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DSCC FRIDAY TAKEAWAYS – GOP PUSHING SHODDY HEALTH CARE PLANS – STATE FRAUDITOR STRIKES AGAIN – VUKMIR & NICHOLSON BADGER EACH OTHER IN WISCONSIN

HOW TO LOSE AN ELECTION: GOP PUSHING SHODDY HEALTH CARE PLANS THAT CHARGE MORE FOR PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. The Washington Post detailed the latest plank in the GOP’s ongoing sabotage of America’s health insurance: using public funds to push shoddy insurance policies that “cover fewer medical services” and “bypass” the law protecting patients from predatory insurance practices – like charging patients with pre-existing conditions more for their care.

Reminder: Kaiser Family Foundation recently found an overwhelming majority of Americans, including 77 percent of Independents and 58 percent of Republicans, believe it’s important to keep protections in place for people with pre-existing conditions.

Republicans also dealt “another blow” to the health insurance system by freezing stabilization payments, which could cause costs to spike even further.

“REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES IN KEY SENATE RACES STRUGGLE WITH TRUMP TARIFFS.” The Associated Pressand the Washington Post profiled how the Republicans trade war is squeezing GOP Senate candidates, with a spotlight on states like North Dakota, Tennessee, Missouri and Indiana.

From the AP, on the ground in Nashville: “Tosh, a third-generation farmer who almost always votes Republican, said he’s voting this fall for Blackburn’s Democratic opponent, former Gov. Phil Bredesen, in part because Trump’s trade wars are hurting his family business.”

From WaPo: “The imminent trade war and it’s tariffs on everything from soybeans to pork threatens to emerge as a critical issue in Senate battleground races the GOP needs to protect its majority this fall… retaliatory tariffs that countries like Canada and China are aiming squarely at Trump’s base will test their solidarity with the president in a very competitive midterm election year.”

STATE FRAUDITOR STRIKES AGAIN:“GOP SENATE HOPEFUL COOKS BOOKS, SKIRTS DONATION LIMITS.” The Daily Beast took a deep dive into wealthy east coast developer Matt Rosendale’s campaign finances and found he’s utilizing an “audacious accounting maneuver” to make a “ambitious end-run around campaign finance laws.” Wealth, deception and “wacky” manipulations of campaign finance rules — this report has it all.

How it’s playing in Montana:

Associated Press: Senate candidate shuffles cash to keep excess donations

Helena Independent Record: Report: Rosendale uses accounting to skirt contribution limits

VUKMIR AND NICHOLSON BADGER EACH OTHER IN WISCONSIN. So much for that unity pledge. Dueling attack ads from groups backing Vukmir and Nicholson mark the latest escalation in this “brutal” primary. Vukmir’s camp slammed Nicholson for his past as a Democrat and his allies fired back with an attack calling her “a typical politician.” The Journal Sentinel wrote how these two also went after each other in radio appearances.

MEANWHILE VUKMIR, NICHOLSON BREAK FROM BALDWIN ON MADE IN AMERICA PROPOSAL… AND TRUMP.Senator Baldwin’s “Made in America” proposal to require federal infrastructure projects use US-made steel, iron and aluminum is something the president agrees with “100 percent.” Maybe Leah and Kevin are too distracted by their own infighting to have gotten the memo, but both came out against Baldwin’s plan to make sure federal tax dollars support American manufacturers and workers.

#FF to the Wisconsin Democrats’ new Twitter account WI-Sen Watch

NEW: SENATOR SPINELESS. The Rosen team has launched a new campaign holding Dean Heller accountable for his spinelessness and failing to protect Nevadans’ health care. First reported in the Hill, “the ad accuses Heller of caving to political pressure from President Trump and voting to repeal ObamaCare. Heller has defended his vote for a “skinny” repeal bill since it would not have touched Nevada’s expansion of Medicaid. The Senate ultimately rejected the measure.”WATCH:

MOSEN RACE IN A HEADLINE: “MISSOURIANS SEARCHING FOR A GOP SENATE CANDIDATE OF SUBSTANCE AREN’T FINDING IT IN HAWLEY.” This St. Louis Post Dispatch editorial sums up why Josh Hawley’s campaign keeps sliding down the ladder of credibility. Key point: “[Hawley’s] exaggerations… mask a much more profound weakness in the young attorney general’s background: his own lack of experience. He has minimal credentials with which to convince voters that he can be more effective as a senator than McCaskill.”

RICK ROLLED BY MORE BAD PRESS

No wonder Scott’s suffered 170 bad stories in the first 90 days of his campaign.

***DEMS FLOOD THE AIRWAVES AND INTERNET***
AZ: Sinema Says Arizonans “Have The Desert In Our Blood”
FL: “Scott puts insurance companies first. Bill Nelson puts Florida first.”
MORE FL: Digital Ads Highlight Nelson’s Fight For Floridians (also in Spanish)
EVEN MORE FL:  New Puerto Rican Organization Calls Out Scott On Climate, Trump
IN: Donnelly Slams Braun On Outsourcing
MORE IN: Hoosier Dems Roll Out MadeInChinaMike.com
NE: Deb Fischer’s Trade War

MCSALLY’S SHIFTS “RAISE SUSPICION.” Arizona Republicans sound off on the damage McSally is doing to her campaign. From Yellow Sheet Report: “When candidates ‘move around on the ideological spectrum’ and in doing so flip and flop, they ‘raise suspicion of their trust worthiness,’ [Republican consultant Bert Coleman of Coleman Dahm] said. “That raises suspicion that they will say anything to get elected, and the public is tired of politicians who will say anything to get elected.”

“DID JIM RENACCI FALL INTO THE WASHINGTON SWAMP?” DOES CLEVELAND MISS LEBRON? Cleveland.comdetails the myriad ways Congressman Renacci actually epitomizes the D.C. Swamp Creature he hypocritical claims to oppose on the campaign trail. And don’t miss columnist Brent Larkin’s damning piece on why Renacci’s close association with convicted felon Ben Suarez “is baggage that will not go away, nor should it.

***WE’VE GOT SOME BIG Q2 FUNDRAISING NUMBERS***
AZ: Sinema raised $3.25 million
FL: Nelson raised nearly $4.4 million
NV: Rosen raised $3.5 million, outraising Heller for 4th quarter in a row
MO: McCaskill raised $4.3 million, AP says “Hawley Lags Behind
MT: Tester raised $3 million
ND: Heitkamp raised more than $1.9 million a state fundraising record.
OH: Brown raised $3.7 million
PA: Casey raised $2.2 million
TX: Beto crushes Cruz with $10.4 million raised
WI: Baldwin raised nearly $4.4 million
WV: Manchin raised $1.5 million, has 6 to 1 cash on hand advantage

BRAUN FUMBLES ON HILL SEX SCANDAL. Breaking with just about every other Indiana Republican, Mike Braun actually defended embattled Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct. His campaign tried to clean it up with an emergency statement, but the Internet never forgets.    

MAYOR ALL IN FOR HEIDI. From the Grand Forks Herald: “Brown said he’s not voting for Heitkamp based on party affiliations…He even voted for Donald Trump in the last presidential election…Heitkamp’s work on issues such as agriculture and human trafficking have helped ‘actual people’ in North Dakota, he said.”

SH*T KEVIN CRAMER SAYS, FROM CNN: GOP Senate candidate Kevin Cramer: I told Trump to avoid ‘affirmative action pick’ for Supreme Court.

IN THE STATES

NV — Reno Gazette Journal Op-Ed: Heller’s medical hostages: Leal

MORE NV — KTVN: Rosen, Ford Tour New Mental Health Center

MT — Billings Gazette Editorial: Montana farmers caught in trade war crossfire

ND — Fargo Forum: Commentary from 4th generation farmer: Trade wars are economic self-mutilation

OH: Herald Star: Brown a trusted ally for all Ohio workers

PA: WJAC: Sen. Casey’s grandparents bill becomes law

TN: The Tennessean: We deserve answers from Marsha Blackburn on opioids

WI — AP Fact Check: Claim against Sen. Baldwin exaggerated

MORE WI — PolitiFact: GOP U.S. Senate hopeful Leah Vukmir’s Pants on Fire claim about Mark Pocan proposal to abolish ICE

WV —  Metro News: Manchin holds second roundtable meeting with state clergy members

TWEET OF THE WEEK

It’s Friday, you made it!

Lauren Passalacqua

@laurenvpass

Ben Ray

@BenRay

David Bergstein

@DavidABergstein

Justin Lavoie

@je_lavoie

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