OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN: Tracking the Hispanic vote

by Cameron Joseph and Emily Goodin - 06/18/12 9:37 PM ET

These aren’t good signs for Mitt Romney. He’s been deferring to Rubio when he’s asked about immigration (how do you like Rubio’s VP chances now?) and the presumptive GOP nominee had been making some gains against Obama in those Hispanic-heavy swing states.

TOMORROW’S AGENDA TODAY: President Obama has his last day at the Group of 20 Summit in Los Cabos, Mexico. He returns to Washington Tuesday evening. Michelle Obama is campaigning in Nevada.

{mosads}Mitt Romney is campaigning in Michigan. He will hold a small-business roundtable followed by a rally at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth. He will then drop by Sweetie-licious Bakery Café in DeWitt and hold a rally at Holland State Park in Holland, Mich.

Vice President Biden will speak at the 40th Annual International Convention of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees in Los Angeles. Later in the day Biden attends a campaign fundraiser in Sacramento, Calif.

TWEET OF THE DAY: “Just saw that the Obama campaign tapped Sen Kerry for debate rehearsals. Guess he’ll play Romney. Merry Christmas, late night comedy writers.” — Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “When we take a vacation, it’ll be with our children and grandchildren” — Ann Romney, when asked about the Obamas’ vacations

AD WATCH:

Mitt Romney’s campaign released a Web ad targeting President Obama’s recent appeals to voters for patience on the economy and for more time to manage the struggling recovery.

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE:

Florida: Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) said Monday he was “dejected” by Mitt Romney‘s performance during an interview Friday in which he was asked repeatedly about President Obama‘s recently announced policy shift on illegal immigration.

SENATE SHOWDOWN:

Maine: Former Maine Gov. Angus King (I) holds a huge lead over his Democratic and Republican opponents in Maine’s open-seat Senate race, according to a new poll from WBUR. King receives the backing of 50 percent of those polled, while Maine Secretary of State Charlie Summers (R) gets 23 percent and state Rep. Cynthia Dill (D) gets 9 percent in the first poll conducted since the state’s primary last week.

Massachusetts: Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) said he would agree to a debate against challenger Elizabeth Warren at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, but only if the former senator’s widow agrees to stay neutral in the November election.

North Dakota: Former North Dakota Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D) is out with a new ad that strongly defends her support of Democrats’ healthcare reform legislation and attacks Rep. Rick Berg (R-N.D.) for voting to repeal the law.

Virginia: The Democratic-aligned Majority PAC is on the air in Virginia, attacking former Sen. George Allen‘s (R-Va.) voting record in Congress and praising former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D).

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Sen. Joe Manchin, Rep. Nick Rahall, and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, three prominent West Virginia Democrats, said Monday that they would skip the party’s national convention in Charlotte this September over concerns that links to the party could hurt their reelection chances.

The Obama campaign has named Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) to play Republican Mitt Romney during three mock presidential debate rehearsals later this year, campaign officials confirm to The Hill.

Romney’s bus tour rolled through Wisconsin on Monday, drawing a star-studded list of top Republican politicians to the latest stop on his swing through six battleground states.

Romney held a campaign event Monday afternoon on the “Spirit of Dubuque,” a Mississippi River boat that provides tours of the Iowa border town. He used the occasion to sprinkle his standard stump speech with maritime metaphors, frequently referring to “anchors” in his life.

The super-PAC supporting Romney is making a $7 million ad buy across eight battleground states, and will look to bring even more money in with a high-profile New York City fundraiser featuring Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.).

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty blasted President Obama‘s changes to deportation policy as an “eleventh hour” action that “looks political.”

Popular Hispanic talk show host and media personality Cristina Saralegui made her first-ever presidential endorsement in favor of Obama.

First lady Michelle Obama revealed the Obamas are strict about technology use by daughters Malia, 13, and Sasha, 11. The first lady revealed on ABC’s “Live! with Kelly” that she will not allow either girl to use Facebook until they are 17, which will be long after they have moved out of the White House.

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin rallied conservative media activists for “victory in 2012” as the keynote speaker at the RightOnline conference in Las Vegas on Friday, but never mentioned Romney.

Eleven Republican senators are pressing the IRS to keep secret the donor lists for nonprofit groups, including ones affiliated with the Tea Party.

Please send tips and comments to Emily Goodin, egoodin@digital-stage.thehill.com; Cameron Joseph, cjoseph@digital-stage.thehill.com; and Justin Sink, jsink@digital-stage.thehill.com

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