OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN: Walesa gives Romney a boost

Before he was in Poland, Romney stopped in Jerusalem, where he told a fundraiser of top Jewish donors that culture and the “hand of providence” were responsible for the “stark difference in economic vitality” between Israel and Palestine, drawing criticism from some Palestinian leaders.

{mosads}”And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things,” Romney said.

His comments drew a sharp rebuke from Palestinian leaders, who said the gap was the result of Israeli policies toward Palestine.

Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki, briefing reporters on Air Force One as President Obama traveled to New York City for a fundraiser, criticized Romney’s stumbles in England and Israel: “He’s now been to two countries and he’s had two countries where he has made a series of fumbles. He’s been fumbling the foreign-policy football from country to country. And there’s a threshold question that he has to answer for the American people and that’s whether he’s prepared to be commander in chief. … This raises some questions about his preparedness.”

She described Romney’s trip as “a bunch of fundraisers and photo ops.”

TOMORROW’S AGENDA TODAY: Mitt Romney wraps up his foreign trip with his final day in Poland, where he’ll meet with Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and President Bronislaw Komorowski. He’ll also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and visit the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes and the Memorial of the Warsaw Uprising. And he will deliver foreign policy remarks.

TWEET OF THE DAY: “PHOTO: Cornyn, Grassley Celebrate ‘Meat Monday:’ http://fb.me/1wtMPPSfG” — Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), tweeting a photo of several sandwiches from Hill Country, a barbeque restaurant. The lunch included a total of 52 orders of barbecue beef sandwiches, brisket, sausage and ribs, as well as sides of cornbread and macaroni and cheese, a Senate staffer said.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It almost is like a bad Sherlock Holmes script, isn’t it? The case of the missing Winston Churchill bust.” — White House deputy press secretary Josh Earnest

POLL POSITION:

President Obama leads Mitt Romney by four points, 50 percent to 46, in a poll from the Democratic-leaning Democracy corps. And, of those surveyed, 45 percent said the president was able to do a better job with the economy, versus 44 percent who picked Romney. 

Most Americans, 87 percent, say that reducing the federal budget deficit and fighting corruption in the federal government are “very important” priorities for the next president, according to a Gallup poll, a sign for Republicans that their economic messaging could be resonating.

AD WATCH:

Mitt Romney‘s campaign released a new Web video hammering President Obama over remarks he made contrasting Republican and Democratic economic successes and arguing the presumptive Republican nominee offers “the right kind of leadership.”

The pro-Romney super-PAC, Restore Our Future, is releasing a TV ad in swing states as part of its $7.2 million Olympic ad. It features several former Olympic medalists praising Romney.

Obama’s campaign released a Web music video to showcase the 100-day mark until the November presidential election.

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE:

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved $1.65 million in airtime against 24 House Republicans.

The GOP-aligned outside group American Action Network is launching an ad campaign bashing House Democrats for opposing the continuation of the George W. Bush-era tax cuts with an Olympics-themed video calling for them to “let small businesses compete for the gold.”

Florida: Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) did not attend a planned court
appearance in which he was scheduled to testify under oath, leading to
accusations from his former business partner’s lawyers that he was
seeking to avoid having to testify until after the election.

North Carolina: State Sen. David Rouzer (R) is within striking range of Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.), according to a poll from his campaign, which shows him trailing McIntyre by 44 to 40 percent. Internal polls tend to skew toward their own candidates but the district leans towards the GOP, and McIntyre is a top Republican target.

SENATE SHOWDOWN:

Missouri: Sarah Palin praised former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman (R) in a new ad, saying Steelman is an “economist who defends our tax dollars like a mama grizzly defends her cubs.”

And Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) trails all three of her potential Republican opponents, a sign that she faces an uphill battle for reelection in the GOP-leaning state. McCaskill trails businessman John Brunner by 11 points, Steelman by 8 percentage points, and Rep. Todd Akin by 5 points. The poll, conducted for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and KMOV News 4 by Mason-Dixon Polling, indicates that whichever Republican wins the Aug. 7 primary will start as the general-election favorite.

Nebraska: Majority PAC, a super-PAC fighting to keep the Senate in Democratic control, is helping to fund a group working on behalf of former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.), The Hill has learned. The End the Gridlock super-PAC is running television ads in Nebraska attacking Kerrey’s opponent, Nebraska state Sen. Debra Fischer (R), with plans to ad a radio commercial ripping her record next week. Majority PAC is helping to pay for the ad campaign, which so far has totaled more than $300,000, though it’s unclear how much money they’re providing to the group.

New Mexico: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is going on the air Tuesday on behalf of Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). Heinrich is considered the slight favorite against former Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.), who most polls show trailing by a few points.

Texas: Republican Senate hopeful Ted Cruz has opened up a double-digit lead in his Texas primary showdown with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, 52 percent to 42, according to a survey by Public Policy Polling.

Wisconsin: Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s (D-Wis.) campaign has released a new ad touting her work in Congress to “require the Coast Guard to buy their engines from us, not foreign companies.” The positive ad seems designed to target the state’s blue-collar, more populist voters, and is running statewide. Baldwin will face the winner of a crowded Aug. 14 GOP primary.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Former President Clinton will play a major role in the Democratic National Convention, delivering a prime-time speech and officially nominating President Obama.

A Democratic committee in charge of drafting the party’s platform ahead of the upcoming Democratic National Convention approved language supporting same-sex marriage.

Al Gore warned of the dangers of the “extremist fringe” of the Republican Party winning control of Congress and the White House. His warnings came in a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraising email sent out Monday.

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