NRCC Morning Reads For Oct. 21, 2014: Obama Says All 2014 Dems Support His Agenda, NRCC On Offense In Iowa, New NRCC Ads

October 21, 2014

morning-reads

 

Good morning and welcome to NRCC Morning Reads for Tuesday, October 21, 2014. Election Day is exactly two weeks from today.

Obama Says 2014 Democrats “Are All Folks Who Vote With Me” And “Have Supported My Agenda”:

Leading off this Tuesday morning, a heckuva quote from President Obama last night. A few weeks ago, he stated unequivocally that “every single one” of his policies “are on the ballot” this fall. But just in case you had any doubt in your mind what he meant, he clarified during an interview with Al Sharpton. According to Obama, the Democrats running in 2014 “are all folks who vote with me” and “have supported my agenda.” It really couldn’t be any clearer.

Hear it for yourself:

I think that sound you heard at the end were the campaign managers of John Barrow, Annie Kuster, and others who’ve spent months running away from their support of Obama smashing their computer screens.

NRCC Opens Playing Field In Iowa:

Yesterday, Morning Reads told you how Republicans see a real opening to flip two districts in the Hawkeye State. Well, the NRCC put its money where its mouth is and invested in the state’s 1st and 2nd districts.

Via Quad-City Times’ Ed Tibbetts:

“Tyler Houlton, an NRCC spokesman, said more than $900,000 is being spent in the 2nd District, with purchases in the Cedar Rapids and Davenport markets. Another $400,000 is going into Cedar Rapids to try to have an impact in the 1st District race, he said.

U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, a four-term Democratic incumbent, is defending his 2nd District seat against Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks, while former House Speaker Pat Murphy, a Dubuque Democrat, is running against Republican Rod Blum, a businessman from Dubuque, in the 1st District.”

Keep in mind, the NRCC is already playing in the open seat in the state’s 3rd district, supporting David Young over liberal Democrat Staci Appel. But these districts–like a majority of the others this cycle–are Obama districts. The NRCC is clearly on offense and the Drive to 245 now goes through Iowa.

The Washington Post: Obama Has Become “The Pariah President”:

Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank described in detail the scene at a Maryland rally over the weekend with President Obama and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown. Obama came to town to stump for the gubernatorial hopeful. Yet even those who came out on a Sunday and were supplied with free tickets weren’t interested in seeing the president:

“Obama’s rare campaign appearance did not go as planned — and not only because a man heckled him for his refusal to block more deportations. With about five minutes to go in his 25-minute speech, about the time Obama said, “I’m just telling you what you already know,” people began to trickle out. By the time he had finished, perhaps a few hundred had walked out on the president.

‘This exodus wasn’t intended as a protest. Long lines for shuttles taking attendees to remote parking sites induced participants to leave early so they could beat the rush. But the overall effect was akin to what happens when baseball fans begins filtering out in the seventh inning because the home team is down by five runs. And, in a way, that is what’s going on in these midterm elections.”

Pelosi and Hillary Join Forces In San Francisco:

Hillary Clinton joined Nancy Pelosi in the Bay Area Monday for yet another fundraiser for the DCCC. The event raised over a million dollars for Democrat House candidates.

In case you had any doubt how high the stakes are not only this year, but in 2016:

“Pelosi, who was speaker before Democrats lost the House in 2010, joked that while that made her the highest-ranking woman in U.S. politics, ‘I’d like to give up that title.’

If Clinton runs, Pelosi added, ‘she will win.'”

(Via The Washington Post‘s Anne Gearan)

News and Notes from the Campaign Trail:

  • A poll out this morning and shared with The Hill shows Republican Barbara Comstock with a 16 point lead over Democrat John Foust, 51 percent to 35 percent. Foust has struggled to regain momentum since his sexist comments involving Comstock’s work history. The district lies just outside of Washington in the Northern Virginia suburbs.
  • The Hill‘s Cameron Joseph says the GOP is “bullish” about possible gains in the House with 2 weeks to go.
  • Out in Illinois over the weekend, Republican State Representative Darlene Senger took on Democrat incumbent Bill Foster. Senger chastised Foster for his role in Washington and for failing to get things done for the people of his district.

 

And those are your NRCC Morning Reads for Tuesday, October 21, 2014.

-Matt

@msgorman