President Biden “will attend a Democratic National Committee event on Friday focused on drawing a clear contrast with Republicans in the lead up to the midterm elections,” CNN reports.
Democrats Favored to Hold Arizona Senate Seat
The Cook Political Report moves Arizona’s U.S. Senate race from Toss Up to Lean Democrat.
“Democratic groups and Kelly have spent or reserved nearly $65 million during the general election period, compared to almost $16.2 million for GOP groups and Masters. But given that Kelly is able to spend so much of his own money – and since candidates get the lowest possible rate per point – when looking at gross ratings points alone, the advantage is more notable.”
“In fact – showing just how in trouble Masters is – his campaign has been fully dark this week on air, with less than seven weeks until Election Day.”
Republicans All But Concede to Marcy Kaptur
Republicans are cancelling all ad buys — and effectively conceding — the campaign to unseat Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Axios reports.
Challenger J.R. Majewski’s (R) January 6 baggage and lying about military service have apparently sunk his political prospects.
Capitol Rioter Who Dressed as Hitler Sentenced to 4 Years
Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, an ex-Army reservist and US Capitol rioter who said January 6 was “exhilarating” and felt like “civil war” was sentenced to four years behind bars, CNN reports.
GOP Senators Reject Trump’s Declassification Comments
Several GOP senators — including John Thune, Thom Tillis and Mike Rounds — raised new concerns about Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents, rejecting his claim that he could simply declassify the secret records by “thinking about it,” CNN reports.
Two More Girls Who Were Raped Denied Abortions in Ohio
“At least two more minors made pregnant by sexual assault were forced to leave Ohio to avoid having their rapists’ babies,” Ohio Capital Journal reports.
“The affidavits show that a Columbus 10-year-old was not the only child or teen rape victim forced to leave the state. They also describe more than two dozen other instances in which the abortion law put women under extreme duress.”
Mary Peltola Holds Big Lead in Alaska
A new Dittman Research poll finds Mary Peltola (D), who defeated Sarah Palin (R) in a special House election, is on track to do it again with 50% support in the first round of ranked-choice voting.
Murray Holds Comfortable Lead in Washington
A new Crosscut.Elway poll in Washington finds Sen. Patty Murray (D) leading challenger Tiffany Smiley (R), 50% to 37%.
For comparison, the FiveThirtyEight polling average shows Murray with an 11-point lead.
$45.6 billion in Pandemic Unemployment Fraud
“A federal watchdog on Thursday found that fraudsters may have stolen $45.6 billion from the nation’s unemployment insurance program during the pandemic, using the Social Security numbers of dead people and other tactics to deceive and bilk the U.S. government,” the Washington Post reports.
“The new estimate is a dramatic increase from the roughly $16 billion in potential fraud identified a year ago, and it illustrates the immense task still ahead of Washington as it seeks to pinpoint the losses, recover the funds and hold criminals accountable for stealing from a vast array of federal relief programs.”
Mike Braun Eyes Run for Indiana Governor
Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) “is leaning toward running for governor in 2024, a move that would open up a GOP-held seat in what’s become a reliably red state,” Politico reports.
No Evidence Herschel Walker Donated Profits
New York Times: “Mr. Walker, a former football star, pledged that 15 percent of profits would go to charities, a promise the company said was ‘part of its corporate charter.’ For years, Mr. Walker’s company named four specific charities as beneficiaries of those donations, including the Boy Scouts of America and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.”
“But there is scant evidence that Mr. Walker’s giving matched those promises. When The New York Times contacted those four charities, one declined to comment and the other three said they had no record or recollection of any gifts from the company in the last decade.”
Republicans Block Bill to Disclose Dark Money
“Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked legislation requiring disclosure of so-called ‘dark money’ in elections,” the HuffPost reports.
Washington Post: “Spending in election cycles by corporations and the ultrawealthy through so-called dark money groups has skyrocketed since the 2010 Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. FEC, which allowed incorporated entities and labor unions to spend unlimited amounts of money to promote or attack candidates.”
No Democrat Has Top Grade From the NRA
“The Democratic break from the National Rifle Association is complete: For the first time in at least 25 years, not a single Democrat running for Congress anywhere in the country received an A in the group’s candidate ratings, which were once a powerful influence in U.S. elections,” the New York Times reports.
Dr. Oz’s Bad News Campaign
Daily Beast: “If Pennsylvania senatorial hopeful and former TV doctor Mehmet Oz wants his supporters to know one thing, it’s that he’s a bad fundraiser who has always been losing to his opponent…”
“The Oz campaign has sent 23 fundraising emails since last Monday alone. Every one of them has bad news, saying directly or on a linked donations page that Oz is either missing fundraising goals, trailing Democratic opponent John Fetterman in dollars raised, or losing in the polls.”
Inside Russia’s Vast Surveillance State
“A cache of nearly 160,000 files from Russia’s powerful internet regulator provides a rare glimpse inside Vladimir Putin’s digital crackdown,” the New York Times reports.
Man Ran Over Teenager After a Political Argument
A man in North Dakota was charged with felony vehicular homicide after he fatally struck a teenager with his SUV following what he said was a “political argument,” CNN reports.
The Tipping Point of Stupid
Mark Leibovich: “Donald Trump has a knack for making his most committed apologists look like complete imbeciles—even if they are not complete imbeciles, though many of them are. This has been true for several years. But in recent weeks, Trump’s trickle-down idiocy has become a significant midterm-election issue for Republicans, and a drag on some of the party’s most vulnerable Senate candidates.”
“If you’re a candidate seeking a GOP nomination, Trump’s blessing can be a political wonder drug. But it comes with debilitating side effects. These go beyond the standard debasements that Trump inflicts on his dependents (for instance, Trump boasting at a Youngstown, Ohio, rally on Saturday that J. D. Vance, who is running for Senate there, was “in love” with him and “kissing my ass, he wants my support so much”). Assuming an acceptable Trumpian posture requires a determined self-lobotomy. In most states, it’s nearly impossible to pass yourself off as an election-denying January 6 truther and still be taken seriously by a majority of voters. Yet many candidates who clearly know better are doing exactly this.”
“You might be a media-slick, Ivy-bred brainiac like Vance or Dr. Mehmet Oz, and even admit backstage that you don’t really believe the asininity you’re spouting. As a general rule, though, discerning swing voters tend not to differentiate between fools and those who just play them on TV.”
Abortion on the Ballot in Five States
Axios: “Voters in California, Michigan and Vermont have proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot next month that aim to protect abortion access.”
“Kentucky and Montana voters will face questions on further restricting abortion rights and conferring legal rights on fetuses.”