Conservatism Holds Back GOP In Midterms
Conservatism on trial in Kansas governor's race. W. Post: "It is close because many Republicans have defected from Brownback in the wake of massive tax and spending cuts ... Brownback is attempting a balancing act, distancing himself from many parts of his record while arguing that he will be proved correct in the end."
Kansas Senator Pat Roberts in trouble too. McClatchy: "'The internal rumblings of the Kansas Republican Party have finally bit him,' said Chapman Rackaway, a professor of political science at Fort Hays State University and a former Republican strategist. 'By never taking a side, he never angered one or the other side, but he also developed no allies. And now that he needs allies, he doesn't have them.'"
David Perdue still can't shake outsourcing record in Georgia Senate race. NYT: "Georgia has the highest unemployment rate in the country, an unsettling position for a Sun Belt state accustomed to good fortune ... The resulting dislocation and uncertainty have hollowed out the middle ... Ms. Nunn blames Mr. Perdue. One advertisement, reminiscent of spots in 2012 attacking Mr. Romney’s business experience, features workers at North Carolina’s Pillowtex lamenting their treatment under Mr. Perdue. The Nunn campaign plans to release a longer version this week."
Push To Boost Dem Turnout
Environmental campaign spending breaks record. W. Post: "...top environmental organizations say they are set to spend over $85 million -- a record amount -- trying to influence key races ... Up through October 24, according to LCV, that includes $1.9 million to support Sen. Mark Begich in Alaska, $12.1 million to support Sen. Mark Udall in Colorado, $7.2 million to support Rep. Bruce Braley in Iowa, $6.6 million on Rep. Gary Peters in Michigan, $4 million to back Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire, and $2.4 million on Sen. Kay Hagan in North Carolina."
Red states expected to raise minimum wage. Politico: "Four Republican-leaning states have state-level minimum wage increases on the ballot this year — Alaska ($9.75), Arkansas ($8.50), Nebraska ($9), and South Dakota ($8.50) — and the increases will likely pass in all four ... Democrats anticipate these measures will boost Democratic turnout in all five states, particularly among African-Americans ... Republicans remain confident they’ll retake the Senate, but that’s partly because some have defused the issue by endorsing the ballot measures."
Momentum may be with Alaska Sen. Mark Begich. NYT: "The new polls, the first to show Mr. Begich ahead in more than a month, add considerable uncertainty to a race in a state that has a history of inaccurate polling. But even if Mr. Begich does not lead, he is most likely within striking distance, especially given the unusually robust Democratic turnout effort that is taking place."
Coal miners union backs Grimes in Kentucky Senate race. The Hill: "The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) is holding two rallies this week ... 'Alison Grimes doesn't just care about coal, she is the only candidate in this race who cares about coal miners,' Cecil Roberts, international president of UMWA, said..."
"Democrat Grimes confounds experts" reports McClatchy: "Ultimately Kentucky's Senate contest, and many others across the country, may come down to what voters distrust more: the Obama administration or longtime congressional incumbents such as McConnell. Just 30 percent of voters here had a favorable opinion of the president in the most recent Bluegrass Poll, compared with 38 percent for McConnell and 40 percent for Grimes. That tension between disappointment in Obama and anger at a gridlocked Congress is a theme in several close races, complicating Republican efforts to use the president's flagging popularity to seize control of the Senate in November. And it has created an opening for newcomers such as Grimes."
Breakfast Sides
Edward Snowden praises Occupy in exclusive interview with The Nation: "It had an impact on consciousness. It was not effective in realizing change. But too often we forget that social and political movements don’t happen overnight. They don’t bring change immediately—you have to build a critical mass of understanding of the issues. But getting inequality out there into the consciousness was important. All these political pundits now talking about the 2014 and 2016 elections are talking about inequality."
Wall Street analyzes Hillary Clinton's recent populist rhetoric. NYT: "The main question was whether Mrs. Clinton’s words were more about political maneuvering than reshaping her beliefs. One senior banker, who has long supported Mrs. Clinton, said: 'The reality is that she might have to tack left a little for the party. What I don’t know is whether she will stay there or double back.' Another banker said of her comment: 'I doubt she meant that.' ... What Mrs. Clinton’s supporters within the business world want to know is whether she plans to govern the way her husband did as a moderate, center-left president or whether she will be pressed to take more so-called progressive stances — code for anti-business within the business world..."
Rep. Paul Ryan prepares to take over House tax committee. Bloomberg: "The committee will let Ryan advance his plans to cut tax rates, consolidate programs for low-income households and implement a more market-based approach to Medicare. He can bank the millions in donations that flow to the chairman and raise his national profile even higher as he contemplates a presidential campaign."
"GOP parents turn on Common Core" reports Politico: "Fifty-eight percent of GOP parents now hold a negative view of Common Core, compared with 42 percent in April, the poll found. Only 19 percent of Republicans view the standards positively. A plurality of Democrats with kids, on the other hand, support Common Core, with 48 percent viewing Common Core positively and 23 percent viewing it negatively."
