Insiders: Scott Walker the biggest loser of the summer

It’s been a cruel summer for Scott Walker and Martin O’Malley.

That’s the assessment of this week’s POLITICO Caucus, our weekly bipartisan survey of the top activists, operatives and strategists in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Biden Buzz Continues

The 2016 field for both parties is almost certainly set, with one key exception: Vice President Joe Biden, who continues to mull over whether to enter the race. A flurry of news stories in recent days suggest that he and his allies are making the necessary moves to join the race. The Hill reports on the Draft Biden committee’s decision to staff up in some key states:

Draft Biden staffs up in early-voting states

The super-PAC organized to encourage Joe Biden to ... Read More >>

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s popularity is sinking as the spotlight on her campaign intensifies, according to a new ABC News-Washington Post poll that shows the American electorate growing more polarized along racial lines.

Martin O’Malley’s call for more Democratic presidential debates at the party’s summer meeting last week may have been the loudest, but it was neither the first nor the last.

Clinton readies New Hampshire push to erase Sanders’ lead

Hillary Clinton’s campaign is preparing to ramp up operations in New Hampshire to halt Bernie Sanders’ advance and rescue a lead in a state so many Democrats had thought would be an easy win for the front-runner.

The Daily 202: Post poll shows Hillary wounded but Biden’s image far from stellar

A brand new Washington Post-ABC News poll underscores how bad this summer was for Hillary Rodham Clinton: 53 percent of Americans have an unfavorable impression of her, up 8 points from our July poll and the highest number since April 2008. The dislike is intense: 39 percent view her in a strongly unfavorable way, compared to only 21 percent who view her in a “strongly favorable” light.

NYC council speaker endorses Hillary Clinton for president

New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, a liberal who is becoming a national voice on issues such as immigration, has endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for president.