Clinton making a personal pitch to New Hampshire voters

MANCHESTER, N.H. — From a Michigan pulpit to New Hampshire’s town halls, Hillary Clinton is working to establish a personal connection with voters as she faces an increasingly difficult struggle against Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination.

Once a formidable front-runner, Clinton narrowly won Iowa’s caucuses and has watched her national lead over Sanders begin to erode. She now faces a likely loss in Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire, creating a sense of urgency for the famously private politician to create a more intimate bond with voters.

Two days before voters in New Hampshire will cast ballots, Clinton traveled to Flint, Michigan, on Sunday to address the city’s water crisis, vowing to make a “personal commitment” to help the city’s residents deal with contaminated water. “I will not for one minute forget about you or forget about your children,” she said.

On Saturday, Clinton spoke candidly about the difficulties and double-standards she faces as a female politician — a topic she rarely addresses other than to promote the historic nature of her candidacy.

Donald Trump aiming for win

NASHUA, N.H. — GOP front-runner Donald Trump is aiming for his first win in New Hampshire’s fast-approaching primary, while rival Republican candidates, including Jeb Bush, said their campaigns will go on no matter what the outcome Tuesday.

Democrat Hillary Clinton, facing an uphill campaign in the state against Bernie Sanders, took a trip to Michigan.

With the otherwise intense race for the White House seemingly toned down Sunday, it’s easy to forget that this leadoff primary could be a make or break situation for several lagging campaigns.

Trump said he doesn’t need to win New Hampshire, but would like to. Republican hopeful Marco Rubio continues to downplay his rough outing in Saturday night’s GOP debate, while touting his overall campaign momentum after his third-place finish in the Iowa caucuses.

Trump, who is facing intense pressure to perform after coming in second in the Iowa caucuses, opted Sunday for just one of his signature rallies in Plymouth; and when he visited a diner, the billionaire real estate mogul spent less than five minutes interacting with potential voters before sitting down for a meal with staff.

Rubio stumbles in debate, rivals see new opening

BEDFORD, N.H. — Marco Rubio’s uneven debate performance just days before Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary has emboldened a trio of governors seeking to stem his rise in the Republican race for president. But if Rubio’s rivals can slow him in New Hampshire, they are likely to leave the GOP with a muddled mix of establishment contenders and no clear favorite to challenge Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

At the heart of the battle between Rubio and Chris Christie, John Kasich and Jeb Bush is whether the freshman Florida senator has the experience and policy depth to serve as president — or whether he’s simply a well-spoken lightweight. Christie unleashed withering attacks against Rubio in Saturday’s debate, and the New Jersey governor tripped up Rubio by calling him out in real-time for his reliance on rehearsed talking points.

Sanders big campaign plans clash with political realities

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — As he campaigns for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders promises voters a “political revolution” that will fundamentally remake the American economy and its education and health care systems.

Increasingly at the center of Hillary Clinton’s arguments against her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination is that the political reality of achieving such goals is likely to be a whole lot more complicated.

It would require Sanders not only to win the White House, but to sweep a wave of Democratic lawmakers into office along with him.

But even with majorities in both houses of Congress, Sanders would face challenges. Clinton’s advisers often point out how difficult it was for President Barack Obama to convince a Democratic-led Congress to support the Affordable Care Act in 2010.

Obama’s budget will come out same day as NH primary

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The main thing to know about President Barack Obama’s final, $4 trillion budget is that it comes on the same day as the New Hampshire primary, ensuring it gets minimal attention with all the focus on the White House contenders.

The timing cements the impression that Obama realizes a Republican-led Congress is unlikely to embrace his spending priorities. Typically, the budget is released on a Monday, but White House press secretary Josh Earnest says Tuesday’s release allowed hard-working administration employees and journalists a chance to watch the Super Bowl.

The 2017 budget for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 will combine proposals for new spending on infrastructure, education and combating opioid abuse with tax increases on corporations and wealthy individuals to keep deficits down. This will avoid proposing cuts to popular programs like Medicare, student loans or food stamps.