NEW JOBLESS CLAIMS HIT HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE AUGUST, BUT REPUBLICANS HAVE ABANDONED RELIEF. Jobless claims hit their highest levels since August and permanent job losses are rising, but Mitch McConnell and his caucus are more focused on rushing to rubber stamp a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court who will jeopardize protections for people with pre-existing conditions than working to pass urgently needed unemployment relief. Here are the facts: in the time since Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans let emergency unemployment aid expire in July, they have taken a month-long vacation, pushed a stunt bill that even President Trump said didn’t meet Americans’ needs, and turned their backs on the millions of Americans who desperately need help by devoting their attention to rushing through their Supreme Court nominee. And now, because of Senate Republicans’ inaction, “tens of millions of Americans are dealing with uncertain futures.” It’s yet another colossal failure of leadership from Washington Republicans.
DEM CHALLENGERS BECOME CONTENDERS, EXPAND THE SENATE MAP. Democratic candidates who began the cycle “with a far-fetched hope of winning Senate seats in states that President Trump won by double digits…are no longer considered long shots” according to an analysis by the Wall Street Journal. Races in traditionally red states have continued to move in Democrats’ favor — with seats once considered safely Republican like South Carolina now becoming among the most competitive battlegrounds. And in Kansas, Dr. Barbara Bollier’s impressive campaign has put Republicans on defense and the president of Mitch McConnell’s super PAC even admits “the amount of money that Bollier has raised in comparison to the Marshall campaign is of concern.” Wall Street Journal: Democrats Once Seen as Long Shots Are Now Contenders for Senate
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS FEC ENFORCEMENT AGAINST ERNST’S DARK MONEY GROUP. Yesterday, a federal judge ordered the Federal Election Commission to take enforcement action on a complaint against a dark money group set up by top political aides to Senator Joni Ernst, which has “worked closely” with Ernst’s campaign – an arrangement that violates federal campaign finance laws. The ruling on a motion filed by the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan elections watchdog, comes after Ernst has refused to address the explosive Associated Press report that exposed her “dark money ties” for the past 10 months while allegations of illegal coordination have dogged her campaign. In fact, Ernst has continued to hold campaign fundraising events with the aide at the center of the dark money coordination scandal and has even tried to hide the names of her campaign staffers in a likely illegal “payroll non-disclosure setup.”
LINDSEY GRAHAM BREAKS THE LAW, FUNDRAISES IN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING. Senator Lindsey Graham has gotten so desperate after being massively outraised by Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison that he broke the law and violated Senate ethics rules when he begged for campaign cash inside a Senate office building yesterday. It’s clear that the increasingly vulnerable incumbent’s desperation is only growing: Graham has also been an almost constant fixture on Fox News “begging for money” with desperate pleas for help and Mitch McConnell’s super PAC was recently forced to start dumping more than $10 million into South Carolina to prop up Graham’s flailing campaign.
NEW POLL: OSSOFF AND WARNOCK SURGING IN GEORGIA. A new Quinnipiac poll of the Georgia Senate races found that Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock have both surged and now lead in their respective races. Ossoff leads Senator David Perdue 51%-45% with likely voters holding a positive view of the challenger and a mixed view of the incumbent. In the special election, Warnock has surged to lead the field with 41% of the vote — and in hypothetical head-to-head matchups against unelected Senator Kelly Loeffler and Congressman Doug Collins, Warnock “leads in both scenarios.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Poll: Biden takes significant lead in Georgia for first time
KEENE SENTINEL ENDORSES SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN FOR RE-ELECTION. The Keene Sentinel Editorial Board endorsed Senator Jeanne Shaheen for re-election yesterday, writing that she “has served the state well” and “deserves another term in the Senate.” The Editorial Board praised Shaheen for going to Washington “with a firm grasp of the needs of Granite Staters” and working “effectively to further their interests.” They cite her work for service members and veterans, on the opioid crisis, rural broadband expansion, and efforts during the COVID-19 crisis that have steered funding towards the state among her many accomplishments for the Granite State. In their own words: “in short, Shaheen has done much for the Granite State and that should continue.” Keene Sentinel: Sentinel Editorial: Jeanne Shaheen; NH’s senior US senator has a lot more to offer
DURANGO HERALD ENDORSES JOHN HICKENLOOPER. The Durango Herald endorsed former Governor John Hickenlooper for U.S. Senate because “on the most significant issue facing Americans” –– health care –– “only one candidate has the right stance.” The Herald cites Hickenlooper’s commitment to providing “properly priced health insurance and medical care” as the reason he “easily deserves support.” In contrast, the Herald calls out Senator Cory Gardner for failing “to bring the breadth and depth needed to give Americans the coverage and bill paying they deserve.” Overall, the Herald believes that “Hickenlooper would be helpful by envisioning the future and bringing his penchant for applying negotiations and moderate positions that made him good for Colorado.” Durango Herald: Endorsements: For US Senate, only one candidate has right stance on health care
MAINE AFL-CIO AND STATE COUNCIL OF MACHINISTS CALLS ON COLLINS TO TAKE DOWN “FALSE AND MISLEADING” AD. Local labor leaders are calling out Senator Susan Collins for a campaign ad that misrepresents her role in this summer’s Bath Iron Works strike. In the ad, Collins tries to take credit for ending the strike, when in reality the Maine AFL-CIO says that despite multiple requests from the union, Collins refused to intervene after accepting substantial contributions from BIW’s senior management and parent company. The “disingenuous” ad is the latest example of Collins trying to paper over her record of failing to fight for Maine workers. Maine Public: Union Officials: Susan Collins Ad Falsely Implies She Helped End BIW Strike
REPORT: DAINES TRADES ON “AN INVENTED LEGACY” IN MONTANA TO DISTRACT FROM “VERY REAL LEGACY FURTHERING THE FAMILY FORTUNE IN WASHINGTON.” A new report in the American Prospect reveals that Senator Steve Daines has consistently misled Montanans on everything from his personal history and his voting record to his fealty to corporate donors. The vulnerable incumbent “has long traded on an invented legacy in the state to distract from his very real legacy furthering the family fortune in Washington.” Daines “has tried to sell himself as a fifth-generation Montanan, even though publicly available records show that’s not the case”: the report shows only one member of Daines’s family line “was actually born” in the state and Daines himself was born in California. And while Daines seeks to paint himself as a selfless politician with Montanans’ best interests at heart, “his voting record…paints a picture of an astroturfer profiting off the surveillance of some of America’s most libertarian, anti–big government voters.” The American Prospect: Sen. Steve Daines Isn’t Who He Says He Is
DEM AD WATCH
AZ – The DSCC released a new TV ad in Arizona’s Senate race holding Senator Martha McSally accountable for misleading voters about her toxic record of siding with her special interest donors at the expense of Arizonans. Watch.
CO – John Hickenlooper released a new Spanish-language ad featuring former Senator Ken Salazar, who highlights the former governor’s loyalty to all Coloradans on expanding health care coverage, growing the economy, and creating jobs while dismissing the false GOP attack ads. Watch.
MT – The DSCC’s latest ad in Montana’s Senate race spotlights Senator Steve Daines’s record of being “China’s ambassador in Congress” at the expense of hardworking Montanans. Watch.
TX – MJ Hegar released a new ad that calls out Senator John Cornyn for his failed response to the coronavirus pandemic and explains why Texas voters are done with him after his 18 years in Washington. Watch.
IN THE STATES
AL – AL.com (Opinion): What did Tommy Tuberville know? When do we get to know it?
CO – Coloradoan (Opinion): John Hickenlooper: I will take action and stand up for Colorado
GA – Project Q Atlanta: Raphael Warnock: I’ll fight ‘mealy-mouthed’ foes of LGBTQ equality
GA – OpenSecrets: Warnock’s Q3 cash challenges Loeffler’s wealth in Georgia Senate special
IA – Cedar Rapids Gazette (Opinion): Greenfield: Time for Iowa leaders to help us get back on our feet
ME – WMTW: Senate candidate Sara Gideon casts absentee ballot Wednesday
MT – Bloomberg: Democrat Bullock Is Competitive in Montana Senate Race
SC – Charleston Post & Courier (Opinion): Further Consideration: For promises kept, look to Jaime Harrison
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