Washington News

Romney Claims Obama Is Concealing Second-Term Agenda Mitt Romney's speech to the American Society of News Editors Wednesday generated a great of coverage, including segments from each of the three networks totaling over five and a half minutes of air time. Last night and this morning, reports focus on Romney's claim that the President is obscuring his intentions for his second term, and his contention that Obama has shown he is "out of touch" by taking credit for the improving economy.
USA Today reports Romney "openly questioned President Obama's honesty and credibility Wednesday," while the AP notes that "Romney himself has been sharply criticized...for changing his own positions on issues ranging from abortion to climate control as part of an attempt to win the backing of conservative primary voters."
McClatchy reports that Romney "repeated his accusation that Obama had made the economic crisis worse and criticized the administration's $825 billion stimulus," although, according to McClatchy, "prominent economic analysts such as Mark Zandi of Moody's Analytics have testified before Congress that the president's stimulus program helped rescue the US economy from the worst downturn since the Great Depression."
The New York Times reports that one day after the President "lashed out at" Romney "for supporting a Republican budget plan that Mr. Obama labeled 'social Darwinism," the former Massachusetts Governor "wasted no time in striking back, accusing the president of handing off to the Democratic leadership in Congress an economic program that he characterized as 'a grab bag of pet projects,' and of lacking the courage to take on entitlement spending."
NBC Nightly News reported that a day after winning primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland, and Washington DC, Romney "wasted no time in going into general election mode and going after the President today, accusing him of hiding his real agenda."
George Stephanopoulos, on ABC World News, said the Obama campaign's message is that Romney is "a wealthy guy...a fancy guy, looking out for his wealthy friends at the expense of everybody else, out of touch," while Romney says Obama is "the one who is out of touch because he believes that his proposals have actually helped the country and have helped to bring this economy back." Stephanopoulos added that Romney "has to convince voters that President Obama's big government proposals have slowed down the recovery," and Obama "has to say that what Mitt Romney wants to do is make things much worse for everyone."
USA Today reports Romney "accused Obama of running a 'hide-and-seek campaign' replete with lies about Republicans' policy proposals, coddling of foreign leaders and 'a series of election-year conversions.'" USA Today notes that Romney "again raised Obama's recent comment to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he would have more 'flexibility' on the issue of missile defense after the November election."
Wisconsin Primary Intensified Romney-Ryan Ticket Speculation The Washington Post reports, "After seeing Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan trade compliments, banter about the Boy Scouts and take turns talking taxes and debt...Wisconsin Republican voters arrived at the same conclusion: This could be the ticket." The Post says Romney's "five straight days of campaigning with Ryan amounted to a tryout...as a potential vice presidential running mate." While "chief strategist Stuart Stevens waved off any talk of the two forming a national ticket as irresponsibly premature, he did say they got along well behind the scenes and noted their 'chemistry' on the stump."
Axelrod: Romney Already "Very Much Lashed To Ryan" The New York Times , in a front-page article, says both Romney and the President "are seizing on the Republican House budget...as a defining issue of the unfolding campaign." For President Obama, "painting" Ryan "as a sort of wild-eyed wingman to" Romney ties the likely GOP presidential nominee "to the unpopular elements of the Ryan budget...and it makes it tougher for" Romney "to tack to the center once he gets past the primaries." David Axelrod is quoted as saying, "He's very much lashed to Ryan and the House Republicans. ... By essentially embracing the framework of Ryan, Romney is also embracing the steps that would be necessary to implement it."

White House Continues Defense Of President's Remarks On Supreme Court Continuing coverage of President Obama's comments on the Supreme Court review of the Affordable Care Act remains critical, with both CBS and NBC running detailed stories on their nightly newscasts, and several reports saying the White House has been on the defensive. Meanwhile, a federal appeals court has ordered the Justice Department to explain the President's remarks.
The CBS Evening News said the President "has another very unusual controversy on his hands tonight. A federal court has ordered the Administration to explain what the President meant when he suggested on Monday that the Supreme Court should think twice before overturning the national healthcare law." CBS added that "in an escalating battle, a three-judge federal appeals court in Houston is ordering the Justice Department to explain by noon tomorrow whether President Obama really meant what he said."
NBC Nightly News reported, "Jerry Smith, an appeals court judge, put a Justice Department lawyer on the spot yesterday about a comment earlier this week from President Obama." Judge Jerry Smith: "I'm referring to statements by the President in the past few days to the effect, and I'm sure you have heard about them, that it is somehow inappropriate for what he terms unelected judges to strike acts of Congress."
Ed Henry, on Fox News' Special Report, said Wednesday was "Day Three of the White House trying to clear up exactly what President Obama said Monday in the Rose Garden. Even after a clarification on Tuesday, critics were left with the impression he had tried to bully the Supreme Court into finding his health law constitutional." According to Henry, the President "implied it would be illegitimate for the court -- he called them 'unelected' -- to overturn the law." White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: "It's the reverse of intimidation. He is simply making an observation about precedent."
The Washington Post says in an analysis that the President "struck a nerve this week when he took the unusual step of commenting on Supreme Court deliberations," and "many conservatives charged that Obama's words amounted to a stark warning that he intends to campaign against the court if the law or its key elements are struck down, while some speculated that he was trying to bully the justices." The Post says "even some legal scholars sympathetic to Obama and the healthcare law are saying that the president might have been better off keeping quiet."
But the New York Times , noting that "for decades, Republicans have railed every four years against the Supreme Court and its perceived liberal activism," strategists "in both parties are suggesting this could be the Democrats' year to make the court a foil to mobilize voters."

Three American Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan Suicide Bombing At least nine people, including three Americans were killed by a suicide bomber in the Afghan province of Farayab Wednesday. The CBS Evening News reported, "Three American soldiers were killed today in a suicide bombing in northern Afghanistan. A bomber rode a motorcycle into a park and blew himself up."
McClatchy reports, "The blast, which wounded at least 26 others, occurred near a crowded market in Maimanah, the provincial capital, said Faryab's governor, Abdul Haq Shafaq. The US-led military coalition said three of its soldiers had been killed it but didn't specify nationalities; Afghan officials identified them as Americans."
The New York Times reports that the bomber "steered his motorcycle into a group of American soldiers and Afghan police officers...and detonated his explosives, killing at least nine people, including three American soldiers, Afghan officials said."
The AP reports that the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. The AP notes, "In a statement on their website, the Afghan Taliban claimed killing 16 coalition troops and 12 Afghans in the Faryab suicide attack."

Campaign News

Campaigning In Pennsylvania, Romney Focuses On Obama Politico (4/5, Sherman, Gibson, 25K) reports that on Wednesday, Mitt Romney stumped in Pennsylvania, "the site of the next primary contest three weeks from now, but his campaign feels that the protracted GOP primary battle is over. ... In the Philadelphia suburbs," Romney "made no reference to Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, instead training his focus directly on President Barack Obama."
The Los Angeles Times reports that Romney on Wednesday cast Obama "as an elite, arrogant and out of touch with ordinary Americans. 'We just got to get him out office,' Romney told several hundred boisterous supporters at an iron staircase manufacturer in Broomall, a Philadelphia suburb." Of Obama, Romney added, "He just doesn't understand what's happening in the country, in part because of what he's doing wrong. I think he's so out of touch with the American people that he doesn't see how many people are struggling because of his policies.'"
Bloomberg News reports that Romney "made it clear he wants the nominating race to end quickly so he can focus entirely on Obama. Questioned about whether he had asked his" GOP rivals "to step aside, Romney drew chuckles from the audience when he said, 'No, I haven't, but now that you bring it up...' 'I hope that we're able to resolve our nomination process as soon as possible, of course, because I'd like to focus time and attention on those key battleground states and raising the funds to be somewhat competitive with the president,' Romney said."
USA Today says that although Santorum "represented" Pennsylvania "in the US House of Representatives and Senate for 16 years...Romney's campaign is not ceding the state's April 24 primary to him. The Romney campaign opened up a headquarters in Harrisburg last week and has four paid staffers on the ground. ... Although his schedule remains in flux, Romney will campaign today in Pennsylvania and attend a fundraiser in Harrisburg on April 17, in addition to other events in the state next week."
Poll: Romney Up Five Over Santorum In Pennsylvania A Public Policy Polling (D) survey of 403 likely Pennsylvania GOP primary voters taken April 4 shows Mitt Romney now leading in the home state of Rick Santorum. According to the poll, Romney leads with 42%, followed by Santorum with 37%, Ron Paul with 9%, and Newt Gingrich with 6%. The survey results "represent a dramatic turnaround from when PPP polled the state a month ago. Romney's gained 17 points, going from 25% to 42%," while Santorum has "dropped 6 points from 43% to 37%, for an overall swing of 23 points in the last four weeks."
Ardent Santorum Supporters Begin To Reassess His Campaign Politico reports, "With the Republican establishment swinging hard behind Mitt Romney, the delegate math looking grim and his own funds running low," Rick Santorum "must now rely more than ever on the loyalty of his Christian conservative base." But, "following a bad primary night in Wisconsin and other states, there are signs that Santorum's backers, who are as supportive of his cause as ever, are beginning to feel that the race has slipped away."
The New York Times (4/5, Gabriel, Subscription Publication, 1.23M) reports that "advisers to Mr. Santorum acknowledged on Wednesday that the road ahead is much steeper and more pot-holed" following "Romney's three-primary sweep on Tuesday. More significant than the delegates that Mr. Romney accrued this week are the warnings flashing 'Danger' in voter surveys that some of Mr. Santorum's conservative base may be turning away. Voters in Wisconsin on Tuesday who identified themselves as 'very conservative' - a group Mr. Santorum has easily carried in previous states - split their support with Mr. Romney."
McCain: For Santorum, "It's Time For A Graceful Exit" Politico reported that Arizona Sen. John McCain, who is backing Romney in the GOP presidential race, on Wednesday "called on Rick Santorum to drop out of the contest." Appearing on CBS' "This Morning," McCain said, "It's clear that [Romney's] the nominee. American voters will be looking at Mitt Romney from that view point. They've watched this rather disastrous campaign which has really raised the unfavorables of all of our Republican candidates rather dramatically. I hope that Rick Santorum would understand that it's time for a graceful exit."

Montana Senate Race May Determine Senate Control USA Today reports that analysts say the race between Montana Sen. Jon Tester (D) and US Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) "might dictate which party controls the Senate next year." The race "has been a dead heat from the start and is expected to remain so right up to the Nov. 6 vote. A March 14-16 poll conducted by the Billings Gazette gave Tester a 46%-45% lead, with 9% undecided." Since both candidates "have won statewide races and are well-known," the race "will turn on which side can best get out its vote and appeal to the small slice of swing voters."

Illinois Rep Johnson Reportedly Won't Seek Re-Election Roll Call reports that IL15 Rep. Timothy Johnson (R) "will not seek re-election after all, according to a House Republican leadership aide." Johnson, whose seat was redrawn into the IL13 Congressional District, "made every indication he'd seek re-election in the mostly new territory, including securing the GOP nomination in the March 20 primary." His decision "puts his downstate Illinois seat in play." Roll Call adds, "Local Republican officials in the 13th district will now select a new nominee to replace Johnson, who was first elected to the House in 2000."
The Hill reported, "The name getting the most early attention is Rodney Davis, a senior Illinois Republican tells The Hill, pointing out Davis was executive director of the state GOP in 2010 when the state elected several Republicans. Davis is also the former campaign manager to Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), who represents a near-by district."
Politico reported that "last month, David Gill, a physician and progressive activist who had waged three previous unsuccessful bids against Johnson, won the Democratic over Green County State's Attorney Matt Goetten, who many in the Democratic establishment viewed as the strongest general election candidate. CapitolFax, an Illinois-based website...speculated that Johnson felt comfortable handing off the race to another Republican candidate after Gill, who many GOP officials regard as a weak Democratic nominee, secured his party's nod."