President Obama is no stranger to battleground states, whether it’s as president or as campaigner-in-chief. So it came as something of a surprise that his visit yesterday to Wisconsin, a swing state, was his first in more than a year. As Hotline’s Sean Sullivan reports, he’s been avoiding the state in part because of the heated fights between labor and GOP Gov. Scott Walker, who is facing a recall over his budget reform law, which curbed collective bargaining for public employees.
But even as Obama avoided mention of the conflict, the political undertones of the battle between management and labor were clear. In his speech at Master Lock, Obama said “some folks” thought the auto industry should die – an unmistakable jibe at Mitt Romney. For his part, Romney released a statement Wednesday previewing his Michigan campaign theme: “Unlike Obama, Romney Will Stand Up To Big Labor.”
Neither candidate has been eager to wade too deeply in the Wisconsin fight, but it’s looking like it may be unavoidable. Some conservative leaders are already portraying the Walker recall election as more important than the November presidential election. And many of Obama’s core supporters in the state are busy organizing for the recall fight, expected in June.
Wisconsin is a unique state, with many true-blue liberals and rock-ribbed conservatives and a relatively low number of swing voters. Indeed, both Obama and Walker have positive approval ratings in the state, despite being polarizing figures. The battle for the undecided voters will largely be fought on blue-collar turf. An Obama-Romney race could come down to which candidate is perceived as having the best solutions for those working class voters, who culturally identify with the GOP but economically are closer to Democrats.
—Josh Kraushaar, Hotline Executive Editor
NATIONAL JOURNAL’S PRIMARY REPORT
Poll: Santorum Edging Romney in Michigan
[National Journal, 2/16/12] Santorum leads Romney by a slim margin in Michigan, Romney's birthplace and the latest battleground in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to a new poll released early Thursday.
Romney: D.C. Republicans Need to Stop Acting Like Democrats NEW!
[National Journal, 2/16/12] Romney told businesspeople in Michigan Thursday that Republicans in Washington have been "acting like Democrats" and he is the man to stop the trend because he is a different kind of Republican.
Romney: I'm not Going to Lose Michigan
[Politico, 2/16/12] When asked about polls showing him losing the primary in Michigan, Romney confidently responded: "That won't happen."
Obama Jabs Romney on Autos, But Not Naming Names NEW!
[National Journal, 2/16/12] As Romney struggles to explain his opposition Obama’s efforts to rescue the then-ailing auto industry in 2009, Obama took a not-so-subtle jab at Romney Wednesday: "I took office, the American auto industry was on the verge of collapse,” he said. “And there were some folks who said we should let it die."
Romney Drove A Canadian-Made Car In Detroit Ad NEW!
[BuzzFeed, 2/16/12] A new ad showing Romney driving through Michigan was meant to showcase his roots in the area and his support of local manufacturing. But the car that he’s driving, a 2012 Chrysler 300 sedan, was actually built in Canada.
After Allegations, Michael Grimm No Longer A Romney Delegate NEW!
[Politicker, 2/16/12] Rep. Michael Grimm’s, R-N.Y., name was removed from the list of Romney’s delegates to the Republican Convention. Grimm, one of Romney’s more vocal supporters, is currently facing allegations of criminal fundraising behavior.
Perry Seeks OK to Create Super PAC NEW!
[Politico, 2/16/12] The former GOP candidate is seeking permission to use the cash left over from his presidential run to start either a PAC or a Super PAC. The request, filed with the Federal Election Commission, also asks whether the Texas governor can use some of the leftover money for his gubernatorial re-election campaign.
Santorum Does Not Have a Campaign Headquarters NEW!
[ABC News, 2/15/12] Santorum, whose campaign is running on a shoestring budget, has rejected many of the trappings of a traditional presidential candidate -- he doesn't even have an official campaign headquarters.
In Money Chase, Obama Leadst GOP Candidates in Most States
[USA Today, 2/15/12] A USA Today analysis shows that President Obama has outraised the top GOP presidential candidates in two-thirds of the country, including battleground states such as Pennsylvania and North Carolina considered crucial to his re-election prospects.
Pro-Gingrich Super PAC Ads Coming to Talk Radio
[New York Times, 2/15/12] The super PAC supporting Gingrich will take to the talk radio shows of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin on Thursday with new ads in three key states that target Romney and the GOP “establishment.” Meanwhile, the Romney camp and the super PAC backing his campaign have booked nearly $2 million in TV and radio ads in Michigan alone, while Santorum has only reserved $42,443 in airtime for his own ads in the state ahead of Michigan’s Feb. 28 primary.
Santorum the Moderate
[Slate, 2/15/12] Now that his campaign is surging, Santorum is toning down his rhetoric on homosexuality, gay marriage and abortion. “His culture war talk is softer, more implied,” writes Dave Weigel.
Michigan Governor to Endorse Mitt Romney
[National Journal, 2/15/12] Gov. Rick Snyder will announce today that he'll be backing Mitt Romney in this must-win state for the former Massachusetts governor. This morning, he wrote an op-ed in the Detroit News explaining his support.
Romney: How I’ll Respond to China’s Rising Power
[Wall Street Journal, 2/16/12] Romney penned a Thursday op-ed for The Journal slamming Obama for moving in “precisely the wrong direction” in his dealings with China, and explaining that as president, he would emphasize the need for American strength.
In Michigan Campaign Kickoff, Romney Takes on Unions
[Detroit News, 12/16/12] At a kickoff rally in Grand Rapids, Romney assailed Obama for taking union campaign money and pledged to take on union bosses and end "crony capitalism."
Santorum Made $1 Million a Year, Returns Show
[National Journal, 2/15/12] Santorum released four years of tax returns Wednesday, more tax information than any GOP candidate has made public so far. The forms show he paid on average a higher tax rate than Romney, who paid about 14 percent on mostly unearned income from investments, and a slightly lower rate than Gingrich, who paid about 32 percent in taxes.
Romney’s Blue Collar Problem
[Washington Post, 2/16/12] Romney’s problems with conservatives and evangelicals are well-established, but there’s another issue that could hamper his election chances in Michigan: In every contest held so far in which exit polling is available, Romney has done progressively worse as a voter’s income has dropped.
Santorum Campaigned as “Progressive Conservative,” Non-Reaganite
[Huffington Post, 2/15/12] During his first bid for Congress in the early 1990s, Santorum promised not to be a Reagan Republican, fashioned himself a progressive conservative, said he was impartial on unions and stayed vague on abortion rights.
Memo to the Tea Party: Santorum Rejects Your Message NEW!
[The Atlantic, 2/16/12] Santorum cares most about social issues and national security, with fiscal issues like the alarming deficits coming at the bottom of his list of priorities. His approach is an inversion of the Tea Party message, Conor Friedersdorf writes, yet Tea Partiers are flocking to him.
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