For Democrats, Even ‘Safe’ Seats Are Shaky
The New York Times: “Republicans are expanding the battle for the House into districts that Democrats had once considered relatively safe, while Democrats began a strategy of triage on Monday to fortify candidates who they believe stand the best chance of survival. As Republicans made new investments in at least 10 races across the country, including two Democratic seats here in eastern Ohio, Democratic leaders took steps to pull out of some races entirely or significantly cut their financial commitment in several districts that the party won in the last two election cycles.”
Obama’s Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET, will receive the economic daily briefing at 10:30 a.m. ET, and will meet at 11 a.m. ET with senior advisers. He will meet at 2:45 p.m. ET with student finalists of the NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. At 7 p.m. ET, he will host a “Moving America Forward” town hall meeting at George Washington University.
Biden’s Day Ahead
Vice President Biden met at 8 a.m. ET with Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Senator George Mitchell, at the Naval Observatory. He will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, and attend a 1 p.m. ET event for Rep. Leonard Boswell. He will travel in the afternoon to Chicago, Illinois, and deliver remarks at a 6:45 p.m. ET rally for Gov. Pat Quinn. He will return in the evening to Wilmington, Delaware.
Wall St. Cash Flow Imperils Democrats
Politico reports: “A shift in the flow of Wall Street money toward Republicans earlier this year has become a torrent in the final weeks of the campaign, according to lobbyists and business executives doling out the cash. ‘Our target ratio for the 2010 cycle is 80-20 Republican,’ said Karen Klugh, spokeswoman for the American Financial Services Association. It’s a striking departure from the 2008 cycle, when the association’s members, representing a broad swath of the finance industry, split their donations roughly evenly between Democrats and Republicans, she said.”
Smaller Blue Dog Pack Will Need New Leaders
Roll Call reports: “The fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition is headed for a major transition after the November elections, with the retirement of key founding member Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) and many of the group’s remaining members under siege. ‘We don’t know what the leadership positions will be like, because we don’t know the outcome of the election,’ said Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), a senior Blue Dog who said the group could conceivably lose half of its 54 members in a Republican wave.”
Healthcare Lobbyists Seek To Repair Relationship With Republicans
The Hill reports: “House Republicans say healthcare groups that backed the Democrats’ overhaul bill are trying to rekindle their hot-and-cold-relationship with the GOP. The health industry’s effort to make nice with Republicans is both reflective of how Washington works and how much the political winds have shifted since Barack Obama’s inauguration early last year.”
