Political Wire

Congress Set to Leave Washington with No AI Progress

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“Facing a growing backlash over the boom in data center construction and widespread concern over the safety of artificial intelligence, Congress is set to depart Washington this week ahead of the midterm elections having accomplished nothing to address either issue,” the New York Times reports.

“Eager to show they hear the public alarm over A.I. as they fight to keep their majority, Republicans in the Senate on Wednesday were attempting to bring up a bill intended to insulate Americans from rising electricity costs tied to data centers. But Democrats were expected to block it, noting that the legislation was not enforceable and arguing it would do little to significantly curb energy prices.”

‘Christian Warrior’ Candidate’s Dark Past Revealed

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“A MAGA-backed ministry leader vying to be Colorado’s next governor once laughed about slamming his wife into a door, recounted how he threw his toddler across the room and declared that God gave him a ‘gift’ for violence,” the Daily Beast reports.

“Marine veteran and martial arts enthusiast Victor Marx has spent years portraying himself as a Christian warrior fighting evil, telling numerous stories over the years about setting people free from ‘demonic oppression’ and performing what he describes as ‘spiritual exorcisms.'”

Trump to Announce $54 Billion Investment in Alaska

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“President Donald Trump is expected to announce on Wednesday plans for South Korea to invest roughly $54 billion in a project to export natural gas from Alaska, a proposal long backed by Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who’s in a competitive reelection contest there,” the Washington Sun reports.

“The investment would mark the second time this week that the Republican president has sought to highlight the promise of foreign investment made possible by his administration’s trade policy in states where Republican Senate candidates are in tight election campaigns. He made a similar announcement on Monday in the Oval Office for a massive steel plant in Iowa.”

How James Talarico Made Texas Competitive Again

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Time: “With a mix of matter-of-fact earnestness and youthful idealism, Talarico is potentially doing something bigger than winning a Senate seat in a state where Democrats forgot how to win; he is nimbly blending the competing versions of the Democratic identity.”

“Here is a seminarian who preaches a progressive message, a pragmatist who found ways to pass bills in a Republican-controlled Legislature, a sharp-tongued brawler who can smoothly veer from dunking on his opponent to celebrating the value of decency. All this, while also being one of the best fundraisers of the midterms, thanks in no small measure to his ability to tap into voters’ raw frustrations.”

Said Talarico: “We are all getting screwed. Whether you are a little more conservative or a little more progressive, whether you’re Black, white, brown, we are all getting screwed.”

Alpha Energy in Michigan

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“In their first official joint appearance, Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed will appear at a town hall together and take questions Saturday in Macomb County, the birthplace of Reagan Democrats that Trump won in the last three elections,” Politico reports.

“Slotkin has long said her party needs ‘alpha energy.’ — and coincidentally, a Fox News chyron last night described El-Sayed as ‘Abdul the Alpha.'”

Paxton’s Christian Identity Politics Obscure His Scandals

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Sidney Blumenthal: “Ken Paxton’s political career, more than that of any other Republican candidate campaigning in this cycle, charts the arc of the religious right. The most influential of its activists and donors engineered his rise as a culture warrior at each of its phases from his creation through every disgrace. His race for the Senate, the culmination of his ambition, has become not only his last stand, but also the Alamo for Christian nationalists in Texas.”

“Paxton’s rap sheet explains his Christian identity politics as a shield to distract from the liability of his own record of financial and sexual scandals scrolling back decades.”

Mike Johnson Stumping for California Republicans

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“Speaker Mike Johnson plans to visit California on Wednesday to stump and fundraise for Republican candidates in a state that could determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives during President Trump’s final two years in office,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“David Wasserman, a congressional forecaster for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said that Johnson is attempting to mitigate the aftermath of Proposition 50, the redrawing of California’s congressional districts that voters approved in November in response to Trump’s efforts to tilt districts in his favor elsewhere in the nation, notably Texas.”

Said Wasserman: “If it weren’t for Republican efforts to redraw Texas, Proposition 50 wouldn’t have seen the light of day.”

Candidates Reject AIPAC Money as Toxic

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“It was once an article of faith that alignment with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee brought political blessings. No longer,” Bloomberg reports.

“Across the country, ties between U.S. political candidates from both parties and AIPAC are fraying. The war in Gaza has transformed the organization into a lightning rod and litmus test, while perceptions that the group’s political operations are increasingly partisan soured its relationship with Democrats in particular.”

White House Manages Expectations for Iran Breakthrough

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“As the U.S. and Iran continue to speak via mediators in a bid to end the war, the White House is tempering any expectations that a breakthrough might be near,” Semafor reports.

“Some U.S. officials have long conceded that there’s no clear — or clean — way out of the conflict, and that reality has emerged as a major issue for Republicans ahead of the midterms as voters focus on prices.”

The GOP House Seats That Are Nearly Gone

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“There’s no question that the House map is very dynamic. It’s also tilting heavily in Democrats’ favor,” Punchbowl News reports.

“No one would’ve predicted, for example, that Republicans and Democrats would pour millions of dollars into a deep-red northern Kentucky seat; a South Florida Republican would rail against President Donald Trump over his hardline immigration policies; and the GOP’s unprecedented mid-decade redistricting war wouldn’t really help them save their razor-thin majority.”

”Things are really bad for Republicans right now. And, yes, we know, individual races can shift on a dime.”

”But there are a number of GOP lawmakers across the country that both parties privately agree are in deep, deep trouble.”

Democrats Hold Solid Leads in Michigan

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A new Marist Poll poll in Michigan finds Abdul El-Sayed (D) leading Mike Rogers (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 51% to 44%.

Michigan Senate Race
Abdul El-Sayed (D) 51%
 
Mike Rogers (R) 44%
 
Marist Poll poll · registered voters · ±3.8%
Michigan Governor’s Race
Jocelyn Benson (D) 53%
 
John James (R) 41%
 
Marist Poll poll · registered voters · ±3.8%
Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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