Politico: “Monday evening’s crucial head-to-head TV clash between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak — the final two contenders in the race to replace Boris Johnson — ended in an effective score draw, leaving Truss in pole position to become Tory leader and U.K. prime minister.”
Extreme Alienation In U.S. Politics
A new University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics poll finds that more than one in four Americans are so alienated from their government that they believe it may “soon be necessary to take up arms” against it.
“That startling finding, which comes in the midst of congressional hearings into the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was just one of several reflections of the dangerous level of estrangement many Americans feel from each other and our democratic institutions.”
Democrats Should Think Before Meddling in GOP Primaries
Jonathan Bernstein: “That doesn’t mean that Democrats shouldn’t contest the seat, which is in a western Michigan district where Democrats seem to be strong, and is therefore one of a small number of pickup opportunities for the party. Of course they should.”
“But the case for trying to take Meijer out in a primary by helping him to lose to an extremist is a lot weaker. Incentives matter in politics, and if Democrats treat those who stood up for democracy when it mattered the same way they treat those who didn’t, what kinds of incentives will that create? The more that those who stood up to Trump lose in primaries, the more Republican party actors will believe in Trump’s influence, which in turn will make him that much more influential within the party.”
Student Loan Servicers Told to Hold Off on Statements
“The federal government’s student loan servicing contractors have been instructed to hold off on sending billing statements ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline for ending the pandemic freeze on loan payments, giving companies little time to start loan collection processes if payments resume.” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The future of the federal student loan portfolio is in limbo as President Biden considers whether to cancel a limited amount of debt for borrowers whose incomes fall under a certain threshold. The president and his advisers have been debating the issue for more than a year, frustrating activists and progressive Democrats, and putting borrowers, loan servicers and other stakeholders on edge about what happens next.”
Political Wire Classifieds
Political Wire classified ads work well for books, podcasts, newsletters, websites — or really any product intended for a smart, informed and relatively affluent audience.
Your ad can run for a week or for a month.
The Fundamental Flaw in ‘Make America Great Again’
Leonard Steinhorn: “When Donald Trump poached Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign catchphrase ‘Let’s Make America Great Again,’ it was not just the slogan but the meaning behind it that bonded the two Republican campaigns. What it embodies is less an ideology or even a conservative worldview than a deep yearning and determination to restore an idealized version of 1950s America that many Republicans believe has been lost. For the last half-century, that idea has informed much of what the GOP has come to represent.”
“In reality, however, the 1950s were great only for some Americans. Restoring that America — as many Republicans are attempting to do in places where they wield political power — would hurt almost everyone else.”
Warnock Accuses Herschel Walker of Dodging Debates
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) put out a new ad urging challenger Herschel Walker (R) to commit to debates in their Senate race.
Atlanta Journal Constitution: “The time and place have been named… Walker, however, still hasn’t confirmed any dates, and some GOP political observers don’t think he will. Instead, he has made a sport of moving the goalposts for the events, drawing attention away from other issues that have dogged his Senate bid.”
Trump Says Golf Circuit Improves Image of Saudi Arabia
Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal that the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, which has upended the sport by luring players away from the PGA Tour with lavish paydays, has been “worth billions of dollars” in publicity for Saudi Arabia.
Said Trump: “I think LIV has been a great thing for Saudi Arabia, for the image of Saudi Arabia. I think it’s going to be an incredible investment from that standpoint, and that’s more valuable than lots of other things because you can’t buy that—even with billions of dollars.”
Trump also dismissed the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi: “I can say that from the standpoint of Khashoggi, that has died down so much. It really seems to have totally died down.”
Pence Says He and Trump Differ on ‘Focus’
“Former Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday acknowledged he and former President Trump may differ on their approach to advancing their agendas as he urged conservatives to focus on the future to win elections,” The Hill reports.
Said Pence: “I don’t know that the president and I differ on issues. But we may differ on focus.”
He added: “I truly do believe that elections are about the future, and that it’s absolutely essential at a time when so many Americans are hurting, so many families are struggling, that we don’t give way to the temptation to look back.”
New Pence Book Coming After Midterm Elections
Coming in November from former Vice President Mike Pence: So Help Me God.
- Hardcover Book
- Mike Pence (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 560 Pages - 11/15/2022 (Publication Date) - Simon & Schuster (Publisher)
Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis Jockey for Position
“The current front-runners for the Republican presidential nod are both in Florida. Whether Palm Beach or Tallahassee is more likely to produce the eventual winner might depend on if GOP voters here and around the country want an encore from the party’s most dominant voice or prefer to hand the stage to its fast-climbing star,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
How John Roberts Failed to Save Abortion Rights
“Chief Justice John Roberts privately lobbied fellow conservatives to save the constitutional right to abortion down to the bitter end, but May’s unprecedented leak of a draft opinion reversing Roe v. Wade made the effort all but impossible,” CNN reports.
“It appears unlikely that Roberts’ best prospect — Justice Brett Kavanaugh — was ever close to switching his earlier vote, despite Roberts’ attempts that continued through the final weeks of the session.”
“New details… insight into the high-stakes internal abortion-rights drama that intensified in late April when justices first learned the draft opinion would soon be published. Serious conflicts over the fate of the 1973 Roe were then accompanied by tensions over an investigation into the source of the leak that included obtaining cell phone data from law clerks and some permanent court employees.”
Russia to Drop Out of International Space Station
“Russia will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its own orbiting outpost, the country’s new space chief said Tuesday amid high tensions between Moscow and the West over the fighting in Ukraine,” the AP reports.
Republicans Warm Up to Doug Mastriano
Associated Press: “When he crushed a nine-person field to win the GOP nomination for Pennsylvania governor in May, some in the party warned that Mastriano’s far-right views on everything from abortion to the 2020 presidential election would squander an otherwise attainable seat in a critical battleground state.”
“But now, as the general election season intensifies, the GOP machinery is cranking up to back Mastriano’s campaign and attack his Democratic rival, Josh Shapiro.”
The Medical Nightmares Caused by Abortion Bans
“New, untested abortion bans have made doctors unsure about treating some pregnancy complications, which has led to life-threatening delays and trapped families in a limbo of grief and helplessness,” NPR reports.
Republicans Confront Unexpected Online Money Slowdown
“Online fund-raising has slowed across much of the Republican Party in recent months, an unusual pullback of small donors that has set off a mad rush among Republican political operatives to understand why — and reverse the sudden decline before it damages the party’s chances this fall,” the New York Times reports.
“Small-dollar donations typically increase as an election nears. But just the opposite has happened in recent months across a wide range of Republican entities, including every major party committee and former President Donald Trump’s political operation.”
The Big Lie
Out today: The Big Lie by Jonathan Lemire.
Axios reports the book includes this account of President Donald Trump’s disastrous press conference with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki in 2018:
“Fiona Hill, the senior Russia expert on the National Security Council, who was sitting one row in front of me, later told me that she considered doing something, anything — including faking a heart attack — to disrupt the proceedings and get Trump to stop talking.”
It looks like a must-read book.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Lemire, Jonathan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 312 Pages - 07/26/2022 (Publication Date) - Flatiron Books (Publisher)
When Trump Declares He Loses Control of $103 Million
“As Donald Trump considers when to announce his candidacy for president in 2024, he faces a costly quandary,” Bloomberg reports.
“As head of the Save America political action committee, he controls $103 million, making him the Republican Party kingmaker. Once he declares a run — moving from kingmaker to possible king — federal law puts the money beyond his reach.”
“When he announces, he’s limited to taking just $5,000 of his leadership PAC money for his campaign committee, which would begin with a starting balance of zero.”