DSCC FRIDAY TAKEAWAYS: MARK KELLY BLASTS MASTERS INTO ORBIT AT DEBATE – QUACK DOC OZ SLAMMED FOR PEDDLING BAD MEDICINE – HERSCHEL WALKER SPIRALS

AIN’T NOBODY MESSIN WITH OUR CLIQUE – DSCC CHAIRMAN SENATOR GARY PETERS TOUTS DEMS STRONG SENATE INCUMBENTS & CANDIDATES.  DSCC Chair Senator Gary Peters joined MSNBC host Ali Velshi to tout Senate Democrats’ strong incumbents and candidates, emphasizing that “there’s no question if you look at candidate quality between Democratic incumbents and our candidates in states versus the Republicans, there’s a clear contrast.”

“We have better candidates. We have better incumbents. It’s clear.”

UNPOPULAR! YOU’RE GOING TO BE UNPOPULAR! GOP SENATE CANDIDATES CONTINUE TO BE OUT OF TOUCH WITH VOTERS. Senate Republicans’ “trove of truly terrible candidates” received a WWE style smackdown in The New York Times, while voters continue to be turned off by their party’s plan to impose a nationwide abortion ban without exceptions.

• The New York Times (Opinion): Whoops! Behold the Republican Trove of Truly Terrible Candidates. “You’d almost think the party honchos met in secret and decided that running the Senate was too much of a pain, and that they needed to gather some nominees who would guarantee they could keep lazing around in the minority.”

• NBC News: Sen. Rick Scott says there’s ‘arguments to do’ abortion restrictions ‘at the federal level’. “Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., the chairman of Senate Republicans’ campaign fundraising arm, said Sunday that he supports ‘reasonable’ abortion restrictions and that ‘there’s arguments to do it at the federal level.’”

MIGHT AS WELL TAKE ADVICE FROM DR. PEPPER – QUACK OZ PUSHED “DANGEROUS PRODUCTS” AT THE EXPENSE OF HIS VIEWERS. After bombshell reporting from The Washington Post revealed that Oz “provided a platform for potentially dangerous products and fringe viewpoints” on his TV show, a wave of news coverage is highlighting how the Republican is “a malicious scam artist” who “unabashedly used his celebrity to enrich himself.”

• Washington Post: As TV doctor, Mehmet Oz provided platform for questionable products and views. “What’s really sad about the situation is how he used all that prestige and authority to then lead people down a path of nonsense.”

• PennLive: Oz publicized ‘potentially dangerous products’ on former TV show, news report.  “Oz used his popular TV show to publicize ‘potentially dangerous products and fringe viewpoints,’ frequently drawing criticism from colleagues in the medical community.”

• City and State: Physicians: Oz ‘lying to the American people’ through promotion of ‘quack cures’. “Many medical professionals are speaking out against Oz and what they call his record of ‘lying to the American people about medicine.’”

• Philadelphia Inquirer: What science says about the ‘fat burners’ and other gimmicks Oz promoted on his TV show. “He used his platform to offer misleading — or downright untrue — medical advice.”

• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Editorial): Mehmet Oz’s specious medical claims raise questions of financial integrity. “To what extent did Mr. Oz know he was making spurious claims?”

ICYMI → PennLive: ‘Don’t be caught naked,’ Pa. Democrats warn voters (cover up those ballots!)

HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM – MASTERS GETS BLASTED BY CAPTAIN MARK KELLY IN AZ SENATE DEBATE. Mark Kelly won Thursday night’s debate by clearly laying out the contrast between his lifetime of service to his country with Blake Masters’ dangerous, disqualifying views. Voters heard Masters double down on his support for a national abortion ban, attack America’s military, and show exactly why he has no place in the U.S. Senate.

• NBC News’ Sahil Kapur: Mark Kelly goes off on Blake Masters over abortion: “We all know guys like this. Guys that think they know better than everyone about everything. You think you know better than women and doctors about abortion.” “Folks, we all know guys like this.”

• No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: Wow. Mark Kelly just masterfully dropped the hammer on Blake Masters.

WATCH OUT I’VE SEEN HIS TYPE BEFORE, THAT CANDIDATE IS SO DANGEROUS – FORMER CLASSMATES & AZ WOMEN SLAM MASTERS. Channeling Akon, Blake Masters’ former classmates and Arizona women are making sure voters know that the Republican is dangerous – slamming his anti-choice position and dangerous plans that would “lead Arizona down a dark, dystopian path.”

• Arizona Mirror: Former Tucson classmates and teachers condemn Blake Masters as ‘dangerous’ for Arizona. “A group of Blake Masters’ former classmates at Green Fields Country Day School in Tucson have condemned him in no uncertain terms in an open letter saying that he would ‘lead Arizona down a dark, dystopian path.’”

• Phoenix News Time: Blake Masters Just Got Dumped by Three Republican Women, “On Tuesday, a trio of prominent Republican women — former state Senator Heather Carter, former Phoenix Vice Mayor Peggy Neely, and business owner and political activist Lisa Hoberg — gathered in the Capitol Rose Garden on Washington Street to denounce their fellow Republican and endorse his opponent and Democrat, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly.”

HERSCHEL WALKER HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRUTH. You might have seen Herschel Walker in the news this week – but don’t miss his other major lies. An investigation by HuffPost revealed that Walker’s claim to “supervise six hospitals around the United States” is completely fabricated, and PolitiFact highlighted how he has misrepresented “his record on veterans, graduation, and law enforcement.” 

• HuffPost: Herschel Walker Claimed He Supervised 6 Hospitals. He Didn’t. “But there is no evidence that Walker ever supervised or started hospitals or medical centers. His personal financial disclosure forms, which have already been amended multiple times, do not indicate he ever owned or ran hospitals.”

• PolitiFact: Did Herschel Walker misrepresent his record on veterans, graduation and law enforcement? Yes. “Walker incorrectly said he treated 4,500 veterans. Walker did not graduate from college or work in law enforcement, contrary to his claims. ​​We don’t know what motivated Walker, but we know he has misrepresented his experience and credentials. We rate the claim True.”

GET IN LOSER WE’RE GOING TO FIGHT FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS – BARNES STARTS “RON AGAINST ROE” TOUR. Mandela Barnes continued his “Ron Against Roe” tour this week, holding Senator Ron Johnson’s feet to the fire for working to rip away reproductive freedoms for Wisconsinites. See some of the coverage below:

• Leader Telegram: Barnes visits Eau Claire, discusses abortion access. “‘The contrast couldn’t be more clear,’ Barnes said, adding that Johnson is ‘adamantly against our rights.’ Barnes stressed the word ‘our,’ saying this isn’t just a women’s issue. He was critical of Republicans who have taken a stance against abortion access.”

• UpNorthNews: Barnes going on offense against Johnson with focus on reproductive freedom. “Ahead of the tour, Barnes released a statement saying, ‘It’s time for Ron Johnson to answer for his record of endangering women and fighting to strip them of their rights. He supported an abortion ban with no exceptions that could’ve put women and their doctors in jail. Ron can try to lie about his record, but Wisconsin voters know the truth – and we’ll hold him accountable for it in November.”

• CapTimes: Barnes focuses on abortion policy in final weeks of U.S. Senate race. “Barnes, Wisconsin’s Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, stopped in the southeastern Wisconsin city for an event focused on abortion policy, and drew a formidable crowd to the cozy brewery tucked just off of the city’s historic Main Street for the middle of the afternoon on a work day.”

• Channel 3000: Barnes’ ‘Ron Against Roe’ tour takes aim at Johnson on abortion. “During Tuesday’s event, part of Barnes’ ‘Ron Against Roe’ tour, the lieutenant governor and Senate hopeful blasted Johnson as ‘a senator who is hell-bent on taking peoples’ rights away, hell-bent on moving us backwards as a state, as a county, as a society.’”

CORTEZ MASTO GETS NV POLICE UNION BACKING WHILE ADAM LAXALT ONLY FIGHTS FOR HIMSELF.  While Adam Laxalt continues to attack law enforcement and peddle the dangerous Big Lie that led to violence on January 6th, Cortez Masto is earning the support of the Nevada Police Union because they know she is champion for keeping Nevadans safe.

• Nevada Current: Cortez Masto slams Laxalt for inspiring Jan. 6: ‘It is unforgivable’“‘(Laxalt) has an extreme agenda that he is trying to hide and play safe,’ said Cortez Masto, …  ‘He can’t do it because I’m not going to let him.” Her remarks come days before Laxalt is scheduled to appear at a rally in Minden, Nev. with former President Donald Trump. As state co-chair of Trump’s reelection campaign in 2020, Laxalt was front and center in Nevada pushing the Big Lie — the false claim that widespread voter fraud occurred and influenced the outcome of elections.”

• KOLO: Nevada Police Union endorses Catherine Cortez Masto. “The Nevada Police Union has endorsed Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in her re-election bid. The NPU represents approximately 700 law enforcement officers in the state of Nevada.”

• Reno Gazette Journal (Opinion): Cortez Masto vs. Laxalt: the fighter for Nevada vs. the fighter for himself. “I am a registered Republican. However, having worked with both Senator Cortez Masto and Mr. Laxalt, the choice between them is clear. Senator Cortez Masto has earned our vote — because she has the skill and dedication to public service necessary to legislate for Nevada.”

NO TAKE BACKS – BOLDUC “FINDS HIMSELF ON DEFENSE” AS HE STRUGGLES TO OUTRUN HIS EXTREME POSITIONS. Don Bolduc is too extreme for New Hampshire – he would upend Social Security and Medicare as Granite Staters know it, and he can’t seem to get his story straight when it comes to the 2020 election results. No wonder he is “on defense” with New Hampshire voters.  

• Associated Press: Another shift for NH GOP Senate candidate on 2020 election. “Don Bolduc isn’t making a full about-face, but the Republican nominee for Senate in New Hampshire can’t seem to stop shifting his position about whether the 2020 presidential election was legitimate.”

• Nashua Telegraph (Opinion): Senator Cindy Rosenwald: Don Bolduc’s intentions are crystal clear. “​​Don Bolduc’s radical intentions are crystal clear: End Social Security and Medicare, and turn his back on Granite State seniors. He has told us this is what he will do if given the chance, and we must believe him. We must vote against Bolduc and his extreme agenda this November. It’s time to re-elect a champion for New Hampshire seniors, and that is why Senator Maggie Hassan has my vote.”

• NHPR: Promising New Offensive Against Hassan, Bolduc Finds Himself On Defense With Some Voters. “Bolduc appeared to be playing defense — not only against Hassan’s heavy rotation of attack ads, but also against some Republican voters who pressed Bolduc about his changing positions, particularly on false claims of 2020 election fraud.”

BAD NEWS BUDD – BUDD’S BUSINESS COMES UNDER FIRE FOR MISTREATING WORKERS. A major report from Indy Week has revealed that Budd’s family’s company has a “track record of employee lawsuits and workplace violations.”

• Indy Week: Ted Budd’s Family’s Company Has Track Record of Employee Lawsuits and Workplace Violations. “As the Budd Group grew into a multistate conglomerate with thousands of employees, currently worth an estimated $100 million, employees at the company dating back more than 20 years complained of discriminatory working conditions and workplace violations including wrongful termination, sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and safety breaches.”

MOVE OVER JASON BATEMAN – HORRIBLE BOSSES STARRING JOE O’DEA, COMING TO COLORADO VOTING BOOTHS. A new report from the Denver Business Journal revealed GOP Senate candidate Joe O’Dea endangered the lives and wellbeing of his workers and underpaid them – resulting in costly fines for multiple violations. Scrutiny of O’Dea’s business record comes as he faces scrutiny for his call to slash Social Security and Medicare, and for his blatant hypocrisy on government spending.

• Denver Business Journal: What does Joe O’Dea’s record as an employer mean to his Senate campaign?“According to the lawsuit, O’Dea asked during a meeting if the ‘old guys were a liability’ and told the general superintendent to take care of it ‘and make it disappear.”

• Colorado Politics (Opinion): O’Dea often sipped at government trough. “O’Dea is now fully onboard the GOP hypocrisy train: he hates government spending, unless it is for his own business.”

• Colorado Times Recorder: FACT CHECK: It’s True That O’Dea Supported Reducing Social Security & Medicare Benefits. “When asked by a right-wing radio host in June about reducing Medicare and Social Security benefits O’Dea said, ‘Well, I think in order to manage the debt, you’re going to have to grab everything. It’s not going to be just one pill that fixes this thing. It’s going to be a reduction in bureaucracies.’”

OHIO REPUBLICANS SLAM VANCE AS A “CRAVEN SHAPESHIFTER.” Former GOP State Representative Joan Lawrence scorches J.D. Vance as a “craven shapeshifter” and a “chameleon who will do anything to get elected” in a brutal op-ed in the Columbus Dispatch. The American Independent called Vance out for hypocrisy as he fills his pockets with cash from oil companies who are making record breaking profits at the expense of working Ohioans.

• Columbus Dispatch: Former Ohio lawmaker: J.D. Vance a ‘craven shapeshifter’ regurgitating MAGA speak. “These flip-flops and contortions aren’t just embarrassing. They show exactly the kind of person J.D. Vance is—a craven shapeshifter who will say whatever he needs to say to get elected.”

• American Independent: JD Vance complains about gas prices while raking in fossil fuel industry money. “Ohio Republican Senate nominee J.D. Vance personally profits from oil and gas companies and has broken his promise not to take their campaign donations.”

JUST THIS WEEK, THANKS TO SENATE DEMOCRATS

→ Senator Warnock Fights To Lower Housing Costs. Senate Democrats like Senator Warnock are fighting to lower costs for working families. That’s why Warnock introduced a housing package to lower costs for people in Georgia and across our country by helping them cover their rent and save up to buy a home. Watch more here:

IN THE STATES

AZ – Northeast Valley News: “I will always defend abortion access.”—Sen. Mark Kelly. “‘According to Senator Kelly, the government should not be involved in a decision ‘for women’ and ‘with their doctors.’ Kelly also believes that women— ‘half the population’ lost a constitutional right with the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion and cites a huge chasm between himself and his opponent Blake Masters (R) on abortion rights.”

FL – Sun Sentinel (Opinion): Marco Rubio has turned his back on immigrants. “Rubio is the son of Cuban foreigners who were welcomed fully in this country, and that directly accounted for his own success. I am a daughter of the Cuban waves of migration myself. However, Rubio is shaming us all by selling out his immigrant brothers and sisters in order to further his own political gains. ¡Qué vergüenza!”

NH – Union Leader (Opinion): Senator Maggie Hassan: In NH, we keep our word. “My commitment to New Hampshire seniors stands in stark contrast with my opponent, Don Bolduc. Bolduc is running on an extreme agenda calling to eliminate Social Security and end Medicare as we know it.”

OH – LimaOhio.Com: Ryan: Workers first. “The Workers First Express bus tour focuses on the workers in Ohio. He hopes to continue to invest and rebuild the working middle class. Ryan has made various stops in Dayton, Toledo and now Lima. The bus will make its next stops in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland and Mt. Vernon.”

WI – Wisconsin Examiner: Johnson makes Senate race about crime but votes against $3 billion for public safety. “Johnson voted against a combined $3.6 billion in funding for federal programs that support local law enforcement and public safety measures. Those votes included $20 million in funding targeted at Wisconsin that would have put 58 more police officers on the streets in the state.”

WI – Heartland Signal: Ron Johnson boasts bipartisanship. His Democratic counterpart has him beat.“Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin passed significantly more meaningful bipartisan legislation under former President Donald Trump than her Republican counterpart, Sen. Ron Johnson, despite Johnson’s boasts of bipartisanship.”

TWEET OF THE WEEK

David Bergstein
@DavidABergstein

Amanda Sherman
@asherman89

Pat Burgwinkle
@Burgwinkle

Nora Keefe
@norakatekeefe

Freedom Murphy
@F_AlexanderM

Eli Cousin
@elicousin

Claire Berry
@claireliseberry

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