National Democrats increase investment in Wisconsin recall

Democrats up their Wisconsin investment, Mitt Romney sees an Obama-Clinton feud, George W. Bush endorses and polls shed some light on gay marriage in swing states.

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WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:

* A day after Wisconsin Democrats aired their frustrations with the national party, the Democratic Governors Association announced that another $700,000 was sent last week to fund a Greater Wisconsin ad buy and Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) has announced a trip to the state to campaign with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Barrett faces Gov. Scott Walker (R) on June 5. (Update: The $700,000 is included in the DGA’s already-announced $2 million investment.)

* Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney focused on the debt in a trip to Iowa today, promising to lead Americans out of President Obama’s “debt and spending inferno.” He also suggested that Obama has a “personal beef” with former President Bill Clinton.

* Former President George W. Bush has endorsed Romney, in a low-key way. On a rare trip to Washington, as he waited for an elevator door to close, Bush told ABC News, “I’m for Mitt Romney.” He was on a rare trip to D.C. to speak on human rights.

* Virginia’s General Assembly rejected a gay man for a Richmond judgeship early this morning, after conservatives argued that Tracy Thorne-Begland’s support for gay marriage and challenge to “don’t ask don’t tell” made him unfit for the bench. 

WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T MISS:

* Polling suggests that gay marriage is no more (or less) controversial in swing states than it is in the country as a whole. In Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin voters break on the issue the same way they do in national polls — basically split.

* Rep. Mike Pence (R) is out with his first ad in the Indiana gubernatorial race. It’s a soft-focus spot in which Pence’s wife talk about holding hands and ice-skating with the future congressman on their first date. The focus on Pence’s marriage could be a jab at Democratic nominee John Gregg, who is divorced.

* The anti-incumbent Campaign for Primary Accountability has a new ad out attacking Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) for directing $600,000 in campaign funds to himself and family members. Reyes faces former El Paso City Councilman Beto O’Rourke in what will likely be a tough primary. According to a Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics report, Reyes reimbursed himself more money in the past two campaign cycles than any other House member.

* The Republican Governors Association is out with its first ad in North Carolina, attacking Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton by tying him to retiring, unpopular Gov. Bev Perdue. The ad calls Dalton, who won the Democratic primary last week, Perdue’s “right-hand man.” Republican Pat McCrory has a six-point lead over Dalton in the latest survey from the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling.

THE FIX MIX:

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