Politico: “Interviews with more than two dozen Republican operatives, state party officials and elected leaders suggest three of the 11 battleground states identified by Politico — Colorado, New Hampshire and Virginia — are tilting so heavily toward Hillary Clinton that they’re close to unwinnable for the GOP presidential nominee. But Trump remains within striking distance in the remaining eight states, including electoral giants Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.”
Powell Advised Clinton to Avoid State Dept Servers
Newly-disclosed emails show that former Secretary of State Colin Powell told Hillary Clinton at the start of her tenure at the State Department that he used a personal computer to conduct government business, and took steps to avoid “going through the State Department servers,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The new emails appear to show Mr. Powell suggesting he intentionally conducted work-related emails with foreign leaders and State Department officials using a personal computer or the personal accounts of government staffers.”
Trump Insists Again He’ll Win New York
Donald Trump renewed his vow “to compete and ultimately win in New York, a state that has not voted Republican in a presidential election since 1984,” Politico reports.
Said Trump: “Just so you understand, we are going to play New York. You know, we’re not just doing this for fun. We’re going to play New York.”
The HuffPost Pollster average shows Hillary Clinton leading Trump in New York, 52% to 33%.
House Freedom Caucus Eyes Power Play
Politico: “Members of the group of far-right agitators are considering a plan to run one of their own as a candidate for the Republican Study Committee chairmanship this fall in a bid to push the conservative group further to the right.”
“Seizing control of the RSC would be the latest show of clout for the group of about 40 conservatives, which in its mere two-year existence has upended the House Republican Conference and infuriated GOP leaders with its no-holds-barred legislative tactics.”
Democrats See Senate Majority Slipping Away
“The campaign chairman for Senate Democrats on Wednesday warned his colleagues that if the elections were held today, the party would gain only three Senate seats,” The Hill reports.
“That outcome would leave Democrats one seat short of the majority, should the party’s presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, win the White House.”
New York Times: Souring on Trump, GOP pours money into Senate races
Trump Suggests He’ll Fire Generals
Donald Trump suggested that when he seeks the military’s advice on how to defeat the Islamic State “they’d probably be different generals, to be honest with you,” Politico reports.
“The comments could make for an awkward introduction between Trump and Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, the current Joint Chiefs chairman, the top adviser to the commander-in-chief. Dunford has a two-year term that ends September 2017 — a position that is normally extended for another two years.”
The Most Important States for Each Party
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Comey Defends Decision Not to Charge Clinton
In a memo to employees, FBI Director James Comey said the decision to not recommend charges against Hillary Clinton wasn’t a close call.
Said Comey: “At the end of the day, the case itself was not a cliff-hanger; despite all the chest-beating by people no longer in government, there really wasn’t a prosecutable case.”
He concluded: “Those suggesting that we are ‘political’ or part of some ‘fix’ either don’t know us, or they are full of baloney (and maybe some of both).”
Mexican Official Quits In Wake of Trump Visit
“Mexico’s finance minister, who helped arrange U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump’s visit to Mexico, has resigned, further roiling a political crisis that has been swirling here in Trump’s wake,” the Washington Post reports.
“In formally announcing the resignation Wednesday, President Enrique Peña Nieto offered no explanation for the departure of Luis Videgaray, one of his closest aides and the architect of some of the government’s signature economic reforms. But it came a week after Trump appeared with Peña Nieto in a meeting that was widely viewed across Mexico as an embarrassment for the country’s leader. Videgaray had served as a behind-the-scenes liaison to the Trump campaign and advocated for the visit over the opposition of other ministers.”
Trump Raises $90 Million in August
“Donald Trump and his joint committees raised $90 million in August, a substantial haul for a candidate late to fundraising but one that still significantly trails Hillary Clinton’s enormous summer totals,” CNN reports.
“A Trump campaign official said Wednesday the campaign had collected the $90 million despite its paltry fundraising operation. That total is expected to come largely from small-dollar donors, who have flocked to the Republican nominee thanks to his costly investment in digital fundraising tools. “
The Fight for the Senate Isn’t Over Yet
Stuart Rothenberg: “Nine months ago, I thought that Democrats had a pretty easy road to a four-seat gain and a Senate majority in November. Now I’m not so sure.”
“The numbers, of course, still favor them. With 10 Republican-held Senate seats at risk this year and only a single Democratic-held seat in play, Democratic Senate gains are inevitable. But the fight for control in November remains surprisingly close, and it may not be until October or November before we know whether Democrats will gain the seats they need.”
Trump’s Ad Spending Makes No Sense
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State Poll Roundup: Wednesday
Here are the latest state polls from the presidential race:
South Carolina: Trump 50%, Clinton 38% (First Tuesday)
Arizona: Clinton 35%, Trump 34% (Arizona Republic)
New Hampshire: Clinton 46%, Trump 41% (PPP)
Pennsylvania: Clinton 47%, Trump 42% (PPP)
Iowa: Clinton 45%, Trump 43% (PPP)
Florida: Trump 44%, Clinton 43% (PPP)
New Hampshire: Clinton 42%, Trump 37% (Emerson College)
Trump Ends Media Blacklist
Donald Trump is ending his “blacklist” of media outlets, The Hill reports.
“Trump’s presidential campaign had been denying press credential requests from the Washington Post, BuzzFeed, Univision, the Daily Beast, Politico and other news organizations over what the campaign considered unfair coverage. But starting Wednesday, the campaign will approve their credential requests.”
Clinton Holds Narrow Edge Nationally
A new George Washington University Battleground Poll finds Hillary Clinton just ahead of Donald Trump in the presidential race, 42% to 40%.
“The narrow race reflects a conflicted electorate in which voters are weighing many options. Poll respondents were presented with several possibilities for how they may vote in November. Roughly one-quarter of them said that they would likely vote for a third-party candidate or vote for a candidate ‘from the other political party than the one that you usually support.’ Thirteen percent said they might not vote at all, and 45 percent said they might split their tickets (vote for different parties for president and the rest of the ballot).”
For comparison, the HuffPost Pollster average shows Clinton with a five point lead nationally, 47% to 42%.
Who Is the More Secretive Candidate?
Rick Klein: “In the evolving standards Donald Trump is using for disclosure, some twists have been added. ‘Let her release lease her emails and I will release my tax returns immediately,’ Trump told Bill O’Reilly on Fox, adding on to the promise that his returns would be disclosed as soon as his ‘routine audit’ is completed. And pressed by ABC’s David Muir on why he doesn’t release his own full medical records to coax Hillary Clinton into doing the same, ‘I think I will do that’ was his response.”
“If past is predictive, voters will see neither Trump’s full medical records nor his tax returns before Nov. 8. But his changing standards for what he might release, under which conditions, and when deserve their own attention and scrutiny. Yes, Clinton is known – and rightly – for secrecy. But the amount of information Trump has not provided about his own finances and personal health remain unprecedented in modern politics.”
First Read notes that the “Let her release her emails, and I’ll release my tax returns immediately” line undermines Trump’s audit argument. It implies the audit isn’t the real excuse.
Trump Now Thinks He Can Win Virginia
Washington Post: “Donald Trump will spend more money this week in Virginia than anywhere else. Of the $3.5 million in advertising time he’s booked, $1.9 million will go into the commonwealth. More specifically, $1.4 million will be spent in the D.C. market.”
“This is notable because the Clinton campaign is so confident about its prospects that it has aired no ads on broadcast television in the state since Aug. 1. And the main pro-Clinton super PAC has canceled all of its reservations through the election.”
Key takeaway: “The consensus among the smartest Republican strategists is that the odds of Trump ultimately carrying Virginia are very low, unless the race breaks decisively his way nationally (which they do not believe will happen).”
Republicans Seek to Censure Obama Over Iran Payment
“Congressional Republicans want to censure the Obama administration for sending $400 million in ‘ransom’ to Iran on the same day as American prisoners were released – an issue they bet will play big on the campaign trail two months before election day,” the Washington Post reports.
“The move comes as new details are emerging about just how and when the Obama administration completed the transfer of $1.7 billion to settle claims related to the incomplete sale of military weapons before the Iranian Revolution in 1979.”
