Former Rep. Michael “Ozzie” Myers (D), who was convicted in the 1970s Abscam investigation, was charged with new allegations that he bribed a poll worker to stuff ballot boxes in local elections, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Romney Will Vote Against Trump Nominee for Fed
Sen. Mitt Romney said he will vote against Judy Shelton, one of two Trump administration nominees to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, Bloomberg reports.
“If, as expected, Democrats vote in unison to reject Shelton’s controversial candidacy, her confirmation could be blocked by Romney and three additional Republicans voting against. No floor vote has yet been scheduled for either nominee.”
Senate GOP Negotiations on Relief Bill Have Fallen Apart
Playbook: “What an abject disaster of a morning for the three Ms: Steve Mnuchin, Mark Meadows and Mitch McConnell.”
“After a few weeks of anticipation, the Senate GOP leadership had to abandon its plans to release a Covid relief bill after disagreements on policy with the Trump White House.”
“To put this in context: Republicans can’t even get on the same page with each other for a bill that is simply meant to jumpstart negotiations with Democrats. In other words, the bill that the White House and Senate GOP leadership are arguing over will never get a vote. Now think about how hard it will be for Republicans to put together a big package with Democrats over the next few weeks.”
Tom Steyer Wants Biden to Pick Black Woman
Tom Steyer told CBS News that he’d like Joe Biden to pick a Black woman as his running mate.
Said Steyer: “I’d like it to be an African-American woman because I think it’s a statement about where we are and I know that there’s some fantastic candidates.”
Trump Undermines His New Virus Strategy
Stephen Collinson: “President Trump’s new political self-preservation effort to show he has a grip on a pandemic that is killing hundreds of Americans every day is being exposed by his refusal to share the stage with scientific experts — or the facts…”
“The anchor of Trump’s new, punchier briefings is a scripted opening in which he cherry picks the most hopeful aspects of a pandemic that has destroyed the rhythm of American daily life and turned the economy upside down. Wednesday was yet another tragic day, with another 1,195 new deaths and 71,695 fresh infections.”
“In his two briefings so far, his rejigged approach seems more like a cosmetic political exercise than an attempt to provide the country with meaningful public health advice as the pandemic gets worse. And the new tone detected by some political commentators did not survive a Fox News interview in which the President again doubted the value of diagnostic testing, which scientists say is crucial to isolating newly infected patients and stopping the spread of the disease.”
Judge Orders Michael Cohen Released from Prison
A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release from prison of President Donald Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen by Friday afternoon, CNBC reports.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein found that Cohen was sent back to prison on July 10 in retaliation for failing to agree to not to publish a book about Trump as one of multiple conditions for serving the remainder of his three-year prison term on home confinement.
Said Hellerstein: “I’ve never seen such a clause, in 21 years in being a judge.”
Trump’s Focus on Biden’s Cognitive Abilities Is Backfiring
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Mary Trump’s Book Continues to Sell
Mary Trump’s tell-all book on Donald Trump and their family has now sold 1.35 million in just a week, CNN reports.
Picking Black Woman Could Help Biden with Young Voters
A new Brilliant Corners Research and Strategies poll found 60% of Millennial and Generation Z voters in seven key swing states — Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, and Nevada — say it’s important Joe Biden pick a Black woman to be his running mate.
Quote of the Day
“Having a daughter does not make a man decent. Having a wife does not make a decent man. Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man.”
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), responding to Rep. Ted Yoho’s (R-FL) non-apology after calling her a “fucking bitch.”
Two Groups Fueling Biden’s Surge
David Wasserman: “A closer look at the cross-tabs of recent surveys yields some surprising findings: Trump is actually performing a bit better with non-whites than he did against Hillary Clinton in 2016. And the group fueling Biden’s polling surge is seniors and white voters with college degrees.”
“The 2016 election was defined by mass defections to Trump of the remaining white, working-class members of the Democratic coalition, particularly in heartland states.”
“Much in the same way, the 2020 election is currently on track to see mass defections of the remaining white professional members of the Republican coalition to Biden — a trend disproportionately playing out in the suburbs, where those voters tend to live.”
Tennessee Official Opposes Drop Boxes for Mail Ballots
“Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) voiced opposition to offering drop boxes for absentee ballots, telling a U.S. Senate panel that the state requires returning those ballots by mail in the name of security,” the AP reports.
Hogan Details How He Almost Ran for President
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has a book out, Still Standing, that describes how seriously he considered challenging President Trump for re-election, Axios reports.
Hogan says he waited for a nickname from Trump: “I assumed he would go with ‘Fat Larry,’ an obvious choice as I had admittedly put on some weight since my cancer battle. Or maybe ‘Cancer Boy.’ That would be a good one. But it didn’t happen.”
- Hardcover Book
- Hogan, Govenor Larry (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 336 Pages - 07/28/2020 (Publication Date) - BenBella Books (Publisher)
Northeast Now Stands Out In Virus Control
New York Times: “Six months since the coronavirus crisis was first detected in the United States, the Northeast stands in sharp contrast with the rest of the nation.”
“Along the East Coast, from Delaware through Maine, new case reports remain at a low level, a small fraction of their April peak. Six of the country’s 11 states with flat or falling case levels are in that Northeastern corridor.”
“Like Europe, the Northeast suffered a devastating wave of illnesses and deaths in March and April, and state leaders responded, after some hesitation, with aggressive lockdowns and big investments in testing and tracing efforts. Residents have largely followed rules and been surprisingly supportive of tough measures, even at the cost of economic pain.”
Most In North Florida Oppose GOP Convention There
A new University of North Florida poll in Duval County finds 58% of residents opposed to holding the Republican convention in Jacksonville while 42% support it.
Trump Applied to Trademark ‘Telerally’
“President Trump’s private company filed a trademark application last week that suggested that it is starting a new line of business: organizing ‘telerallies’ for political campaigns,” the Washington Post reports.
“That could mark a shift in the company’s business model. Since Trump took office, his business has been paid millions by political campaigns, including Trump’s reelection effort. But it always remained one step away from politics: The company rented out ballrooms and office space to campaigns but did not market itself as a political company or offer services related to rallies or reaching voters.”
“The trademark application suggests that has changed. By filing it, trademark experts said, the company is saying it intends to enter this business soon.”
Republicans Scrap Trump’s Payroll Tax Cut Idea
“Senate Republicans have cast aside one of President Trump’s key demands from a new coronavirus stimulus package, refusing to include a payroll tax cut in their opening offer to Democrats, which could be unveiled as soon as Thursday,” the Washington Post reports.
Axios: Why economists don’t like the idea of a payroll tax cut.
Kim Kardashian Says Kanye West Is Bi-Polar
Kim Kardashian is asking the public to show compassion and empathy to husband Kanye West, who has said he’s running for president, the AP reports.
Said West: “As many of you know, Kanye has bi-polar disorder. Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand.”