Monthly Archives: June 2020

Stop me if youve heard this one. Our Republican legislators, for all their faults, are decent, fair-minded folks committed to the common interest its the cesspool of Washington politics that is to blame for the dire straits in which we find our country. Former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) argued along such lines at a Stanford in Government event the Thursday before last, contending that most conservative congresspeople are good guys in a bad spot. According to Flake, his erstwhile colleagues traditional though they may be are essentially moral, genuine, just. Many even wish Trump were out of office, replaced by someone a little steadier and a little saner, and this silent majority would curb the excesses of the current administration if only it were electorally tenable to do so. To hear Flake tell it, these are honest men and women caught in a bind, and, if necessary, they will do whats right. Maybe so, maybe so. Yet Flake fails to answer the obvious question: Where are these honorable Republicans now?

Our nation is in the midst of a crisis not seen since World War II. It has rarely been more important for our representatives in government to put their personal incentives aside and defend the life and liberty of those they are sworn to protect. Yet what do we see? Partisan warfare, political waffling, state-sponsored medical malpractice on a massive scale. Hard-heartedness. Racism. And to top it off, a president that encourages violence and a governing party that lets him. Again and again, those trustworthy, noble Republicans roll over on every issue imaginable. Susan Collins, independent-minded feminist, voted for Kavanaugh. Lindsey Graham, friend of Joe Biden, called for a conspiracy-based investigation into Bidens son. Richard Burr profited off the pandemic. Rand Paul attacked the director of the National Institutes of Health. There isnt an ounce of spine or a flicker of empathy among the lot of them, and Flake is naive to think that these people are working for anyone but themselves.

More naive is the idea that the Republican Party can be saved. Flake believes that a resurgence of leadership is all that stands between his former colleagues and moral redemption. A wave of individualist thinkers could sweep away the rot at the core of our politics, and we could all get back to the business of bettering lives. A nice thought. But Flake is mistaken for a reason as simple as it is sad: The modern GOP has ceased to be an instrument for a cogent political ideology. It is not the party of limited government and personal freedom indeed, those principles apply only when the other side is in control. Nor is it the party of social conservatism: The occupant of the White House is proof enough of that. At present, the GOP is merely the party of power, of keeping it and wielding it, of doing whatever it takes to win. It stands for nothing. It means nothing. Its battles are political, and its judgment are amoral, and little matters to it except victories and votes. And that is why Flake is incorrect: No amount of leadership or rugged individualism can rekindle a flame of conscience long-since extinguished.

Nowhere is this abdication of duty more evident than in Republican responses to the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd. Absent are grief or reproach or empathy. Their tears are for the dollar, not the dead, and their every action conveys the disdain they have for the issues at hand. Its Ted Cruz calling peaceful demonstrations an abuse of power. Its Mitch McConnell condoning the tear-gassing of protestors. Its the decades of parliamentary inaction, indifference and ignorance that brought us to this point, and the refusal to engage with police brutality even now. These arent Senators; these are hardly people. They are unrecognizable as public servants, and Flake is wrong to see them as such.

Still, some empathy is warranted. Flake was one of the few partisans to stand up to Trump, and for that he deserves credit. Perhaps his perspective is understandable the man is a conservative, exiled or not, and no one wants to break with their party. But to maintain the fiction that these are just good guys in a bad spot, that Republican complicity is not ruthlessness but weakness, is to entirely underestimate a political organization Flake knows all too well. McConnell said it himself: Its the judges, stupid. The GOP is not standing idly by out of fear of an executive tweet or a primary challenge. They are not afraid of this president. They are enabling him, empowering him, using him for their own ends. Trump is a riot of the American soul, and Republican lawmakers are the true looters, picking through the rubble of a ruined nation for judicial appointments. So tell us, Jeff Flake: Wheres the honor in that?

Contact Sean Casey at spcasey at stanford.edu.

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The myth of the honorable Republican - The Stanford Daily

WASHINGTON In a rare break with President Trump, multiple Senate Republicans on Tuesday faulted his response to civil unrest around the nation, rejecting his move to crack down on demonstrators and rushing to express sympathy with black Americans who have taken to the streets to protest police brutality against them.

The day after Mr. Trump threatened to unleash the United States military to rout protesters around the nation, the reactions of Republicans some condemning the president directly, others carefully suggesting that they held a different view underscored the politically precarious choice they face between endorsing the presidents divisive approach or breaking with him and risking a party backlash just months before the November elections.

There is no right to riot, no right to destroy others property and no right to throw rocks at police, Senator Ben Sasse, Republican of Nebraska, said in a statement. But there is a fundamental a constitutional right to protest, and Im against clearing out a peaceful protest for a photo op that treats the word of God as a political prop.

Mr. Sasse was referring to the remarkable spectacle that unfolded Monday evening when the police fired flash-bang explosive devices and a chemical agent and used officers on horseback to drive away peaceful protesters outside the White House. Minutes later, Mr. Trump strode out and marched across Lafayette Square to brandish a Bible outside St. Johns Episcopal Church, which had been damaged in a fire during unrest the night before.

Mr. Sasses comments echoed those of Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only black Republican in the Senate, who denounced the move in unequivocal terms during an event hosted by Politico.

If your question is, Should you use tear gas to clear a path so the president can go have a photo op? the answer is no, Mr. Scott said.

Those rebukes, and much harsher criticism of the presidents actions by Democrats in the House and the Senate, reflected a rising sense of alarm at Mr. Trumps behavior as protests of police violence and racial discrimination reached a boiling point after the death of an African-American man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis police custody.

With Democrats demanding a legislative response to the issues underlying Mr. Floyds death, Republicans are facing increasing pressure to back up their critical statements against the president and expressions of concern about persistent racism with something tangible.

We are going to propose and push for bold action, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said Tuesday. What matters is that we respond to a national wave of unrest with action.

This was hardly the first time Republicans on Capitol Hill found themselves pressed to distinguish between their views and those of a president who in times of trouble often seeks the affirmation of his most conservative supporters.

From the moment he took office, Republicans have been called upon to respond to the presidents loaded statements, hyperbolic tweets and scathing criticisms of others as well as his dealings with foreign governments and his positions on harsh immigration measures, trade, congressional authority and other matters. Most Republicans have typically demurred, not wanting to provoke a caustic Twitter attack from the president or alienate party voters devoted to Mr. Trump.

But the current situation may be the most volatile for Republicans yet, with Americans already enduring the twin public health and economic calamities of the coronavirus pandemic almost uniformly outraged at the case of Mr. Floyd, whose brutal death after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes was captured on video. Many Americans in both parties are increasingly unsettled by both the violence stemming from the protests and Mr. Trumps demands that governors and local authorities take a harder line.

With their hold on the Senate to be decided in an election five months away, Republicans will need the votes of suburban and independent voters if they hope to retain seats in states such as Colorado, Arizona, North Carolina and Maine. In a sign of how lawmakers view the political landscape, moderate Democrats in conservative-leaning districts emphatically rejected Mr. Trumps response to the protests in Washington, suggesting that they see little sympathy for the presidents approach among their constituents.

Despite Mr. Trump anointing himself your president of law and order, many Senate Republicans have adopted a much less bellicose attitude, emphasizing the need to get at the root causes of the upheaval racial discrimination and a well-established pattern of excessive use of force by the police rather than targeting protesters.

You can understand the outrage, Senator Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican and majority leader, said Tuesday about the national anguish over Mr. Floyds killing. Mr. McConnell, whose hometown, Louisville, was in turmoil over Mr. Floyds death and recent episodes involving the police in Kentucky, said the grievances were legitimate and he did not dispute the role racism played in the events.

There is no question that there is residual racism in America, he told reporters. No question about that. It has been a longtime dilemma, and we all wish we could get to a better place.

But when Mr. Schumer tried to force action on a symbolic resolution to condemn both the violence and Mr. Trumps actions, Mr. McConnell objected, chiding Democrats for pushing a measure that he said addressed neither justice for black Americans nor peace for our country in the face of looting.

Instead, it just indulges in the myopic obsession with President Trump that has come to define the Democratic side, Mr. McConnell said.

Still, other Republicans joined in the criticism of Mr. Trump.

To me at a time like this, the president ought to be trying to calm the nation, said Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, who is facing a difficult re-election race in a state Mr. Trump plans to visit this week. She said she found it painful to watch peaceful protesters subjected to tear gas so he could go to a church he had visited just once before, and added that Mr. Trump came across as unsympathetic and as insensitive to the rights of people to peacefully protest.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, told reporters that Mondays events did not reflect the America that I know.

I dont think militarization is the answer to the anxiety, the fear, the distrust, the oppression we feel right now, Ms. Murkowski said. It is not the response.

Even Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Mr. Trumps chief Republican defenders, said he had been flummoxed by the presidents actions.

I dont know what the purpose of the trip was, Mr. Graham said. I do know that last night was a bad night and we need less bad nights.

Representative Will Hurd of Texas, the lone black Republican in the House, joined a peaceful protest in Houston on Tuesday evening, marching alongside his constituents and Mr. Floyds family.

What we are showing you today in Houston is that we can be outraged by a black man getting murdered in police custody, Mr. Hurd, who is retiring, said in a video on Twitter. We can be united for change in our society, and we can be thankful that law enforcement is enabling our First Amendment rights.

Other Republicans fell back on their practiced defense, saying they could not make a judgment because they had not seen the incident, while others defended the president, noting that some of the protests had grown violent and given way to looting.

We have to restore order, said Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin. This cant go on. So hopefully, you know, the president talking that way will put a little spine in some of these governors that arent calling out the National Guard, to the extent that they need to to restore order.

Mr. Johnson claimed not to have seen protesters being violently driven back so that Mr. Trump could walk to the church, and Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the second-ranking Senate Republican, said the episode had been in the eye of the beholder.

Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, commended Mr. Trump, saying, Im glad the president led by going to St. Johns Church. It was the protesters, not the president, who had abused power, Mr. Cruz said.

Democrats moved quickly to try to take political advantage of the public mood.

Its time for John Katko to find the backbone to state clearly whether he stands with President Trump or the clergy denouncing his tear-gassing of Americans peacefully protesting, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said in a statement, singling out a third-term moderate Republican from New York who is facing a difficult re-election race in a district Hillary Clinton won in 2016. The committee sent out identical statements about roughly a dozen other endangered House Republicans.

Democrats said they were skeptical that Republicans would be willing to challenge Mr. Trump too aggressively. They said they suspected Republicans would treat the issue as they had gun control in the past, promising action immediately after mass killings but letting the issue pass quietly without action once the uproar subsided.

But Democrats made it clear that they did not intend to let the issue go.

Ive heard words from people on both sides of the aisle, speaking toward the injustice of racism that exists in our country Ive heard words, Senator Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey, said in a passionate floor speech. Its on us in this body to do something.

Catie Edmondson contributed reporting.

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In Rare Break, Some Republicans Reject Trumps Harsh Response to Unrest - The New York Times

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George Will is right. Its not enough to boot Donald Trump out of office:

In lifes unforgiving arithmetic, we are the sum of our choices. Congressional Republicans have made theirs for more than 1,200 days. We cannot know all the measures necessary to restore the nations domestic health and international standing, but we know the first step: Senate Republicans must be routed, as condign punishment for their Vichyite collaboration, leaving the Republican remnant to wonder: Was it sensible to sacrifice dignity, such as it ever was, and to shed principles, if convictions so easily jettisoned could be dignified as principles, for ... what?

.Those who think our unhinged presidents recent mania about a murder two decades ago that never happened represents his moral nadir have missed the lesson of his life: There is no such thing as rock bottom. So, assume that the worst is yet to come.

It has long been my belief that the Republican Party was on the brink of a devastating defeat that would ruin the party for decades. But I was always wrong. Somehow it never happened even though the demographic headwinds were always intensely against them. They kept hanging on, winning elections despite getting worse and worse.

But the same thing is true of all bubbles: they always last longer than anyone thinks they can, which makes the inevitable crash even worse. Republicans probably expected 2016 to be the year of the crash, but thanks to a desperate strategy and some good breaks, they somehow managed to eke out one more win. Unfortunately for them, the price for this was Donald Trump, who was always fated to be the doom of the party. Mitch McConnell knows this, which is why hes so frantically filling judgeships. He knows Republicans are likely to lose in November, and its possible that this is finally the year that they lose the median voter too, entering the same decade-long wilderness that Democrats did in the 1980s.

Trump isnt the only sign of this. The right these days is bereft of ideas. Literally. They have nothing new that they want to accomplish and no particular principles left. They just mechanically accede to whatever Trump happens to be saying this week. The left, by contrast, is brimming with ideas. UBI. National health care. $15 minimum wage. Child care. The revival of labor unions. Taxing the rich. The Green New Deal. Free college tuition. Decriminalization of marijuana. Criminal justice reform. DC statehood. Most of these wont fly, but even if youre a moderate who doesnt care much for Bernie-esque socialism you can still sense the tumult of ideas roiling the progressive movement. Theres life and energy among progressives, while conservatives seem filled only with weariness and hatred. This is not a good foundation for four more years.

Then again, I might be wrong yet again. Maybe the Republican bubble still has some life left in it. Ask me again in November.

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The Republican Party Must Be Routed Mother Jones - Mother Jones

Florida is upping its game to become home field for the Republican National Convention.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry quickly had his hand up, saying his city wants to host the convention, which is apparently crashing out of Charlotte because North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper wont give assurances that coronavirus physical-distancing rules will be lifted for the late August showcase.

Gov. Ron DeSantis remains all-in for bringing the event to Florida, whether it be to Jacksonville, Orlando or Miami-Dade County.

So, this is almost three months out, I think that we probably are going to be able to pull it off, DeSantis said Wednesday while in Orlando.

Unlike Cooper, DeSantis said the convention could be planned for a fully open event. Still, DeSantis didnt give a 100 percent assurance, noting that if the coronavirus flares, changes could be made.

Cooper advised Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel on Tuesday about the need to plan a "scaled-down convention with fewer people, social distancing and face coverings."

Florida, which this week topped 2,500 deaths from the virus, is in a more aggressive reopening mode.

Curry was emphatic in promoting Northeast Florida as being open for business.

We welcome the opportunity to host the @GOPconvention in Jacksonville, Curry tweeted Tuesday. A $100 million local impact event would be important for our city as an event/convention destination. The City is ready for world class events & ready show the world we are open for business.

Orlando, along with Dallas, Phoenix, Nashville, and Las Vegas are reportedly under consideration to scramble to put on the event, which is expected to attract 19,000 delegates, along with staff members, elected officials and reporters. The convention is scheduled from Aug. 24 to Aug. 27.

DeSantis said Orlando would be a good fit just because of the hotel capacity.

Most of the reaction on social media to Curry was, as is the case with social media, negative.

This would be a horrific thing to bring to our city, one commenter replied to Curry. As divided and broken as Jacksonville is, the tension and riots would devastate us.

DeSantis reiterated Wednesday that he is also open to hosting the Democratic convention, even though no overtures have been made about moving that event from Milwaukee.

If (presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe) Biden called me and said they want to do them here, I would support that, because I think the impact to the community, I think, from an economic perspective, would be positive, DeSantis said.

BRING US YOUR PROS

No matter the crisis, superfan DeSantis keeps pushing Florida to roll out the red carpet for the return of professional sports.

While handling the coronavirus and its massive health-care and economic fallout, DeSantis, a former college baseball player, has taken time to keep in contact with leaders of major sports that have been sidelined since March because of the virus.

On Tuesday, a day before it was reported the National Basketball Association planned to use Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando for a 22-team format to restart the season, the governor was on the phone with NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum.

DeSantis said Wednesday he couldnt discuss what they talked about, before adding, Let's just say this, that I'm all in from the state's perspective. I don't think you can find a better place than Orlando to do this. I think it's very exciting.

Last week, DeSantis had calls with Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner and Co-Chairman Ed Glazer and Lesa France Kennedy, chief executive officer of Daytona Beach-based International Speedway Corp. and vice chair of the NASCAR Board of Directors.

DeSantis also regularly promoted a late May charity golf matchup in Hobe Sound involving golfers Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and footballs Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

They raised $20 million. This is for people playing golf. Charity. They got 6 million TV viewers for this, DeSantis said Wednesday. So, I think people are hungry for this. And I think the first sport back, if it is the NBA, I think that they're going to be able to bring more and more fans into the fold. And I think, here in Orlando, I think it would be a great place to do it.

DeSantis, in calling Orlando the potential epicenter of the comeback of professional sports, said hes told the same thing to Major League Baseball. However, that maybe a tougher sell as owners and players continue to lock horns over issues such as revenue sharing and the length of a season.

We've told baseball, Florida wants to be a part, DeSantis said. I don't know how you're going to do it. But we would love to be a part of the solution to be able to get that sport going again.

TWEET OF THE WEEK: White House press secretary says video of protester embracing a Florida State Trooper is not being shown in the media. The video was shot exclusively by @WPLGLocal10 and has aired numerous times in our newscasts. - Parker Branton (@ParkerWPLG), a reporter for WPLG in Miami.

_Please follow CDC guidelines and Orange County advisories to stay safe, and please support this free publication. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you news on how coronavirus is affecting Central Florida. Please consider making a one-time or monthly donation. Every little bit helps.

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DeSantis wants to bring Republican National Convention to Miami, Jacksonville or Orlando - Orlando Weekly

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Some national Republicans are boosting Nancy Mace ahead of next weeks primary in SC-01, one of the GOPs top opportunities to flip a House seat.

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A wave of polls out of core battleground states showed Joe Biden leading President Donald Trump, along with a close race in several other states.

A handful of the congressional primaries in Pennsylvania were called on Wednesday, clarifying some of the battleground races in the crucial and slow-counting swing state.

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Days until the Georgia, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina and West Virginia primaries: 5

Days until the Democratic convention: 74

Days until the Republican convention: 82

Days until the 2020 election: 152

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THE PALMETTO STATE The race to take on freshman Rep. Joe Cunningham in South Carolinas lowcountry is one of the most interesting contests on Tuesday. National Republicans are boosting Mace, whose main main opponent is Kathy Manning, a partially self-funding businesswoman and a local town councilmember. Bikers for Trump founder Chris Cox is also running.

Mace is the kind of candidate that Republicans say they want more of, in a House conference that is still overwhelmingly white, older men. Mace, a state lawmaker, was the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, something that features prominently in a lot of her campaign messaging. Shes been elevated over Landing in the NRCCs Young Guns program, and has the endorsement of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. The White House has not formally backed Mace, but she got a shoutout from Vice President Mike Pence when he visited The Citadel in February (which has also been featured in an ad from Mace).

And stop me if youve heard this one before the Club for Growth has also gone in big for Mace in the primary. (Has any outside group spent more in GOP primaries this cycle than the Club?) Club for Growth Action has spent nearly $600,000 on the race. A spot that landed on Wednesday from the Club said Landing would be an expensive mistake in Congress. Polling released by the Club in late April had Mace with a big lead (but still a little shy of avoiding a runoff), but we havent seen much in the way of reliable polling since then. Landing has the backing of the political arm of the House Freedom Caucus, but they have come nowhere close to matching the Clubs spending. Another big Landing endorsement: former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

Whoever emerges from the primary will go up against Cunningham in a district Trump carried by 13 points in 2016. Cunningham eked out an incredibly narrow victory in 2018 in an open-seat race, and if Republicans are to have any hopes of flipping the lower chamber as NRCC Chair Tom Emmer insists they have districts like SC-01 are must-wins.

But Cunningham wont be a pushover in the district. He is one of the better fundraisers out of all the freshmen Democrats in a wave year, in a class thats just absolutely loaded with money-printing machines. Hes raised a whopping $3.7 million since the beginning of the cycle and was sitting on over $2.6 million in the bank, as of late May. Mace has been a solid fundraiser herself: Shes raised a bit under $1.4 million and had $560,000 squirreled away for the stretch run of the primary.

Republican Nancy Mace is trying to win her primary on Tuesday in one of the country's most competitive House races. | AP Photo

POLLS POLLS POLLS A trio of Fox News polls in battleground states are all good for Biden. In Wisconsin, Biden leads Trump, 49 percent to 40 percent (801 registered voters; May 30-June 2; +/- 3.5 percentage point MOE). Theres a tight race in Ohio, where Biden is at 45 percent to 43 percent for the president (803 registered voters; May 30-June 2; +/- 3.5 percentage point MOE). And across the country in Arizona, the former vice president is at 46 percent to 42 percent for Trump (1,002 registered voters; May 30-June 2; +/- 3 percentage point MoE).

And a new poll out of Texas yes, Texas has the presidential race within the margin of error. In the Quinnipiac University poll, Trump is at 44 percent, to 43 percent for Biden (1,166 self-identified registered voters; May 28-June 1; +/- 2.9 percentage point MOE). Alas, no Senate ballot-test here.

And a Monmouth University national poll has a wide lead for Biden. In the poll of registered voters, Biden is at 52 percent to 41 percent for Trump (742 registered voters; May 28-June 1; +/- 3.6 percentage point MOE).

NOT HOW IT WORKS Trump tried to register to vote in Florida in Sept. 2019 listing the White House as his legal residence which created a potential problem for Trump: Florida law requires voters to be legal residents of the state, The Washington Posts Manuel Roig-Franzia reported. Trump later resubmitted an application with a Florida address a month later.

MORE CALLS Some more calls trickled in from Pennsylvania on Wednesday. In PA-01, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) fended off a surprisingly-lively primary challenge and will face Democrat Christina Finello. Fitzpatrick represents a district that Hillary Clinton carried in 2016, but to call Finello an underfunded primary challenger at this point would be generous. She had $82,000 in the bank as of mid-May, compared to $1.7 million for Fitzpatrick.

In PA-07, Republican Lisa Scheller narrowly edged out Dean Browning for the nomination to face Democratic Rep. Susan Wild. Scheller picked up a last-minute Trump endorsement that may have helped push her across the finish line.

And in PA-08, Republican Jim Bognet emerged from a crowded primary to face Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright. The Democratic race in PA-10 to face GOP Rep. Scott Perry remains uncalled. National Democrats recruited state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, who currently leads his primary opponent.

PRIMARY PROBLEMS Wednesday was a real banner day for Jamaal Bowman, who is primarying Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel in NY-16. Bowman picked up the endorsement of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who for the first time this cycle endorsed against a fellow member of the New York delegation. (She promised a slate of New York endorsements later today.)

Earlier in the day, the Working Families Party and Justice Democrats said theyll collectively spend $500,000 to back Bowman, HuffPosts Daniel Marans reported. Following Engels hot mic moment on Tuesday, Bowman said he raised over $107,000 as well.

THE PROCESS California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order requiring that in-person voting still be an option for the November election, even with the state mailing every registered voter a ballot. The order requires counties to allow voters to cast ballots starting three days before the election and to maintain at least one polling place per 10,000 voters, POLITICO Californias Jeremy B. White reported.

Baltimores election saw a significant amount of problems, with mail delays and some ballots never showing up at all, with election results being delayed, The Baltimore Suns Jean Marbella reported, with results vanishing off the states election results page. Some Baltimore voters received mail-in ballots with errors on them as well, per CBS Baltimore.

ON THE AIRWAVES The NRSC launched its first ad in Maine Wednesday, attacking Democrat Sara Gideon over a campaign finance violation that resulted in a fine last year. Dont gamble on Gideon, a narrator says before promoting GOP Sen. Susan Collins.

Democrat Andrew Romanoff released his first TV ad ahead of Colorados June 30 Senate primary. The ad features Romanoff speaking straight to camera talking about mental health care. I know what its like to lose someone you love, Romanoff says in the ad. Thats why I led the fight for mental health care. But it shouldnt take a crisis to teach us our healthcare system is broken. His campaign said the ad will run statewide backed by a six figure buy.

FIRST IN SCORE Democrat Francis Conole, one of the Democrats running in NY-24, is up with a new television ad. Now were facing a crisis unlike weve ever seen before. So when I see Washington politicians failing to lead, feeding us misinformation, costing us lives. I say, enough is enough, he says in the ad. The ad is part of a pre-existing buy running in Syracuse and Rochester markets.

Republican Andrew Garbarino, who is running in the open seat race in NY-02, released his first television ad of the cycle. The ad notes that hes backed by the retiring GOP Rep. Pete King, and goes after his primary opponent.

Republican Stephanie Bice, who is running in OK-05, is asking supporters to pick her next TV ad. Her campaign released a pair of ads and are asking supporters to vote for which should run. (As best I can tell, the only difference is the background music.)

POLL POSITION A poll from the Republican pollster Cygnal ahead of Tuesdays Democratic Senate primary in Georgia has Jon Ossoff in a strong position. In the poll, Ossoff is at 49 percent, to 16 percent for Teresa Tomlinson and 8 percent for Sarah Riggs Amico (510 likely Democratic primary voters; May 28-30; +/- 3.34 percentage point MOE). Cygnal doesnt have any Georgia Senate campaigns or IE groups as clients.

The aforementioned Fox News poll in Arizona also has a ballot test for the Senate. (Thank you!). Democrat Mark Kelly has a wide lead over GOP Sen. Martha McSally, 50 percent to 37 percent.

And we have some North Carolina numbers, courtesy a poll from the conservative Civitas Institute conducted by Harper Polling. In the Senate rate, GOP Sen. Thom Tillis is at 38 percent to 36 percent for Democrat Cal Cunningham. For the gubernatorial race, Democratic Gov. Dan Cooper is at 49 percent and Republican Gov. Dan Forest is at 37 percent. The presidential race is also close: Trump is at 47 percent to Bidens 44 percent (500 likely voters; May 26-28; +/- 4.38 percentage point MOE).

THE MOVEMENT? Long-simmering tensions among aides of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are now in full public view. As election results across the country rolled in on Tuesday evening, current and former aides to Bernie Sanders abruptly laced into each other on social media, trading accusations of being tone-deaf, not giving a shit about the base, and even stealing infrastructure from the 2020 campaign, POLITICOs Holly Otterbein wrote. For progressives and ex-Sanders staffers worried about how to keep the movement alive after the Vermont senator dropped out of the primary, the feud set off a round of soul-searching since it came against the backdrop of nationwide civil unrest and protests against police brutality.

STAFFING UP Montana Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock is announcing his campaign staff for his Senate bid: Megan Simpson is is his campaign manager, Brandon DeMars is political director, Becky Kuntz is research director, Olivia Bercow is comms director, Bailey Mohr is digital director, Lily Ross is finance director and and Ella Wodin is operations director.

CODA QUOTE OF THE DAY: I was just informed, too, that weve had a large earthquake. As if things couldnt get worse. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti during a press conference.

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Republicans try to pick their candidate in top flip opportunity - Politico

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Why are Republicans trying to cut opportunities to vote in the November election?

Were discussing how the House has a swift set of hearings scheduled for a bill that would make it harder to cast a ballot, on This Week in the CLE.

Listen online here.

Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour coronavirus news podcast, with help from editors Jane Kahoun, Kris Wernowsky and me. We answer many of the questions youve sent through our text message platform.

Youve been sending Chris lots of thoughts and suggestions on our from-the-newsroom account, in which he shares once or twice a day what were thinking about at cleveland.com. You can sign up for free by sending a text to 216-868-4802.

And youve been offering all sorts of great perspective in our coronavirus alert account, which has 13,000-plus subscribers. You can sign up for free by texting 216-279-7784.

Here are the questions were answering today:

1. Will Ohio Governor reopen schools this fall? Gov. Mike DeWine intends to open schools in the fall to students across the state, though school districts will make the call about the start date for students, as well as for how to keep students and staff safe.

2. Whats the latest on the Cleveland curfew following Saturdays downtown riot and looting? Mayor Frank Jackson has extended the civil emergency proclamation restricting access to downtown Cleveland and parts of Ohio City through Wednesday morning, and will prohibit overnight access through Friday morning.

3. What do downtown business owners say they think the future is for downtown Cleveland? Theyre bullish, saying the damage from riots Saturday is temporary, but that the change in behavior because of the coronavirus is a steeper, longer-lasting challenge as downtown office workers continue to stay home.

4. What are Republicans in Columbus rushing to do to reduce our opportunities for voting in the November presidential election in Ohio? A House elections bill would make this years presidential election the first since 2008 without mailing unsolicited absentee ballot applications to all registered voters -- and would eliminate in-person early voting on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before the election.

5. How long before we see any kind of surge in coronavirus infections because of the thousands of people who gathered in downtown Cleveland Saturday for a protest that evolved into a riot? If the protests spike coronavirus cases, deaths will likely show up in late June or early July, because of the incubation period of the virus and the time it takes for severe symptoms to develop.

6. Where are all the state troopers? The Ohio State Highway Patrol is being deployed to Cincinnati, Cleveland and other cities where protests are being held to set up roadblocks, as well as protect the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus from vandalism.

7. What did Ohios two senators have to say about President Donald Trump handling of protests and the use of tear gas on peaceful protesters in Washington so the president could have a photo op holding a Bible at a church? Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown on Tuesday excoriated President Donald Trumps actions, while Republican Sen. Rob Portman said Trump can and should do more to bring our country together right now.

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Why a Republican bill would make it harder to vote in Ohios November election: This Week in the CLE - cleveland.com

It is the voters who dont turn out like clockwork, many of whom have weak partisan identities, who can make a crucial difference in close-fought races. Those are the voters some Republicans fear will be lost to the party if mail voting is not embraced.

The president has his viewpoint and we have ours; were trying to win elections, said Dave Millage, the Republican chair of Scott County in Iowa. He anticipated that mail voting would also be popular in November, when Iowa Republicans will be defending a vulnerable senator, Joni Ernst, as well as trying to flip a congressional seat in the Second District, which includes Scott County.

We will call everybody to request an absentee ballot and make sure they get them in, Mr. Millage said. You bank that vote, you dont have to spend money to get them out to vote. You can cross them off the list.

But so far, Mr. Trumps disparagement of mail voting is winning out in Scott County, which encompasses Davenport. As of Monday, 10,344 Democrats had voted by mail, or 66 percent of the total, compared with 5,342 Republicans. Only 54 percent of county voters who are registered with a party are Democrats. Moreover, Republicans have a contested primary for the open House seat while Democrats do not.

Before Mr. Trump made mail voting toxic to many of his grass-roots supporters, it was widely used in many states, including some in which more Republicans than Democrats tended to vote absentee.

It was Republican majorities in the Pennsylvania Legislature that passed a bill last year expanding no-excuse mail voting to any registered voter. It was signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat.

Mr. Trump, who has voted by mail in Florida, has weaponized the issue recently as polls showed him falling behind in battleground states. He falsely claimed a Democratic secretary of state in Michigan had illegally sent absentee ballot requests for the November election, and he threatened to hold back federal funds to Nevada if its Republican secretary of state went ahead with plans to send mail ballots directly to registered voters before its June 9 primary.

See the article here:

Republicans Fear Trumps Criticism of Mail-In Ballots Will Hurt Them - The New York Times

Faced with staggering unemployment numbers that are likely to remain elevated through the election, Senate Republicans are reversing their positions on ending a federal increase of state unemployment benefits after July.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump vows to campaign against Murkowski after senator's criticism Senate advances conservation fund bill, House introduces companion Paul clashes with Booker, Harris over anti-lynching bill MORE (R-Ky.) vowed in a conference call with House Republicans last month that Senate Republicans would block the $600 weekly boost to state unemployment benefits from the federal government.

Also last month, GOP senators involved in planning for a phase four coronavirus relief bill said there was overwhelming support for entirely ending the federal enhancement of state unemployment benefits.

Now with the national unemployment rate projected to hit or exceed 20 percent, the highest number since the Great Depression, a growing number of GOP senators say the federal government should continue to augment weekly unemployment benefits in some form though most want it lower than the $600 figure.

GOP senators fear that the wave of protests, riots and other forms of social unrest that has rocked major cities around the country is linked to the bleak economic picture and that their majority is on the line.

Theres broad agreement within the Senate GOP conference that the $600 per week federal enhancement of state unemployment benefits a core element of the $2.2. trillion CARES Act is too generous and provides a disincentive for returning to work.

But many Republican senators, including members of the leadership, now say the federal government should continue to enhance state unemployment benefits or provide a back-to-work bonus of $450 per week for laid-off workers who return to their jobs.

One Republican senator familiar with the negotiations said GOP lawmakers have changed their mind on ending the $600per week federal benefit entirely because they are starting to realize once the money is out there in the economy its hard to take it back and that that the nation may be saddled with long-term unemployment.

Republicans worry that high unemployment numbers heading into the November elections will make it tougher for incumbents, putting the GOP majority at risk. Republicans have to protect Senate 23 seats while Democrats only have to defend 12.

Sen. Josh HawleyJoshua (Josh) David HawleyGOP shifting on unemployment benefits as jobless numbers swell Rosenstein takes fire from Republicans in heated testimony Republicans turning against new round of ,200 rebate checks MORE (R-Mo.) warned on Tuesday: I dont think we can ignore the fact that this civil unrest is happening against a backdrop of 20-plus percent unemployment."

Some economic experts, including the Congressional Budget Office, now project that the nation could have double-digit unemployment into 2021.

Senate Republican Whip John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneOVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Murkowski, Mattis criticism ratchets up pressure on GOP over Trump| Esper orders hundreds of active-duty troops outside DC sent home day after reversal | Iran releases US Navy veteran Michael White Murkowski, Mattis criticism ratchets up pressure on GOP over Trump GOP shifting on unemployment benefits as jobless numbers swell MORE (S.D.) on Wednesday said Republicans are discussing how to handle the looming expiration of the federal augmentation of unemployment benefits.

There are several ideas out there, said Thune.

Sen. Rob PortmanRobert (Rob) Jones PortmanOVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Murkowski, Mattis criticism ratchets up pressure on GOP over Trump| Esper orders hundreds of active-duty troops outside DC sent home day after reversal | Iran releases US Navy veteran Michael White Murkowski, Mattis criticism ratchets up pressure on GOP over Trump Portman: Trump should shift 'tone' amid criticism over response to protests MORE (R-Ohio) has proposed providing a temporary $450per week bonus on top of regular wages for people who leave the unemployment rolls and find a job.

Another idea, Thune said, would be some sort of ramp down, gradual glide path that reduces the amount over time, depending on how long all this lasts.

Thune said the federalincrease of weekly unemployment benefits could last until the end of the year in some amount or form.

Asked if Republicans would now support ending the federal enhancement entirely, Thune said, I dont see how that works.

I think the unemployment rate is going to be pretty high maybe for some time, he said.

Thats a shift from where Senate Republicans were a few weeks ago.

Last month, Portman was pushing a plan to provide workers a $450per week federal benefit on top of wages if they returned to work before July 31, when the federal add-on to unemployment benefits is set to expire.

Now Portmans proposal is a leading contender to provide additional federal weekly assistance after July 31.

Proponents say it would give laid-off workers strong incentive to return to lower-wage jobs.

The fact that its under serious consideration is an acknowledgement that Republicans will be under heavy pressure to continue helping laid-off workers past July.

Republican senators now say the question isnt whether the federal government will continue to supplement weekly state unemployment benefits or provide a weekly wage bonus to laid-off workers who find new jobs, but how far they will have to go to reach a deal with Democrats.

One Republican senator familiar with the internal discussions said were probably closer to unifying around continuing the added weekly federal unemployment benefit at an amount less than $600 than Portmans idea, which the senator described as the idea we pay people to go back to work.

This senator added: Those are the two ideas out there.

Whether or not we can get to a number that Democrats could also support, I dont know, the senator said.

A growing number of Republicans now say that Congress needs to appropriate more money to enhance weekly unemployment benefits beyond July.

I think we ought to have an additional plus-up, said Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyOVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Murkowski, Mattis criticism ratchets up pressure on GOP over Trump| Esper orders hundreds of active-duty troops outside DC sent home day after reversal | Iran releases US Navy veteran Michael White Murkowski, Mattis criticism ratchets up pressure on GOP over Trump Romney: Mattis statement 'stunning and powerful' MORE (R-Utah). I think it should be limited, however, in some way to the wages people had prior to becoming unemployed, which is currently not the case. But I would extend it beyond the current time period.

Sen. Shelley Moore CapitoShelley Wellons Moore CapitoGOP shifting on unemployment benefits as jobless numbers swell Senate Republicans urge Trump to tone down rhetoric on protests Trump tries to soothe anxious GOP senators MORE (R-W.Va.) said theres going to have to be some adjustments at the end of July because we expect [unemployment numbers] to go up.

What those will look like, I couldnt predict right now, she added.

Sen. Thom TillisThomas (Thom) Roland TillisGOP Sen. Murkowski 'struggling' with whether to vote for Trump Poll: Biden leads Trump, Cunningham neck and neck with Tillis in North Carolina Scaled-back Pride Month poses challenges for fundraising, outreach MORE (R-N.C.), who faces a competitive reelection in the fall, said the enhanced unemployment benefits shouldnt be continued in its current form.

But he said he is looking at some measure of federally enhanced benefits.

He said Congress may tune the federal benefit to make sure it doesnt exceed regular wages and provide a disincentive to returning to work.

Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamBill aims to help farmers sell carbon credits Graham postpones Russia probe subpoena vote as tensions boil over Graham pushes back on Mattis criticism of Trump: 'You're missing something here, my friend' MORE (R-S.C.), who was one of the biggest critics in March of the CARES Acts $600 weekly boost to unemployment benefit, on Wednesday said he supports providing federal benefits to people accepting unemployment benefits past July.

Unemployment benefits can be enriched, but you dont want to destroy the incentive to participate. Six hundred dollars is a 50 percent pay raise for a lot in the hospitality industry, he said. I dont know if you reduce the amount [or] do what Portmans talking about.

Im very open-minded about how to supplement unemployment benefits, he added.

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GOP shifting on unemployment benefits as jobless numbers swell | TheHill - The Hill

Class Of 2020: 10PM June 4Class Of 2020: 10PM June 4

The Heat Is Here!It's dangerously hot in North Texas again.

JCPenney Shrinking: Closing 154 Stores Next Week Including 4 In North TexasFour of those stores are in North Texas.

Dallas Hosting 'Mourning At The Plaza' Friday In Memory Of George FloydThe city of Dallas will hold a George Floyd remembrance ceremony for Friday, June 5 at 8:00 a.m. outside Dallas City Hall.

Protesters Arrested On Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Monday Night Will Not Be ChargedPolice Chief Renee Hall made the decision after consulting with City Manager T.C. Broadnax and other city leaders as well as police department leadership.

Dallas County Leaders Warn Protesters Pandemic Not Over"Its not lost on me as Im up here talking about the risk of COVID, the risk that a lot of them are taking," Judge Clay Jenkins said.

Thursday Evening News BriefHere's what made news Thursday, June 4.

2020 Graduates: 6PM Segment June 42020 Graduates: 6PM Segment June 4

Texas Ranger Statue Removed At Dallas Love FieldA statue of a Texas Ranger inside Dallas Love Field airport was removed Thursday due to an excerpt from an upcoming book, officials said.

Several North Texas Cities Cancel July 4th Events Due To Coronavirus PandemicEven with social distancing and masks, some area cities did not want to take the chance.

Dallas County Hits Single-Day High For New Coronavirus Cases With 285"Weve seen a significant increase this week for the average number of daily cases from last week," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

Wylie ISD Trending On Social Media For All The Wrong ReasonsA teacher has been placed on leave for liking a Twitter post that uses the N-word and refers to black people as" subhuman animals."

Fort Worth City Council Allows 8 PM Curfew To ExpireDuring a city council meeting Thursday afternoon, the decision was made to withdraw a resolution that would have extended that curfew.

Dallas Could Be In Running To Host Republican National ConventionNow that the Republican National Convention won't be held in North Carolina, the party's national committee is looking into other potential sites, including Dallas.

2020 Graduates: 5PM Segment June 42020 Graduates: 5PM Segment June 4

Texas Arcades Allowed To Reopen During PandemicArcades have been shuttered for nearly three months in Texas while almost every other business has been allowed to reopen.

Fort Worth Clergy, Civil Rights Activists Demand Change In Wake Of George Floyd's DeathFort Worth clergy and civil rights activists held a joint news conference Thursday to call for change at the city's police department following the in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Celebrating The Class Of 2020Congrats graduates and good luck!

8-Year-Old Pulled From Pond In Kaufman County Has DiedFirefighters in Forney pulled an 8-year-old girl from a pond who later died at the hospital.

Now Hiring: PrideStaff Looking To Add Dozens In DFWPrideStaff is a national staffing organization that focuses on recruiting and retaining clerical, corporate and administrative employees for clients.

City Summer Camp Options For Kids In DallasA lot of working families depend on city summer camps for their children.

Curfew Threatens Future For Small Businesses Recovering From COVID-19 ShutdownThe curfew represents the latest hurdle for businesses, especially in Deep Ellum, where vandals and looters hit several storefronts last weekend.

COVID-19 Summer GuideClub SciKidz offers virtual summer camps for the next generation of coders.

Celebrating The Class Of 2020Congrats seniors and good luck!

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Dallas Could Be In Running To Host Republican National Convention - CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

"I think the country is definitely looking for healing and for calm, and I think that's the tone the President needs to project when talking about what is happening around the country," Senate Majority Whip John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, told CNN. "I think he needs to strike a tone that fits the level of frustration country's experiencing right now, and I hope in the future, he'll do that."

Sen. John Cornyn, also a member of Senate GOP leadership, told CNN that "I think it's important" for Trump to offer more of a unifying message in the midst of the deep unrest across the county.

"I presume at some point he will address the nation," said Cornyn of Texas. "If I were advising him I would say we need it sooner rather than later."

At a time when Trump could be consoling the nation, Republicans -- who rarely break from Trump -- are voicing their disapproval that the President has offered little in the way of condolences and instead taken to Twitter to incite divisions and cast blame.

"Some of his tweets have not been helpful," Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said at a news conference Monday. "It would be helpful if he would change the tone of his message."

The message from his own party comes as protests have grown and spread throughout the country from Los Angeles to Washington with no end in sight.

"We are obviously in a divisive situation right now that is escalating. ... He needs to make more unifying comments," said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican from West Virginia.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, speaking on the Senate floor, called on Trump "to help heal the racial division."

"The President should help to heal the racial divisions in this country," Collins said. "It is at times like this that a President needs to speak to the nation, to pledge to right wrongs, and to calm inflamed passions."

Asked later if she thinks the President needs to offer a unifying message, Collins said: "I do."

Sen. Cory Gardner, who like Collins is facing reelection next year, didn't criticize Trump directly but added: "We all have to do better every day -- we have to."

"Those are not constructive tweets without any question," Sen. Tim Scott, the only black Republican in the US Senate, told Fox on Sunday. "I will say this, I spoke with the President (Saturday) morning, and he and I had a good conversation about the next steps. I told him, what I am going to tell you. I told him 'Mr. President, it helps us when you focus on the death, the unjustified in my opinion, the criminal death of George Floyd.'"

On Monday during a private call with governors, the President continued to blast others for what has unfolded, accusing some states of being weak and arguing that law enforcement needed to "dominate" protestors in order to contain the demonstrations in cities across the country.

"You have to dominate or you'll look like a bunch of jerks, you have to arrest and try people," the President told the governors in a call from the basement White House Situation Room, according to an audio recording of the call obtained by CNN.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wouldn't answer questions Monday about whether he believed Trump had struck the appropriate tone in his handling of the unrest. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wouldn't answer questions Monday about whether he believed Trump had struck the appropriate tone in his handling of the unrest. Others also declined to comment about Trump's tweets, including Sen. David Perdue of Georgia, who faces voters in the fall.

"Well, obviously this is an evolving situation -- I think this is a difficult position the President is in," said Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida when asked if Trump should shift his tone to emphasize unity.

On Monday, McConnell demonstrated a starkly different tone from the President from the floor of the Senate.

"In no world, whatsoever, should arresting a man for an alleged minor infraction involve a police officer putting his knee on a man's neck for nine minutes while he cries out 'I can't breathe' and then goes silent," McConnell said. "To me, to a great many of my fellow Kentuckians and to many outraged Americans, these disturbing events do not look like three isolated incidents, they look more like the latest chapter in our national struggle to make equal justice and equal protection of the law into facts of life for all Americans."

This story has been updated with additional developments Monday.

Read more here:

GOP senators critical of Trump's response to unrest following Floyd's death - CNN