New polls from the Focus on Rural America:
- Iowa: Biden 49%, Trump 43%
- Michigan: Biden 51%, Trump 41%
- Minnesota: Biden 54%, Trump 36%
- Wisconsin: Biden 53%, Trump 42%
Whitmer Remains on Biden’s List
As Joe Biden appears set to begin holding final one-on-one conversations with potential running mates, sources close to the process tell NBC News that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is among those still under serious consideration.
Elliott Abrams to Replace Brian Hook as Iran Envoy
“Brian Hook, the State Department’s special envoy for Iran and one of the few national security officials to survive the turmoil in the foreign policy team through most of President Trump’s term, plans to announce Thursday that he is resigning his post,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Hook will be succeeded by Elliott Abrams, a conservative foreign policy veteran and Iran hard-liner who is currently the State Department’s special representative for Venezuela.”
Larry Summers Won’t Take Job In Biden Administration
Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, an adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, says he won’t be joining the Biden administration if the former vice president defeats President Trump in November, Bloomberg reports.
Said Summers: “I am very, very happy being able to speak freely. My time in government is behind me and my time as a free speaker is ahead of me.”
DeWine Tests Positive
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced that he tested positive but had no symptoms of covid-19, as President Trump traveled to the state, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
One Billion Americans
An interesting book out next month: One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger by Matthew Yglesias.
“If the most challenging crisis in living memory has shown us anything, it’s that America has lost the will and the means to lead. We can’t compete with the huge population clusters of the global marketplace by keeping our population static or letting it diminish, or with our crumbling transit and unaffordable housing. The winner in the future world is going to have more—more ideas, more ambition, more utilization of resources, more people.”
One Billion Americans: The Case for Thinking Bigger
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Yglesias, Matthew (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 287 Pages - 09/15/2020 (Publication Date) - Portfolio (Publisher)
Trump Says Vaccine Could Be Ready by Election Day
President Trump said it was possible the United States would have a coronavirus vaccine before the November 3 election, a more optimistic forecast than timing put forth by his own White House health experts, Reuters reports.
Pelosi Rips Republicans Over Relief Package Negotiations
Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore into her Republican colleagues for their approach to negotiating the next coronavirus relief package, telling CNBC: “Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.”
Trump Hotel Suddenly Jacked Up Its Prices
“As President Donald Trump hints that he plans to deliver his nomination speech from the White House on Aug. 27, the hotel bearing his name down the street is making a power play of its own: spiking its room rates by more than 60 percent for those convention dates,” the Daily Beast reports.
“Listings for rooms at the Trump International Hotel in D.C., via Hotels.com, show rooms for one adult on the night of the address starting at $795 and running as high as $2,070.”
Trump Plays Defense In Ohio
“Forced to play defense in states he led comfortably months ago, President Trump set his sights on Ohio on Thursday in an attempt to reframe the centerpiece of his reelection pitch,” the AP reports.
“During his visit, Trump planned to promote the economic prosperity that much of the nation enjoyed before the coronavirus pandemic and try to make the case that he is best suited to rebuild a crippled economy. But his handling of the outbreak has weakened his bid for a second term, causing Trump to spend time and resources in a state he won easily in 2016 but now could be in danger of slipping away.”
New York Attorney General Seeks to Dissolve the NRA
The Attorney General of New York took action today to dissolve the National Rifle Association, following an 18-month investigation that found evidence the powerful gun rights group is “fraught with fraud and abuse,” NPR reports.
“Attorney General Letitia James claims in a lawsuit filed Thursday that she found financial misconduct in the millions of dollars, and that it contributed to a loss of more than $64 million over a three year period. The suit alleges that top NRA executives misused charitable funds for personal gain, awarded contracts to friends and family members, and provided contracts to former employees to ensure loyalty.”
Trump’s Last Deep Pocket
“A few years ago, Stephen Schwarzman was just the latest deep pocket on Wall Street to open up to Donald Trump. Right now, he’s the biggest one left,” Bloomberg reports.
“Donations to Trump’s 2020 campaign from the most elite corners of American finance would be down drastically compared with 2016 — were it not for the notable exception of Schwarzman, who has become one of the president’s most ardent Wall Street backers.”
“Indeed, the private equity mogul single-handedly accounts for the vast bulk of the reported contributions toward Trump’s re-election effort over the past 18 months from people associated with the 31 banks and investment firms that dominate the U.S. financial industry.”
Trump’s New Message Isn’t Really New
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Senators Head Home with No Deal
“With no deal on a coronavirus relief package in sight, most senators are expected to head home Thursday, leaving negotiations up to the White House and party leaders,” Politico reports.
“The Senate is expected to technically stay in session next week but will not hold any votes unless there is a breakthrough in coronavirus negotiations. That means senators — like their House counterparts — will be back home, waiting for word from the leadership whether a deal has been reached.”
Biden Confirms Harris Is ‘Very Much In Contention’
Joe Biden made clear in an interview that Sen. Kamala Harris is still “very much in contention” to become his running mate.
Said Biden: “I don’t hold grudges, and I’ve made it really clear that I don’t hold grudges. I think it was a debate. It’s as simple as that. And she’s very much in contention.”
A Message for Democrats from This Year’s Primaries
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Cuomo Pleads with Wealthy to Return to New York City
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is calling on the wealthy to return to New York City from their weekend homes in the surrounding suburbs, fearing they may choose to stay and file taxes there, The Hill reports.
Said Cuomo: “I literally talk to people all day long who are now in their Hamptons house who also lived here, or in their Hudson Valley house or in their Connecticut weekend house, and I say, ‘You got to come back, when are you coming back?’”
Another GOP Consultant Helping Kanye West
“A top Colorado GOP strategist is helping Kanye West to get on the ballot in her state, the latest in a series of Republicans who have stepped up to help the hip-hop star in his odd presidential bid,” Vice News reports.
Wrote GOP strategist Rachel George in an email to at least one other local GOP strategist: “I have the most random favor to ask of you ever… would you help me get Kanye West on the ballot in Colorado? No, I am not joking, and I realize this is hilarious.”
