“When congressional leaders decided not to call lawmakers back from the campaign trail for an emergency session to fund relief and rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Helene, they cited practical considerations,” the New York Times reports.
“But there was another good reason to hold off: Congressional struggles over disaster funding, particularly with an election right around the corner, can be political disasters of their own.”
The Washington Post asked attendees of dozens of Donald Trump campaign rallies why they leave early, with a range of answers such as “other responsibilities, priorities or, sometimes, waning patience and interest.”
“Democrats hope that President Barack Obama’s purple state magic could make the difference for them this fall, up and down the ballot,” Semafor reports.
“The former president has cut ads in three contested Senate races, in Maryland, Michigan, and Florida — one state he won by landslides and two he never lost. He plans to begin a nationwide tour next week in Pennsylvania, home of a fourth tight Senate race, and he will do more fundraising for Democrats and cut more ads and robocalls for downballot races.”
“Donald Trump was reportedly caught on tape turning the grieving widow of a man who died at one of his rallies into a source of amusement for his uber-wealthy dinner guests,” the Daily Beast reports.
“The recording, obtained by The Guardian, apparently comes from a private meal Trump held Aug. 10 in Aspen, Colorado. In it, the Republican presidential nominee reportedly recalled a meeting with the wife of Corey Comperatore, the man who was killed by shots fired at Trump by Thomas Crooks at a Pennsylvania rally in July.”
Said Trump: “So they’re going to get millions of dollars but the woman, the wife, this beautiful woman, I handed her the check—we handed her the check—and she said, ‘This is so nice, and I appreciate it, but I’d much rather have my husband.’ Now I know some of the women in this room wouldn’t say the same. At least four couples here would have been thrilled, actually.”
BBC: Wife of man killed at Trump rally struggles with loss.
“The political class barely shrugged in August when Corey Lewandowski announced he was back at former President Donald Trump’s side,” CBS News reports.
“But when Trashelle Odom learned that Lewandowski had joined Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign as a senior adviser, it was a gut punch. That’s because a little over three years ago, in 2021, Odom, then the wife of a wealthy Republican donor, had reported Lewandowski to the police for allegedly assaulting and stalking her at a Las Vegas charity event.”
“Later, she said his lawyers offered her payment to keep quiet.”
First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright will resign as soon as Friday, the New York Post reports — the latest high-level exit from New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ increasingly troubled administration.
Wright’s anticipated departure comes weeks after the feds raided the home she shares with her husband, outgoing Schools Chancellor David Banks.
Washington Post: “Trump has been trying to weaponize the Hurricane Helene relief efforts, accusing the Biden administration of failing to provide adequate assistance. As part of his critique, he claims that there is no money available for hurricane relief because it was spent already to handle the surge of migrants at the southern border.”
“Trump’s claims have been echoed by his supporters, such as billionaire Elon Musk. But Trump is completely wrong.”
“Even though Trump was once president, he still appears to have little clue about the appropriations process. What’s even richer is that when he was president, he did exactly what he claims Biden did — take money from FEMA’s disaster fund to fund migrant programs at the southern border.”
“He is petty, he is vindictive, and he is cruel.”
— Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), quoted by the Washington Post about Donald Trump.
The Independent: “The community has been something of a white whale for the Republican Party for years; similar campaigns were launched in 2016 and 2020. Indeed, it is fitting, and perhaps a source of torment, that the number of Amish in Pennsylvania happens to number the exact margin by which Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020. Some in the party believe that if his campaign could mobilize this untapped pool of 80,000 voters, it could turn the tide in his favor, and perhaps win the election.”
“But it will be no easy task.”
“The Amish — a distinct Protestant Christian group who came to North America in the 18th century to escape persecution in Europe — center almost every aspect of their lives around their faith. They reject modern technology and communication, wear traditional plain clothes, travel by horse and cart, work mostly in farming, and even speak a language unique to their community, known as Pennsylvania Dutch.”
“They live separately from the society around them as much as possible. Most are reluctant to take part in the elections of ‘the Englishers,’ as they call the non-Amish.”
“Yes they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.”
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), accusing Democrats of creating Hurricane Helene for political purposes.
“For months, the economy has been like a jigsaw with one mismatched piece: Consumer spending has been holding up and overall growth has been solid, but the job market has looked treacherously wobbly,” the New York Times reports.
“As of Friday, the last piece of that puzzle is finally clicking into place.”
“Fresh employment data for September showed that hiring picked up strongly, the unemployment rate dipped and wage growth came in strong last month. While it is just one report, it matches up with a number of recent signals that the economy is robust.”
“U.S. officials say the White House wants to take advantage of Israel’s massive blow to Hezbollah’s leadership and infrastructure to push for an election of a new Lebanese president in the coming days,” Axios reports.
“Donald Trump’s campaign handed out signs with a slogan used by white supremacists at his Saginaw, Michigan, rally Thursday,” the New Republic reports.
“The signs read ‘Reclaim America,’ a phrase the white nationalist group Patriot Front uses regularly. The group, which splintered from the neo-Nazi Vanguard America, has long used the slogan in an effort to make white supremacist ideology palatable to a wider audience. The slogan has been used in Patriot Front banners in marches and flyers across the country. On Thursday, the preprinted signs with the same slogan were handed out before Trump spoke.”
“In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, former President Donald Trump has blasted the Biden administration for its handling of the disaster — going so far as to accuse Democratic leaders of ignoring the needs of Republican storm victims,” Politico reports.
“But a review of Trump’s record by Politico’s E&E News and interviews with two former Trump White House officials show that the former president was flagrantly partisan at times in response to disasters and on at least three occasions hesitated to give disaster aid to areas he considered politically hostile or ordered special treatment for pro-Trump states.”
A new Marist poll finds 69% of New York City residents want Mayor Eric Adams to resign.
If Adams does not resign, 63% of residents say Governor Hochul should begin the process of removing Adams from his position.
The Oklahoman: “Bids opened Monday for a contract to supply the state Department of Education with 55,000 Bibles. According to the bid documents, vendors must meet certain specifications: Bibles must be the King James Version; must contain the Old and New Testaments; must include copies of the Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and must be bound in leather or leather-like material.”
“A salesperson at Mardel Christian & Education searched, and though they carry 2,900 Bibles, none fit the parameters.”
“But one Bible fits perfectly: Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A. Bible, endorsed by former President Donald Trump and commonly referred to as the Trump Bible. They cost $60 each online, with Trump receiving fees for his endorsement.”
“Even as polling shows the presidential race is a toss-up, Vice President Kamala Harris has been running with a measure of risk aversion that some Democratic strategists and activists worry has failed to fully capitalize on the excitement surrounding her entry into the race in July,” NBC News reports.
“Until this point, Harris has largely eschewed freewheeling interactions with voters like town hall-style events or interviews with the media that could offer a sense of her authentic self and make people more comfortable with her abrupt emergence at the top of the ticket, these Democrats say.”
“A few Republicans running for competitive or Democratic-leaning congressional seats are adopting and reviving a label that was nearly extinct in their party: pro-choice,” The Hill reports.
“The terminology marks some of the biggest changes in how the Republican Party is approaching abortion and reproductive issues that have challenged the party electorally since the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion in 2022.”
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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