TPM2012

Today On The Trail: April 19, 2012

Pema Levy April 19, 2012, 6:58 AM

Here are ten things you need to know today.

National poll shows Obama ahead by 4: A new national poll from Quinnipiac University has President Obama with a 4-point lead over Mitt Romney, 46 percent to 42 percent. The cause is due largely to a 10-point gender gap for president Obama — although other recent polls have shown women even more strongly in Obama’s camp. Obama also continues to have an edge over Romney on personal traits like likeability.
National poll shows good signs for Romney, too: Quinnipiac’s latest poll shows Romney behind but with leads in promising areas. One big opening is that by 56-38 percent, voters disapprove of Obama’s handling of the economy. In addition, Romney is polling above Obama on key issues including the economy and creating jobs, and is aso ahead among independents.
DSCC has record breaking first quarter in fundraising: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has a record fundraising hall in the first quarter, bringing in a total of $17.7 million. So far this election cycle, the DSCC has brought in $70 million and has $24 million cash on hand.

Romney questions Obama’s work ethic: In an interview with conservative radio host Bill Cunningham Wednesday, Mitt Romney went after President Obama for playing golf and taking vacations. “I must say I scratch my head at the capacity of the president to take four hours off on such a regular basis to go golfing,” Romney said, “I would think you could kind of suck it up for four years, particularly when the American people are out of work.” On the issue of vacations, Romney said: “I would think you could kind of suck it up for four years, particularly when the American people are out of work.”
Obama raises money in Michigan, takes jab at Romney: Speaking at a fundraising event in Dearborn, Michigan Wednesday evening, President Obama defended his bailout of the auto-industry and took a jab at Mitt Romney too: “Change is the decision we made to rescue the American auto industry from collapse when some politicians said, ‘Let Detroit go bankrupt,’” Obama told a crowd of supporters at the Henry Ford Museum. It’s not a new attack and one likely to be used a lot, particularly in battleground, Midwest states.
Scott Walker defends repeal of equal pay law: Scott Walker defended his decision to repeal Wisconsin’s Equal Pay Enforcement Act on Tuesday, saying trial lawyers were using it to “clog up the legal system.” Romney has gotten in trouble for refusing to take a position on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Democrats have been eager to connect Romney and Walker as mutually working against women.
Republicans hit Warren on taxes in new video: The Massachusetts Republican Party has a new spot going after Dem Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren over her tax rate. The video attacks Warren for not stating whether she voluntarily pays a higher 5.85 percent tax rate — an option to Massachusetts taxpayers who think their taxes are too low. “Professor Warren is the nation’s preeminent advocate for higher taxes,” a spokesperson for the state GOP put it, “but she refuses to say if she practices what she preaches by taking advantage of the unusual opportunity afforded by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for people who believe they should pay more in taxes. It’s time to answer the question, Professor Warren.”
Republicans gather in Arizona to plan 2012 election: Republican leaders from around the country will begin to gather in Scottsdale, Arizona Thursday to plan out a general election strategy behind Mitt Romney. “This is an opportunity to bring the party together behind Romney and pull everyone toward the general election,” an attendee told CNN. Romney will speak at the gathering Friday.
Romney heads to Ohio after Obama: Mitt Romney heads to Ohio Thursday where he’ll speak at a gymnasium in Lorain. Romney seems to be employing a “bracketing” strategy of showing up somewhere after the President has been there to offer a rebuttal of sorts.
Romney has small lead in New Hampshire: A new poll from the Rockefeller Center at Dartmouth shows Mitt Romney’s lead in the state now within the margin of error. Moreover, economic gains in the state could help push Obama into the lead in the coming months.

Pema Levy is a News Writer at TPM covering the 2012 election. Before coming to TPM, Pema was an assistant editor at The American Prospect where she wrote about politics and the economy.