Overnight Campaign: Rubio’s establishment support grows

by Jonathan Easley - 01/06/16 6:28 PM ET

Welcome to OVERNIGHT CAMPAIGN, your daily rundown from The Hill on all the latest news in the White House, Senate and House races.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) picked up another key Capitol Hill endorsement on Wednesday, winning the backing of House Oversight Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz.

It’s further evidence of establishment Republicans moving into Rubio’s corner as they seek an alternative to Donald Trump, who many fear would be a disaster in the general election.

Still, Rubio has yet to prove he can capitalize on his growing advantages.

Check The Hill on Thursday morning for the full rundown from reporter Ben Kamisar on what Rubio’s endorsements mean for his candidacy.

Also, be sure to check out The Hill’s exclusive interview with Donald Trump. Editor-in-Chief Bob Cusack trekked to Trump Tower to talk 2016 with the GOP front-runner. It’s worth a read, even if just to see the picture of Trump grinning ear-to-ear next to his framed Playboy magazine cover.

RACE TO 1600 PENN:

TROUBLE FROM THE PAST: The Hill’s Mark Hensch and Jonathan Easley report: Juanita Broadderick, who has accused Bill Clinton of rape, resurfaced her claims over Twitter on Wednesday. Reached by phone, Broadderick said she supports Donald Trump for president in 2016.

TO DO LIST: The Hill’s Niall Stanage reports: The presidential candidates are entering a critical phase of the race, and each has a specific set of items they must address if they’re to win the nomination.

BLUNT ASSESSMENT: The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports: Ben Carson’s former campaign manager says Donald Trump is looking more and more like a lock to be the Republican presidential nominee.

H-BOMB: The Hill’s Julian Hattem reports: Hillary Clinton is using North Korea’s alleged test of a hydrogen bomb to bolster her national security bona fides. Republicans, meanwhile, are directly blaming Clinton for the event.

BIRTHER REDUX: The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports: Conservative pundit Ann Coulter has joined Donald Trump in questioning whether Ted Cruz is eligible for the White House because he was born in Canada.

BIRTHER RESPONSE: The Hill’s Harper Neidig reports: Cruz doesn’t appear flustered by the provocations, calling questions about his eligibility “silly.” Even the White House is getting in on the fun, reports The Hill’s Jordan Fabian.

ODDS AND ENDS:

SANDERS ON OFFENSE: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Bernie Sanders says that Hillary Clinton has lacked courage in taking on Wall Street.

STAR POWER: The Hill’s Jesse Byrnes reports: Singer Michael Bolton will help Hillary Clinton raise cash at a fundraiser in Detroit next week.

NIGHTMARE: The Hill’s Mark Hensch reports: Planned Parenthood called Marco Rubio “a woman’s worst nightmare” after he attacked the group’s funding. Meanwhile, DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz warned that millenials have become complacent over the issue of abortion, reports The Hill’s Sarah Ferris.

FIRST CLASS: Politico reports: The days of roughing it on Frontier Airlines are gone for Marco Rubio, who has since upgraded to private planes.

POLL POSITION

NEW HAMPSHIRE FRONT-RUNNER: The Hill’s Lisa Hagen reports: Donald Trump has maintained a double-digit lead over the GOP field in a new survey of New Hampshire, with Marco Rubio a distant second place.

THE DAILY TRUMP

SECRET WEAPON: The Hill’s Judy Kurtz reports: Donald Trump’s wife Melania is stepping into the spotlight, declaring in an interview that she’s not just a “yes” person for the GOP front-runner.

BEEF GOES ON: The Hill’s Bob Cusack reports: Donald Trump is disputing Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly’s claim that he sought to “woo” her before he got into the presidential race.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Are you kidding me? Did he really wear that on the campaign trail? This is straight out of an Austin Powers movie. They’re shagalicious!”

— MSNBC co-host Joe Scarborough on Marco Rubio’s high-heeled black leather boots

CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGNS

CO SENATE: The Denver Post reports: Colorado state Sen. Tim Neville (R) kicked off his challenge against incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet (D) on Wednesday with a focus on abortion and guns.

LA SENATE: The News Star reports: The race for outgoing Sen. David Vitter’s seat in Louisiana is drawing a crowd.

AK SENATE: The Alaska Dispatch reports: Tea Party favorite Joe Miller is considering a primary rematch against Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) in Alaska.

MONEY WATCH

BIG MONEY: The Hill’s Jonathan Easley reports: Rob Portman’s Senate reelection campaign is smashing fundraising records in Ohio.

WHAT WE ARE WATCHING FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW

(All times Eastern)

Donald Trump will hold a campaign rally in Burlington, Vermont at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Trump’s son Donald Jr. will appear on “Hannity” tonight at 10.

Bernie Sanders will be on MSNBC’s “All in with Chris Hayes” live from his hometown of Burlington, Vt.. MSNBC is touting the interview as a counter to Trump’s appearance in the same city the same night.

Ted Cruz has four campaign stops in Iowa on Thursday, including a town hall in Webster City at 3:30 p.m. Cruz’s wife, Heidi Cruz, has two stops planned in New Hampshire on Thursday.

Carly Fiorina will appear on “Hannity” tonight at 10. On Thursday, she will conduct an interview with New Hampshire Public Radio at 9 a.m. and then address the New Hampshire House of Representatives at 1 p.m. She’ll be a guest on “MSNBC Live with Kate Snow,” which airs from 3-5 p.m. on Thursday, and at 6:30 p.m., she’ll hold a town hall event in Meredith.

Hillary Clinton has three fundraisers scheduled in California on Thursday, while Bill Clinton will be on the stump for her at two events in Iowa.

John Kasich has a town hall in New Hampshire.

Ben Carson holds three town halls in Iowa on Thursday. Carson’s wife Candy will be a guest on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday.

Chris Christie will appear on “Hannity” tonight at 10.

TWEET OF THE DAY

Good Lord. N Korea testing bomb. Middle East in turmoil. And we are discussing Fonzie jumping the shark and Marco’s high-heel booties.

— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) January 6, 2016