“The Democratic Governors Association will announce today that it raised more than $100 million for the 2018 midterm cycle, with $22.2 million of it coming in September — the largest haul ever for an organization that sometimes struggles for attention during battles for the House and Senate,” the Washington Post reports.
Democrats Surging In Pennsylvania
Politico: “Pennsylvania was the linchpin of Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, but it could be ground zero of Democrats’ 2018 comeback. Not only are the incumbent Democratic senator and governor prohibitive favorites to win reelection, but Democrats could also pick up as many as a half-dozen congressional seats — roughly a quarter of the seats the party needs nationwide to win back the House.”
Arizona Senate Race Tightens
“For most of this year, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona has run what has been viewed widely as one of the best races in the nation. But with less than a month to go to Election Day, there are doubts whether she can make it across the finish line,” Reuters reports.
“Her matchup with Republican Martha McSally appears to be tightening at the same time that some voters are casting their ballots with the start of early voting in the state. That is unwelcome news for Democrats, who just weeks ago believed they had a chance to gain more than the two seats they need to take control of the Senate.”
It’s O.K. To Call Her Stormy Daniels
Stormy Daniels tells The Cut that it’s annoying when reporters use her birth name, Stephanie Clifford, in stories about her relationship with Donald Trump.
Said Daniels: “Yeah. And also, they insist upon printing my real name in every fucking story. They don’t do that to Bruno Mars or Lady Gaga or Charlie Sheen — but even the most feminist, evolved journalists, they still think subconsciously that I’m less human and I’m not worth the respect of printing my chosen name.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“Well, I — I don’t pledge anything. But I will tell you, I have no intention of doing that. I think it’s a very unfair investigation because there was no collusion of any kind. There is no collusion. I don’t want to pledge. Why should I pledge to you? If I pledge, I’ll pledge. I don’t have to pledge to you. But I have — I have no intention of doing that.”
— President Trump, in an interview on 60 Minutes, on whether he would pledge not to fire special counsel Robert Mueller.
Trump Gives RNC Chair Another Term
As President Trump builds his team for 2020, he has asked Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel to serve a second term, according to Axios.
Lewd Conduct Has Created ‘Toxic’ Iowa Statehouse
“For more than a decade, Iowa legislators and staff members engaged in lewd and sexually aggressive behavior, creating a “toxic” environment and a “culture of secrets” at the state Capitol,” according to detailed court depositions reviewed by the Des Moines Register.
“The depositions, taken under oath by about two-dozen lawmakers and legislative staffers, comprise more than 1,000 pages of documents previously unreleased to the public. They were part of a landmark sexual harassment case that resulted in the state of Iowa paying a $1.75 million settlement last year.”
“The depositions detail more than 50 instances of inappropriate behavior that played out over years at the Capitol.”
Sasse Warns of ‘Deepfake’ Perfect Storm
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) — who’ll be out Tuesday with his second book, Them: Why We Hate Each Other — and How to Heal — tells Axios about new artificial intelligence algorithms that can create convincing fake images, audio and video and potentially disrupt our politics.
Said Sasse: “I had a conversation last month with one of the most senior U.S. intelligence officials, who told me that many leaders in the intelligence community worry that we’re on the verge of a deepfakes ‘perfect storm.'”
Exchange of the Day
President Trump was interviewed by Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes:
TRUMP: I think I’m very tough with him personally. I had a meeting with him. The two of us. It was a very tough meeting and it was a very good meeting.
STAHL: Do you agree that Vladimir Putin is involved in assassinations? In poisonings?
TRUMP: Probably he is, yeah. Probably. I mean, I don’t–
STAHL: Probably?
TRUMP: But I rely on them, it’s not in our country.
STAHL: Why not– they shouldn’t do it. This is a terrible thing.
TRUMP: Of course they shouldn’t do it-
Bevin Throws Grenades In New Video
Perdue Grabs Student’s Phone
“An attempted conversation between a Georgia Tech student and Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) ended abruptly with the lawmaker snatching the student’s cellphone away while he was being asked about possible voter suppression in the state,” the Washington Post reports.
Said the student: “Hey, so, uh, how can you endorse a candidate — ”
“That was as far into the question as the student got. Before he could continue, Perdue snatched the phone out of the student’s hands, as evidence shows in a video suddenly turned erratic.”
Michael Cohen Urges People to Vote
Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal attorney, is urging the public to vote next month in what “might be the most important vote in our lifetime,” the Washington Post reports.
“Cohen is out on bail until his sentencing in December, meaning he remains eligible to cast a ballot on Nov. 6. The midterms could be his last opportunity to vote for some time: He faces 46 to 63 months in prison, according to court filings.”
Cohen changed his party registration to the Democrats last week.
Warren Has Built an Expansive Campaign Ahead of 2020
“During the past six months, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has quietly built a shadow war room designed to elect Democrats across the country in the midterm elections, overtaking some of the traditional duties of Democratic Party campaign committees and further positioning herself for an all-but-certain 2020 presidential bid,” the Washington Post reports.
“Her effort, which goes far beyond the fundraising and endorsement speeches in which prospective presidential candidates typically engage, has encompassed work in all 50 states and close coordination with more than 150 campaigns. The result is a wide-ranging network that includes those running for state treasurer in Nevada, state legislature in Iowa and congressional offices around the country.”
“It is unmistakably aimed at some of the early-primary states that Warren would need to contest in a presidential campaign. She has deployed staffers to all four early primary states — two to New Hampshire and one each to Iowa, South Carolina, and Nevada — as well as to traditional powerhouses like Ohio, Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin.”
Republicans Keep Attacking on Immigration
“Not long ago, as heart-rending images of migrant children separated from their parents at the border filled the airwaves, the issue of immigration seemed to be losing some of its potency as a weapon for Republicans with the midterm elections approaching,” the New York Times reports.
“But Republican candidates across the country, leaning on the scorched-earth campaign playbook employed by President Trump, saw an opening nonetheless, painting Democrats as the ones pursuing an extreme immigration agenda that would fill the country with “sanctuary cities” where violent criminals roam free.”
“The strategy, in play in a growing number of races, may be working.”
Races for House and Senate Moving In Opposite Directions
Nate Silver: “At first, I was a little skeptical of the narrative that Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation process could send the House and Senate moving in opposite directions. Usually in politics, a rising tide lifts all boats — so whichever party benefited from the Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation would expect to see its fortunes improve in both its best states and districts and its worst ones.”
“But a House-Senate split is exactly what we’re seeing in the FiveThirtyEight forecast. Democratic prospects in the Senate are increasingly dire, having fallen to about 1 in 5. Indeed, it’s been hard to find any good news for Democrats in Senate polling lately. In the House, by contrast, their opportunity is holding up relatively well. In fact, Democrats’ chance of taking the House has ticked back upward to about 4 in 5, having improved slightly from around 3 in 4 immediately after Kavanaugh was confirmed. And while district-by-district House polling has been all over the place lately, Democrats’ position has improved slightly on the generic congressional ballot.”
Democrats Lead In Key Battleground Districts
A new CBS News poll in key battleground districts finds Democrats maintain an edge in the battle for control of the House of Representatives, 47% to 44%.
“Democrats are being helped by a gender gap in the race for the House in these key districts: Men are backing Republican candidates by 7 percentage points, while women are supporting Democrats by 12 points. The gender gap has widened somewhat since last month.”
Americans Split Over Whether Trump Will Be Re-Elected
A new CNN poll finds the public is split over whether they think President Trump will win a second term — 46% say he will and 47% say he won’t.
“But that’s a steep improvement for him since March, when 54% of adults said they thought he’d lose his bid for a second term. The share seeing a second Trump win in the offing has risen across party lines. The increase is a bit sharper among men (up 8 points), independents (from 39% in March to 47% now) and those who are enthusiastic about voting in this year’s midterms (from 37% in March to 46% now).”
Turkey Renames U.S. Embassy Street ‘Malcolm X Ave’
Authorities in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, have renamed the street where the new U.S. embassy is being built “Malcolm X Avenue,” after the civil rights leader, the Guardian reports.
“The move coincides with a period of fraught relations between Turkey and the US and comes after other politically charged name changes to streets in Ankara.”
