzker's appointment imports a Chicago rivalry to DC. "There is no love lost" between Pritzker and WH sr. adviser Valerie Jarrett, who "tried to torpedo the appointment." That "tense relationship could help define the Administration's attempts to mend ties with the business world that frayed badly during the first term" (BuzzFeed).
"Chafee signs same-sex marriage bills, making Rhode Island the 10th state to legalize gay marriage" (Providence Journal).
Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA), who passed on a SEN bid, sent out an email yesterday with the subject line, "I am seriously reconsidering." In the body of the email, Latham went on: 'You read that subject line right! After experiencing today's weather I am seriously reconsidering whether this truly is spring in Iowa'" (Des Moines Register).
"Who Said It: Terry McAuliffe Or A Character From 'House Of Cards'?" (BuzzFeed).
The Daily Beast is "dropping" media critic Howard Kurtz, "who made headlines this week for his erroneous report about NBA star Jason Collins" (Politico).
"I pray that Hillary Clinton decides to run for president of the United States" -- House Min. Leader Nancy Pelosi (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette).
"National Review Photoshops Grover Norquist Out Of Marco Rubio Cover" (BuzzFeed).
"The final two pieces of a 408-foot spire" were hoisted atop of One World Trade Center Thursday. "Once the building is complete, it will stand at a height of 1,776 feet -- an allusion to the year of the birth of the nation" (CNN).
We asked our Friday Feature what his most embarrassing moment was and he said: "This is brutal, really. I was working on a show and the guest I needed was running terribly late. When she arrived to the bureau, I ran downstairs to get her to the set. I didn't even have time to get her to makeup but I got her and pretty much hurried her into a sprint to the set. She was having a lot of trouble in the run but we made it to the set with barely any time to spare. I was so annoyed. I later found out the reason she was struggling was because she had early onset MS. I have horrible guilt still over it but she said she was okay." For more see today's Media Monitor in Hotline's Latest Edition.
SWIZZLE CHALLENGE
In "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," set in San Francisco, the crew uses a Klingon warship renamed HMS Bounty for their adventure.
The winner is Clark Ogilvie, and here's his Swizzle Challenge: "The U.S. House of Representatives currently has only one watercolor portrait of a committee chairman in its collection. Name the Chairman and the Committee." The 3rd correct e-mailer gets to submit the next question.
NJ'S EARLY BIRD SPECIALS
SHOT...
"Warren is in the house" -- Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, in his first tweet.
...CHASER
"I'm with it. I'm hip!" -- Dr. Evil ("Austin Powers").
Sarah Mimms, Editor
