Rick Klein: “Here’s the thing about Hillary Clinton reinventions and new directions: They’ve all been tried before. The latest… will feature more spontaneity (the scripted kind?), a touch of extra authenticity, and highlight her potential to make history. All worthy goals, though a quarter century in public life and a previous, epic run for president have made surprises harder to achieve than good Chipotle takeout. But she does have some advantages built in that work post-Labor Day. First, having more actual interactions with voters, and having smart reporters ask insightful questions of her, can produce the kinds of moments Clinton needs to produce some excitement. And second, real competition can help. The heating up of the Democratic race can show passions that Clinton backers want to see. If not, there is time left for new directions, again.”
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Quote of the Day
“It’s the liberal policies in this city that have led to the lawlessness that’s been encouraged by the President of the United States. And I’m telling you, people in this country are getting more and more fed up.”
— Gov. Chris Christie, in an interview on Morning Joe.
Next GOP Debate Promises Even More Fireworks
Donald Trump “continues to dominate the race and confound his rivals by skating over pitfalls that would be expected to doom any of them. They are no longer counting on Trump to be the architect of his own demise. Jeb Bush has begun attacking Trump directly, while others, such as Gov. Scott Walker, have sought to appear much more forceful so as not to be totally overshadowed by the tough-talking real estate mogul and reality TV star,” the Washington Post reports.
“Long shots, such as Sen. Rand Paul and Gov. Chris Christie, have indicated that they plan to be more assertive in the second debate. And, unlike the first go-round, this one is likely to include former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, who has shown a willingness and ability to hit hard.”
“The newfound aggression, however, has not improved the standing of many candidates, leaving them eager for a breakout moment at the Sept. 16 event at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif.”
Conservative Dissent Brewing Inside Vatican
“As he upends church convention, Pope Francis is grappling with a conservative backlash to the liberal momentum building inside the church. In more than a dozen interviews, including with seven senior church officials, insiders say the change has left the hierarchy more polarized over the direction of the church than at any point since the great papal reformers of the 1960s,” the Washington Post reports.
“The conservative rebellion is taking on many guises, in public comments, yes, but also in the rising popularity of conservative Catholic Web sites promoting Francis dissenters; books and promotional materials backed by conservative clerics seeking to counter the liberal trend; and leaks to the news media, aimed at Vatican reformers.”
Boehner’s Future as Speaker in Doubt
Politico: “Something has changed for John Boehner. Figures in his close-knit circle of allies are starting to privately wonder whether he can survive an all-but-certain floor vote this fall to remain speaker of the House. And, for the first time, many top aides and lawmakers in the House do not believe he will run for another term as House leader in 2017. The Boehner era might be coming to an end, they say.”
Countdown to Shutdown Begins
“Congress returns from its long summer vacation Tuesday to an all-out, three-week sprint to avert a government shutdown – and no apparent plan yet to quell the conservative rebellion over Planned Parenthood that has dramatically increased the odds of a closure,” Politico reports.
“The mad dash – just 10 legislative work days to solve the shutdown crisis, in between major votes on the Iran nuclear deal and the first-ever papal address to a joint session of Congress – presents a major test for Republican leaders in both chambers who vowed to end crisis-driven legislating.”
“The smart money is on Congress doing what it typically does when it’s up against a deadline: Find a short-term fix and delay the fight for later. But the dynamics are so fluid and passions high that no one truly knows how it will wind up on Sept. 30, the final day of the fiscal year and last day to extend funding or have the government close its doors.”
Trump Likens His Education to Military Training
Donald Trump, “who received draft deferments through much of the Vietnam War, told the author of a forthcoming biography that he nevertheless ‘always felt that I was in the military’ because of his education at a military-themed boarding school,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Trump said that his experience at the New York Military Academy, an expensive prep school where his parents had sent him to correct poor behavior, gave him ‘more training militarily than a lot of the guys that go into the military.'”
Clinton to Show More Humor and Heart
New York Times: “In extensive interviews by telephone and at their Brooklyn headquarters last week, Mrs. Clinton’s strategists acknowledged missteps — such as their slow response to questions about her email practices — and promised that this fall the public would see the sides of Mrs. Clinton that are often obscured by the noise and distractions of modern campaigning.”
“They want to show her humor. The self-effacing kind… They want to show her heart, like the time she comforted former drug addicts in a school meeting room in New Hampshire. And, to soothe Democrats uneasy about her shaky poll numbers, they want her to relentlessly contrast herself with Republicans, saying she is at her best when showing willingness to do battle.”
Washington Post: “After this summer of Hillary Clinton’s discontent, when her public support dropped while the stock of real and potential challengers rose, her checklist for a campaign revamp this fall is long.”
Trump Forces GOP Campaign in New Direction
Politico: “It’s hard to overstate his effect, or even to find a historical analogue – with his outsized personality and outsider message, Trump has sent his GOP rivals careening in directions they couldn’t have imagined, forced them to rethink their strategies and tactics, and altered expectations about the duration of the primary season. He’s even managed to unsettle the politically active billionaires who are currently sizing up the contest.”
“Trump’s anti-establishment candidacy isn’t the sole reason why the GOP field has been reordered since he joined the race, but he’s the proximate cause.”
Clinton Unveils New Campaign Finance Plan
Hillary Clinton “is rolling out a policy plan Tuesday aimed at lifting the veil on some of the wealthy donors who have bankrolled political campaigns while taking advantage of laws that allow them to remain anonymous. Mrs. Clinton, who along with her husband has been among the most prodigious fundraisers in U.S. history, is also proposing ways to give candidates more incentives to collect money from small donors,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Biden Thinks He Can Win South Carolina
“Joe Biden thinks he can win South Carolina. And that victory, he believes, would hurtle his campaign into a rally toward the Democratic nomination no matter who has already taken Iowa and New Hampshire,” Politico reports.
“Like so much of the musing inside the Biden 2016 exploration, it’s an assumption based on a wish based on a feeling. They’ve done no polls. They’ve raised no money. They’ve got no organization. And yet, top Democrats in the state are so unnerved by Hillary Clinton’s inability to get beyond her email controversy that they say Biden’s on-a-wing-and-a-prayer strategy isn’t hopeless.”
First Read: “But as we’ve said before, if Biden wants to win, he needs to announce ASAP, because he has to start raising the $50 million to $100 million needed to be competitive in the Democratic primary — as well as to prepare to fight back against the $1 billion that will be spent by GOP groups to topple the eventual Democratic nominee. So if Biden is truly serious about winning, he’s got to get into the race in the next couple of weeks. The longer he waits, though, the more this becomes about not wanting to close the door on his political career and his lifelong dream: the presidency.”
Gilmore Is Running But Not Campaigning
“Jim Gilmore is running for president. He’s just not campaigning for president. That’s what sets him apart,” the Washington Post reports.
“In fact, since Gilmore — a former governor of Virginia — officially got into the presidential race on July 30, he has not held a single formal campaign event with actual voters present. No handshakes in Iowa. No rallies in New Hampshire. Nothing.”
Battle for Senate Hinges on Presidential Race
“The battle for control of the Senate rests on the outcome of the presidential race,” strategists in both parties tell The Hill.
“Since 1860, no party has been able to climb out of the minority to capture the Senate during a presidential election year without also winning the White House. Strategists say 2016 won’t be any different.”
Quote of the Day
“I think we can send a message and say, you want to be in America, A, you’d better be here legally or you’re out of here; B, when you’re here, let’s speak American. I mean that’s what’s — let’s speak English and that’s a kind of a unifying aspect of the nation is the language that is understood by all.”
— Sarah Palin, quoted by the Huffington Post.
While Republicans Attack Each Other, Democrats Won’t
Washington Post: “The Republican presidential campaign is being dictated by how the 17 candidates, led by Donald Trump, attack one another — from policy disagreements to nasty personal barbs.”
“The Democratic race stands in stark contrast. Despite tightening polls, the two leading candidates refuse to draw sharp contrasts, let alone criticize each other, leaving voters to discern the differences in their agendas and priorities largely on their own.”
Trump Still Holds Wide Lead Nationally
A new Economist/YouGov poll finds Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential race with 36%, followed by Ben Carson at 11%, Jeb Bush at 8%, Marco Rubio at 7%, Ted Cruz at 6%, Rand Paul at 4%, Mike Huckabee at 4% and John Kasich at 4%.
“Republicans are warming to Trump. Two out of three have a favorable view of him. Carson and Rubio match Trump’s favorable levels, though nearly twice as many have unfavorable views of Trump as hold that view about the other two.”
Jindal Faces Yet Another Budget Crisis
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and state legislators “were all smiles when they passed the state budget in June, saying they had ended Louisiana’s worst budget crisis in 25 years and averted deep spending cuts,” the Baton Rouge Advocate reports.
“But less than three months later, the budget already is beginning to bleed red ink, and programs for those institutions are again at risk. Legislators and Jindal are facing calls that they act without delay to make the cuts needed to bring the budget back into balance as required under the state constitution — rather than take the politically easy way out by passing the buck to the next governor and Legislature.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I think I’d rather have a President who is tough and puts America first than can win a game of Trivial Pursuit. I don’t think the public gives a flying flip who, today, is a specific leader of a specific region because that leader will change of course.”
— Sarah Palin, quoted by TPM, defending Donald Trump’s inability to name certain foreign leaders.
