LIVE FROM TAMPA - OBAMA TAKES CHARGE OF GULF COAST AS GOP FRETS CONVENTION - Mitt to stroll onstage after Mrs. Romney speaks tonight - Tagg Romney at POLITICO Hub, 5:15 p.m.
Welcome "Morning Score" readers. James Hohmann is co-piloting Playbook during the conventions.
PLAYBOOK FACTS OF LIFE: Given the threat to the Gulf Coast, a simple prime-time speech by Mitt Romney, introduced by Paul Ryan, surrounded by family, wouldn't be bad for the GOP ticket. (Sen. Marco Rubio and Condoleezza Rice could do intros videos.) The nets aren’t carrying that much more of the convention anyway, and cable viewers tend to have their minds made up. When is the last time you, or anyone you know, thought anew about a candidate or party because of a parade of convention speeches? Go short; look smart.
--Romney campaign video to be shown during the convention tonight, “Switchers”: regular people who supported Obama in 2008 talking about why they won’t support him this (2.5 mins.) http://bit.ly/NzueBj
CONSOLATION PRIZE: Sen. Rob Portman will play POTUS in debate prep with Romney, CNN reported yesterday. Kerry will play Romney in practice debates for Obama.
DRIVING THE DAY – AP: “Mitt Romney travels to Tampa, Fla., time uncertain. Paul Ryan arrives in Tampa about midday. ... OBAMA — Delivers remarks at a campaign event at Iowa State University at 2:05 p.m.
--THE PRESIDENT’S DAY—IOWA AND COLORADO: flies to Des Moines for a 1 p.m. CT rally at Iowa State University in Ames. Then to Ft. Collins for a 5:30 MT rally at Colorado State University. Biden is staying in the White House.
TONIGHT in 10 o’clock hour: Ann Romney and keynoter Chris Christie
--LOIS ROMANO: Mrs. Romney will “‘outline the tenets of Mitt Romney’s life,’ said Katie Packer Gage, deputy campaign manager. ‘It will ... go back to Mitt’s earlier life, the values his parents gave him, his life as a successful businessman, as head of the Olympics, as governor, as a father and husband.’ And Ann Romney is expected to get a dramatic assist: the Romney campaign confirmed Monday night that the candidate will travel to Tampa on Tuesday, though officials coyly would not say why or whether he just might stroll onto the stage after his wife speaks during prime time to energize the convention.” http://politi.co/RUcsAc
--Convention line-by-line (without times) http://bit.ly/RiwTjH
--DNC buys ad today in today’s Tampa Tribune taking the Romney-Ryan logo and adding “Akin.” See the ad. http://bit.ly/QNkWSt
YOU’RE INVITED -- 5:15 p.m.: Tagg Romney, the oldest son, chats with Jonathan Martin and Mike Allen on the “Newsmaker” set of the POLITICO Hub, just outside the security perimeter in the cylindrical Rivergate Tower, “The Beer-Can Building,” 400 N. Ashley St. Then stay for snacks and bevs in our huge lounge. RSVP here. http://bit.ly/RiMW10
--PLAYBOOK BREAKFAST, 8 a.m.: Sen. Roy Blunt; Ron Kaufman, longtime Romney adviser and former White House political director; and James Davis, convention communications director. Live at the POLITICO Hub, 400 N. Ashley St., and livestreaming here. Tomorrow: Sen. McConnell, Haley Barbour, Liz Cheney. www.politico.com/livestream
“AIMED AT NEW ORLEANS”-- AP latest: “As Isaac steamed toward Louisiana, ... residents along the state's .... low-lying coast boarded up homes and fled for shelter while storm-wary residents of New Orleans were reassured that levees fortified after Katrina could withstand the anticipated hurricane. Forecasters predicted Isaac would intensify into a Category 2 hurricane, with winds of about 100 mph, by early Wednesday around the time it's expected to make landfall. The current forecast track has the storm aimed at New Orleans, but hurricane warnings extended across 280 miles from Morgan City, La., to the Florida-Alabama state line.”
--BUT, BUT, BUT: MSNBC says tropical storm weakening; may not even become hurricane.
--OBAMA TAKES CHARGE – POLITICO Pro’s Erica Martinson: “Obama signed a ‘pre-disaster emergency declaration’ for Louisiana on Monday, heaping on federal support for the state and allowing FEMA to stand by with water, meals and blankets. ... Obama also briefed Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant — all Republicans now skipping the convention — along with Democratic New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. ... The White House churned out constant play-by-play FEMA updates throughout the planned first day of the GOP convention — which was limited to the bang of a gavel and sideline events amid stormy skies and travel mishaps.”
--Boston Globe 4-col. lead, “Storm may alter scenario for Romney’s celebration: Aides consider possibility of joy, disaster juxtaposed,” by Matt Viser and Glen Johnson in Tampa: “Advisers had planned nearly every image — from the number of screens on stage, to biographical video, to old family photos — with the hope that voters would see a more expansive view of the Republican presidential nominee. But now, they may be confronted with far different images: a festive party in Tampa, with delegates applauding and wearing funny hats, while residents along the Gulf Coast deal with a natural disaster.
“Romney campaign advisers Monday were contemplating a variety of scenarios, including the possibility of canceling the convention. ... [O]ne [Romney campaign] adviser ... said there could even be consideration for asking the television networks for a prime-time speaking opportunity for Romney if the convention were not completed.” Behind pay wall
--“Networks prepare to juggle politics, weather,” by AP Television Writer David Bauder: “Anderson Cooper of CNN and Shepard Smith of Fox News Channel were shifted by their networks from Tampa to New Orleans ... Even when [CNN] correspondents were talking politics, the lower portion of the network's screen flashed updates on the path and wind speed.”
BEST GET: Steps away from Willie Geist’s “Way Too Early” set, Carl Toepel, a cheesehead attending his 10th convention, handed Playbook's chief assistant a "Mittwurst Lover for Romney" button. Turns out Mittwurst is German for “summer sausage,” a popular meat to pair with cheese and crackers.
--“GOP still frets about candidate's image,” by John F. Harris and Alexander Burns in Tampa: “Romney’s inability so far to counter President Barack Obama’s efforts to portray him as an out-of-touch elitist who got rich through predatory business practices is perhaps his biggest general election hurdle, many top Republicans here said Monday. ... Replacing this image with something more appealing — and, they say, more fairly reflective of Romney’s real life and values — is by far the most urgent task this week for the GOP nominee. ... Karl Rove ... said at [POLITICO’s Playbook Breakfast] Monday morning that he has been a ‘little bit mystified’ by what he regards as the Romney campaign’s flaccid handling of the controversy over Romney’s refusal to release more than two years of his income tax returns.
“Rove said Romney could have pressed Obama for making no issue four years ago about Sen. John McCain releasing just two years of returns ... ‘I would have called him earlier and more forcefully than they have,’ Rove said ... ‘This is an issue that has hurt Romney because ... people ... already have an instinct and a suspicion about him [that] he’s a rich guy [and] must be hiding something,” http://politi.co/OGobO1
--“Who’s on the inside track for a Romney Cabinet,” by Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei: “Mike Leavitt [in charge of Romney’s transition team is a top possibility for] White House chief of staff or Treasury secretary ... Glenn Hubbard, an economic adviser to the campaign, would be a likely Romney appointee as Federal Reserve chairman or Treasury secretary. ... Dan Senor, a senior adviser to Paul Ryan, [may] get a top West Wing job, perhaps deputy chief of staff or even national security adviser. ... Ed Gillespie, former counselor to Bush and former Republican National Committee chairman, is very well-positioned for a top ... job given his bigger-than-most-realize role in whipping the current operation into shape.” http://politi.co/Nu43ll
BEHIND THE CURTAIN -- N.Y. Times 2-col. lead, “As Storm Disrupts Plans, G.O.P. Takes Up Tensions: With First Day of the Convention Canceled, Frustrations and Dissent Bubble Up,” by Jim Rutenberg and Michael D. Shear: “A day of closed-door talks between Romney aides and conservative activists ended with a compromise that one person involved said would ‘result in what we think is a very warm and fuzzy convention.’ Some activists announced that they had succeeded in preventing what they called a power grab by the party establishment.
“But supporters of Representative Ron Paul ... expressed frustration over what they said were efforts by Mr. Romney’s aides and supporters to silence their voices in the convention hall. They were goaded along by Mr. Paul, who has declined a speaking slot, accusing the Romney campaign of trying to control his message. And supporters of Representative Todd Akin ... revived Tea Party-infused arguments against the ‘establishment’ wing of the party, saying Mr. Romney and “party bosses” had abandoned him after his remarks.” http://nyti.ms/SLXB8B
ARTICLE OF THE DAY – WSJ A1, “Ryan 'Roadmap' Blazed Rocky Trail to Prominence,” by Patrick O’Connor: “The initial version of his ‘Roadmap for America's Future,’ in summer 2008, was treated as an afterthought by party leaders, and some were openly hostile. Fearful of political backlash, just eight Republicans signed up for his conservative wish list: rewrite the tax code, scrap employer-based health care, rework Medicare and Social Security. Today, many of Mr. Ryan's ideas have become the de facto Republican Party platform. And they are central to the GOP's hopes of reclaiming the White House ... As the Ryan Roadmap gained prominence, so did its author. He taped a series of informational videos. He adopted a new, close-cropped hairstyle and slimmer-fitting suits. ...
“Before he introduced the latest version of his budget earlier this year, Mr. Ryan worked with the Romney campaign and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon to retool the Medicare piece. Under the new concept, younger Americans would still have the option of traditional Medicare when they get older. ... Ryan, and by extension Mr. Romney, is gambling the country is ready to discuss reshaping the federal government. Mr. Romney's budget includes a Medicare overhaul similar to the latest version in Mr. Ryan's plan, as well as alterations like raising the retirement age and tailoring benefits to different income brackets.” http://on.wsj.com/PmNWpD
COLUMN DU JOUR – “The Real Romney”: DAVID BROOKS mocks the convention makeover: “Mitt Romney was born ... in Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Virginia and several other swing states. He emerged, hair first, believing in America, and especially its national parks. He was given the name Mitt, after the Roman god of mutual funds ... He uttered his first words (‘I like to fire people’) at age 14 months, made his first gaffe at 15 months and purchased his first nursery school at 24 months. The school, highly leveraged, went under, but Romney made 24 million Jujubes on the deal. Mitt grew up in a modest family. His father had an auto body shop called the American Motors Corporation, and his mother owned a small piece of land, Brazil. ...
“He was sent to a private school, where he was saddened to find there are people in America who summer where they winter. He developed a lifelong concern for the second homeless ... After streamlining his wife’s pregnancies down to six months each, Mitt helped Ann raise five perfect sons — Bip, Chip, Rip, Skip and Dip — who married identically tanned wives. ... Romney owns many homes without garage elevators and the cars have to take the stairs. ... Romney was lured away to run the Winter Olympics, the second most Caucasian institution on earth, after the G.O.P. ... At the convention, where his Secret Service nickname is Mannequin, Romney will talk about his real-life record: successful business leader, superb family man, effective governor, devoted community leader and prudent decision-maker. If elected, he promises to bring all Americans together and make them feel inferior.” http://nyti.ms/RiudlX
** A message from the National Association of Manufacturers: We are the voice for 12 million men and women who make things in America. U.S. manufacturing supports one in six private sector jobs. Manufacturing means jobs! Visit http://manufacturingworks.nam.org to make your voice heard. **
“CHANGING MEDIA STRATEGIES” -- “Glamour Gets Time With President Obama,” by Women’s Wear Daily’s Erik Maza: “Editor in chief Cindi Leive flew to Portland, Ore., last month to sit down with the President for an interview that will appear in the magazine’s November issue. ... Obama ... sat down with Glamour ... in 2008, along with John McCain ...
“Glamour pitched them on a big audience, said Washington editor Linda Kramer Jenning. ‘There’s a lot of attention being paid to young, women voters,’ Jenning said. ‘That’s the calling card that opens the door.’ It took five months to lock down some face time. Jenning said Leive asked the President about women’s health care, among other topics, even though the interview took place before the recent uproar over ... Akin.” http://wwd.us/TmRi90 (hat tip: Dylan Byers)
TOP TALKER – Yesterday’s N.Y. Post wood, “Revealed: the secret reason Chris would not run for V.P.,” by Josh Margolin and Beth DeFalco: “Gov. Chris Christie wasn’t willing to give up the New Jersey statehouse to be Mitt Romney’s running mate because he doubted they’d win ... Romney’s top aides had demanded Christie step down as the state’s chief executive because if he didn’t, strict pay-to-play laws would have restricted the nation’s largest banks from donating to the campaign — since those banks do business with New Jersey. ... His problem was two Securities and Exchange Commission rules that are meant to curb pay-to-play. One rule, enacted in the mid-1990s, restricts Wall Street executives whose firms underwrite municipal bonds from making personal contributions of more than $250 to a governor running for federal office ... The second rule, enacted in 2010, limits pension-investment advisers from making campaign donations to a governor running for federal office. ...
“Romney officials were wary of losing those potential donations — especially as Obama struggles to get Wall Street dollars. ... Christie’s aides tried to find a way around the rules — like passing off power over state bonds and pensions to another official. But that didn’t satisfy Romney officials. They feared that if Christie ran for veep and didn’t resign, the Obama campaign could challenge any Wall Street donations.” http://bit.ly/PXsuFL
CBC BRACKETS ARTUR DAVIS SPEECH: Fourteen members of the Congressional Black Caucus have signed an open letter to the former Alabama congressman ahead of his RNC speech tonight. He converted to Republicanism after losing a 2010 Democratic primary for governor and now seems to harbor political ambition in Northern Virginia. His old Democratic colleagues note that he criticized former Congressman Parker Griffith for changing parties in 2009. They say he’s flip-flopped on voter ID and highlight glowing comments he once made about the president. “Given the magnitude of your recent transformation, we can only conclude that, rather than a true conversion, your actions are the result of a nakedly personal and political calculation or simmering anguish after failing to secure the Democratic nomination for governor of the State of Alabama in 2010,” they write. Signers include CBC Chair Emmanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.). 2-pages: http://goo.gl/9DL4f.
NEW AMERICAN BRIDGE VIDEO: The Democratic Super PAC, posts a web video with old clips of critical or lukewarm comments about Romney from Rick Santorum, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie, John Boehner, Rand Paul and Tim Pawlenty. The tile is “what they really think.” 2 minutes: http://goo.gl/2tDca.
NEW DNC WEB VIDEO: “Mitt Romney – You didn’t build that. You destroyed that.” 90-seconds: http://bit.ly/NzquzG.
ARIZONA SENATE PRIMARY TODAY – DSCC ARGUES THEY CAN BEAT FLAKE: Assuming as everyone does that Jeff Flake wins today’s primary over self-funder Wil Cardon, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee executive director Guy Cecil argues in a memo that the Republican congressman is badly damaged with two months until the general. He notes that Democrat Richard Carmona, the former U.S. Surgeon General, holds a slight cash advantage. About $9 million was spent attacking Flake in the primary, which the Democrats say forced him to the right. Guy cites internal polling to make the case that there’s room to drive up Flake’s negatives with forthcoming attacks over his votes on Medicare, women’s issues and veteran programs. 2-pages: http://goo.gl/fOoUL.
THE AIR WAR:
--MASSACHUSETTS SENATE: Scott Brown’s newest ad shows him at the Gloucester seaport. "Our fishermen deserve better and I'm going to be fighting to protect them,” the Republican senator says as he walks along a dock. Watch: http://goo.gl/XgznX.
--INDIANA HOUSE: Democratic candidate Dave Crooks, the local radio personality challenging Congressman Larry Bucshon, introduces himself in a bio spot. “Dad worked at the power plant, and my mom and sister worked for American Latex before those jobs went to Malaysia,” Crooks says. “Every politician promises to stop the outsourcing, but it never gets done. Instead, they send our tax dollars to countries that hate us, and at home, they slash away at our Medicare benefits.” YouTube: http://goo.gl/rqiPR.
BRACKETING OBAMA: Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad will hold an 8:30 a.m. press call with the vice chair of Students for Mitt at ISU. Then at 10 the student group will organize a “Where are the jobs?” rally near central campus. Boston took out a full-page ad in today’s Iowa State Daily, the college paper in Ames, to highlight economic hardships facing college graduates today. The tagline: Young Americans deserve better – much better.” http://goo.gl/VpRKa
“LESS THAN ARTFUL”: POPPING ONLINE -- :”ANOTHER REPUBLICAN GIVES AWAY THE GAME: SENATE CANDIDATE: RAPE PREGNANCY 'SIMILAR' TO OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTH,” by Laura Bassett: “Trying to distance himself from the ‘legitimate rape’ comment , ... Pennsylvania Senate candidate Tom Smith (R) [longshot challenging Sen. Bob Casey] ]stirred up further controversy by comparing a pregnancy caused by rape to ‘having a baby out of wedlock.’ ... Pressed by a reporter on how he would handle a daughter or granddaughter becoming pregnant as a result of rape, Smith said he had already ‘lived something similar to that’ in his family. ‘She chose life, and I commend her for that’. ...
“When a reporter asked Smith to clarify what kind of situation was similar to becoming pregnant from rape, the candidate responded, ‘Having a baby out of wedlock. ... Put yourself in a father's position. Yes, it is similar.’ ... UPDATE: Megan Piwowar, a spokeswoman for Smith, clarified on Monday evening that the candidate's comments were misunderstood and that the ‘out of wedlock’ pregnancy in his family was not his daughter's. ... ‘While his answers to some of the questions he faced at the Pennsylvania Press club may have been less than artful, at no time did he draw the comparison that some have inferred. ... Tom was speaking to the difficult decision faced by his family, not the nature of his daughter[‘]s conception.’” http://huff.to/NYFSHf
MEDIAWATCH – L.A. Times A1, “Days suddenly are darker for NBC’s ‘Tonight Show’: The late-night leader has seen layoffs and a ratings slide, and more pressure is coming,” by Sott Collins: “Cable networks devour nearly 84% of the $5.6-billion late-night TV market, according to research firm Kantar Media. ... The stakes are getting even higher, with ABC's announcement last week that it would schedule the increasingly popular ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ a half-hour earlier, in the 11:35 p.m. slot directly opposite Leno and CBS' ‘Late Show With David Letterman.’ With both Kimmel and Leno based in Los Angeles (Letterman is in New York), the rivalry for guests as well as viewers is likely to be intense. ‘Tonight’ has shed nearly one-third of its audience since mid-2009, when Conan O'Brien took over for Leno ...
“There's also a massive generational shift underway. ‘Tonight’ is facing tough competition from Comedy Central's Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, who draw much younger audiences and offer more pointed takes on the day's headlines. Ratings show that Leno, 62, is losing his grip on the young adults advertisers seek. Stewart's ‘The Daily Show’ has a median viewer age of 43 compared with "Tonight's" 58 ... ‘Daily Show’ draws more adults aged 18 to 49 — the demographic most sought by advertisers — than Leno does. ‘The Colbert Report’ looks poised to leap past ‘Tonight’ by that measure soon. ...
“Leno's contract is set to expire in September 2013. NBC could decide to ... replace him as ‘Tonight’ host with Fallon, who [is] 37 ... But such a switch might prove too much ... for NBC, given what happened the last time it tried to change ‘Tonight’ hosts. The network is also facing enormous challenges elsewhere on its schedule; last year's prime-time lineup tanked and ABC's ‘Good Morning America’ has pulled even with ‘Today.’ ... .Kimmel, who is 44, ... is in third place with 1.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen, but that lower figure is partly explained by his midnight start. What's more, he has been gradually gaining viewers.” http://lat.ms/PXzBy3
DESSERT – Chicago Tribune, p. 1 tease: “HE DEFINED FINE DINING -- Acclaimed chef Charlie Trotter hanging up his apron: Charlie Trotter’s has had a pressure cooker of a kitchen during the fine-dining restaurant’s 25-year run atop the city’s culinary scene. The hours were endless and the obsession over details limitless, as the chef-owner pounded the relentless drumbeat of ‘excellence’ and had no tolerance for anyone who couldn’t keep pace. After Friday’s farewell dinner, the almost-53-year-old chef-owner will step away from the town house at 816 W. Armitage Ave. to read books, study philosophy or do whatever else he decides to do in his characteristically spontaneous fashion. And now many of his former employees are talking about what it was like to work under the leadership of someone who’s been called intense, mean, generous, tough, brilliant, passionate, cold, charitable, dark, manipulative, crazy ...
“Extensive interviews with Trotter and more than two dozen of his former cooks ... paint a vivid, complex picture of a restaurant that strove for the sublime and often succeeded. Charlie Trotter’s won just about every imaginable national award for its bold American cuisine, game-changing wine pairings and impeccable service as the chef became an international figure whose kitchen turned out an all-star lineup of chefs that helped turn Chicago into a food-lovers’ mecca. But at what cost? ... The flavors are intense, the plates colorful, the emotions raw.”
BIRTHDAYS: AP’s Ken Thomas ... POLITICO’s Marty Kady ... Darius Tandon, celebrating a milestone and preparing for his Maryland baseball team's championship game (hat tip: Tracy) ... former Defense Secretary William Cohen is 72 (hat tips: Patrick Gavin) ... Hilary Halpern, Chamber of Commerce
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Rachel Racusen, former FEMA spokesperson and current deputy communications director for Obama for America ... Lipman and Hearne's Pete Boyle, who still shines in the Senate softball league despite his advanced years (hat tip: the Lafayette Elementary School Hospitality Committee, and Finn and Katie) ... Nate Osburn, Commerce Department's Director of Speechwriting
BIRTHDAY WEDNESDAY: Amy Nathan (h/t Howard) ... THURSDAY: Eric Nilsson, state director of Obama for America Massachusetts (h/t Daniel Ki)
** A message from the National Association of Manufacturers: We are the voice for 12 million men and women who make things in America. U.S. manufacturing produces $1.8 trillion in economic value each year and alone would be the 9th largest economy in the world. Manufacturing means jobs, and our economy depends on it! Visit http://manufacturingworks.nam.org to make your voice heard. **