*** Thursday’s “Daily Rundown” line-up: Marist’s Lee Miringoff with more on the new numbers in Florida, Ohio and Virginia… RNC Chairman Reince Priebus… NBC’s Mike Isikoff with some of the notable (and new) big-dollar super PAC donors… More 2012 headlines with The Grio’s Perry Bacon, Democratic strategist Tracy Sefl and one of us (!!!). *** Thursday’s “Jansing & Co.” line-up: MSNBC’s Chris Jansing interviews pro-Obama Super PAC head Bill Burton, USA Today’s Susan Page, RealClear Politics’ Erin McPike, former Manchin chief of staff Chris Kofinis, GOP strategist Hogan Gidley, and Social Media Magazine’s Eric Yaverbaum.*** Thursday’s “MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts” line-up: MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts talks with MSNBC’s Ed Schultz, GOP strategist Alice Stewart, the AP’s Kasie Hunt, NBCLatino Contributor Raul Reyes, Actor Joe Mantegna, ... Continue reading →

Mr. 48%: Obama at or near 48% in all our recent polling… Is that a good thing or bad thing?... The importance of FL, OH, and VA… The importance of cell phones, too… Given the JP Morgan and Facebook news, does any political candidate want to be tied to Wall Street right now?... Romney’s singular message vs. Obama’s multiple ones… Romney unveils a new TV ad… And Obama heads to Iowa.By NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Brooke Brower *** Mr. 48%: What’s striking about our new NBC/WSJ poll -- as well as our new round of NBC-Marist polls -- is the consistency of the numbers for President Obama: He’s at or near 48% every way you slice it. In our new national ... Continue reading →

AYOTTE: The Boston Herald interviewed New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte: “In a sneak peek at a potential fall showdown, New Hampshire U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte said tangling with Vice President Joe Biden on a debate stage ‘would be quite enjoyable’ and poked fun at Biden’s foot-in-mouth malady. ‘The vice president does have a way with words,’” she said. Of being veep, she said: “It’s certainly an honor to be mentioned for consideration as vice president, but serving New Hampshire in the Senate is the greatest honor I could ask for.”And: “I think Gov. Romney is going to pick who he thinks is best and he will do that not worried about the gender of the person or what their particular background is, except for when ... Continue reading →

“Mitt Romney pledged Wednesday that if elected president he will drive down unemployment to 6 percent or lower by the end of his first term,” the Boston Globe writes. “Romney has made the promise at least once before, at a North Las Vegas truck dealership in September, but he has rarely given voters such a specific figure to which he could be held accountable. The guarantee is also notable because Romney has repeatedly claimed President Obama broke a promise to hold the jobless rate under 8 percent. Romney’s 6 percent promise bears the appearance of bold one-upsmanship.”“Mitt Romney on Wednesday proposed a significant restructuring of the American education system, one that would revamp the funding formulas, encourage more charter schools, and revive the debate over ... Continue reading →

ARIZONA: Ron Barber, looking to replace Gabrielle Giffords, couldn’t bring himself to say he was voting for Obama this fall?MASSACHUSETTS: Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren are in a statistical dead heat, with Brown up 48%-47% in a new Suffolk poll.NEW MEXICO: AP looks at the Senate race there. Its primary is June 5.NORTH DAKOTA: It probably doesn’t help to be on a poster for a boat safety because of an accident you were in if you want to be Senator.WISCONSIN: Political Wire: “A new Reason-Rupe poll in Wisconsin finds Gov. Scott Walker (R) eight points ahead of challenger Tom Barrett (D) in the recall race, 50% to 42%. A new St. Norbert College poll finds Walker leading by five points, 50% to 45%.” Continue reading →

DENVER - Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colorado) repeatedly answered with a one-line talking point when asked by 9NEWS about his recent comments questioning President Barack Obama's birthplace and whether he's really an American at heart. 9NEWS Reporter Kyle Clark approached Coffman outside a closed door fundraiser Tuesday night after the Coffman campaign ignored several requests over several days to schedule an interview with the congressman. Coffman reiterated that he misspoke and apologized, but would not elaborate. Coffman offered the same one-line explanation to every question asked, including when he was asked if he would answer any question with a different response. Coffman had steadfastly refused to speak on camera regarding his May 12th comment at a fundraiser in Elbert County. The comments, recorded and posted online ... Continue reading →

By Michael O'Brien Democrats enjoy a slight advantage over their Republican challengers in three key Senate races in Ohio, Florida and Virginia, according to three new NBC-Marist polls released Thursday.Democrats lead by varying margins in a series of contests that could determine whether Republicans are able to achieve the net-gain of four seats they need to retake control of the Senate if President Barack Obama wins re-election; they need to pick up just three seats if the Democratic incumbent loses. A separate poll shows a virtually tied race in a fourth state, Massachusetts, that the GOP is battling to hold in November.Obama edges Romney in 3 key battleground statesIn Ohio, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown leads his Republican opponent, state Treasurer Josh Mandel, by a 14-point ... Continue reading →

advertisement Fueled by women and independents, President Barack Obama holds a four-point lead over Mitt Romney in Virginia, according to the latest NBC News-Marist poll. But the gap has narrowed substantially since the end of the Republican primary. Obama leads Romney 48-44 percent in the poll, which was conducted May 17-20. That’s down from the whopping 52-35 percent lead Obama held over Romney in March, during the heart of the GOP primary. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell makes little difference on the ticket. The Republican, rumored to be on Romney’s short list for vice president, only cuts into the margin by two points (46-44 percent). Obama continues to enjoy a solid approval rating, 49-45 percent, but that has also narrowed from March, when it was a ... Continue reading →

advertisement Fueled by women and independents, President Barack Obama holds a four-point lead over Mitt Romney in Virginia, according to the latest NBC News-Marist poll. But the gap has narrowed substantially since the end of the Republican primary. Obama leads Romney 48-44 percent in the poll, which was conducted May 17-20. That’s down from the whopping 52-35 percent lead Obama held over Romney in March, during the heart of the GOP primary. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell makes little difference on the ticket. The Republican, rumored to be on Romney’s short list for vice president, only cuts into the margin by two points (46-44 percent). Obama continues to enjoy a solid approval rating, 49-45 percent, but that has also narrowed from March, when it was a ... Continue reading →

By Mark Murray, Senior Political Editor, NBC NewsPresident Barack Obama holds a narrow advantage over presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney in three of the most pivotal presidential battleground states -- Florida, Ohio and Virginia -- according to new NBC-Marist polls.But in each of these states, Obama's share of the vote is below the 50 percent threshold usually considered safe haven for an incumbent president, and Romney has narrowed the margin in these three battlegrounds since earlier this year.NBC-Marist polls: Dems have slight edge in three key Senate racesIn Florida and Virginia, Obama leads Romney by an identical four-point margin, 48 percent to 44 percent, among registered voters, including those who are undecided but leaning toward a particular candidate.In Ohio, the president is ahead by six ... Continue reading →