OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN: Leaks and Sequester

by Cameron Joseph and Emily Goodin - 07/24/12 10:11 PM ET

TOMORROW’S AGENDA TODAY: President Obama will be campaigning in New Orleans and will also address the National Urban League conference.

Mitt Romney travels to London where he’ll attend Friday’s opening ceremony of the Olympics.

Vice President Biden will be in Philadelphia to deliver remarks at the International Association of Fire Fighters 51st Convention.

Jill Biden will attend the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) conference in Washington to announce a major Joining Forces commitment that will help prepare social workers to help troops.

TWEET OF THE DAY: “I’m 59 today. Ouch.” — Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I’m a pretty wild and crazy yogurt eater. I like the fruit. We’re talking peach, raspberry, blueberry, whatever. I can eat a mixed fruit. I can go with a banana-strawberry” — Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in the Toledo Blade.

POLL POSITION:

A strong majority of Americans say Mitt Romney’s background in the private sector, including his management at the private equity firm he founded, Bain Capital, would help him make the right decisions on the economy. According to a new USA Today-Gallup poll, 63 percent viewed Romney’s business background as a strength in handling the country’s economic woes, versus 29 percent who viewed it negatively.

AD WATCH:

The Republican National Committee (RNC) rounded-up a host of attacks used against President Obama over the past few months in a new Web video, hammering the president for lacking the “commitment and understanding” to revive the economy.

Meanwhile, Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter is pushing back against Mitt Romney’s attacks over a recent remark from the president, accusing the GOP candidate of “not telling the truth about what the president said” when quoting his “you didn’t build it” remark.

And Obama’s campaign released a Web ad looking to set the record straight over his “you didn’t build that” remark, accusing Romney of “tampering” with his words.

Finally, Obama himself addressed the issue in an ad released Tuesday, with the president directly addressing the allegations leveled against him in regards to the “you didn’t build that” remark. “Those ads, taking my words about small business out of context, they’re flat out wrong. Of course Americans build their own businesses. Every day, hard-working people sacrifice to meet a payroll, create jobs and make our economy run,” says Obama to the camera.

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE:

Arizona: Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) has been a busy man: A day after an ad he cut touting Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) over Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) began airing he appears in an ad on behalf of Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who is fending off a challenge from big-spending businessman Wil Cardon (R).

New York: The pro-Democratic outside group House Majority PAC released an internal poll showing Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) with a 24-point lead over Randy Altschuler (R), who he narrowly beat in 2010.

SENATE SHOWDOWN:

The Democratic outside group Majority PAC is out with three new ads targeting Senate races in Wisconsin, North Dakota and Virginia.

Hawaii: Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) has endorsed Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) in her Senate bid, a surprising move since the seat could be in play for Republicans this fall.

Missouri: Big-spending businessman John Brunner (R) is up with two more ads for his Senate campaign. The first says one of his rivals, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), “lost his way” by backing earmarks in Congress, while the other slams an outside group run by former staffers of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for attacking him in recent ads, and ties Reid to Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). It’s interesting that he doesn’t attack former Missouri state Treasurer Sarah Steelman (R), who most believe is his biggest threat in the three-way Aug. 7 primary, but instead goes after Akin, with whom he shares a geographic base.

Ohio: Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is touting the bailouts given to the U.S. auto industry in a new campaign ad.

Texas: A super-PAC backing Lieutenant Gov. David Dewhurst (R) is out with a brutal ad against his primary opponent, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz (R), that features the mother of a teen who committed suicide slamming Cruz for serving as the attorney of the people she blames for his death. “Corrupt judges put my son in a for-profit juvenile detention center … to make millions of dollars,” she says in the ad. “Ted Cruz says his client should not have to pay, that the IRS is the victim, and not the kids here. My son came out of there, and he took a gun and shot himself in the heart. That’s what my son’s life was worth, $500. Ted Cruz should be absolutely ashamed of himself. I don’t know how he can sleep at night.” The two are locked in a tight and increasingly nasty primary runoff which will be decided on July 30.

Virginia: Former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) is out with a new ad blasting former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) for supporting the bipartisan debt-limit deal that included $500 billion in planned defense cuts. This is the first ad Allen has used to attack Kaine on this issue, though he ripped him in last weekend’s debate for supporting the plan.

West Virginia: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced Tuesday that he will vote on Democratic legislation to extend the Bush-era tax rates.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush visited Mitt Romney’s campaign headquarters in Boston, although the presumptive Republican nominee was in Reno, Nev., to speak to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention. Romney’s wife, Ann, introduced the Bushes to the Boston team. It’s the latest sign that the campaign isn’t running away from the former head of the party.

Romney is pouncing on the White House threat to veto GOP offshore drilling legislation, alleging through an aide that Obama “doesn’t have a clue” when it comes to energy.

Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) has joined an effort by House Democrats to bring up the Disclose Act, legislation requiring corporations and unions to file a Federal Elections Commission report for large campaign spending. He is the first Republican to join the effort.

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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