| | | | Conor Lamb: Democrats' canary in the coal mine | | Two weeks from today, voters in western Pennsylvania will go to the polls to choose their next member of Congress. It might just be the most important race no one is paying attention to right now.
On its face, Pennsylvania's 18th District isn't much of a Democratic target. Donald Trump won the district by 20 points in 2016 and Mitt Romney carried it by 17 in 2012. Republican Rep. Tim Murphy had held it easily since 2002; he was unopposed in 2014 and 2016.
But Murphy was forced out of Congress in October when reports surfaced that he had urged a woman with whom he was having an affair to get an abortion.
That forced this special election. Republicans chose state Rep. Rick Saccone as their nominee, Democrats picked prosecutor and veteran Conor Lamb.
From the start, Republican insiders were worried about the candidate contrast: Saccone is a 60-something-year-old state legislator, Lamb is a 30-something Marine.
That mismatch in candidate quality wouldn't have been enough to turn this into a barn-burner. But when coupled with an unpopular Republican president, the political climate might just be turning toxic on Saccone.
David Wasserman, the House editor at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, changed the rating on the Pennsylvania race Tuesday from "lean Republican" to "toss-up," writing by way of explanation:
"For over a month, private polls on both sides have shown Saccone leading in the low-to-mid single digits, often within the margin of error. Today, the candidates are better known, but Lamb hasn't let Republicans nationalize the race and Saccone still hasn't pulled away. The contest is exceedingly close, and Republican operatives are preparing to spin a loss as the result of an unfavorable candidate contrast."
It's clear Republicans are on the defensive and are prepping for a loss.
The Point: Republicans can try to spin a loss in Pennsylvania any way they like. But if Democrats win a district that Trump carried by 20 points, the worry coursing through Republican ranks today will rapidly transform into outright panic. And rightly so.
-- Chris | | "We have been down this path before. There are bipartisan differences about how to address this issue that continually snag every effort."
-Sen. Mitch McConnell on gun legislation | | | | Watch this video by CNN's Brenna Williams, in which Chris explains how Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke is giving incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz a run for his money in their Texas Senate race. | | | The new Yo La Tengo song -- "For You Too" -- from the soon-to-be released new Yo La Tengo album. Get psyched! | | It may be time for Bernie supporters to rally again -- not behind Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, but behind his son, Levi Sanders. The 48-year-old is running for Congress in New Hampshire, CNN's Eric Bradner reported Tuesday. From his story:
"Sanders said in a statement first reported by WMUR and since posted on his campaign website that he is entering the open-seat race to replace retiring Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter.
"'This is a unique opportunity to listen to the hardworking men and women of New Hampshire about the issues that matter to them,' he said.
"The New Hampshire 1st District is one of the nation's most competitive open-seat races in 2018's midterms. Unlike his father, who ran as an independent in Vermont, Sanders is running as a Democrat. He'll be the eighth Democratic candidate to enter the race."
FYI, Sen. Sanders said in a statement he is "very proud of Levi's commitment to public service and his years of work on behalf of low-income and working people." | | CORKER CONFIRMS RETIREMENT | | | CNN's Manu Raju and Daniella Diaz reported Tuesday: "GOP Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee decided he will not run for re-election after reconsidering his decision to retire last year, his chief of staff said Tuesday. His decision puts an end to months of speculation that he might reverse his decision to retire. "'Over the past several months, Sen. Corker has been encouraged by people across Tennessee and in the Senate to reconsider his decision not to seek re-election,' his chief of staff Todd Womack said in a statement. 'However, at the end of the day, the senator believes he made the right decision in September and will be leaving the Senate when his term expires at the end of 2018.'"
Corker is staying silent on whether he'll endorse fellow Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn for his seat.
Read more in CNN's story here. | | CNN's Dana Bash reported Tuesday: "President Donald Trump has hired Brad Parscale, the digital media director of his 2016 campaign, to run his re-election bid, the campaign announced.
"The announcement was initially hyped by The Drudge Report, a website run by Matt Drudge, a conservative figure with considerable influence inside the White House.It was no surprise that Trump will run for re-election in 2020 -- he filed shortly after his 2017 inauguration -- but it is unusual for a sitting president to hire a campaign manager three years before the election."
Read more about the news here, and check out Chris' take: Of course Donald Trump is running again in 2020. (Duh.)
Also in #2020 news: Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, who will not run for re-election this year, is headed to New Hampshire on March 16, WMUR reported Tuesday. He is scheduled to appear at a "Politics and Eggs" event hosted by Saint Anselm College's New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
Flake, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, doesn't have any formal plans to run for president. However, he told ABC's "This Week" in December: "I don't rule anything out, but it's not in my plans." | | Speaking of #2020, Iowa topped the U.S. News & World Report's Best States rankings list, beating out Minnesota (No. 2) and Utah (No. 3). Per the publication:
"Combine those No. 1s with Iowa's Top 10 rankings in health care (No. 3), opportunity (No. 4), education (No. 5) and quality of life (No. 9), and the state becomes 'first in the nation' not only in terms of its presidential caucuses, but also when describing Iowa's overall placement." | | Sooo, country music legend Dolly Parton sang while reading her book "Coat of Many Colors" to children at the Library of Congress. She donated the 100 millionth book to the Library of Congress in partnership with her nonprofit Imagination. Just another normal Tuesday in DC.
Don't forget to sing our praises and tell people you know to subscribe to The Point. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | | | | |
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