DSCC FRIDAY TAKEAWAYS: REPUBLICANS’ NATIONAL ABORTION BAN IS “AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER” – BOLDUC ROUNDS OUT GOP’S CLOWN CAR ROSTER – DSCC AD HITS MASTERS ON SOCIAL SECURITY

“AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER” – REPUBLICANS’ NATIONAL ABORTION BAN BECOMES MAJOR LIABILITY FOR GOP SENATE CANDIDATES. News coverage is highlighting how GOP Senate candidates were immediately put “on the spot — and on the defensive” as voters were reminded that “their choice in November is between supporting a Democratic majority that wants to preserve abortion access and handing control of Congress to Republicans who are seeking to ban the procedure.” Senate Republicans’ national abortion ban includes a criminal penalty that would lock Americans in federal prison for 5 years.

• The Washington Post: Republicans in muddle on abortion as ban proposed by Graham exposes rifts. “‘It’s an absolute disaster,’ GOP strategist John Thomas said, as Republican Senate nominees already targeted for their comments on abortion were asked to weigh in. ‘Oy vey,’ he said when informed that Blake Masters in battleground Arizona had just expressed his support.”

• NBC News: ‘Bad idea:’ Republicans pan Lindsey Graham’s 15-week abortion ban. “Instead of creating a consensus point for GOP candidates, Graham’s plan puts them on the spot — and on the defensive… GOP strategists said.”

• POLITICO: Graham’s abortion ban stuns Senate GOP. “The bill could cause especially acute problems for the party’s Senate hopefuls.”

• AP: Abortion ban legislation adds to political challenge for GOP.“The legislation exposed deep frustration among Republican candidates and strategists who have found no answer on the politics of abortion since the Supreme Court’s ruling.”

• The New York Times: Graham Proposes 15-Week Abortion Ban, Splitting Republicans. “It also accomplished something that many Republicans have sought to avoid, highlighting for voters that their choice in November is between supporting a Democratic majority that wants to preserve abortion access and handing control of Congress to Republicans who are seeking to ban the procedure.”

• MSNBC: With proposed abortion bans, GOP eyes criminal charges for doctors. “GOP candidates were told to say that the party does not ‘want to throw doctors … in jail.’ And yet, Republican proposals keep saying the opposite.”

TALK OF THE TOWN – VOTERS SEE WALL-TO-WALL COVERAGE SLAMMING GOP SENATE CANDIDATES’ NATIONAL ABORTION BAN. Republican Senate Candidate hopefuls are making clear that choice is on the ballot this November. Candidates are even “co-sponsoring a bill that would ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks.”

• AZ – Arizona Republic (Opinion): Whoa, whiplash: GOP Senate candidate Blake Masters flips again on abortion. “‘Of course I support Lindsey Graham’s 15-week bill, and I hope it passes,’ Masters told the Associated Press.”

• CO – Colorado Sun (Opinion): Joe O’Dea’s compromise plan on abortion just got a reality check from Lindsey Graham. “O’Dea likes to say that he’s not running on culture-war issues, which is what you say when you don’t agree with the majority of voters. But now that Graham has reminded Coloradans what a Republican abortion bill might actually look like, and what it would mean for Colorado, the calculation for O’Dea just got that much harder.”

• FL – Miami Herald: Rubio cosponsors bill by Graham banning abortions nationally after 15 weeks. “Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is co-sponsoring a bill that would ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks, an aide confirmed Wednesday, throwing support behind a measure that both aligns with his longstanding desire to restrict access to abortion and risks complicating his reelection bid less than two months before Election Day.”

• GA – Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Herschel Walker supports 15-week proposed national abortion ban. “​​Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Herschel Walker said he supports a 15-week national abortion ban proposed by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.”

• NC – News and Observer: NC Senate candidate Ted Budd backs Graham’s proposed 15-week national abortion ban. “U.S. Rep. Ted Budd expressed his support this week for a new proposal to ban abortion nationwide.”

• NH – WMUR: Stark contrasts between Hassan, Bolduc in US Senate race. “’He is out of touch and very, very extreme and would pull New Hampshire backward,’ Hassan said. ‘He would be a yes vote for a national abortion ban…’”

• NV – Las Vegas Sun: Proposed US abortion ban puts issue in spotlight for Nevada midterms. “Adam Laxalt, the Republican nominee running against Cortez Masto, had said previously he would support a referendum limiting abortion to the first 13 weeks, according to an Aug. 2 op-ed of his published in the Reno Gazette Journal. In that op-ed, Laxalt wrote that he agreed with the June ruling by the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.”

• OH – Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Senate race: Tim Ryan blasts Lindsey Graham abortion ban as J.D. Vance stays quiet. “Vance doesn’t support exceptions for cases of rape or incest and said last year that children shouldn’t be punished for “inconvenient” circumstances around their birth… ‘Hopefully we get to a point where Ohio bans abortion.’””

• PA – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Pennsylvania Senate contest could be the key in GOP’s plan to consider national abortion ban. “Mr. Fetterman quoted Mr. Oz as saying ‘abortion is murder,’ referring to reporting on NBC News last month that unearthed audio from a May tele-town hall by Mr. Oz.”

• WI – Wisconsin Examiner (Opinion): Ron Johnson’s push to ban abortion. “Johnson’s position on the nationwide abortion ban is crystal clear. Whether he says so or not, he is already in favor of Graham’s effort. How do I know? Johnson cosponsored every version of the same ban Graham has introduced since 2013. Johnson’s name is on the bill six times — in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021.”

NEWS DSCC AD HIGHLIGHTS THAT A VOTE FOR BLAKE MASTERS IS A VOTE TO PRIVATIZE SOCIAL SECURITY. On Monday the DSCC released a new ad in the Arizona Senate race, “Privatize.” The spot highlights how Masters would privatize Social Security, putting the hard-earned benefits of Arizona seniors on the chopping block.

WATCH: “Privatize”

• The Hill: Senate Democratic group targets Blake Masters over Social Security. “Senate Democrats’ campaign arm released a new ad on Monday attacking Arizona Republican Senate nominee Blake Masters’s comments about Social Security during a primary debate in June.”

PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN? MASTERS INSULTING COMMENTS ABOUT THE U.S. MILITARY SURFACE. A bombshell report from Vice News exposed Masters’ flagrant history of criticizing the military, unearthing comments where he calls our brave servicemembers ‘rotten,’ ‘incompetent,’ and ‘bozos.’”

• Vice News: Blake Masters Wants to Fire All Generals and Replace Them With Conservatives. “Masters explicitly called for a wholesale firing of the generals at least seven times between August 2021 and March 2022, according to a VICE News review of his remarks, and harshly criticized military leadership numerous other times.”

WHO RUNS THE WORLD? FETTERMAN PROMISES TO FIGHT FOR ABORTION RIGHTS. During a rally this past weekend Pennsylvania Senate Candidate, John Fetterman declared “Women are the reason we can win.”Fetterman promised to codify Roe v. Wade if he is sent to D.C. Showing a stark difference between anti-choice Oz who believes abortion is ‘murder. ‘”

• CNN: ‘Don’t piss women off’: Democrat John Fetterman makes abortion rights push in Philadelphia suburbs. “Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman and top allies on Sunday hammered Republican Mehmet Oz over past remarks calling abortion ‘murder’ and warned that Oz would be a ‘rubber stamp’ for a national ban. ‘Women are the reason we can win,’ Fetterman said. ‘Don’t piss women off.’”

• Philadelphia Inquirer: ‘Women are the reason we can win,’ John Fetterman says at packed abortion-rights rally in Montco. “‘This decision is between a woman and a real doctor,’ Fetterman said of abortion. ‘Oz believes abortion is murder. If every abortion is murder, that means Oz thinks every woman who had to choose an abortion is a killer. Think about that.’”

• Vanity Fair: “Should This Decision Be Made By Dr. Oz?”: Abortion-Rights Fight Is Taking Center Stage In Pennsylvania Senate Race. “After decades of backing Republicans, Mory plans to cast her vote for Fetterman this fall, along with her daughter.”

• KDKA – TV News at Six (WATCH): “He’s making abortion rights a priority in his campaign. … At that rally Fetterman hammered Republican Mehmet Oz over his past remarks on abortion, warning the crowd that Oz would be a rubber stamp for a national ban. He recommitted himself to protecting abortion rights.”

LIKE GROUNDHOGS DAY — ROUNDING OUT MESSY GOP PRIMARY SEASON, BOLDUC IS LATEST “DISASTROUS” “S— SHOW” GOP SENATE NOMINEE. Republicans are “apoplectic” and “skeptical” of “far-right” New Hampshire GOP Senate nominee Don Bolduc – calling his nomination a “disastrous” “s— show” that leaves “Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) better positioned to win re-election.”

• New York Times: Bolduc Wins New Hampshire Senate Primary, Realizing G.O.P. Fears. “Mr. Bolduc’s… success adds New Hampshire to the list of battleground states where Republicans this year chose candidates firmly in the Trumpian mold to compete in general elections that Republicans have historically won by reaching out to independents and conservative Democrats.”

• Fox News: Trump stayed neutral, but MAGA-Republicans, meddling Democrats, win big in New Hampshire’s fiery GOP primaries. “A veteran GOP consultant called the results in New Hampshire ‘disastrous,’ while another termed it a ‘s— show,’ with just eight weeks to go until the general election.”

• Associated Press: Election denier Bolduc wins New Hampshire GOP Senate race. “Bolduc’s victory likely reignites disappointment among some in the national party that Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, a relatively popular moderate who might have posed more of a threat to Hassan, chose instead to run for reelection.”

→ DSCC CHAIR SEN. PETERS’ STATEMENT ON SENATOR MAGGIE HASSAN

HIDING HERSCHEL – WARNOCK CALLS OUT WALKER FOR PATTERN OF LIES. It’s no wonder why Walker hasn’t accepted another debate: since entering the race, Walker’s lies, scandals, and bizarre statements have been put on full display.

• Macon Telegraph: ‘This conversation shouldn’t be this difficult.’ Warnock still wants second debate with Walker. “‘This conversation shouldn’t be this difficult,’ Warnock said. ‘(Walker) said he would debate me ‘anytime, any place.’ Those weren’t my words. Those were his words. If we can’t count on you to do what you said you would do with respect to a debate, how can we trust your word on anything else you promise?’”

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER CALLS OUT BUDD AS A “SEDITIONIST-IN-HIDING.” A must-read column from The Charlotte Observer delivers a brutal assessment of Ted Budd’s inability to stand up for democracy while doing ‘all he can to illegally overthrow the 2020 presidential election.’”

• Charlotte Observer: North Carolina doesn’t need a seditionist-in-hiding in the US Senate. “The only decent response by traitors to their oath of office is to apologize, resign and go home. Instead, Budd seeks a promotion. North Carolina needs many things in 2022. A quiet, smiling, seditionist-in-hiding isn’t one of them.”

SELF-SERVING & SELF-DEFEATING – RON JOHNSON CALLED OUT FOR ENRICHING HIMSELF VIA CHINA AND FOR HIS FLOUNDERING CAMPAIGN. A new report detailed how self-serving Senator Ron Johnson’s family’s wealth has increased due to their ties to China. Meanwhile, Johnson is running a campaign that a Washington Post column described as “political gold for Democrats.”

• The Guardian: Republican’s wealth boosted by stake in company whose growth linked to China. “Wisconsin Republican senator Ron Johnson, a vocal critic of Beijing who has vowed to launch investigations into the Biden family’s alleged relationships with Chinese businesses, declared $57m in income in his first 10 years in office in connection to his ownership stake in a company whose growth has closely been linked to China.”

• Washington Post (Opinion): Ron Johnson is proving to be a great campaigner — for Democrats. “Democratic officials are dumbfounded that Johnson would grab onto the ‘third rail’ in politics. But then again, Johnson voted against a $35 cap on insulin; against granting the Department of Health and Human Services the power to negotiate with drug companies; and against a $2,000 limit for seniors’ out of pocket drug costs. He also opposed extending Affordable Care Act subsidies that save more than 200,000 Wisconsinites roughly $800 per month.”

AND THE EMMY GOES TO LAXALT… FOR HIS PERFORMANCE TRYING TO COVER-UP HIS ANTI-CHOICE AGENDA The Las Vegas Sun Editorial Board slammed Adam Laxalt for being “flatly against women’s right to control their bodies,” emphasizing the importance of the upcoming election. Nevadans cannot afford Laxalt’s “silence, corruption and flat out lies,” when it comes to women’s right to choose. 

• Las Vegas Sun (Editorial): GOP lawmakers deserve Emmys for their performances on abortion. “In the theater of politics, it’s unfortunate the categories for silent performers seem to be coming back in vogue. Fortunately, unlike the Emmys, only the voters of Nevada and of the United States will determine whether Laxalt, Lombardo or any other Republicans are rewarded for their silence, corruption and flat out lies.”

→ ICYMI – CNN: MORE THAN HALF OF REPUBLICAN SENATE NOMINEES HAVE REJECTED, CAST DOUBT UPON OR TRIED TO OVERTURN THE 2020 ELECTION RESULTS.

JUST THIS WEEK, THANKS TO SENATE DEMOCRATS.

→ Senator  Cortez Masto Secures Funding For Nevada. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto has secured $5.2 million dollars in funding for Northern Nevada Walker River Paiute Tribe. The grant will be used “to boost the tribe’s local economy by funding improvements to water infrastructure.”

• Nevada Current: Walker River Paiute Tribe set to receive $5.2M for water infrastructure. “‘Tribes in Nevada and across the country were hit hard by the pandemic, and I supported this funding to make sure they were able to recover,’ Cortez Masto said in a statement. ‘I’ll continue working on behalf of Nevada Tribes to make sure they have the infrastructure they need to grow their economies and create good-paying jobs.’”

IN THE STATES

AZ – Northeast News: Tracking the U-turns from the Blake Masters senate campaign. “Calling pro-abortion rights ‘demonic,’ privatizing Social Security, blaming Black people for America’s gun violence—Masters campaign tries to revise‚ turn around, delete, recalibrate—what’s next?”

CO – Colorado Times Recorder: Big Lie Bucks: Joe O’Dea Campaigns With Election Deniers at National and Local Fundraisers. “U.S. Senate hopeful Joe O’Dea took some flack for his decision to attend an NRSC fundraiser tonight in Miami alongside a trio of election deniers: Arizona’s Blake Masters, Adam Laxalt from Nevada, and Ohioan J.D. Vance. As it turns out, however, one of his biggest local donors also believes in the Big Lie.”

OH – WOSU: A day on the campaign trail with Tim Ryan features the voices of different voters. “Ryan landed at a town hall at Central State University’s Dayton Campus, which included about a dozen Black voters for a chance to share with Ryan what issues are most pressing to them.”

WI – UpNorthNews: ‘Completely out of Touch’: Ron Johnson’s Threats to Social Security and Medicare Put Wisconsin Seniors in Jeopardy. “Johnson, who’s up for reelection in November, believes Social Security and Medicare should not be guaranteed and should instead be negotiated by Congress every single year, which means politicians could cut funding for these programs or eliminate them altogether.”

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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