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Welcome to the NRCC e-Newsletter, a service provided to you by the National Republican Congressional Committee. This newsletter will keep you informed of our efforts to take back the majority and return conservative leadership to the U.S. Congress. NRCCBLOG Obama's Coattails By: Gary Andres It wasn't supposed to play out this way. Obama's new politics and electrifying campaign style would energize Democrats and help the party's down ticket candidates? Turns out Democrats may be too busy clinging to their guns and religion to get too excited about Obama's White House bid. His comments and views about rural America's "bitterness" expose a major fault line with Democrats' congressional candidates --a wedge with the potential nominee in key swing legislative districts. It could cause many down ticket candidates to distance themselves from a presidential candidate they believe out of step with the values and ideology of their congressional districts. "It puts them on the defensive by forcing them to begin answering for the actions of their potential presidential nominee that we know will not be able to carry most of the districts we are targeting," Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee said yesterday. This Politico story, focusing on vulnerable Democrat Congressman Patrick Murphy, supports Spain's thesis. "Murphy has also been playing a pivotal role in rallying support for Obama, and he has been attending rallies and making appearances on cable news networks to tout Obama's candidacy. But while his endorsement gives him short-term exposure, some caution that a too-close association with Obama could backfire in a general election..." Just when will superdelegates like Patrick Murphy denounce Obama's elitist comments about small town America? NRCCRADAR OH-15 (Pryce/Open) Gongwer News Service, April 15, 2008: "Republican Steve Stivers filed a first-quarter federal campaign finance report Monday showing he raised $279,417 for his congressional election contest in roughly equal amounts from individuals and political action committees. Contributions from Feb. 14 through Jan. 31 brought his net fund-raising for the election cycle-to-date to $787,370. After expenses, Mr. Stivers showed cash on hand at the end of the reporting period of $599,689. Mr. Stivers, a state senator, faces Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, a Franklin County Commissioner, in the Nov. 4 election to the U.S. House from the 15th Congressional District in central Ohio...Sen. Stivers issued a statement describing as 'remarkable' the financial and other support he had received. "I've received support from every corner of the district - from young families and students to our seniors and veterans - it's overwhelming and I'm honored for their trust and support,' he said." [more] MN-02, MN-03 (Bachmann, Kline) Associated Press, April 15, 2008: "Republican incumbent Michele Bachmann has a big lead in dollars over her Democratic challengers in Minnesota's 6th Congressional District. A federal campaign report says Bachmann had more than $1 million in the bank at the end of March. That's almost 10 times more than the amounts reported by the Democrats seeking to challenge her...In the 2nd District, Representative John Kline also had a cash advantage over his nearest Democratic rival. Kline had $510,000 in the bank, compared with $39,000 for Iraq war veteran Steve Sarvi." [more] IL-06 (Roskam) Associated Press, April 15, 2008: "Republican Congressman Peter Roskam has Democrat Jill Morgenthaler beat right now on the money front by about an 8-1 margin as they head into the general election ...Morgenthaler had only $127,000 as of the end of March, while Roskam had almost $1 million, the lion's share of the $1.3 million the freshman congressman has raised this election cycle. That's based on campaign finance reports that were due today with the Federal Election Commission and that cover the period through March." [more] NRCCTV Travis Childers: He's No Magician Travis Childers, the Democratic candidate in Mississippi's First Congressional District Special Election on April 22nd claims he isn't a magician when it comes to solving the problems that plague the congressional district that he wants to represent. Well that's good since the voters aren't looking to elect a magician to Congress, they're looking for someone who can fight for their interests in Washington. [watch the NRCC video]