Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Donald Trump couldn’t make it to the high-dollar fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday night, but Eric Trump, Lara Trump, and RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel headlined the event in the president’s place.
* The new Washington Post/ABC News poll showed Democrats with a 12-point advantage on the generic congressional ballot, 51% to 39%, among registered voters. Among likely voters, the Democratic advantage is even larger.
* On the other hand, the news was better for Republicans in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll and CNN poll, both of which showed the Democratic generic-ballot lead in single digits.
* The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which helps elect Democratic U.S. House candidates, raised $105.4 million in 2017. In 2015, the last non-election year, the DCCC raised $68.2 million.
* CBS’s John Dickerson asked House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) yesterday about his possible retirement plans. The Republican leaders said he and his wife would discuss his plans “in late spring.” * How annoyed are some Illinois Democrats with incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.)? Two of his in-state colleagues from his own party — Reps. Jan Schakowsky and Luis Gutierrez — have endorsed Lipinski’s primary challenger, Marie Newman. * And on Friday, in the runup to the government shutdown, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) told reporters, “Our country was founded by geniuses, but it’s being run by idiots.” Noted without comment.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
