MCCONNELL, SENATE GOP STILL BLOCKING URGENTLY NEEDED CORONAVIRUS RELIEF. Senate Republicans return to work today from their month-long summer vacation after refusing to pass additional pandemic relief for out-of-work Americans, schools, frontline health care workers, state and local governments, and the U.S. Postal Service. Now, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is still refusing to extend emergency unemployment relief for millions of Americans and instead is focused on pushing through his partisan agenda to confirm federal judges while American families wait desperately for relief amid this public health and economic crisis.
CRICKETS FROM SENATE REPUBLICANS AFTER TRUMP’S DISRESPECT TOWARDS AMERICAN TROOPS. Last week, a devastating report from The Atlantic – confirmed by numerous media outlets including AP and Fox News – detailed how President Trump has disparaged Americans who died in military service as “losers” and “suckers” and even wanted wounded veterans kept out of military parades. Days later, Senate Republicans have STILL not spoken out against President Trump’s disrespect towards American troops. While Republicans remain silent as Trump dismisses and insults patriotic veterans, Democratic Senate candidates – including six military veterans – are standing up to defend the sacrifices of the men and women who have served our country in the Armed Forces. Read what they’re saying here.
GOP SENATE CANDIDATES DOWNPLAY CORONAVIRUS & PEDDLE CONSPIRACY THEORIES. A new report from The Hill highlights how “Republicans are seeking to downplay the heavy toll of the coronavirus” by pushing a “widely debunked theory” that the coronavirus death toll is much lower. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst and Kansas Senate candidate and Congressman Roger Marshall have been peddling these dangerous conspiracy theories “at a time when about 1,000 people a day are dying from the virus.” The reckless and disqualifying comments are just the latest example of how Republicans have grossly mishandled the public health crisis. The Hill: GOP uses debunked theory to downplay COVID-19 death toll
BATTLE FOR THE SENATE: “DEMOCRATS IN RANGE OF OVERTURNING A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY.” New analyses from BGOV, the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press highlight how the Senate majority is “within reach” for Democrats as strong challengers have expanded the map and added paths to the majority. Democratic Senate candidates have consistently broken fundraising records with grassroots support and focused on voters’ top issue of health care, an issue that is a massive “political liability for GOP incumbents.” In response, Republican-aligned groups have been forced to pour millions of dollars into defense trying to bail out increasingly vulnerable incumbents.
TILLIS BENEFITED FROM “STRAW-DONOR SCHEME” RUN BY CURRENT POSTMASTER GENERAL HE REFUSES TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE. 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. Additional reporting from the New York Times revealed even deeper connections between Tillis and DeJoy’s fundraising maneuvers. Tillis has banked “nearly $300,000” from a corrupt fundraising maneuver that appears to have violated state and federal campaign finance laws and been orchestrated by DeJoy. The vulnerable incumbent has been an ardent defender of DeJoy and refused to condemn his actions at the Postal Service that have disproportionately hurt rural North Carolinians and veterans.
“SHAMEFUL AND DANGEROUS BUT HARDLY SURPRISING”: ERNST FACES CRITICISM FOR HARMFUL ACCUSATION AGAINST HEALTH CARE WORKERS. Senator Joni Ernst is facing continued scrutiny after she irresponsibly embraced debunked conspiracy theories, saying she was “so skeptical” of the COVID-19 death count and suggesting that doctors, nurses, and health care professionals were falsifying coronavirus cases to collect a higher reimbursement. Todd Dorman of the Cedar Rapids Gazette criticized Senator Ernst for embracing a “shameful and dangerous” conspiracy theory and becoming a “punch line,” the Quad-City Times Editorial Board gave Senator Ernst a “Thumbs Down” for her comments fueling misinformation, and Iowa doctors continued to express outrage at Ernst’s false accusations of fraud.
SENATOR DAVID PERDUE RUNNING “STEALTH CAMPAIGN” AVOIDING LOCAL PRESS, VOTERS Senator David Perdue is letting his ads do the talking and avoiding questions from constituents and local media as he faces a tough challenge from Jon Ossoff for his seat in November. Senator Perdue has not held a single public town hall meeting in years and is facing criticism for his infrequent public appearances and choosing to run a campaign that’s “visible on TV – but not in public.” 11Alive: Sen. David Perdue’s stealth campaign
SENATOR GARY PETERS ENDORSED BY 20 LABOR GROUPS ON LABOR DAY. Labor groups from across Michigan endorsed Senator Gary Peters yesterday, pointing to his proven record of fighting for working families and organized labor. Senator Peters helped pass bipartisan legislation to expand apprenticeship and skilled trades opportunities and has worked to protect the right to collectively bargain and organize. Detroit News: U.S. Sen. Gary Peters endorsed by 20 labor groups on Labor Day
GOVERNOR BULLOCK RECEIVES ENDORSEMENTS FROM 17 LABOR GROUPS IN MONTANA. Yesterday, Governor Steve Bullock’s campaign also announced endorsements from 17 labor unions. Governor Bullock has always committed himself to standing up for the working people of Montana, from working as a union-side labor lawyer to joining the locked out workers at the talc mill in Three Forks.
KC STAR EDITORIAL BOARD: “GOP ATTACKS ON BOLLIER DEVOLVE INTO ABSURDITY.” The Kansas City Star Editorial board called out recent GOP attacks on Dr. Barbara Bollier as “not just cynical, but absurd.” The GOP’s false and desperate attacks are even more than “a stretch” –– just the latest example of how scared Republicans are to face Bollier, who has built a juggernaut campaign. Recent polls show that the Kansas Senate race is a dead heat. Kansas City Star: Editorial: “In Kansas Senate race, GOP attacks on Bollier devolve into absurdity”
DEM AD WATCH
MT – Governor Bullock’s new ad highlights his record of standing up for working Montanans. Watch.
NC – Army veteran Cal Cunningham’s latest ad contrasts his record of service with Senator Thom Tillis’ inaction in Washington following reports of Russian bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Watch.
VA – Senator Mark Warner released an ad focusing on his work fighting drug companies to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. Watch.
IN THE STATES
AL – WTVY: U.S. Sen. Jones working to inform constituents about pandemic
AK – The Cordova Times: Gross: Health insurance should be affordable
GA – WSAV: Georgia candidates for US Senate discuss plans to support HBCUs
KS – Leavenworth Times: Barbara Bollier: I’ll be an independent voice of reason
MS – Jackson Free Press: Mike Espy Holds Drive-In Rally In Jackson, Emphasizes Health Care, Racism
MT – Billings Gazette: Letter to the editor: Bullock fights for MT farmers
TX – Forbes: Texas Democrats Claim ‘Unprecedented’ 1 Million Voter Registration Blitz, Where Trump And Biden Stay Close In Polls
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