Here's what's new in our Orange to Blue races.
Speaker Pelosi Project:
FL-18: So did you know that Patrick Murphy, who does not serve in Congress, "cut Medicare $700 billion"? That's what a new ad from Allen West says, with a still shot of Murphy and those words at the 14 second point. Pretty amazing feat for someone who doesn't actually sit in Congress. The kicker is that West did indeed vote for that very cut, the one that Paul Ryan included in his budget, too. West voted for it, and said about that vote: "Anyone challenging me on my support to this visionary plan to restore our economic security will be signing up for a suicide mission."
MN-06: And did you also know that Jim Graves is "ruthlessly liberal"? Michele Bachmann says so, in a panicked email to supporters, launching a 48-hour money bomb effort.
“The press has reported on it, our opponent has relished in it and, unfortunately, it’s a reality our campaign just has to deal with: Michele Bachmann is in one of her toughest campaigns ever,” Mr. Kroll wrote in his email to supporters. “With a ruthlessly liberal millionaire opponent who isn’t afraid to spend his substantial wealth on lies and false attacks, Michele is facing the fight of her life. Between her opponent, national Democrats, and liberal SuperPACs, she’s surrounded on all sides. Only one thing can help her fight back: your financial support.”
Ah, the good ol' victim card. That's always good for a couple million out of the far-right. That aside, Graves is putting a scare into Bachmann. Let's help him keep that up.
PA-08: Not great news for Kathy Boockvar. The DCCC has pulled out of her race. On the other hand, that's led the NRCC to also leave the race. So our money here could really help.
Upgrade the Senate:
CT-Sen: In Connecticut, where Chris Murphy has slowly been opening up a lead, the family of Linda McMahon's largest creditor from her 1976 bankruptcy has not been reimbursed, despite the campaign's assertion that the McMahons' made restitution with all the creditors, and they're not too happy about it.
"I have called every day. I have left messages. I am getting nowhere. I have sent emails to (campaign manager) Corry Bliss," said Meagan Newton, Hemingway's descendant. "We obviously have absolutely no faith in that woman's campaign."
"It's like being punched in the stomach, 40 years later," Newton said. "I'm not contesting whatsoever that anything legally is owed to us ... Believe you me, this is not about money. This is about you saying things to the press repeatedly and not once returning our phone calls."
Ouch.
MA-Sen: After trying to make major hay out of Elizabeth Warren's legal clients, Scott Brown had the tables turned on him, when he refused to release his own client list. Then he said, sure, he'd release them. And now, he's breaking that promise. “Senator Scott Brown will not release a full list of clients from his former legal career, his campaign manager said today, despite his promise to do so by last Thursday.” So, that's interesting.
WI-Sen: Man, Democrats are scary. Jim Graves is "ruthlessly liberal," and Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin is "extreme" and angry. At least, that's what the National Republican Senatorial Committee is telling Wisconsites in a new ad. It's all-out panic mode in the GOP over this race, which Thompson has yet to really show up for.
Daily Kos for Marriage Equality:
Maine: This new poll Mainers supporting marriage equality, 55-39. But the pollster "notes that support for gay marriage might be 'inflated' because of the way respondents answered more general questions about their level of support for same-sex marriage." He's particularly cautious: When Maine voted on equality in 2009, he conducted a poll that found 53 percent in support, 42 percent opposed. The actual vote was 53-47 percent. But 16 points up a month before the election is still better than 16 points down.