OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN: Clinton winks, nods, ducks and dodges

Hillary Clinton was eager to give a wink and a nod to her potential 2016 presidential run during her appearance in Iowa on Sunday.

{mosads}But she was still reluctant to offer any sort of policy specifics or stick her neck out on controversial issues in a way that sets her up for that possible run.

In a little-noticed moment as she worked the rope line during Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D-Iowa) annual Steak Fry fundraiser, Clinton dodged questions from a woman who introduced herself as an “Iowa dreamer” about what she thought of President Obama’s decision to delay executive action on deportations.

“Well, I think we have to just keep working, can’t stop ever working,” Clinton said, and added, when pressed, “You know, I think we have to elect more Democrats.”

It’s early still, so it makes sense for the candidate to stay out of the fray and avoid becoming overtly political, especially on issues that could affect Democrats in the midterms and President Obama’s efforts down the line.

But Clinton can’t have it both ways: it’s dangerous for a politician to wink and nod at 2016 but turn the other cheek when asked policy questions for much longer and expect to get away with it.

 

SENATE SHOWDOWN

KS-SEN (ROBERTS): Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) touts efforts to bring the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility to Kansas in a new ad — despite having voted against a spending bill this year, while in the middle of a primary fight, that funded the project. At the time, Roberts defended his opposition, saying “that vote was necessary to send a signal we can no longer afford unchecked spending as usual.” Meanwhile, independent challenger Greg Orman announced a plan to reform the campaign finance system.

WV-SEN (OPEN): Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) headlined a fundraiser for Democrat Natalie Tennant last Friday.

KY-SEN (MCCONNELL): Kentucky political observers are questioning whether Alison Lundergan Grimes needs a campaign shake-up after a series of polls have shown her lagging GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell.

And McConnell’s former primary challenger, Matt Bevin, is contemplating a 2015 gubernatorial bid.

GA-SEN (OPEN): Former President George H.W. Bush on Monday endorsed Georgia GOP Senate nominee David Perdue, making official his choice not to back Democrat Michelle Nunn, despite her work with a Bush foundation.

 

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE

MI-11 (BENTIVOLIO): Rep. Kerry Bentivolio (R-Mich.) is considering a write-in campaign for Congress after losing his primary last month.

NH-2 (KUSTER): Republican Marilinda Garcia, an outspoken opponent of ObamaCare, wouldn’t answer questions about how she’s purchased healthcare — including whether she gets it through ObamaCare — during an interview.

NY-21 (OPEN): Democrat Aaron Woolf is facing scrutiny over his grocery, Urban Rustic, and restaurant, Lodge, which reports show faced a suit from two former cooks who said Lodge didn’t pay them overtime. The grocery store has also received up to 83 health code violations, according to previous reports.

CO-06 (COFFMAN): A Colorado government watchdog has asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate whether Rep. Mike Coffman (R) has inappropriately used his franking privileges, which allow lawmakers to send taxpayer funded mailings updating constituents on their work in Congress, for campaign purposes.


MN-08 (PETERSON): On climate change, Rep. Collin Peterson’s (D) Republican opponent, state Sen. Torrey Westrom, said “the science hasn’t been that convincing,” and suggested he’d oppose raising the debt limit.

 

AD WATCH

AR-SEN (PRYOR): The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee targets Rep. Tom Cotton (R) on seniors’ issues, declaring, “we can’t trust Tom Cotton to protect seniors, because the record shows he hasn’t.”

KY-SEN (MCCONNELL): Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) touts his role in negotiations that ended the government shutdown, while Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes goes skeet shooting. Meanwhile, an outside group hit McConnell with a trio of radio ads, one of which features a clip of a suicide bomber.

Pro-McConnell outside group Kentucky Opportunity Coalition is launching an ad Tuesday that hits Grimes over supporting “a pathway to citizenship” for illegal immigrants and ties her to President Obama on the issue, calling her a “proud supporter of President Obama’s amnesty plan.”

AK-SEN (BEGICH): Republican Dan Sullivan’s wife, Julie, touts the Senate hopeful’s military service and pushes back against Sen. Mark Begich’s (D) attacks questioning Sullivan’s residency, which she says are attacks on his military service because he left the state to serve. Begich released a new ad this weekend touting his work for Alaska.


LA-SEN (LANDRIEU): The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee hits Rep. Bill Cassidy (R) on Social Security with an ad in which a number of seniors question his record, and one declares “we can’t trust Bill Cassidy.”

CO-SEN (UDALL): Sen. Mark Udall (D) suggests Rep. Cory Gardner (R) is behind the times for supporting “harsh anti-abortion laws and a bill to outlaw birth control.”

WV-03 (RAHALL): Rep. Nick Rahall’s (D) new ad charges Republican Evan Jenkins would roll back black lung benefits for miners.

NH-02 (KUSTER): Rep. Annie Kuster (D) ties Republican Marilinda Garcia to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), “architect of the government shutdown,” declaring she supports “a Tea Party agenda that’s just too extreme.”

AZ-02 (BARBER): House Majority PAC’s new ad targets Republican Martha McSally on seniors issues, charging she would privatize Social Security and raise the retirement age.

CO-06 (COFFMAN): A new television ad from Counter PAC, a “non-partisan SuperPAC backed by tech entrepreneurs” pushing for full disclosure of donors, charges Rep. Mike Coffman (R) is “enjoying ads funded by secret donors.”

PA-08 (FITZPATRICK): Democrat Kevin Strouse touts his military experience and features his young children in his first ad.

NY-11 (GRIMM): Rep. Michael Grimm’s (R) first ad hits Democratic opponent, former Brooklyn councilman Domenic Recchia, as a “tax-raising machine.”

NY-19 (GIBSON): Democrat Sean Eldridge targets GOP Rep. Chris Gibson on women’s issues, charging “he’s consistently voted against a woman’s right to choose,” and declaring “I won’t play politics with women’s health.”

NY-01 (BISHOP): Rep. Tim Bishop (D) confronts attacks from his Republican challenger, state Sen. Lee Zeldin, focused on the FBI probe of his campaign finances, and targets Zeldin on environmental issues.

NM-02 (PEARCE): Former Eddy County Commissioner Rocky Lara (D) takes aim at congressional perks in her first ad against Rep. Steve Pearce (R)

 

POLL POSITION

NH-SEN (SHAHEEN): A CNN/ORC poll shows Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) tied with former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R), both taking 48 percent of likely voters. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released a poll that showed Shaheen ahead 51 percent to 44 percent for Brown.

MN-SEN (FRANKEN): A poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling for the Star Tribune shows Sen. Al Franken (D) leading businessman Mike McFadden (R) among likely voters, with 49 percent to McFadden’s 36 percent. Elevent percent of respondents were undecided.

NC-SEN (HAGAN): A new Elon University Poll gives Sen. Kay Hagan (D) a 4-point lead over Republican Thom Tillis, with 45 percent of likely voters to Tillis’s 41 percent support.

FL-26 (GARCIA): An internal poll conducted for Republican Carlos Curbelo’s campaign shows him leading Rep. Joe Garcia (D) among likely voters, 44 percent to 40 percent, with 16 percent undecided.

 

2016 RUMBLINGS

JINDAL: Louisiana Sen. Bobby Jindal (R) will release a comprehensive energy plan Tuesday.

CHRISTIE: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) will stump for Scott Brown (R) in the Granite State on Wednesday.

HUCKABEE: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) is taking the necessary steps to run for president again in 2016, vowing he wouldn’t make the same mistakes he made last time — if he pulls the trigger.

CLINTON, SANDERS: Immigration activists praised Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for criticizing president Obama’s  decision to put off executive action delaying more deportations, and slammed Hillary Clinton, who dodged questions from Dreamers on that issue during her Sunday visit to Iowa.

Meanwhile, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) on Monday said it is a “myth” that Iowans disliked Hillary Clinton, and argued she is not too conservative for the state’s Democrats.

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I didn’t hear a word he said, but I wasn’t in a place where I could tell him to go f***k himself.”  

—Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), on her response when a male labor leader commented on her weight