A candidate who legally changed his name to “human” is running against New Hampshire state Rep. Rose Marie Rogers (D) in a primary today, the AP reports.
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Quote of the Day
“First of all, I think she’s fantastic and incredibly strong. But the problem with inevitability is it’s sometimes interpreted as entitlement and I think that voters want competition and they want their candidates to have to work for it. We don’t have to really get too deep into that because she hasn’t declared yet, but it’s just a concern that I hope her campaign keeps in mind.”
— Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), quoted by the Palm Beach Post, on Hillary Clinton.
An Ugly Election Ahead for Democrats
Charlie Cook: “The Democrats whom I have talked and emailed with in recent weeks seem increasingly resigned to an ugly midterm election. Of course, it’s not likely to be the wipeout that 2010 was–after all, in the House, the best news for Democrats is that you can’t lose seats you don’t have. After losing 63 seats in 2010 and getting only eight back in 2012, Democrats don’t have that many more they can lose.”
“While the contest for the majority in the Senate has many facets, none is more important than whether Democrats can hold onto any of their six most vulnerable seats: those that are up in states that Mitt Romney carried in 2012. Three of them–the open seats in Montana, South Dakota, and West Virginia–look pretty hopeless for Democrats. The remaining three incumbents–Mark Begich in Alaska, where Romney won by 14 points; Mark Pryor in Arkansas, which Romney carried by 24 points; and Mary Landrieu in Louisiana, where Romney won by 17 points–all look increasingly problematic for Democrats… If Democrats get wiped out in red states, that could be the whole ball game when it comes to Senate control.”
Republicans Move to the Middle
“With primary season over, the GOP is beginning to inch back to the center,” The Hill reports.
“Republican Senate and House candidates have begun to loudly embrace more moderate policies such as an increase in the minimum wage and over-the-counter birth control in an effort to win over swing voters and soften their image. GOP strategists say the battle between now and Election Day to decide control of the Senate and the size of Republicans’ House majority will focus on that sliver of voters in the middle.”
Most See Obama as a Divider
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that Americans by a 17-point margin say President Obama “has done more to divide than to unite the country, a rating worse than George W. Bush’s early in his poorly rated second term – and one that’s deteriorated among Obama’s supporters as well as among his critics.”
Colbert Says Obama Stole Immigration Reform Idea from GOP
Stephen Colbert is angry with President Obama’s delay on immigration reform: “He stole that idea from the Republicans. They’ve had the idea of putting off doing something about immigration reform for over a decade.”
Obama’s Words Come Back to Haunt Him
New York Times: “When President Obama addresses the nation on Wednesday to explain his plan to defeat Islamic extremists in Iraq and Syria, it is a fair bet he will not call them the ‘JV team.’ Nor does he seem likely to describe Iraq as ‘sovereign, stable and self-reliant’ with a ‘representative government.’ And presumably he will not assert after more than a decade of conflict that ‘the tide of war is receding.'”
“As he seeks to rally Americans behind a new military campaign in the Middle East, Mr. Obama finds his own past statements coming back to haunt him. Time and again, he has expressed assessments of the world that in the harsh glare of hindsight look out of kilter with the changed reality he now confronts.”
Obama Ratings Hit New Lows
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that only 43% of Americans say President Obama is a strong leader, the lowest reading since he entered the White House. Just over half the country says his presidency has been a failure, although partisanship colors that judgment.
“His overall foreign policy ratings are his lowest yet in a Post-ABC News poll. A majority says the president is too cautious when it comes to international problems and specifically in dealing with Islamic State militants. His handling of Russian aggression in Ukraine receives somewhat better marks, but more than 4 in 10 still say he is too cautious.”
Many Administration Jobs Not Filled
A Politico analysis “of the 15 Cabinet agencies plus several other departments with high-priority policy agendas found a recurring theme for the outgoing Obama administration: plentiful job openings and several slots where long-term vacancies could have real-world consequences for policies from national security to the economy and the environment.”
Orman Leads Roberts in Kansas
A new SurveyUSA poll in Kansas finds Greg Orman (I) leading Sen. Pat Roberts (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 37% to 36%.
Chad Taylor (D), who dropped out of the race but may remain on the ballot, would get 10%.
Staffer Accuses Top Republican of Ethics Violations
Roll Call: “A former communications director for House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers sent reporters a 1,959-word email Monday accusing the Washington Republican of ‘retribution’ in connection with an ethics complaint against her office — a serious charge that is the latest alleged impropriety in an ongoing Ethics Committee investigation.”
Voters Split on Scottish Independence
A new TNS poll in Scotland finds 39% opposed to independence for Scotland, 38% in favor of independence and 23% who don’t know.
Congressional Approval at Just 14%
“With less than two months to go before the midterm congressional elections, 14% of Americans approve of how Congress is handling its job. This rating is one of the lowest Gallup has measured in the fall before a midterm election since 1974.”
LBJ and Reagan
Out this month: Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America by Jonathan Darman.
Republicans Set to Gain at Least 7 Senate Seats
Stu Rothenberg: “While the current Rothenberg Political Report ratings don’t show it, I am now expecting a substantial Republican Senate wave in November, with a net gain of at least seven seats. But I wouldn’t be shocked by a larger gain.”
“I’ve witnessed 17 general elections from my perch in D.C., including eight midterms, and I sometimes develop a sense of where the cycle is going before survey data lead me there. Since my expectations constitute little more than an informed guess, I generally keep them to myself. This year is different. I am sharing them with you.”
Roberts Has Only Been Home 7 Times This Year
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) said he’s “damn proud” to live in Dodge City, KS but added he’s only been home “about seven times” this year, BuzzFeed reports.
Is Boxer Ready to Retire?
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) “says she has yet to make up her mind about seeking a fifth term in 2016, but there’s no shortage of signs that the Democrat may be opting out,” the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
“It’s not just that she has less than $200,000 in her campaign account, compared with $3.5 million at this stage before her last election fight. Some comments from those who know the 73-year-old senator are also telling.”
Lawmaker Defends Right to Fire Gays
Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) compared the right to fire gay workers with the right to smoke cigarettes on private property, ThinkProgress reports.
Said Pittenger: “You need to respect the autonomy of somebody running their business. It’s like smoking bans. Do you ban smoking or do people have the right to private property? I think people have the right to private property. In public spaces, absolutely, we can have smoking bans. But we don’t want to micromanage people’s lives and businesses. If you have a business, do you want the government to come in and tell you you need to hire somebody? Why should government be there to impose on the freedoms we enjoy?”
