The Note: Scott Walker Wades In To 2016 Race
— -- NOTABLES
--THE WISCONSIN GOVERNOR MAKES IT OFFICIAL: Scott Walker broke the news that he running for president in a Facebook post this morning ahead of a formal announcement event in Wisconsin later today, ABC's JORDYN PHELPS reports. "I'm in. I'm running for President of the United States because Americans deserve a leader who will fight and win for them," the two-term Wisconsin governor says in the Facebook post, along with a video that lays out his reasons for running. "I am running for President to fight and win for the American people," he says in the video. "Without sacrificing our principles, we won three elections in four years in a blue state. We did it by leading." Walker, 47, joins a crowded field of Republican contenders vying for the presidency, bringing the tally of declared candidates to 15. http://abcn.ws/1RtEyk2
--WALKER CALLS JEB BUSH A LEADER 'FROM THE PAST': Walker says Jeb Bush's last name makes him a poor choice to take on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in a general election contest. "I don't think a name from the past beats a name from the past. I think you need a name from the future," the Wisconsin governor told ABC's DAVID MUIR in an exclusive interview Sunday when asked if his soon-to-be rival was a name of the past or future. Walker said voters "want a new, fresh face to lead this country going forward." "Not just Republicans, but I hear a whole lot of independents and even some discerning Democrats say that," he said. http://abcn.ws/1eVUcDl WATCH: http://abcn.ws/1M1qBVZ
--HAPPENING TODAY: Walker will formally kick off his campaign at an announcement event Monday evening at the Waukesha County Expo Center, which holds symbolic weight as the place that sealed his rise to political stardom. It is the same spot where Walker declared victory following a 2012 recall election.
--THE NUMBERS GAME: Despite his late entry into the race, Walker is already considered the front-runner in Iowa, polling ahead of the rest of the GOP field in the all-important first in the nation caucus state where he made a strong first impression on likely caucus-goers earlier this year with a breakout speech at the Iowa Freedom Summit in January. The most recent Quinnipiac University poll showed Walker polling a solid 8 points ahead of his closest competitors with 18 percent of likely Republican caucus-goers favoring Walker. http://abcn.ws/1RtEyk2
FIVE THIRTY EIGHT IN THE NOTE: SCOTT WALKER WANTS TO CURE HIS PARTY OF ITS WEAKNESS FOR MODERATES. From FiveThirtyEight's HARRY ENTEN: "Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has a realistic shot at becoming the most conservative Republican nominee for president in a generation. The question now is whether the Republican Party, which nominated unsuccessful moderate candidates in 2008 and 2012, will decide that 2016 is the year for a conservative." http://53eig.ht/1Hq6qLY
HILLARY CLINTON TO DELIVER MAJOR ECONOMIC SPEECH at the New School in New York City this morning. The plan will focus on raising middle class wages, ABC's LIZ KREUTZ notes. It's the product of conversations with more than 200 policy experts, according to a Clinton campaign official.
--WHAT SHE'LL SAY: According to a preview of her speech, during her remarks, Clinton will highlight differences between herself and the GOP and will lay out several broad policy ideas aimed at boosting wages - an issue her campaign calls the "defining economic challenge of our time." To do so, Clinton will call for policies, such as paid leave, to help more women get into the work force; tax cuts for small businesses; tax reforms so that the wealthy pay their fair share; and increasing the minimum wage (although it's unclear if she'll say by how much).
--NEW THIS MORNING: Clinton's plan will also include a push for companies to expand profit-sharing, according to a campaign official. Clinton will say in her speech: "Hard-working Americans deserve to benefit from the record corporate earnings they helped produce...So I will propose ways to encourage companies to share profits with their employees."
TODAY ON THE TRAIL with ABC's CHRIS GOOD: Bernie Sanders will be in Kansas City, Mo., today to address the National Council of La Raza's annual conference at 11:15 am ET. Martin O'Malley will also address the La Raza gathering, at 1:30 pm ET. Jeb Bush will be in Iowa today, where he'll hold a meet-and-greet at Morningside College in Sioux City at 3:45 pm ET and keynote a Story County GOP dinner in Ames at 7:30 pm ET. Rick Perry will be in Iowa, where he'll attend a roundtable hosted by Iowans Supporting Israel in West Des Moines at 10 am ET, a meet-and-greet at the Pizza Ranch in Fort Dodge at 12:40 pm ET, another meet-and-greet at Rustic Brew in Hampton, IA at 3:10 pm ET, and a BBQ hosed by the Cerro Gordo GOP at the Clear Lake Yacht Club in Clear Lake at 5:30 pm ET.
THE BUZZ
CARLY FIORINA: DONALD TRUMP 'TAPS INTO AN ANGER I HEAR EVERY DAY'. While Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina declined to say whether she would support Donald Trump if he won the party's bid for the White House, she said he taps into an anger she hears daily on issues like immigration, ABC's KATHERINE FAULDERS notes. Despite landing himself in hot water with some of his fellow Republicans after his comments about Mexican immigrants, Trump managed to draw huge crowds at a campaign event in Phoenix on Saturday. Fiorina, the only female candidate in a sprawling GOP field, said that wanting to secure the border and to end sanctuary cities was "common sense," not "extreme." "People are angry about a common sense thing like securing the border," she told George Stephanopoulos yesterday on ABC's "This Week." "It's not extreme -- it's common sense. We need to secure the border." http://abcn.ws/1HxRZVf
FIVE STORIES YOU'LL CARE ABOUT IN POLITICS THIS WEEK. While the media may be feeling a little strung along, it turns out that might be because nobody works enough hours. Jeb Bush gave us some huge fundraising numbers, though there was also a distraction that was more "yuge" than huge. Hillary Clinton can't decide which woman belongs on the $10 bill and the media can't figure out how Bernie Sanders gets more interesting by the day. Here's a glimpse at some of the stories the ABC News political team will be tracking in the week ahead, courtesy of ABC News' Political Director RICK KLEIN: http://abcn.ws/1GfmiPF WATCH: http://abcn.ws/1ITatEY
JIMMY CARTER SAYS PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ELECTION INFLAMED SOME RACISTS. Former Democratic President Jimmy Carter told ABC News' GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS that he thought the 2008 election of President Obama may have served to agitate some whites in the country who hold racist beliefs, ABC's BENJAMIN BELL writes. Stephanopoulos asked Carter whether he was "surprised that the election of President Obama didn't lead to even more progress on this issue." "I think ... in a strange and I'd say unpleasant way, this kind of resurrected some animosity among people who are white and thought that whites should be superior," Carter said in an interview for ABC News' "This Week." http://abcn.ws/1gvCHus
IN THE NOTE'S INBOX
MARCO RUBIO'S CASH HAUL. From the Rubio campaign: "Marco Rubio has raised $13.2 million in hard dollars and has over $10.25 million in the bank, according to reports to be filed with the Federal Election Commission. The total includes $12 million raised for his presidential campaign and $1.2 million raised by his leadership PAC, a hard-dollar committee that Marco uses to support other candidates. Rubio for President began July with $9.72 million cash on hand. The Reclaim America PAC has $539,000 cash on hand."
WHO'S TWEETING?
@nycjim: Trump revives Nixon's "Silent Majority" theme; says: "Nobody thinks of Nixon." http://wapo.st/1Cz0zHj
@JFriedman44: .@POTUS op-ed just posted on @AARP "Retirement Security: It's About Honesty, Fair Play, Dignity" http://blog.aarp.org/2015/07/13/retirement-security-its-about-honesty-fair-play-dignity/ ...
@markknoller: Will Biden run for Pres? @peterbakernyt examines the evidence in a worthwhile piece at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/13/us/politics/still-reeling-from-sons-death-joe-biden-weighs-his-political-future.html?_r=0 ...
@wpjenna: Scott Walker wanted to name one of his sons Luke Sky Walker, write @MattWalkerWI and @AlexWalkerWI: http://sw.gop/1q
@CNNPolitics: .@LindseyGrahamSC: Donald Trump is a "wrecking ball" who put the future of GOP on the line http://cnn.it/1dUOLUe
