RNC

The Republican National Committee is wishing Obamacare--President Obama's signature health care overhaul legislation--a "happy birthday" with this banner, hanging from the RNC office here in Washington:

Via Real Clear Politics, Democratic party spokesman Brad Woodhouse makes a bizarre assertion in response to Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus comparing Obama to the captain of a wrecked Italian cruise ship:

When Barack Obama last ran for president, he didn’t have much of a paper trail. He’d only been a state senator and U.S. senator for a few years, and had done a pretty good job of keeping his head down. Obama had not published much and had hardly been quoted. Now, however, there’s a large trove of promises and statements, dating back four years (the first year running for president, and the last three since taking office).

Jonathan Karl of ABC says the latest ad from the Republican National Committee is a preview of how the eventual GOP nominee will try to frame the 2012 election. Watch it below:

CNN reports that Florida is likely to move up its Republican presidential primary to January 31:

Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon told CNN on Tuesday that a state commission exploring potential primary dates is likely to choose January 31 to hold the nominating contest.

If that happens, it would almost certainly force the traditional early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada to leapfrog Florida and move their primaries and caucuses into early- to mid-January.

While the Democratic National Committee has decided to throw its support behind the pro-public sector union protesters in Wisconsin, the Republican National Committee is doing its part to get Democratic senators back to work.

RNC chair Reince Priebus just emailed me (and everyone else on the RNC's list) advice for what I should be doing this Valentine's Day: 

Matt Continetti on James Poulos's show: 

The Hill reports on a hopeful change at the RNC: 

The fifth ballot at the RNC race:

Priebus 67, Cino 40, Anuzis 32, Wagner 28

Michael Steele dropped out of the race after the last round and urged his 28 supporters to back GOP operative Maria Cino, but she only picked up 11 votes, while Reince Priebus picked up 9, and Saul Anuzis gained 8. Ann Wagner's total remained the same. 

Round two: 

Priebus 52, Steele 37, Cino 30, Wagner, 27, Anuzis 22. 

The 168 RNC members have just cast their ballots in the first round of voting in the RNC election. Wisconsin GOP chairman Reince Priebus got 45 votes, Michael Steele 44, GOP operative Maria Cino 32, Michigan committeeman Saul Anuzis 24, and former Missouri chairman Ann Wagner 23. That's pretty much what most observers thought would happen on the first round--but with a stronger showing for Cino than expected. The ballots are secret, and most observers expect balloting to go a number of rounds until one candidate receives a majority.