Hotline Sort: The Real World, Wisconsin
10:57 a.m. CORRECTION: The original version of this post incorrectly identified the office Wagner is pursuing. Wagner announced Tuesday morning that she will explore a Congressional bid, hinting that 2nd District Rep. Todd Akin (R) will run for Senate.
Welcome back to Hotline Sort. Haley Barbour exits stage right, as all attention now turns to Mitch Daniels. Meanwhile, Sharron Angle threatens to run as an independent, creating NRCC flashbacks from 2009. And two ex-television stars in Wisconsin are set to square off against each other -- for Congress. Here's today's rundown:
9) Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) will support spending caps that would require deep cuts over the coming decade. The move is a blow to to President Obama and Senate Democratic leaders and is another of Manchin's moves to the right in advance of the reelection campaign he faces in 2012.
One more Democratic defector (along with Sens. Claire McCaskill and Independent Joe Lieberman) and the bill would likely have majority support. Et tu, Ben Nelson?
8) Ed Failor, a leading fiscal conservative activist in Iowa, on Monday resigned as head of the group Iowans for Tax Relief "to pursue exciting opportunities." He is sure to be courted heavily by the presidential campaigns playing in the Hawkeye State and would be a top get if anyone is able to land his support.
7) Several sleepy Senate races are heating up. Former state Rep. Adam Hasner jumped into the GOP primary, launching his campaign with an interview on the Mark Levin show last night where he immediately distanced himself from former Gov. Charlie Crist. Hasner is winning rave reviews from conservatives; look for him to try to claim the Marco Rubio mantle as he touts support from those on the right.
And in North Dakota, Public Service Commissioner Brian Kalk (R) made clear in a letter to supporters that he is running for the Senate. He is set to announce his decision Wednesday.
Meanwhile, former Missouri Republican Party chairwoman Ann Wagner will declare on two radio shows Tuesday she will explore a Congressional bid in the 2nd District.
6) First on Sort: The National Republican Congressional Committee is launching a radio ad today hitting Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) for failing to vote for a budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. "The federal government is fourteen trillion dollars in debt. And what did Congressman Mike Ross do to cut spending? Drum roll please ... Poof. That's it. Nothing," the ad says. The ad will run for the next three weeks on local radio.
Ross, one of the most conservative Democrats in the House, may not be in the House much longer. Political analyst Stuart Rothenberg wrote that Ross is considering a run for the Arkansas governorship in 2014.
5) Meanwhile in Wisconsin, former state Sen. Pat Kreitlow (D) announced he'll challenge Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.). Kreitlow was a former television anchor who lost his re-election bid last year.
That would pit two former TV "stars" against each other, in what will be a closely-watched House race next year.
4) The waiting game continues in Nevada as Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) will appoint a replacement for Sen. John Ensign (R) before May 3. Sandoval senior adviser Dale Erquiaga said Monday the governor will try to follow the will of Nevada voters by appointing someone who matches Ensign's "political ideology," a term he declined to define. Erquiaga also dismissed a push from Democrats in the Legislature to establish an "open, fair and public process" to select the appointment. Rep. Dean Heller (R) is still widely expected to get the appointment.
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Monday that Angle is considering a third-party or independent bid if she does not make it onto the ballot in a 2nd District House special election, should one occur (something we anticipated last week). State Sen. Greg Brower (R) said Monday he would run in any special election -- or in the 2012 regular election if Heller remains in office. Meanwhile, Democratic Assemblywoman Debbie Smith said Monday she "will not be a candidate in any special election for the 2nd Congressional District."
3) With the 2012 campaign gearing up, some prominent hedge fund managers are backing away from supporting Democrats and are actively supporting Republicans, the Wall Street Journal reports.
2) Obama will conduct local interviews Tuesday with regional affiliates in Atlanta (WSB), Cleveland (WTKR) Hampton Roads and Detroit (WXYZ) to discuss his debt and deficit reduction plans.
1) Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) removed himself from the 2012 presidential race on Monday. Meanwhile, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) announced Monday that he is forming a presidential exploratory committee.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R), a close of friend of Barbour, is already seeing an uptick in media scrutiny as he zeroes in on his own decision in the coming weeks. Daniels is expected to announce whether he is running sometime after Indiana's legislative session wraps up at the end of the month. On Monday, Daniels issued a statement that only raised more questions about his own ambitions. In response to Barbour's announcement, he said he would have "been proud to try to help" Barbour had he decided to run.
-- Jessica Taylor contributed to this post
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