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      Utah: can an ex-CIA independent oust an incumbent Republican senator?

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      Utah: can an ex-CIA independent oust an incumbent Republican senator?The race between Evan McMullin and Senator Mike Lee in the reliably red state is tightening as Democrats stand aside Utah is usually reliably Republican turf but in this year’s midterm elections a Senate race in the Mormon-dominated state could see a remarkable upset – and one that could damage the Republican party’s ambitions to capture the Senate.Independent challenger Evan McMullin, a former CIA agent who unsuccessfully ran for president against Donald Trump in 2016, is seeing his race tighten against Mike Lee, a two-time Republican incumbent who initially supported Trump’s legal challenge to the election but later voted to certify it.What are the US midterm elections and who’s running?Read moreAn October poll, commissioned by the Deseret News and the Hinckley Institute of Politics, shows Lee with a four-point lead with 12% of voters still undecided.Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, calls this Senate race the tightest Utah has seen in decades. The race is also unique in Utah’s history because it’s not a traditional Republican versus Democrat challenge.“McMullin’s candidacy is an experiment and will be the ultimate test to see if a third-party challenger can really take down a well-known Republican in what has been a reliably red state,” Perry said.McMullin has never held public office. In addition to his service in the CIA, he advised the committee on foreign affairs in the US House of Representatives and was the chief policy director for the House Republican Conference. In order to win, Perry says McMullin will need to get almost all of the liberal voters, all of the independent voters and most of the moderate voters. The most recent Hinckley poll showed McMullin pulling 42% of moderates and 70% of liberals.Key liberal thought leaders in the state, including conservation activists in the state’s billion-dollar outdoor industry, have endorsed McMullin.“Lee believes that federal land ownership in Utah is hurting the Utah economy. His opponent, Evan McMullin understands the value of Utah’s public lands,” the Black Diamond Equipment founder Peter Metcalf wrote in the Salt Lake Tribune.Contrasting McMullin’s growing moderate and liberal support, Lee “owns the conservative end of the political spectrum” because of his reputation as a “consistent fiscal conservative”, Perry explained. His base is solid, he adds, and they show up. Lee’s campaign spokesperson, Matt Lusty, claims the incumbent senator still has a significant lead.“Senator Lee knows how essential it is for Republicans to regain control of the Senate to push back the disastrous Biden agenda that is crushing Utah families with unchecked spending and runaway inflation – but let’s be clear, Mike Lee is leading this race,” Lusty said. The Lee campaign points to McMullin running as an independent but still receiving Democratic endorsements and funding as a way that he’s pulling the wool over the eyes of the state’s voters.“President Trump was much less popular in Utah than prior Republican leaders and President Biden is not faring better,” Perry said. “This is why Lee is trying to peg McMullin as a Biden candidate and why McMullin is trying to tie Lee to Trump.”Though Trump has endorsed Lee, the incumbent senator has strategically attempted to distance himself from the former US president by claiming he voted less in line with Trump than all Republican senators except Rand Paul and Susan Collins, the Associated Press reports.Lee has secured a string of powerful Utah endorsements, including the governor, Spencer Cox, but missing from that list is Senator Mitt Romney, known for being a moderate Republican who works across party lines.Earlier this month on Tucker Carlson Tonight, Lee called McMullin a “closeted Democrat”, urged Romney to endorse him, and asked members of Romney’s family to contribute to his campaign. But there is a likely problem: Lee voted against three bipartisan bills that Romney was behind – on gun safety, semiconductor manufacturing and infrastructure – and refused to endorse Romney in his 2018 Senate campaign.Romney’s lack of endorsement is, no doubt, also part of a ripple effect of how Lee responded during the January 6 attack on the Capitol. In text messages obtained by CNN, Lee offered the White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, his unequivocal support “to exhaust every legal and constitutional remedy at your disposal to restore Americans faith in our elections” and even tried to connect Meadows with the election-denying attorney Sidney Powell.Lee later voted to certify the election results.The McMullin campaign is seizing on Lee’s association with Trump and his role in January 6. “Lee has become the poster child for the politics of extremism and division,” said McMullin’s communications director, Kelsey Koenen Witt. “When it comes to legislating, it’s his way or the highway. And as a result, he gets nothing done for Utahns. After nearly 12 years in the Senate, Lee has only passed 10 bills and a good number of them [were] merely named federal buildings.”Outside Utah, Lee is perhaps most well-known for placing a hold on 2019 legislation that would provide 9/11 responders compensation, arguing he wanted to ensure the fund had proper oversight to prevent fraud and abuse, the Washington Post reported. In 2016, he was one of two senators to vote against imposing sanctions on Russia for their role in the presidential election. In May, Lee also voted against providing emergency supplemental provisions to Ukraine.Witt contrasts Lee’s voting record with Romney, who she argues has pursued “good-faith, bipartisan negotiations”. Utah voters, she claims, “are exhausted of the division and party politics”. As a result, the Utah Democratic party and the politically moderate United Utah party, declined to nominate their own candidates for Senate and joined McMullin’s coalition, she adds.TopicsUS midterm elections 2022UtahRepublicansUS politicsUS SenatefeaturesReuse this content More

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      Democrats insist Joe Biden’s low midterms profile is smart strategy

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      Democrats insist Joe Biden’s low midterms profile is smart strategy The unpopular president has made far fewer campaign appearances in the off-year election than his predecessorsMusic, chants and applause filled the gymnasium of a community college in an upstate New York battleground district, where Joe Biden delivered Democrats’ closing economic argument of the midterm election season.The president acknowledged Americans’ struggle to cope with painfully high inflation, while touting the progress his administration had made toward a post-pandemic recovery. He closed his remarks with a stark warning: if Republicans win control of Congress, they would create “chaos” in the economy. Then he waded into the crowd to shake hands and snap selfies.Democrats on the defensive as economy becomes primary concern over abortionRead moreWhile the visit had some of the trappings of a traditional campaign rally, it was, like much of Biden’s recent travels, an official event – an understated finish to a campaign season the president has described as the “most consequential” of his political life.In the final days before the 8 November election, Biden will ramp up his campaign trail appearances, with plans to visit Pennsylvania, Florida, New Mexico and Maryland to stump for Democratic candidates.But his relatively low profile is part of a concerted strategy designed for an unpopular president in a challenging election year.“To the extent he’s less visible, and maybe even invisible, it’s a plus for Democrats because it lets the candidates run their own campaigns on their own issues,” Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. “Out of sight, out of mind.”On the line this November is not only control of Congress. The outcome will also have far-reaching implications for Biden’s presidency – and his legacy. And Biden believes the stakes are even higher for American democracy.“If we lose this off-year election, we’re in real trouble,” Biden told supporters at a private fundraiser in Philadelphia for the Senate candidate John Fetterman last week.The violent assault last week on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, only underscored the danger of elevating candidates who embrace election conspiracies as several Republican nominees for state and federal office have done, Biden said.“What makes us think one party can talk about stolen elections, Covid being a hoax, [that it’s] all a bunch of lies, and it not affect people who may not be so well balanced?” Biden asked, delivering an urgent speech at the annual Pennsylvania Democratic Party’s Independence dinner on Friday. “What makes us think that it’s not going to alter the political climate? Enough is enough is enough.”Historical trends and current polling point to a Republican takeover of one or both chambers of Congress, an outcome that would greatly, if not entirely, curtail Democrats policy ambitions on abortion, gun control, voting rights and healthcare reform.The White House has defended Biden’s travel schedule, noting that he has been on the road almost nonstop in recent months to promote the party’s agenda and draw a sharp contrast with Republicans.“When the president speaks, he has a large bully pulpit,” White House Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “And he has been able, in the past several weeks, to set that national conversation.”With few exceptions, presidents tend to enter the midterm elections less popular than when they entered office, and it is not unusual for candidates to seek distance from an unpopular party leader during an election year.Yet Biden, who relishes the rope line and retail politics, has cut a more discreet presence on the campaign trail than either Trump or Obama, both of whom saw their approval ratings fall during the first years of their presidencies.While Biden has nearly kept pace with his predecessors’ travel, he has held notably fewer campaign rallies than either Obama or Trump, according to data collected by Brendan Doherty, author of The Rise of the President’s Permanent Campaign.The White House chief of staff, Ron Klain, has said Biden’s decision to eschew large rallies was a strategic choice, not simply a reflection of Biden’s low approval ratings.“I don’t think rallies have proved effective for candidates in the midterms,” Klain said recently on a CNN podcast, noting that in both 2010 and 2018 the party in power lost control of the House despite a campaign blitz by the president. “I don’t think it should surprise anyone that we’re not using the strategy that failed in 2010, and the strategy that failed in 2018,” he said.There is little evidence that presidential visits help turn out voters and in fact, they can have the unintended effect of mobilizing the opposition, said Sabato, who called concern over Biden’s relative lack of campaign appearances “much ado about absolutely nothing”.Moreover, he said campaign stops involving a president are costly affairs that require time and money of candidates, often the ones with the least resources to spare.“Is it really worth it?” Sabato asked. “Frequently, the answer is no, especially when a president is not popular.”Biden’s travel so far has largely taken him to states where Democrats believe his political power will boost their candidates, like his western swing through Colorado, California and Oregon. That has allowed Democrats in some of the most competitive races create some distance from the president.In Ohio, a state Trump won twice, Tim Ryan, the Democratic congressman running for an open Senate seat, has avoided Biden, saying he preferred to “be the face of this campaign”. Though earlier this month, Ryan welcomed a visit to the state by the West Virginia senator Joe Manchin, a centrist Democrat who has staked his reputation on bucking his party.Biden’s relatively cold reception this midterm cycle stands in stark contrast to four years ago, when he was among the party’s most sought-after campaign surrogates. That year, he jetted across the country to rally support for Democratic candidates in corners of the country where others in his party were not welcome. His enduring appeal among voters in states that Trump won in 2016 became a central part of his pitch to Democrats in 2020.As president, Biden has made light of his predicament. In speeches, he’s told candidates: “I’ll come campaign for you or against you – whichever will help the most.”In the closing days of the campaign, Biden’s immediate predecessors are barnstorming the states that will determine which party controls Congress, governors’ offices and statehouses.Over the weekend, Obama began a five-state tour that took him to the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan and Georgia, where he implored weary Democrats to “resist the temptation to give up”. In the coming days, he will also visit Nevada and Pennsylvania, both key to Democrats’ efforts to keep control of the Senate.And last week Trump announced a five-day swing through the swing states of Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Iowa.Several high-profile Republicans have embarked on the campaign trail, inviting speculation about their ambitions for 2024 while rallying their party’s base. Governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia have all appeared at events on behalf of Republican candidates, along with former governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Senator Ted Cruz and other conservative figures.On the Democratic side, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has been a presence on the campaign trail, rallying voters in an effort to save the party’s slim majority. Democratic senators and 2020 presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren, a progressive from Massachusetts, and Amy Klobuchar, a moderate from Minnesota, have targeted races where their respective political brands might help sway voters.And on Friday, Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent of Vermont, held a rally for progressive candidates in Texas, the start of a multi-state tour to mobilize young people disillusioned by the slow pace of progress in Washington.Biden’s cabinet members have also been on the road, talking about the administration’s policy initiatives on infrastructure, drug prices, student debt and climate change. Collectively, they have made 77 trips to 29 states and Puerto Rico, according to a senior administration official. A majority of the events were focused on inflation and the economy while nearly a dozen were designed to highlight new infrastructure projects.Harris recently traveled to New Mexico to support Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is up for re-election, and to emphasize the stakes for reproductive rights this election. During an event at a college campus in Albuquerque, the vice-president said New Mexico had become a “safe haven” for women seeking abortions in the region. She then went to Seattle, Washington, where she announced $1bn in grants for electric school buses.Jim Kessler, the executive vice-president for policy at the center-left thinktank Third Way, said the political landscape had changed dramatically in recent election cycles. Much of the campaign activity has moved online and pandemic-era changes to states’ voting systems have turned election day into “election weeks”.With millions of votes already cast, Kessler said Democrats and the White House should focus on the most effective ways to sway the small number of undecided voters and turn out those who are not politically engaged – groups that are unlikely to attend a campaign rally.In Kessler’s view, the venue matters less than the message, and the message must be relentlessly focused on the economy and the clashing visions the parties have for the country’s future.“In the time that you have left, you draw a contrast – talk about what you’re going to do and what they’re going to do,” Kessler said, adding that Democrats have a strong case to make on the economy. “We just saw an experiment on the Republican plan on the economy in Britain and it lasted as long as a head of lettuce. It was a disaster.”After casting an early ballot in his home state of Delaware on Saturday, Biden said he was optimistic about the elections and was ready to hit the trail this week.“I’m going to be spending the rest of the time making the case that this is not a referendum,” he told reporters outside the polling station. “It is a choice – a fundamental choice between two very different visions for the country.”TopicsJoe BidenUS midterm elections 2022US politicsDemocratsRepublicansfeaturesReuse this content More

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      The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward’s chilling warning for US democracy

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      The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward’s chilling warning for US democracy The Washington Post Watergate veteran’s 20 interviews with the now former president prove to be must-listen materialBob Woodward has witnessed more than 50 years of depredation on the Potomac. Together with Carl Bernstein, he helped push Richard Nixon out the door. Only one president, however, left the veteran Washington Post reporter fearing for the future of the republic and democracy.‘A nutso proposition’: Robert Draper on Trump, Republicans and January 6 Read moreHis latest endeavor, subtitled “Bob Woodward’s Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump”, is a passport to the heart of darkness. In June 2020, Trump confided: “I get people, they come up with ideas. But the ideas are mine, Bob. Want to know something? Everything is mine.” So much for the 24th Psalm: “The earth is the Lord’s.”Trump whispered and sought to draw Woodward close. The author questions, pokes and curates. But in the end, his subject is left unbowed.The Trump Tapes, an audiobook, is disturbingly relevant, an unplanned coda to Woodward’s print Trump trilogy. We hear Trump ladle out praise for Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Kim Jong-un is dear to his heart. Trump praises them for smarts, cunning and ruthlessness. He envies autocrats, seemingly wishes to join their ranks. A second term as president would provide that opportunity, Woodward argues.The tapes convincingly demonstrate that Trump knew in early 2020 that Covid posed a mortal danger to the US, but balked at telling the whole truth. His re-election hung in the balance.By the time Trump delivered his State of the Union address to Congress in February 2020, his national security team had delivered a stark warning. Yet Trump soft-pedaled the danger until his final months in office. Covid deaths in Republican America grew to outpace fatalities in Democratic states.Robert O’Brien, Trump’s national security adviser, and Matthew Pottinger, his deputy, confirmed to Woodward that they warned Trump the coronavirus would be “the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency”. They expected the devastation to be brutal, akin to the flu epidemic of 1918.Trump tacitly acknowledges receiving their message but does not dwell on Covid’s downside. He did not see it as his primary responsibility.In February 2020, Trump assured Woodward that everything was OK in the US, adding “now we got a little bit of a setback with the China virus”. He added that Covid would “go away in a couple of months with the heat”. In summer 2020, asked if this were “the leadership test of a lifetime”, Trump offered an emphatic “no”.He bragged of the US nuclear arsenal. “I have built a weapon system that nobody’s ever had in this country before,” Trump said. “We have stuff that Putin and Xi have never heard about before.”The tapes again demonstrate that Trump holds the press in contempt but yearns for its approval. Trump flatters his interviewer as “a great historian” and “the great Bob Woodward”. His tropism toward Woodward and Maggie Haberman is of the same piece. Woodward doubled as de facto White House stenographer and chronicler, Haberman as psychiatrist. Trump would call without warning. Woodward scattered devices around his home, to record such conversations.In the end, Trump smashed history’s clock. The US stands changed, possibly forever.“There is no turning back for American politics,” Woodward observes. “Trump was and still is a huge force and indelible presence, with the most powerful political machine in the country. He has the largest group of followers, loyalists and fundraisers, exceeding that of even President Biden.”Our divisions are unlikely to recede, Woodward worries. Trump better intuited where America stood in 2016 than any of his rivals. He grasped the impact of free trade, opioids and death by despair. He validated his base and relished his capacity to enrage. In the process, he obliterated the Republican legacy as the party of Abraham Lincoln and made the GOP his own.Woodward acknowledges the power of Trump’s instincts. On tape, Trump places himself on par with the 16th president and claims to have outshone Lyndon Johnson and the civil rights legislation of the 1960s.“No, I’ve done more,” he bristles, when pressed.Not surprisingly, Woodward and Trump spar over culture. A son of an Illinois state judge, a graduate of Yale, Woodward asserts that he and Trump are beneficiaries of white privilege. Woodward served in the navy, Trump dodged Vietnam. Trump refuses to have any of it. He says Woodward’s formulation is not part of his worldview.Maggie Haberman on Trump: ‘He’s become a Charles Foster Kane character’Read moreWoodward also focuses on the anger unleashed by the murder of George Floyd. Trump revisits the ensuing riots. From the left, the slogan “Defund the police” is a gift that keeps on giving for Republicans. This election cycle, law and order appears to be the winning message – as it was in 1968, 1972, 1988 and 2016. Latino voters and Asian Americans drift to the GOP.If Trump seeks the 2024 Republican nomination the crown will likely be his, together with excellent odds for re-election. Joe Biden’s ratings lumber. A criminal indictment might even burnish Trump’s allure to the faithful, albeit a conviction would be a wholly different matter.Biden has ignored the cold fact that his election came with a singular mandate: that he not act like his predecessor – nothing more. Instead, the 46th president fashioned himself as FDR 2.0, striving to usher in a second New Deal via razor-thin Democratic margins in Congress.On 8 November 2022, America will deliver a midterm verdict. Weeks later, Biden will turn 80. The country will be watching. So will an eager Trump and a vexed Woodward. No one said democracy was easy.TopicsBooksDonald TrumpAudiobooksCoronavirusUS elections 2020Politics booksUS domestic policyreviewsReuse this content More

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      Attack on Pelosi’s husband heightens fears of increasing US political violence

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      Attack on Pelosi’s husband heightens fears of increasing US political violenceHammer assault on Paul Pelosi is latest in series of violent and threatening acts as midterm elections loom The bloody hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has sparked increased fears over political violence in America just weeks before the country’s crucial midterm elections.Paul Pelosi, husband of Nancy Pelosi, in hospital after being attacked at homeRead moreThe assault – by someone who reportedly entered the Democratic leader’s home specifically in search of her – comes amid an alarming rise in violent rhetoric and threats targeting US lawmakers.As Americans prepare to go to the polls on 8 November, many experts and observers have warned of the danger of acts of political violence. The election has played out in an atmosphere of conspiracy and intimidation amid widespread rightwing claims of voter fraud and persistent evidence-free accusations that the 2020 election was stolen.Paul Pelosi’s assailant reportedly posted on social media numerous far-right conspiracy theories around the election, as well as other issues such as big tech and the Covid-19 pandemic.According to police, a suspect identified as 42-year-old David DePape broke into Pelosi’s San Francisco home and beat her husband with a hammer until officers disarmed him. The suspect is now facing a number of charges, including attempted homicide and assault with a deadly weapon. Pelosi was taken to a nearby hospital, and the speaker’s office said he was expected to make a full recovery.CNN has reported that the assailant appeared to have targeted the speaker, who was not in San Francisco at the time of the attack. The suspect reportedly entered her home shouting, “Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?”The assault marked the latest in a string of incidents involving threats of violence against American lawmakers, judges and political candidates.In June, a man carrying a gun was arrested outside the home of the supreme court justice Brett Kavanaugh after threatening to kill him. A month later, Seattle police responded to a call about a man standing outside the home of Pramila Jayapal and shouting death threats and racial slurs against the progressive congresswoman. Days after that, New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin was attacked at a campaign event, when a man with a sharp weapon charged at him.Jayapal weighed in on the assault against Pelosi’s husband, saying on Twitter, “My heart breaks for @SpeakerPelosi and Paul Pelosi, and for our entire country. This violence is horrific. Our prayers are with them both and their family.”My heart breaks for @SpeakerPelosi and Paul Pelosi, and for our entire country. This violence is horrific. Our prayers are with them both and their family. ❤️ https://t.co/og5ZUVSAhW— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) October 28, 2022
      The US Capitol police has reported an overall rise in the number of threats against members of Congress since the deadly January 6 insurrection last year.According to USCP data, officers tracked 9,625 threats and directions of interest (meaning concerning actions or statements) against members of Congress in 2021, compared with 3,939 such instances in 2017. The House sergeant at arms has responded to this worrisome trend by giving lawmakers up to $10,000 to upgrade security at their homes.Although both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have faced a number of threats in recent months, the increase is not evenly distributed along the political spectrum. According to a study conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, rightwing extremists have committed about 75% of the 450 political murders that occurred in the US over the past decade, compared with 4% attributed to leftwing extremists.The January 6 insurrection, which was carried out by a group of Donald Trump’s supporters attempting to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory, provided a vivid example of the danger of rightwing extremism. A bipartisan Senate report released in June concluded that seven people died in connection with the insurrection.The words of the man who assaulted Pelosi’s husband on Friday echoed those of the January 6 insurrectionists. One man who participated in the Capitol attack was recorded saying, “Where are you, Nancy? We’re looking for you.”The attack against Pelosi’s husband prompted calls for Republican lawmakers to condemn the use of threats and violence against political opponents. One of those calls came from Adam Kinzinger, a Republican member of the the House select committee investigating January 6 whose family has received death threats over his work with the panel.“This morning’s terrifying attack on Paul Pelosi by a man obsessed with election conspiracies is a dangerous reality encouraged by some members of my own party,” Kinzinger said on Twitter. “This must be condemned by every Member of Congress [and] candidate. Now.”TopicsUS politicsNancy PelosiDemocratsRepublicansnewsReuse this content More

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      Man who attacked speaker’s husband Paul Pelosi facing attempted homicide charge – live

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      Bill Scott, chief of the San Francisco police department, said the suspect in the attack on Paul Pelosi will face charges of attempted homicide and assault with a deadly weapon, among others.In a brief press conference where he took no questions, Scott recounted what officers saw when they arrived at the Pelosi residence around 2.27am today to respond to a welfare call.“When the officers arrived on scene, they encountered an adult male and [M] Pelosi’s husband, Paul. Our officers observed Mr Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer. The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it. Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid,” Scott said.The chief identified the suspect as 42-year-old David Depape. In addition to attempted homicide, he’ll also face charges of “elder abuse, burglary, and several other additional felonies”, Scott said.Julián Castro, the former Democratic presidential candidate and housing secretary, is calling for more security for Nancy Pelosi after the attack on the speaker’s husband.Protection is provided to family members of the President and VP but not to family of the Speaker of the House. That’s not good enough at a time when too many people, moved by hatred and paranoia stoked by Trump and right-wing media, embrace violence as a means to achieve power.— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) October 28, 2022
      Paul Pelosi has undergone a successful surgery for a skull fracture and “serious injuries” to his arm and hands, a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.“Earlier this morning, Paul Pelosi was attacked at home by an assailant who acted with force, and threatened his life while demanding to see the Speaker,” Drew Hammill said. “Mr Pelosi was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital where he underwent successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. His doctors expect a full recovery. “The Speaker and her family are thankful for the outpouring of support and prayers from friends, constituents and people around the country. The Pelosi family is immensely grateful to Mr Pelosi’s entire medical team and the law enforcement officers who responded to the assault. The family appreciates respect for their privacy during this time.”A relative of David DePape, the suspect in the attack against Paul Pelosi, said the 42-year-old has mental health issues and refused contact with family, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.Ron DePape, who said David DePape is a stepson of his brother’s from a previous marriage, told the newspaper: “We don’t have any contact with him and just feeling sad and sorry for the Pelosi family.” “It’s just a sad event. It has to be mental health issues that he’s been carrying around I would think.” The British Columbia resident told the San Francisco Chronicle that David DePape lived there but left “at an early age” to move to the US with a girlfriend: “He refused contact with any family. He just kind of disappeared.”David DePape appears to have an online blog filled with conspiracy theories about the government, media and tech companies, and appeared to be a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory, according to the newspaper. Republican Adam Kinzinger, a January 6 committee member, on the attack on Paul Pelosi:This morning’s terrifying attack on Paul Pelosi by a man obsessed with election conspiracies is a dangerous reality encouraged by some members of my own party.I’m thankful he will be okay. This must be condemned by every Member of Congress & candidate. Now. @SpeakerPelosi— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) October 28, 2022
      Congressman Bill Pascrell has described the attack on Paul Pelosi as an assassination attempt and blamed “big lies from many Republicans” for the violence.The congressman said in a statement Friday:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}“This assassination attempt never should have happened. This guy has a background that shows he’s been moved, instigated, and influenced by those people who seek to divide us. Turn on rightwing media on any given day or night. You will see frothing hosts shrieking unspeakable lies and unfounded conspiracy theories about women, religious and ethnic minorities, city residents, young people and scores of others Americans. That some are radicalized to commit unspeakable violence against their perceived enemies cannot be a surprise. This terrorism is growing and threatens every community in America.”Early reports found that Pelosi’s attacker, David Depape, had embraced conspiracy theories about January 6, the 2020 election and Covid in online posts.I’m Dani Anguiano and I’ll be taking over our live blog for the remainder of the day.House speaker Nancy Pelosi is heading to San Francisco following the attack on her husband Paul Pelosi, Punchbowl News reports:Also: PELOSI is en route to SF. https://t.co/NalnyAiChv— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 28, 2022
      While the Capitol police are scrambling to provide extra security to family members of congressional leadership after the attack, CBS News says the agency has been facing a months-long deluge of threats to lawmakers:There were nearly 10,000 investigations into threats against Members of Congress …. last year alonePer our @CBSNews reporting— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) October 28, 2022
      The Guardian’s Dani Anguiano is now taking over this blog, and will cover the latest developments in this breaking story over the remainder of the day.NBC Bay Area reports Paul Pelosi is recovering from surgery on his head at a hospital in San Francisco.Previously, hospital sources had said he was undergoing brain surgery.Years before he reportedly embraced conspiracy theories and was accused of attacking House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, David DePape was associated with a uniquely San Francisco cause, according to Mission Local.The news site reports he was involved in protests against San Francisco’s anti-nudity ordinance, held about a decade ago in the Castro neighborhood:My sources also name the suspect in this morning’s hammer attack on Paul Pelosi as David DePape, born 1980, of Berkeley. He would appear to be a former Castro nudist protester. Things appear set to be bizarre for a while.— Joe Eskenazi (@EskSF) October 28, 2022
      His name is mentioned in some coverage from that episode. The San Francisco Chronicle has someone they identify as “David Depape” pictured alongside pro-nudity activist Gypsy Taub in 2013.In coverage of the protests from the same year, the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center names DePape as a photographer, spelling his surname “dePape”.The United States will next week put the United Nations spotlight on protests in Iran sparked by the death of a young woman in police custody and look for ways to promote credible, independent investigations into Iranian human rights abuses.The US and Albania will hold an informal UN security council gathering on Wednesday, according to a note outlining the event, seen by Reuters.Iranian Nobel peace prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and Iranian-born actress and activist Nazanin Boniadi are set to brief..css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The meeting will highlight the ongoing repression of women and girls and members of religious and ethnic minority groups in Iran.
      It will identify opportunities to promote credible, independent investigations into the Iranian government’s human rights violations and abuses,” the note said.An independent UN investigator on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman, is also due to address the meeting, which can be attended by other UN member states and rights groups.Iran has been gripped by protests since the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in police custody last month. The unrest has turned into a popular revolt by Iranians from all layers of society, posing one of the boldest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution.Iran has blamed its foreign enemies and their agents for the unrest..css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The meeting will underscore ongoing unlawful use of force against protesters and the Iranian regime’s pursuit of human rights defenders and dissidents abroad to abduct or assassinate them in contravention of international law,” read the note about the planned meeting.Rights groups have said at least 250 protesters have been killed and thousands arrested across the country. Women have played a prominent part in the protests, removing and burning veils.The deaths of several teenage girls reportedly killed during protests have fuelled more anger.UN secretary general António Guterres has called on Iranian security forces to refrain from unnecessary or disproportionate force against protesters and appealed to all to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation.Iran: deaths reported as security forces open fire on protesters in ZahedanRead moreTop House Democrat Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi is recovering from an assault by a hammer-wielding intruder who broke into their home and shouted “where is Nancy?” Coming less than two years after the deadly January 6 attack on the Capitol, the incident underscores the continued threat of political violence in the United States as voters prepare to cast ballots in the 8 November midterm elections.Here’s what else has happened today:
      Elon Musk completed his purchase of Twitter, but there are no signs that he has lifted the ban on Donald Trump – yet.
      Big name Democrats are out campaigning today to revive the party’s chances ahead of the midterms, including Barack Obama in Georgia, and Bernie Sanders in Nevada.
      Joe Biden stuck to his usual talking points in an interview yesterday, but sounded skeptical of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s insistence that he wasn’t planning to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
      David DePape, the 42-year-old man accused of attempted homicide and other charges for allegedly assaulting Paul Pelosi, has embraced conspiracy theories in online posts, CNN reports:.@SFPD identified the alleged attacker as 42-year-old David DePape. @CNN reached two of the man’s relatives who told CNN he is estranged from his family. A review of his FB page shows he posted memes and conspiracy theories about Covid, the 2020 election, and the 1/6 attack.— Whitney Wild (@WhitneyWReports) October 28, 2022
      Here’s more from the network:CNN looked through the attackers social media. He posted YouTube videos concerned about the 2020 election and January 6th committee. Posted a lot of theories COVID origins and January 6th pic.twitter.com/JnhD8wPJmr— Acyn (@Acyn) October 28, 2022
      Bill Scott, chief of the San Francisco police department, said the suspect in the attack on Paul Pelosi will face charges of attempted homicide and assault with a deadly weapon, among others.In a brief press conference where he took no questions, Scott recounted what officers saw when they arrived at the Pelosi residence around 2.27am today to respond to a welfare call.“When the officers arrived on scene, they encountered an adult male and [M] Pelosi’s husband, Paul. Our officers observed Mr Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer. The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it. Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid,” Scott said.The chief identified the suspect as 42-year-old David Depape. In addition to attempted homicide, he’ll also face charges of “elder abuse, burglary, and several other additional felonies”, Scott said.The San Francisco police department is beginning its press conference on the attack on Paul Pelosi.Follow along here for updates.House Republican Whip Steve Scalise has joined in condemning the attack on Paul Pelosi:Disgusted to hear about the horrific assault on Speaker Pelosi’s husband Paul. Grateful for law enforcement’s actions to respond.Let’s be clear: Violence has no place in this country. I’m praying for Paul Pelosi’s full recovery.— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) October 28, 2022
      In 2017, Scalise was shot when a gunman opened fire at a congressional baseball team practice in Virginia.Virginia shooting: gunman was leftwing activist with record of domestic violenceRead moreCNN is reporting more violent details of the attack on Paul Pelosi:More from @jamiegangel: The man who assaulted Paul Pelosi tried to tie him up “until Nancy got home,” according to two sources familiar with the situation.  When the police arrived, the assailant said he was “waiting for Nancy.” https://t.co/yAZdHrM7Hk— Kristin Wilson (@kristin__wilson) October 28, 2022
      The San Francisco police department is expected to soon hold a press conference on the attack. More

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      Democrats on the defensive as economy becomes primary concern over abortion

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      Democrats on the defensive as economy becomes primary concern over abortionPolls indicate tide shifting toward Republicans with high inflation rates and gas prices working in their favor With less than two weeks to go until election day, Democrats’ hopes of defying political history and keeping their narrow majorities in the House and Senate appear to be fading, as many of the party’s candidates go on the defensive in the final days of campaigning.Over the summer, many election forecasters wondered if Democrats could avoid the widespread losses typically seen by the president’s party in the midterms. With voters expressing outrage over the supreme court’s decision to end federal protections for abortion access and gas prices falling, Democrats had been hopeful that their endangered incumbents could win reelection.DeSantis’s old law firm received millions in Florida state funds, investigation findsRead moreIn August, Democrats took the lead on the generic congressional ballot, according to FiveThirtyEight. They held onto that lead for two and a half months – until last week.The national political environment now seems to have moved in Republicans’ favor, and Democrats are running out time to turn the tide. Gas prices started to rise again this month, although they have since started to moderate. With inflation at near record levels, the share of voters who name the economy as their top priority has increased since the summer.A New York Times/Siena College poll taken this month found that 44% of likely voters say economic concerns are the most important problem facing the country, compared to 36% who said the same in July. Just 5% of likely voters identified abortion as the most important issue right now. Voters’ renewed focus on inflation and gas prices could hurt Democrats’ chances in some key congressional races, given that Republicans consistently score better on surveys asking which party is better equipped to manage the economy.The shifting winds have prompted some Democrats to question whether they made a tactical error by focusing heavily on abortion rights in their campaign messaging. Just last week, Joe Biden promised to send a bill codifying Roe v Wade to Congress if Democrats fortify their majorities in the midterms.“I want to remind us all how we felt that day when 50 years of constitutional precedent was overturned,” Biden said last Tuesday. “If you care about the right to choose, then you got to vote.”With surveys indicating abortion rights are not top of mind for most voters, some progressive lawmakers are urging their colleagues to instead emphasize economic proposals like raising the minimum wage and creating a federal paid family leave program as they campaign for reelection.“In my view, while the abortion issue must remain on the front burner, it would be political malpractice for Democrats to ignore the state of the economy and allow Republican lies and distortions to go unanswered,” progressive senator Bernie Sanders wrote in a Guardian op-ed earlier this month.Sanders added: “Now is the time for Democrats to take the fight to the reactionary Republican party and expose their anti-worker views on the most important issues facing ordinary Americans. That is both the right thing to do from a policy perspective and good politics.”Democrats worry that the strategy pivot may be coming too late for some candidates, as alarm bells go off in battleground states across the country.In Florida, a state that Donald Trump won by just three points in 2020, Republican governor Ron DeSantis appears likely to defeat his Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist, by double digits. DeSantis, a Trump-like figure who is widely expected to run for president in 2024, has already raised at least $177m this election cycle, setting a record for a gubernatorial campaign. DeSantis’ fundraising haul and Democrats’ bleak polling numbers have led many of the party’s national organizations and donors to abandon Florida candidates, effectively declaring a preemptive defeat.In the battle for the House, Republicans are poised to recapture the majority, as districts that Biden easily won less than two years ago now appear to be up for grabs. According to Politico, a recent internal poll conducted by the campaign of Julia Brownley, whose California district went for Biden by 20 points in 2020, showed the Democratic incumbent leading her Republican opponent by just 1 point.Sean Patrick Maloney, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee who is overseeing the party’s efforts to maintain control of the House, now faces the risk of being ousted himself. Earlier this week, the Cook Political Report changed the rating of Maloney’s race from “lean Democrat” to “toss-up”. If Maloney cannot hold his seat, the defeat would mark the first time since 1992 that a sitting House campaign committee chair lost reelection. Republicans are gleeful at the prospect of toppling the DCCC chair, dumping several million dollars into Maloney’s district.Maloney has remained optimistic about his chances, telling CBS News, “I’m going to win this election, and when I do, they’re going to wish they had that $9 million back.”But if the national environment is as dire as it appears for Democrats, a Republican wave could soon sweep Maloney and many of his colleagues out of office.TopicsUS midterm elections 2022DemocratsRepublicansHouse of RepresentativesUS CongressJoe BidenAbortionnewsReuse this content More

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      Republican senator Tom Cotton brags about ignoring Trump impeachment evidence in new book

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      Republican senator Tom Cotton brags about ignoring Trump impeachment evidence in new bookThe Arkansas senator, a Republican presidential hopeful, also suggests president did not know military procedures In January 2020, the rightwing Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton said he would vote to acquit Donald Trump in his first impeachment trial because despite senators having “heard from 17 witnesses … and received more than 28,000 pages of documents”, Democrats had not presented their case correctly.Trump bragged about new US nuclear weapons, Woodward tape showsRead moreAccording to Cotton, the senators who sat through so much evidence would “perform the role intended for us by the founders, of providing the ‘cool and deliberate sense of the community’, as it says in Federalist 63.”In a new book, however, Cotton boasts that he spent his time refusing to pay attention – pretending to read materials relevant to the president’s trial – but hiding his real reading matter under a fake cover.He writes: “My aides delivered a steady flow of papers and photocopied books, hidden underneath a fancy cover sheet labeled ‘Supplementary Impeachment Materials’, so nosy reporters sitting above us in the Senate gallery couldn’t see what I was reading.”“They probably would’ve reported that I wasn’t paying attention to the trial.”Reporters did report that Republicans were not paying attention. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee named the book she chose to read instead of participating in only the third presidential trial in history: “It was Resistance (At All Costs) by Kim Strassel.”Other Republicans fidgeted or doodled. But reporters noted that Blackburn violated decorum guidelines on relevant reading: “Reading materials should be confined to only those readings which pertain to the matter before the Senate.”Admitting the same infraction, Cotton – a leading China hawk – says he was reading “about the science of coronaviruses, the methods of vaccine development and the history of pandemics”.He adds: “I was paying attention – to the story that mattered most. The outcome of the impeachment trial was a foregone conclusion, and it wouldn’t impact the daily lives of normal Americans.”Cotton’s book, Only the Strong: Reversing the Left’s Plot to Sabotage American Power, will be published next Tuesday. The Guardian obtained a copy.Cotton is now among senators, governors and former members of the Trump administration jostling for position in the developing contest for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Publishing a book is a traditional preparatory step.The senator, 45, is a former soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and at Arlington Cemetery before entering politics as a foreign policy hawk. His book takes aim at Joe Biden and Barack Obama – and equally persistently, from the prologue to the note on sources, Woodrow Wilson, the president who took office in 1913, took the US into the first world war in 1917, left office in 1921 and died in 1924.Trump is the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination 100 years later, despite facing legal jeopardy for inciting the Capitol attack, trying to overturn the 2020 election, retaining classified records and being the subject of criminal and civil suits over his business affairs and an allegation of rape.Cotton voted to acquit Trump at both his impeachment trials, the second for inciting the Capitol riot, but he was not among the eight Republican senators who supported Trump’s attempts to overturn election results in key states.In his book, however, the Arkansan skips over domestic concerns, including his own advocacy of using the military against “Antifa terrorists” during protests for racial justice in summer 2020, a position which stoked huge controversy and brought down an editor at the New York Times.Cotton is largely careful to target only Democratic presidents. Hitting Bill Clinton and Barack Obama for not serving in the military before running for the White House, he omits mention of George W Bush’s avoidance of service in Vietnam by securing a post in the Texas air national guard, to which he did not always show up.Unchecked review: how Trump dodged two impeachments … and the January 6 committee?Read moreBut Cotton does risk angering Trump, by criticising him for “waiting too long to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal” and by dishing on a private call in which the then president professed ignorance of military protocol.Early in Trump’s term in power, Cotton writes, the president called him about a potential nominee – common Senate business.But Trump then said: “The other night, they called me and asked for approval to kill some terrorist. I never heard of the guy.”Cotton asked if Trump approved the strike.“Trump replied, ‘Oh yeah, but I asked why they called me in the first place. Didn’t they have some captain or major or someone who knew more about this guy? I mean, I’d never heard of him.’”With nudging, Cotton says, Trump worked out that the military was working according to protocols laid down by Obama, who he accuses of “impos[ing] needless layers of bureaucratic and legal review” on strikes on terrorist targets.TopicsBooksDonald TrumpTrump administrationTrump impeachment (2019)RepublicansUS elections 2024ArkansasReuse this content More

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      Republican Liz Cheney endorses Michigan Democrat in midterm elections – as it happened

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      Despite her fairly hard core conservative credentials, anti-Trump Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney has now endorsed a Democrat in the upcoming midterm elections.Having used her position on the January 6 committee to bludgeon Donald Trump for his role in the insurrection and for seeking to overturn the 2020 election result, Cheney clearly feels her split with her own party is nearly complete.Crossing America’s political divide and supporting a Democrat will infuriate the Trumpist-dominated Republican party.AP has the details:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Republican Rep. Liz Cheney on Thursday endorsed and plans to campaign for Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, the first time that the critic of former President Donald Trump who lost her GOP primary has crossed party lines to formally support a Democrat.
      Cheney, of Wyoming, announced her support for the two-term House member from Holly, Michigan, in a statement by the Slotkin campaign that notes she plans to headline a campaign event with Slotkin in the Lansing-area district next Tuesday.
      Slotkin is competing against Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. Their race is considered a toss-up by both sides and one of the Republicans’ chief targets in their campaign to win the House majority on Nov. 8.And this is likely the crucial detail..css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Both [Cheney and Slotkin] have been vocal critics of House Republicans who have sought to downplay the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.The pieces on the American political chess board continued moving today, with less than two weeks to go until the 8 November midterms. Donald Trump announced a slate of campaign rallies, including a visit to Florida, where he will not be joined by Republican governor Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, Joe Biden traveled to a New York semiconductor factory to promote legislation boosting domestic technological competitiveness, with the greater goal of drumming up voter support for his handling of the economy. And Trump foe Liz Cheney bucked her hardcore Republican credentials to endorse a Democrat running for another term in the House.Here’s what else happened today:
      A Capitol rioter was sentenced to seven-a-half years in prison for his part in the attack on Washington police officer Michael Fanone on January 6.
      Democratic lawmakers want the enhanced child tax credit restored in year-end legislation. During 2021, the program was credited with lowering child poverty.
      Democratic senator John Hickenlooper asked the Federal Reserve to hold off on increasing interest rates further. He is the second Democrat this week to urge the central bank exercise caution in its fight against inflation.
      Once a swing state, Democrats in Florida worry they are being pushed decisively into the minority, and could lose ground even in their strongholds in the upcoming elections.
      Call them the Arizona accords. A far-right Republican lawmaker invited the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to negotiate peace in the southwestern state. Don’t expect it to go anywhere.
      Why are there always reporters following Joe Biden around? Because people tell him interesting things.Such as top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, who Fox News overheard giving Biden his assessment of how things are looking in two states crucial to determining Senate control:Schumer on hot mic talking to Biden about the midterms:“Looks like the debate didn’t hurt us too much in Pennsylvania and we’re picking up steam in Nevada.” pic.twitter.com/6KPjJ4YfMc— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 27, 2022
      Despite Democrat John Fetterman’s rocky performance on Tuesday, Schumer said, “looks like the debate didn’t hurt us too much in Pennsylvania.” He can also be heard saying “we’re picking up steam in Nevada.” Polls in the western state have shown Democratic senator Catherine Cortez Masto in a very tight race against her Republican opponent, Adam Laxalt.Control of Congress isn’t the only thing voters will decide in the 8 November midterms. In five states, Americans will vote on whether or not to approve ballot measures removing laws that allow slavery and involuntary servitude for prisoners, the Associated Press reports.The measures won’t immediately change conditions in state prisons, but could form the basis for future legal challenges over how convict labor is treated.Here’s more from the AP’s report:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The effort is part of a national push to amend the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that banned enslavement or involuntary servitude except as a form of criminal punishment. That exception has long permitted the exploitation of labor by convicted felons.
      “The idea that you could ever finish the sentence ‘slavery’s okay when … ’ has to rip out your soul, and I think it’s what makes this a fight that ignores political lines and brings us together, because it feels so clear,” said Bianca Tylek, executive director of Worth Rises, a criminal justice advocacy group pushing to remove the amendment’s convict labor clause.
      Nearly 20 states have constitutions that include language permitting slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishments. In 2018, Colorado was the first to remove the language from its founding frameworks by ballot measure, followed by Nebraska and Utah two years later.
      This November, versions of the question go before voters in Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont.
      Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Democrat from Memphis, was shocked when a fellow lawmaker told her about the slavery exception in the Tennessee Constitution and immediately began working to replace the language.
      “When I found out that this exception existed, I thought, ‘We have got to fix this and we’ve got to fix this right away,’” she said. “Our constitution should reflect the values and the beliefs of our state.”A judge in Washington has sentenced a Tennessee man who participated in the January 6 insurrection to seven-and-a-half years in prison for attacking police officer Michael Fanone, The Wall Street Journal reports.Albuquerque Cosper Head, 43, was part of a group that overwhelmed Fanone as he tried to fend off the assault, dragging him into a mob and holding him down while he was tased by other rioters. Fanone, who resigned from the Washington police department last year, has become one of the most outspoken law enforcement figures who responded to the attack by supporters of Donald Trump.Here’s more from the Journal:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Calling him one of the “most serious offenders” during the Capitol riot, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson imposed the 90-month sentence on Albuquerque Cosper Head during an emotional court hearing Thursday in the District of Columbia.
      Mr. Head, a 43-year-old construction worker, pleaded guilty in May to participating in a group attack on Michael Fanone, a former Washington Metropolitan Police Officer. Mr. Fanone has spoken extensively about the attack and the injuries he sustained, including a heart attack and a traumatic brain injury.
      According to a recent Justice Department court filing, Mr. Head “forcibly dragged Officer Fanone into the riotous mob” and “continued to restrain Officer Fanone while another rioter applied a Taser to the base of the officer’s skull.”
      Judge Jackson called Mr. Head’s actions “some of the darkest acts committed on one of our nation’s darkest days,” adding that he went after the officer like he was “prey” and a “trophy.”
      Mr. Head will receive credit for time spent in custody since his arrest in April 2021.
      The Justice Department had asked Judge Jackson to impose the maximum potential sentence of 96 months, citing Mr. Head’s criminal history, which includes convictions for domestic violence and approximately 45 arrests.
      Mr. Head’s lawyer, G. Nicholas Wallace, argued unsuccessfully for a 60-month sentence, saying his client was “embarrassed and remorseful” and has accepted responsibility for his actions.‘Devoid of shame’: January 6 cop Michael Fanone on Trump’s Republican partyRead moreRightwing Republican congressman Paul Gosar has invited Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Arizona to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.In a letter posted on Donald Trump’s Truth social network, Gosar, who was censured and stripped of his committee posts last year for tweeting a violent anime sequence depicting him killing congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking Joe Biden, proposed talks in Phoenix to end a conflict he feared poses nuclear peril.He described Arizona’s capital as “far enough away from the conflict, and away from the entities that are currently encouraging more war, to be a productive location.”Here’s how he put it, on Twitter:The horrible reality is that western leaders do not want peace between Russia and Ukraine.Our political and military leaders are marching straight into nuclear war for the sake of ‘our democracy’.We need peacemakers, not death cultists.— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) October 27, 2022
      The letter is unlikely to amount to anything more than a stunt for the Trump acolyte representing the southwestern state. But it does point to a larger reality: some Republicans are growing wary of Washington’s continued backing of Kyiv, saying it’s getting too expensive. Top House Republican Kevin McCarthy, who is poised to lead the chamber if the GOP wins a majority in the upcoming elections, said as much in an interview last week.‘The most dangerous man in Congress’: how Paul Gosar became a darling of the far rightRead moreDemocrat woes deepen in New YorkMuch has already been made of the unusually tight race in New York state for the governor’s mansion, where Kathy Hochul only has a relatively narrow lead over her Republican challenger.Now, adding to those New York woes, is evidence that other races are starting to look troublesome for Democrats, including the House Democratic campaigns chief Sean Patrick Maloney in the Hudson Valley.Once thought safe, the race there has tightened considerably.Politico has more: Republicans first targeted House Democratic campaigns chief Sean Patrick Maloney’s blue district here in the Hudson Valley as an act of trolling their arch-nemesis. Now they’re taking their prospects seriously.And so is Maloney. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair and his allies are answering the GOP’s escalation with millions of dollars from outside groups, while Maloney steps up his already grueling campaign schedule at home.Swooping in to rescue their own campaigns chief is the last place Democrats wanted to be in the final days of the midterms. His struggles have led some in the party to rethink their tendency to elect swing-seat DCCC leaders, but for the moment Maloney’s just looking to hang on.But also a note of optimism.“This is nothing new for me,” [Maloney] claimed of the GOP onslaught after a Wednesday town hall to promote his work on lowering prescription drug prices. Indeed, in 2016 he won reelection even as most voters in his then-district picked Donald Trump for presidentJoe Biden is undoing some of the Trump administration’s nuclear weapons policies, but critics want the White House to do more, The Guardian’s Julian Borger reports:The Biden administration has confirmed it will cancel a submarine-launched nuclear cruise missile programme begun by Donald Trump, as part of its review of nuclear policy.The administration will also retire a gravity bomb, the B63, from its arsenal as part of its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), but arms control advocates argued the changes from the Trump era did not go far enough.The administration is retaining another weapon variant introduced by Trump, a low-yield warhead called the W76-2, intended to deter an adversary like Russia using a low-yield weapon. The Democratic party manifesto in 2020 had called the W76-2 “unnecessary, wasteful, and indefensible”.The Biden NPR said that the “fundamental role of nuclear weapons is to deter nuclear attack on the United States, our allies, and partners”. That declaratory policy stops sort of saying deterring nuclear attack is the sole purpose of the arsenal, which is what Biden promised in his election campaign. Instead, the NPR says that the US could strike back against “a narrow range of other high consequence, strategic-level attacks”.Biden to scrap Trump missile project but critics attack US ‘nuclear overkill’Read moreDespite her fairly hard core conservative credentials, anti-Trump Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney has now endorsed a Democrat in the upcoming midterm elections.Having used her position on the January 6 committee to bludgeon Donald Trump for his role in the insurrection and for seeking to overturn the 2020 election result, Cheney clearly feels her split with her own party is nearly complete.Crossing America’s political divide and supporting a Democrat will infuriate the Trumpist-dominated Republican party.AP has the details:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Republican Rep. Liz Cheney on Thursday endorsed and plans to campaign for Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, the first time that the critic of former President Donald Trump who lost her GOP primary has crossed party lines to formally support a Democrat.
      Cheney, of Wyoming, announced her support for the two-term House member from Holly, Michigan, in a statement by the Slotkin campaign that notes she plans to headline a campaign event with Slotkin in the Lansing-area district next Tuesday.
      Slotkin is competing against Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. Their race is considered a toss-up by both sides and one of the Republicans’ chief targets in their campaign to win the House majority on Nov. 8.And this is likely the crucial detail..css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Both [Cheney and Slotkin] have been vocal critics of House Republicans who have sought to downplay the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Could Donald Trump soon return to Twitter? With Elon Musk on course to meet a Friday deadline to finish his acquisition of the company, chances are rising that the former president will make a return to the social network he used as a megaphone in his presidency. Here’s the latest on the deal from The Guardian’s Alex Hern:Elon Musk has claimed he has “acquired Twitter” in a post to the social network reassuring advertisers it will stay a safe place for their brands, amid fears one of his first actions as chief executive will be to restore Donald Trump’s account.After months of uncertainty over whether or not his $44bn acquisition of the social media platform would go through, the Tesla chief executive’s post is the strongest acknowledgment yet that the deal is expected to be sealed before its deadline of 5pm in Delaware on Friday.Musk wrote in a statement attached to the tweet: “The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilisation to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence.”He added: “That is why I bought Twitter. I didn’t do it because it would be easy. I didn’t do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love.”Elon Musk claims he has acquired Twitter ‘to help humanity’Read moreLiving in conservative-run states takes a toll on Americans, according to a new study that found a gap in life expectancies based on a state’s political orientation. Martin Pengelly reports:Americans die younger in conservative states than in those governed by liberals, a new study has found.The authors wrote: “Simulations indicate that changing all policy domains in all states to a fully liberal orientation might have saved 171,030 lives in 2019, while changing them to a fully conservative orientation might have cost 217,635 lives.”The study was published on Plos One, “an inclusive journal community working together to advance science for the benefit of society, now and in the future”.The authors were from Syracuse University in New York, Harvard in Massachusetts, Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Washington, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Western Ontario, in Canada.They wrote: “Results show that the policy domains were associated with working-age mortality.”Americans die younger in states run by conservatives, study findsRead moreFrom its central role in the disputed 2000 election to its more recent rightward shift under governor Ron DeSantis, Florida has long been one of the most politically interesting states in the union.The Guardian’s Oliver Laughland traveled to the Sunshine State, seeking answers to one of the biggest questions of the upcoming midterms: will it keep trending Republican, or is a Democratic revival possible? Here’s what he found:12:41Donald Trump has announced a slate of campaign rallies in the last days before the 8 November midterm elections, including a visit to Florida, where he will not be joined by Republican governor Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, Joe Biden will today travel to a semiconductor factory to promote legislation he supported to boost domestic technological competitiveness, with the greater goal of drumming up voter support for his handling of the economy.Here’s what else is happening today:
      Democratic lawmakers want the enhanced child tax credit restored in year-end legislation. During 2021, the program was credited with lowering child poverty.
      Democratic senator John Hickenlooper wants the Federal Reserve to hold off on increasing interest rates further. He is the second Democrat this week to ask the central bank to exercise caution in its fight against inflation.
      Once a swing state, Democrats in Florida worry they are being pushed decisively into the minority, and could lose ground even in their strongholds in the upcoming elections.
      White House chief of staff Ron Klain broke a federal law with a retweet from his official account, an investigation has found, according to the Associated Press.The AP reports that Klain violated the Hatch Act when he retweeted from his White House account a message from Democratic group STRIKE PAC. The tweet was about deliveries of baby formula, but also included the message, “Get your Democrats Deliver merch today!”That’s a violation of the act, which bars government officials from trying to influence elections in their official capacities, and Klain was issued a letter of warning, according to the AP.Here’s more from their report:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Klain removed the retweet as soon as he was notified of the complaint. No disciplinary action will be pursued and the office, an independent government watchdog that monitors violations of the Hatch Act, considers the matter closed. Klain was warned to be more careful in the future.
      The conservative legal group America First Legal, led by Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller, complained about the tweet and sought an investigation.
      Miller and at least a dozen other former Trump administration officials repeatedly violated that same law, without consequence and with Trump’s approval, as part of a “willful disregard for the Hatch Act,” the Office of Special Counsel found in 2021. The office investigated comments by Trump officials leading into the 2020 presidential election, including at the Republican National Convention, which was held at the White House in a major break from historical norms.
      White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre often cites the Hatch Act in deflecting political questions during news briefings. Earlier this week she was asked whether Biden was doing everything he can possibly do to get Democrats across the finish line in the Nov. 8 elections.
      “I have to be careful of what I say, because we do respect the Hatch Act here in this administration,” she said.Pennsylvania’s Democratic candidate for Senate John Fetterman has meanwhile hit out at Shell for reporting massive profits, accusing the oil giant of gouging American consumers while raking in cash.Here’s the statement from the candidate’s communications director:NEW: Statement from Fetterman on Shell’s reported $9.45 billion in profits for the third quarter, their second-highest profit on record. pic.twitter.com/0l7cldq81K— Joe Calvello (@the_vello) October 27, 2022
      The message that corporate profiteering is to blame for America’s ongoing inflation wave is one Democrats have pushed throughout this year, and polls indicate it has some resonance with voters.The House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has joined in on criticizing Democrat John Fetterman for his performance in Tuesday night’s Pennsylvania Senate debate. Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, is recovering from a stroke and at times spoke haltingly in his face-off against Republican Mehmet Oz. His performance raised concerns among Democrats that voters will view Fetterman as not fit for the job, depriving them of one of their best chances to win a Republican-controlled seat in Congress’ upper chamber this year.Here’s what McCarthy had to say, on Fox News:House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy goes after Pennsylvania Sen. nominee John Fetterman (D) after his debate against Dr. Oz (R):“Even those Democrats on CNN were embarrassed of who their nominee was and the capability of carrying out the job. This is a big job in the Senate.” pic.twitter.com/yIMFrJVW2n— The Recount (@therecount) October 27, 2022
      ‘A lens of empathy’: disability advocates on John Fetterman and leadershipRead more More