Monday Must-Reads: The Numbers

FEC reports for February are trickling in, providing a new metric for measuring the political environment. The NRCC brought in $2 million last month, leaving the committee with substantial debt—though still less than their Democratic counterpart, whose numbers aren’t clear yet. The DNC raised $3.2 million, far less than the RNC’s $5.1 million. But up in NY-20, Democrat Scott Murphy has just edged out Republican Jim Tedisco, with the total haul topping $2 million.And, while we’re on the subject of fundraising, Sen. Jim DeMint may have finally found a use for Twitter: He’s using it to ask for cash.The Washington Post offers some dispatches from the new Obama campaign—the legions of volunteers drumming up support for the president’s budget.And after I’ve spent weeks writing about the foibles of the GOP, a few headlines make 2010 look happier for the party. A new bipartisan NPR poll shows that Republicans and Democrats are performing equally well on a generic congressional ballot. And history shows that even when a president’s win is backed by party gains in Congress, the slow timeline of making true change can be damaging in midterm elections. Which may be why Republicans are pleased in recent Democratic stumbles.