Hotline Sort: Southern Hospitality
Welcome back to Hotline Sort. The first GOP presidential debate is now in the books -- how did former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) do? Meanwhile, there's more bad news for Rep. David Wu and one potential top-tier candidate takes himself out of the running in Nevada's special House election. And how difficult is it to proofread an email before hitting send? Here's today's rundown:
9) It just gets worse for Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.). Michael Cody Monroe, a former campaign aide, was arrested for forging more than $12,000 in campaign checks, and to boot, he failed to show up for his arraignment Thursday. The Oregonian has more.
8) Always proofread before you hit send! A Democratic National Committee email sent to reporters Thursday also included an internal email from Obama campaign operative Ben LaBolt, saying "I'd lead on the pawlenty hit w/ leaving MN with a record deficit before the defensive stuff." Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's (R) team pounced, calling it a "coordinated attack."
7) Sen. Daniel Akaka's (D-Hawaii) spokesperson said Akaka broke two ribs in a fall Monday at his residence in Alexandria, Va. He described Akaka's fall as a minor accident. Akaka plans to return to work next week.
6) Nervous much, Jane Corwin? The Republican nominee in the New York's 26th District special election is now launching attacks at both of her rivals as she's quickly seen her presumptive lead evaporate. A new internal poll from Democratic nominee Kathy Hochul's campaign shows the race is now a dead heat, one week after a Siena poll only showed Corwin up 5. In the Global Strategy Group survey, Corwin leads only 31 percent to Hochul's 30, with independent Jack Davis taking 26 percent. The question everyone wants to know - is this enough to force the DCCC's hand and have them get in the race? It's still a gamble, but with Hochul facing two self-funded candidates, she could use the extra help.
5) Favorability ratings for Rep. Charlie Bass (R-N.H.) have cratered, according to a new poll released late Thursday by WMUR-TV in Manchester. Bass' favorability rating in the poll, conducted by the UNH Survey Center, has dropped from 41 percent in February, to just 29 percent now. Meanwhile, the percentage of residents who have an unfavorable impression of Bass has jumped from 28 percent to 45 percent. Rep. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.) fairs better, with his constituents fairly split on the freshman.
4) Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) will not be with President Obama Friday when he visits Fort Campbell. A Beshear spokesperson said Obama's visit was not confirmed until it was too late to make arrangements in Beshear's schedule, considering the governor's Oaks Day obligations.
3) Also in Kentucky, new poll out late Thursday shows that the ticket of David Williams and Richie Farmer has a sizable lead in the May 17 Kentucky Republican gubernatorial primary, but nearly a third of likely primary voters are still undecided. The Williams/Farmer ticket opened the primary race as a heavy favorite, and they earn 39 percent of the vote in the poll, conducted by N.J.-based Braun Research for the cable news station cn|2. But the two other tickets -- Phil Moffett/Mike Harmon and Bobbie Holsclaw/Bill Vermillion Jr. -- earn more than 10 percent of the vote. Farmer, a popular former University of Kentucky basketball player, has been dogged by ethics scandals lately, but the poll did not test his favorability.
2) As we reported Thursday, the special election in Nevada's 2nd District is headed for the courts, with the state GOP taking issue with Secretary of State Ross Miller's (D) decision to make the special election open to all candidates instead of allowing state party committees to choose nominees. Meanwhile, one person who won't be in the special election contest is Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki (R), who announced Thursday he's passing on a bid, citing family concerns and job responsibilities.
Interestingly enough, both the suit and Krolicki's decision benefit one person the most - state GOP Chair Mark Amodei, who now looks like the GOP establishment favorite in the contest. Amodei's been mum on whether he'll run, but with Krolicki out, he's expected to win the backing of key party leaders - although his fate would be less certain in the "ballot royale" scenario if the lawsuit fails.
1) The first official debate of the GOP presidential race took place Thursday night in Greenville, South Carolina, and it was former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty's turn in the spotlight.
A crucial moment for Pawlenty arrived when he was asked about former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) Bay State health care plan. Pawlenty declined to go directly after the plan, but pointed out Romney's absence, saying he was "not going to pick on" the former Massachusetts governor because he was not at the debate to defend himself.
According to a focus group that GOP pollster Frank Luntz convened for Fox News, former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain dominated the debate. Check out National Journal's complete roundup of the debate here.
-- Jessica Taylor and Steven Shepard contributed to this post
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