REPUBLICANS PRAISED TRUMP WHILE HE DOWNPLAYED CORONAVIRUS. A bombshell report today reveals that Trump knew that the novel coronavirus “was dangerous, airborne, highly contagious and “more deadly than even your strenuous flus,” and admitted to “intentionally misleading Americans.” Reminder: Senate Republicans refused to hold the Trump administration accountable throughout this crisis as more and more reports revealed how Trump botched the response, ignored warnings, failed to ramp up testing, and allowed the coronavirus to “silently spread” throughout the United States for weeks while telling Americans the virus will just “go away” and are now still “defending Trump” in the face of the new audio recordings. Washington Post: Woodward book: Trump says he knew coronavirus was ‘deadly’ and worse than the flu while intentionally misleading Americans
Take a look at what Republicans have said praising the President’s deadly coronavirus response:
REPORT: PATIENTS MAY HAVE SEEN ‘SIGNIFICANT’ DELAYS IN MEDICINE DELIVERIES OVER USPS. A bombshell Senate report today revealed that “patients who rely on the U.S. Postal Service for their prescription drugs may have experienced ‘significant’ delays in their deliveries.” The report details how the delays, a result of Republican mega-donor and current USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s changes to the USPS, “threaten to put seniors, veterans and other Americans at risk of missing much-needed medication.” Senate Republicans have repeatedly denied and downplayed the problems as DeJoy and President Trump have sabotaged the Postal Service by cutting overtime and removing high-speed mail sorting machines — and this report reveals the real-life consequences of Republicans’ failure to demand accountability. Washington Post: Patients may have seen ‘significant’ delays in medicine deliveries by USPS, Senate report finds
NYTIMES: DEMOCRATS ON THE OFFENSIVE ON KEY ISSUE OF HEALTH CARE. A new New York Times analysis looks at how Democrats are on offense and holding Republican incumbents and candidates accountable for their records opposing protections for pre-existing conditions and opposing efforts to lower drug prices. As Republicans plow ahead with their lawsuit to gut protections for pre-existing conditions – even in the middle of a pandemic – health care is still top of mind for voters and remains a massive “political liability” for Republicans that “could help determine control of the Senate.” New York Times: Democrats Flip Open the Health Care Playbook
SENATE REPUBLICANS STILL PUSHING TO GUT EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE INSTEAD OF EXTENDING RELIEF. After creating an “urgent crisis” by wasting weeks bickering and letting emergency unemployment relief expire, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans left for a month-long vacation and left nearly 30 million jobless Americans with no relief. Now, Senate Republicans are planning a vote on a stunt bill that slashes unemployment benefits in half and fails to adequately fund state and local governments, schools and the U.S. Postal Service. McConnell and his caucus have consistently refused to work on negotiating a bipartisan deal for additional coronavirus relief. Read our statement here.
RATINGS CHANGE: POLITICO MOVES #COSEN, #KSSEN, AND #SCSEN IN DEMOCRATS’ FAVOR. A new Politico analysis of the Senate map found that “control of the Senate remains firmly up for grabs.” In their analysis, Politico moved the Colorado Senate race to the “Lean Democratic” category as Democratic candidate and former Governor John Hickenlooper is consistently running ahead of the increasingly vulnerable incumbent Senator Cory Gardner. The analysis also found that strong Democratic candidates have put more seats in play across the map and forced Republicans on defense in states they never anticipated being competitive, moving both the Kansas and South Carolina races in Democrats’ favor. POLITICO: POLITICO Election Forecast: Trump running out of time to turn around 2020 campaign
NC DEMS, DSCC & DCCC FILE LAWSUIT CHALLENGING ABSENTEE BALLOT RULE THAT RISKS DISENFRANCHISING VOTERS ACROSS THE STATE. Yesterday, the North Carolina Democratic Party, DSCC and DCCC filed a lawsuit challenging a directive that will reject ballots for technicalities and fail to provide North Carolina voters with the opportunity to correct them, resulting in disenfranchisement. The lawsuit seeks to set one system that notifies voters of the issue and allows them to cure their ballots over email, fax or in-person in a timely manner so their vote is counted. Read more about the lawsuit here.
“COLORADO CORKY” MESSNER EMERGES FROM A DIVISIVE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY. After a divisive primary, New Hampshire Republicans are now forced to prop up a scandal-ridden candidate in ‘Colorado Corky’ Messner, a shady con man who can’t be trusted. Messner is a Colorado multi-millionaire who’s trying to buy a Senate seat to serve himself, not the people of New Hampshire. (And spoiler alert: the party unity isn’t going too well––Messner’s primary opponent has already refused to support him in November, saying “’I will not disgrace my name to support a man like that.’”) Read our statement here.
REPUBLICAN GROUPS POUR MORE MONEY INTO #KSSEN. Mitch McConnell’s super PAC yesterday announced a $5.2 million ad buy in Kansas after GOP-aligned groups have already poured over $4 million into the race since the beginning of the general election. Despite Republicans’ early gloating, it doesn’t appear that the Kansas Senate race is looking all that great for Republicans who, after a messy and expensive GOP primary, have been forced to bail out an underwhelming candidate in Washington politician Roger Marshall. This additional $5.2 million buy confirms Republicans’ fears of Marshall going up against Democrat Dr. Barbara Bollier — widely regarded as a “strong candidate” who has built a broad coalition of support and has the resources to continue building a juggernaut campaign.
NEW REPORT: TILLIS’ OFFICE DISMISSED HEALTH CARE CONCERNS OF CANCER SURVIVOR. A new WRAL report revealed how a staffer in Senator Thom Tillis’ office told a three-time cancer survivor worried about losing her health care during the pandemic she’d have to “figure it out.” This staffer’s attitude is reflective of Tillis’ own record of pushing to gut access to affordable health care. Tillis himself has voted 15 times to dismantle or undermine the Affordable Care Act, which provides coverage protections for pre-existing conditions like cancer. He supports the lawsuit to eliminate the ACA, and called his own repeal vote “courageous.” Watch the clip here.
LOCAL EDITORIAL BOARD SLAMS TILLIS FOR BEING AT THE CENTER OF A CORRUPT “STRAW-DONOR SCHEME.” After a bombshell investigative report this weekend from the Washington Post exposed Senator Thom Tillis as “one of the biggest beneficiaries” at the center of a corrupt “straw-donor scheme” run by Republican mega-donor and current USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the Charlotte Observer Editorial Board slammed the vulnerable incumbent for his failure to speak out against the corrupt fundraising maneuver that helped him rake in tens of thousands of dollars. And when North Carolinians open their paper to read this brutal editorial, they’re also served a visual reminder of Tillis’ silence on the president’s comments calling American troops “losers” and “suckers.” Read the Editorial Board’s searing criticism: Charlotte Observer (Editorial): Thom Tillis, Louis DeJoy need to explain campaign donations
DEM AD WATCH
AZ – The DSCC’s first TV ad in Arizona highlights Senator Martha McSally’s record of saying she will do what’s right for Arizona but doing another thing in Washington. Watch.
GA – Reverend Warnock released a new ad that details his own childhood experience dealing with systemic racism and inequities, and his promise to fight to level the playing field for all working Georgians. Watch.
IN THE STATES
AL – Alabama Political Reporter: Doug Jones holds drive-in re-election rally in Leeds
GA – Albany Herald: Jon Ossoff addresses rural health in southwest Georgia during virtual news conference
GA – CBS News: Georgia Senate candidate releases ad recalling childhood experience with racism
IA – Globe Gazette: Ernst leaves Iowans without aid: Letter
ME – Slate: How Maine Turned on Susan Collins
MI – Detroit News: Gary Peters leads John James in Michigan U.S. Senate race, Detroit News/WDIV poll finds
MT – USA Today: Fact check: False nepotism claim against Montana’s governor in GOP ad
MT – NBC Montana: Gov. Bullock sues USPS postmaster general
TX – Dallas Morning News: Texas Republicans mostly silent on Atlantic report that Trump called military ‘losers’ and ‘suckers’
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