PORTMAN’S TERRIBLE WEEK IN CLEVELAND. With all eyes on Cleveland this week, Senator Rob Portman tried his hardest to avoid the spotlight—and completely failed. Portman started off the week trying to dodge Trump, but by the end of it he was making it “crystal clear” that he’s “All In” for Trump. It’s no surprise that the Cincinnati Enquirer named Portman one of their “losers” of Trump’s convention.
At the beginning of the week…
National Review: Rob Portman’s Home-State Convention Bind
Politico: Portman walks into Trump buzzsaw — in his own backyard.
Roll Call: At RNC, Portman Keeps Trump at a Distance
Real Clear Politics: Rob Portman’s Side Convention
NBC News: Ohio Sen. Portman Inching Toward Trump in Reelection Fight
And by week’s end…
Medina Gazette: Portman, Gibbs hopeful about Trump candidacy
Columbus Dispatch: Rob Portman balancing Donald Trump’s effect on Senate candidacy
Ohio Public Radio: In Tough Reelection Fight, Portman Stops By RNC
Sandusky Register: Portman ‘all in’ with GOP ticket
The Hill: Portman: Trump has ‘potential’ to help GOP candidates
Columbus Dispatch: Portman, Turner, shy away from criticizing Trump’s comments on NATO
WXVU: Portman Makes It Crystal Clear – He’s Backing Trump
RUBIO STAYS IN FLORIDA, BUT CAN’T AVOID CONTROVERSY. Marco Rubio opted to send a video to the Republican National Convention and stay in Florida this week in an attempt to avoid negative press stories. But the negative press just followed Rubio back home instead.
RUBIO MISSED MOST CLASSIFIED BRIEFINGS… A report from the Tampa Bay Times’ Alex Leary showed that Marco Rubio missed 20 of 23 classified intelligence committee meetings between October 2015 and the conclusion of his presidential campaign in March 2016. This new information comes after Rubio claimed in October that “We do all the intelligence briefings,” and adds a “new layer to the portrait of absenteeism” that has defined Marco Rubio in recent months.
…WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY MISSING 19 FOREIGN RELATIONS MEETINGS. A follow-up report from Politico’s Matt Dixon found that while Rubio’s office claimed he would miss one national security meeting to attend another, “Rubio actually missed 19 Senate Foreign Relations Committee meetings that were held the very same day of the Senate Intelligence Committee meetings — meaning he was absent at both meetings where classified information was discussed.” Read more about “Empty Chair” Rubio here.
PROTESTERS CONFRONT RUBIO AT CAMPAIGN STOP. At a campaign stop in Orlando this week, Senator Marco Rubio was confronted by a man who lost two of his friends in the Pulse shootings. The protester called out Rubio’s lack of support for the LGBT community and for siding with the NRA instead of Floridians on commonsense gun safety reform. Read more about the interaction here, here, here and here.
9-YEAR OLD BOY CALLS RUBIO OUT ON LACK OF ACTION ON WATER CRISIS. Floridians aren’t just upset with Rubio about his inaction on gun safety and LGBT rights. A nine-year-old boy at another campaign stop joined other protesters and called out Marco Rubio for his lack of action on Florida’s algae crisis. The boy said to Rubio, “You better fix this water…If you don’t, we’re going to vote you out and we’ll never vote for you again.”
MEANWHILE…MURPHY ENDORSED BY AMERICANS FOR RESPONSIBLE SOLUTIONS, CUTS AD FEATURING OBAMA. This week, the Murphy campaign released a television ad featuring President Barack Obama speaking about how he has counted on Patrick in Congress and why Floridians can too. Watch “Strong” here. Murphy was also endorsed by Americans for Responsible Solutions, the gun safety organization founded by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband astronaut Mark Kelly. Captain Kelly spoke on a conference call with Murphy announcing the endorsement, which stands in stark contrast to Senator Marco Rubio, whose staff shielded him from speaking with Kelly a few weeks ago.
GOP ABANDONS JOHNSON IN WISCONSIN. Though Ron Johnson decided to launch Act I of the “Ronald and the Donald” show in Cleveland this week, he didn’t do much to raise Republicans’ hopes for his flailing campaign. This week, both the NRSC and Koch-backed Freedom Partners cancelled their multi-million dollar ad buys planned in Wisconsin to support Johnson. This is just the latest indicator that national Republicans are willing to abandon incumbent Senators in places like Wisconsin and Illinois in order to defend seats they once thought to be safe in Missouri, Arizona and North Carolina that are now in play due to Democrats’ strong recruiting efforts.
ICYMI – GOP SENATORS #ALLIN FOR TRUMP. This week, the DSCC highlighted how regardless of whether or not vulnerable Senators or Senate candidates showed up in Cleveland, they are #AllIn for Trump. As DSCC communications director Sadie Weiner said on the final night of the convention, “Senate Republicans no longer have room to obfuscate, dodge, or play rhetorical twister: Donald Trump is their nominee, and they are responsible and accountable for his toxic and hate-filled agenda.” Aside from their pledged support for the toxic and divisive nominee, Senate Republicans and candidates share many of the same dangerous policy positions that Trump promotes that would be devastating to America’s hard-working middle class families.
MEMO: GOP Senators #AllIn For Trump
Senate Republicans Standing With Trump To Make America Reckless – Not Safe
Senate Republicans #AllIn For Trump: They Stand with Donald Trump on Defunding Planned Parenthood
MUST WATCH NEW #NVSEN AD: CORTEZ MASTO RELEASES “IDEAS.” This week Catherine Cortez Masto released a great new ad, “Ideas,” that contrasts her commitment to working with both Democrats and Republicans to solve problems for Nevadans with Congressman Heck’s record of siding with big business over Nevada’s children. As Nevada’s former Attorney General, Catherine sponsored more than 40 bills that garnered bipartisan support and were signed into law by Nevada’s Republican Governor. Watch “Ideas” here.
HECK FOLLOWS NRSC PLAYBOOK, SAYS HE’LL VOTE FOR TRUMP EVEN THOUGH HE OFFENDS HIS WIFE. When asked about Donald Trump’s offensive comments about women and how that changes his support for Trump, Congressman Joe Heck said “…my wife is here, if he wants to earn my wife’s vote, he needs to figure out how to talk.” Heck’s comments perfectly fall in line with the NRSC’s advice in their “Trump Memo,” where they instructed their candidates to say their wives are offended by what Trump said. Sorry Congressman Heck, by drawing the line just for your wives and daughters, you’re no better than Trump yourself.
DSCC RAISES $8.6M IN JUNE, CRUSHING NRSC BY OVER $2M. The DSCC raised $8.6 million in June, crushing the NRSC by over $2 million. The DSCC has now outraised the NRSC in 10 out of 12 months in 2015 and in the first six months of 2016, despite being in the minority. Over the last three months, the DSCC raised $21.9 million, nearly $6 million more than the NRSC raised in the same period, for the best Q2 in DSCC history. The DSCC has $29 million cash on hand, over $2.5 million more than the NRSC has, and no operational debt.
BAYH LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN WITH “FREEDOM, SECURITY AND PROSPERITY TOUR.” After announcing his bid for the U.S. Senate last week, this week Evan Bayh toured across the state to hear from Hoosier small business owners and voters on economic and national security issues and share how he wants to be a solutions Senator that puts partisanship aside. Read more about Bayh’s tour here and here.
BAYH IN STRONG POSITION FOR NOVEMBER– A poll commissioned by the DSCC finds Evan Bayh leading Todd Young by an overwhelming 21 points. 55% of Hoosiers viewed Bayh’s job performance favorably, including 57% of Independents and 47% of Republicans.
GARLAND NOMINATION BREAKS RECORD FOR INACTION. This week, Judge Merrick Garland broke the record for longest-waiting Supreme Court nominee for action by the Senate. The previous record of 125 days was set all the way back in 1916. And reminder – not only are GOP Senators carrying on their unprecedented Supreme Court blockade, but they are doing so in the hopes that toxic, reckless Republican nominee Donald Trump will fill the vacancy. Scary!
IN THE STATES
NEW HAMPSHIRE – A new poll released by WMUR shows Maggie Hassan leading Kelly Ayotte by 3 points in the Granite State. Ayotte’s +2 favorability ratings are the lowest they’ve been since she ran for office in 2009. In contrast, despite approximately $7.5M in spending against the Governor since the last WMUR poll in April, Hassan’s favorability ratings (48/35 +13) continue to be strong.
MORE NEW HAMPSHIRE – The Hassan campaign launched a new radio ad focusing on Governor Hassan’s record of expanding opportunity and economic growth in New Hampshire. The ad also touts CNBC’s recent ranking that featured New Hampshire as the #1 state for business friendliness. Listen to “Business Friendly” here.
EVEN MORE NEW HAMPSHIRE: As Kelly Ayotte continued to hide from Donald Trump and her party’s convention in Cleveland, Granite Staters came together at her Manchester office yesterday to protest the Trump-Ayotte agenda and show that she can’t escape their shared policy priorities. Watch WMUR’s coverage.
PENNSYLVANIA – The McGinty campaign released its first television ad of the general election, highlighting Katie’s working class roots as the 9th of 10 children and how she will fight for Pennsylvania values in the Senate. Watch “Siblings” here.
NEVADA – Congressman Joe Heck spoke to a Hispanics in Politics group in Las Vegas on Wednesday, where he faced questions about his irresponsible stances on immigration reform and expanding background checks and then was met with protesters outside the event. One protester said he wanted to tell Heck that, “he couldn’t run away from Hispanic voters come Election Day.”
MORE NEVADA – The League of Conservation Voters released a new ad slamming Congressman Joe Heck for putting big oil interests the Koch Brothers before Nevada families. Watch “Struck” here.
ARIZONA – Just weeks after he said President Obama was “directly responsible” for the Orlando tragedy and blamed the United States for the ongoing fighting and instability in Afghanistan, Senator John McCain again tried to use national security to score cheap political points by saying that the President “allowed” the attack in Nice to happen. It’s the latest example of how after more than 33 years in Washington, McCain’s ditched the “straight talk.”
MORE ARIZONA – The Kirkpatrick campaign released a new ad featuring Ann discussing how career politicians like John McCain put themselves ahead of voters. Watch “It’s Time” here.
EVEN MORE ARIZONA — Famed GOP Pollster Frank Luntz asked Arizona’s GOP Delegation in Cleveland whether or not they wanted to see McCain re-elected this November. The stunned veteran pollster “was met with silence.” Read more.
COLORADO – Darryl Glenn was finally acknowledged by the NRSC this week, but it didn’t help him gain any positive coverage. His speech to the RNC was widely panned, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer immediately labeled one of his key claims “Mostly False.” Additionally, Washington Post reporter Chris Cillizza named Glenn one of his “Losers” of Day 1 of the RNC, saying “A series of hackneyed one—lines…and blatant appeals for applause…were bad enough.”
WISCONSIN – The Feingold campaign released a new ad this week highlighting Russ Feingold’s national security plan. In it, he discusses how he thinks America can defeat ISIS and combat terrorism across the world. Watch “Tough” here.
IOWA – President Barack Obama announced his endorsement of Patty Judge in Iowa. He touted Judge as someone who “has never backed down from a challenge” and will bring that same fight to the US Senate.
MISSOURI – In a race that “may not be as safe as the pundits once thought,” Jason Kander is gaining ground on Senator Roy Blunt in Missouri. Kander recently stopped by Springfield news station KOLR to speak about why he thinks it’s important to have more veterans like himself in Congress and the contrast he poses to Blunt in November. Watch here.
ILLINOIS – Senator Mark Kirk certainly had one of the strangest responses to Melania Trump’s plagiarism controversy. Mirroring many of his previous condescending comments about women, Kirk defended Melania by saying she’s a “very pretty woman with that foreign accent of hers.” That NRSC imposed silence couldn’t last forever.
TWEET OF THE WEEK – This week’s Tweet of the Week goes to the Youngstown Vindicator’s David Skolnick, for pointing out that Rob Portman is so “All In” for Donald Trump, he’s using the Cleveland Cavaliers’ (and Strickland campaign’s) message: “@dskolnick: Like the #Cavs, @senrobportman said voters should be #AllIn on the Republican ticket. #RNCinCLE.”
Enjoy the weekend!
Sadie Weiner
Lauren Passalacqua
Sam Lau
Lara Sisselman
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