Good Day, Newsies! On this solemn anniversary, with so many concerns for the country, the political world and the planet, it is more important than ever to find good news every day. I hope this roundup will just be the start of your good news today.
“Everyone has inside them a piece of good news. The good news is you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is.” – Anne Frank
🏃Republicans Are Running... Away!
This hasn’t gotten much attention, what with all the collusion, treason, mango meltdowns and whatnot sucking up all the air in the news cycles, but it is hilariously notable that all over the country Democratic candidates are challenging their Republican opponents (many of them incumbents) to public debates and the Rs are refusing! They are running scared and with good reason; they know perfectly well that they have no record to stand on and they sure as shootin’ do not want to stand up in front of voters to defend the tax scam, taking away healthcare for millions, children in cages, and their POTUS’s attempted destruction of our crucial economic and political world alliances.
So, twitter user and writer Nick Knudsen put out a call for candidates and constituents to post who is refusing to debate. The thread got long and I think we will all soon be treated to a great article from Knudsen when he has finished interviewing and researching. Meanwhile, I jotted down the rogues’ gallery of Republican runaways named on the thread for you.
Let’s kick off this GNR with an invigorating musical selection. I recommend you cue it up to play right now as you scroll through the (partial!) list of Republican candidates who refuse to debate their Dem opponents 😅:
🏃 Republican RunAways Wall of Shame 🏃
R-Runaway (race) Challenger or Opponent
Martha Roby (AL-2) → Democratic challenger Tabitha Isner
Mike Rogers (AL-3) → Democratic challenger Mallory Hagan
Asa Hutchinson (AR-GOV) → Democratic challenger Jared Henderson
Andy Biggs (AZ-5) → Democratic challenger Joan Green
Devin Nunes (CA-22) → Democratic challenger Andrew Janz
Ken Calvert (CA-42) → Democratic challenger Julia Peacock
Mimi Walters (CA-45) → Democratic challenger Katie Porter
Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48) → Democratic challenger Harley Rouda
Bob Stefanowski (CT-GOV) → Democratic opponent Ned Lamont
Doug Lamborn (CO-5) → Democratic challenger Stephany Rose Spaulding
Karen Handel (GA-6) → Democratic challenger Lucy McBath
Doug Collins (GA-9) → Democratic challenger Josh McCall
Steve King (IA-4) → Democratic challenger J.D. Scholten
Jim Banks (IN-3) → Democratic challenger Courtney Tritch
Trey Hollingsworth (IN-9) → Democratic challenger Liz Watson
Ron Estes (KS-4) → Democratic challenger James Thompson
Andy Barr (KY-6) → Democratic challenger Amy McGrath
Peter Roskam* (IL-6) → Democratic challenger Sean Casten
Randy Hultgren (IL-14) → Democratic challenger Lauren Underwood
Shawn Moody (ME-GOV) → Democratic opponent Janet Mills
Bill Huizenga (MI-2) → Democratic challenger Rob Davidson
Fred Upton (MI-6) → Democratic challenger Matt Longjohn
Mike Bishop (MI-8) → Democratic challenger Elissa Slotkin
Erik Paulsen (MN-3) → Democratic challenger Dean Phillips
Vicky Hartzler (MO-4) → Democratic challenger Renee Hoagenson
David Rouzer (NC-7) → Democratic challenger Dr.Kyle Horton
Adrian Smith (NE-3) → Democratic challenger Paul Theobald
Chris Smith (NJ-4) → Democratic challenger Josh Welle
Lee Zelden (NY-1) → Democratic challenger Perry Gershon
John Faso (NY-19) → Democratic challenger Antonio Delgado
John Katko (NY-24) → Democratic challenger Dana Balter
Steve Chabot (OH-1) → Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval
Jim Jordan (OH-4) → Democratic challenger Janet Garrett
Bob Gibbs (OH-7) → Democratic challenger Ken Harbaugh
Dave Joyce (OH-14) → Democratic challenger Betsy Rader
Greg Walden (OR-2) → Democratic challenger Jamie McLeod-Skinner
Tom Marino (PA-12) → Democratic challenger Marc Friedenberg
Glenn Thompson (PA-15) → Democratic challenger Susan Boser
Marsha Blackburn (TN-U.S.Sen) → Democratic opponent Phil Bredesen
Mark Green (TN-7) → Democratic challenger Justin Kanew
Kevin Brady (TX-8) → Democratic challenger Steven David
Michael McCaul (TX-10) → Democratic challenger Mike Siegel
Randy Weber (TX-14) → Democratic challenger Adrienne Bell
Ken Merchant (TX-24) → Democratic challenger Jan McDowell
Mitt Romney (UT-U.S.Sen) → Democratic opponent Jenny Wilson
Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3) → Democratic challenger Carolyn Long
David McKinley (WV-1) → Democratic challenger Kendra Fershee
Alex Mooney (WV-2) → Democratic challenger Talley Sergent
Carol Miller (WV-3) → Democratic opponent Richard Ojeda
*Roskam agreed to one debate with limited, ticketed seating, in downtown Chicago probably hoping that travel issues, parking costs and a door charge would keep constituents away — he was wrong. 😆
Perhaps those Republicans are running away from a ...
And here are a few details about some races:
🏃Tennessee U.S. Senate race: Rep. Marsha Blackburn runs away from debate with former TN Gov. Phil Bredesen: Blackburn declines Chattanooga debate invitation, Andy Sher, Times Free Press, September 6, 2018.
A planned Oct. 1 Chattanooga debate between U.S. Senate Republican nominee Marsha Blackburn and Democratic nominee Phil Bredesen has fallen through after Blackburn's campaign said the Brentwood, Tennessee member of Congress won't be attending. ✂️
Times Free Press Editor Alison Gerber said the newspaper had "extended an invitation for a debate and changed the date to accommodate a request by the Blackburn campaign, to which the Bredesen campaign agreed. ✂️
The Oct. 1 debate is the second that Blackburn has turned down in the Nov. 6 match-up with Bredesen, a former Tennessee governor and one-time Nashville mayor. The race is being nationally watched because its outcome could influence the balance of the Senate.
🏃Texas: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick running scared of Democratic challenger Mike Collier: Patrick owes Texans debate with opponent, Beaumont Enterprise, August 27, 2018.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is challenging the wrong guy to a debate. He should be facing off against his Democratic opponent, Mike Collier, about issues that directly affect Texans. Instead he’s challenging Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera to a debate over national illegal immigration policies.
Texas voters should not let a stunt like that go unpunished. Patrick can easily avoid that by simply agreeing to stand next to his opponent like a man and take unscripted questions from a neutral moderator. That would allow voters to see both candidates think on their feet instead of relying on slick commercials or press releases by their aides.
So far, however, not only has Patrick refused to debate Collier, he’s scorned the very possibility and acted as if his Democratic opponent is unworthy of sharing the same space with him.
Patrick’s spokesman, Allen Blakemore, even had the gall to say recently, “It’s no secret that Lt. Gov. Patrick relishes debates, but since his opponent shows no signs of grasping even the most basic rudiments of state government, our campaign has no plans to debate him.”
First, many Texans may not realize “it’s no secret that Patrick relishes debates” because he didn’t debate his Democratic opponent four years ago. If Patrick truly “relishes” these exchanges, he can prove it by actually participating in one. (🔥)
🏃Ohio: Rep. Jim Jordan run running away from Democratic challenger Janet Garrett: Jordan declines Garrett debate dates, Jason Hawk, Amherst News-Times, August 31, 2018 .
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) has rejected a list of proposed debates against Democratic challenger Janet Garrett as Election Day nears, according to a statement from the Garrett campaign.
Jordan has served in the U.S. Congress for 12 years. Garrett, of Oberlin, is seeking to unseat him in Ohio’s 4th congressional district, which covers our portion of Lorain County.
In August, her office proposed a five debates in Urbana, Marion, Elyria, Lima, and Fremont to take place prior to the start of early voting. Jordan reportedly did not agree to the debates.
🏃Iowa: Rep. King runs away from debate with Dem challenger J.D. Scholten: DECISION 2018: Scholten challenges King to debates, KTIV News, September 7, 2018. *and* Congressman Steve King responds to JD Scholten debate, KTIV News, September 8, 2018.
Link #1: “Scholten, who’s challenging King for his seat in Iowa’s 4th District, proposed three debates on YouTube. As an alternative, Scholten challenged King to a free throw contest saying, “the ball is in your court.”
King hasn’t debated an opponent, from an opposing party, since he faced Democrat Jim Mowrer, in Storm Lake, in October of 2014.” ( 🐓!)
Link #2:
“King says he has not seen the challenge–but stated his stance on a future debate.
“If there’s not a clear division on issues here then you know if nobody’s criticizing the way I vote then they just call names and I don’t think that’s a very good reason to have a debate,” says Congressman Steve King (R- 🐓).
In one day since the release of the video–, there have been over 400 views.
🏃Pennsylvania: You’d think that having won in 2016 with 70% of the vote, the incumbent Republican would be delighted to debate a challenger. Oh wait, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court redrew the district lines after ruling that the Republican redistricting was unconstitutional and now it might be a fair contest. Run, run away Rep. Marino! No debates scheduled in 12th Congressional District, Rachel McDevitt, WITF News, September 7, 2018.
(Harrisburg) -- Congressional elections in Pennsylvania could help determine which party takes control of the US House after the midterms.
But some districts may not see a debate between candidates.
Incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Marino has declined a debate invitation by the League of Women Voters, due to scheduling conflicts.
His Democratic challenger in the 12th Congressional District, Marc Friedenberg, said Marino hasn't accepted any such invitations. ✂️
Marino was first elected to Congress in 2010*, beating a Democratic incumbent for the seat. He won reelection in 2016 with 70 percent of the vote.
The 12th District** includes Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union, Snyder, and Northumberland counties.
(* Marino was first elected in PA 10 district, previously a Democratic-leaning district, in the midterm R wave of 2010. He was re-elected with increasing majorities in 2014 and 2016 following the R redistricting (gerrymander) approved by SCoPA in 2013. ** The SCoPA redrew the gerrymandered district lines in February 2018, after ruling the Republican drawn map unconstitutional. Marino’s district became PA-12, incorporating much of the old PA-10.)
Republicans, we see you.
And Now For A Word From A Candidate
Healthcare — especially protecting the pre-existing conditions provision in the ACA — is a winning issue for Democrats because it gets to the heart of what matters to all Americans. At least one vulnerable Democratic Senator, Joe Manchin (D-WV) has embraced this issue and I think he has a great shot at winning re-election (content warning for gunshots in ad):
RealClearPolitics composite polling average has Manchin up 8.4 points over opponent Patrick Morrisey. Manchin is nevertheless considered vulnerable because WV is seen as a reliably “red” state and went for Trump in 2016 by 68.5%, the largest share of the vote in any state that the pretender won.
📞 Good Polling News
A couple of important new polls came out on Monday and the news is not good for the Resident and the Republican party. CNN Poll: Trump approval down 6 points in a month, hits low among independents, Jennifer Agiesta, CNN Politics, September 10, 2018.
President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen 6 points in the last month and stands at a new low among political independents, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS.
Overall, just 36% approve of the way the President is handling his job, down from 42% in August. Among independents, the drop has been sharper, from 47% approval last month to 31% now. That's 4 points below his previous 2018 low of 35% approval among political independents in CNN polling, and 1 point below his previous all-time low among independents in CNN polling, reached in November 2017.
Quinnipiac also released new poll results on Monday. It likewise showed a dropping approval rating (38% approval, down from 41% a month ago), although the disapproval rating remained the same (I know, I find polling confusing too). A really interesting feature of the Quinnipiac poll was that it asked several questions about character:
American voters give President Trump his lowest grade for honesty since he was elected, saying 60 - 32 percent that he is not honest. Trump gets low grades on most character traits:
- 57 - 38 percent that he does not have good leadership skills;
- 55 - 41 percent that he does not care about average Americans;
- 65 - 30 percent that he is not level-headed;
- 57 - 39 percent that he is a strong person;
- 51 - 42 percent that he is intelligent;
- 60 - 33 percent that he does not share voters' values;
- 55 - 41 percent that he is not fit to serve as president;
- 48 - 42 percent that he is mentally stable.
And the best bit right at the bottom; support for Robert Mueller is rising:
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is conducting a fair investigation into possible coordination between the Trump presidential campaign and the Russian government, voters say 55 - 32 percent, compared to 51 - 33 percent August 14.
Surprising Development in Florida Gubernatorial Race
Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-KKK), the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Florida, announced Monday that he is resigning from the House of Representatives in order to concentrate on his campaign for governor. This is surprising because DeSantis had given no hint of this plan before the announcement today, so there is a whiff of “hastily hatched plan” about it, rather than a carefully laid plan. GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis, running for Florida governor, resigns from House, Tim Craig and Mike DeBonis, Washington Post, September 10, 2018.
“As the Republican nominee for Governor of Florida, it is clear to me that I will likely miss the vast majority of our remaining session days for this Congress,” DeSantis wrote. “Under these circumstances, it would be inappropriate for me to accept a salary. In order to honor my principles and protect the taxpayer, I officially resign from the House of Representatives effective immediately.”
Addressing a campaign event at Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood Monday night, DeSantis did not mention his decision to resign from the House, but he said it’s a challenge to raise two children under the age of 2 while campaigning. ✂️
DeSantis’s announcement comes as Gillum, who has received an influx of support from national Democratic groups, has opened up an early fundraising lead for the general election.
According to Florida campaign finance reports filed Friday, Gillum has raised $4 million since winning the Democratic nomination Aug. 28. DeSantis raised $516,000 during the same period.
DeSantis also has been hobbled by questions about his racial sensitivity and past association with a far-right activist who has expressed controversial views about race. Last week, DeSantis scrambled to contain outrage from Florida voters after he urged the state not to“monkey this up” by electing Gillum, who is African American and whom DeSantis accused of being a socialist.
In a few paragraphs, the WAPO article casually mentions several noteworthy points which rather than merely being coincidental to the timing of DeSantis’s resignation, may in fact have precipitated it. Andrew Gillum holds a slight lead over the Republican in most opinion polls; Gillum has raised 8 times as much money as DeSantis has since the primary (which suggests that donor supporters aren’t confident in the Republican); and of course, DeSantis is rightly suffering the fallout from his racist remarks last week. Sounds like this campaign is in trouble and that’s good news!
Scott Walker’s Bid For a Third Term May Be in Trouble
He is by no means out of contention, but perhaps the worst governor in the country may — at long last — be nearing the end of his charmed political existence. ‘Scott Walker fatigue’ haunts Republicans, Natasha Korecki, Politico, September 10, 2018.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — There’s every reason to believe this is the beginning of the end for Scott Walker.
His presidential bid crashed and burned. He’s running for a third term as governor in what figures to be a hostile midterm for the Republican Party. Polling shows that the independent voters who were so critical to Walker’s wins in the 2012 recall and 2014 reelection are breaking away from him.
After years of futility, Democrats here are convinced they finally have him cornered.
“He’s stuck with a bad environment. He’s stuck with a long incumbency, and he’s stuck with a short general election,” said Tom Russell, a Wisconsin-based consultant with the Democratic Governors Association.
The signs that Walker is ripe to be taken down are everywhere. His opponent, Schools Superintendent Tony Evers, has a slight lead in recent polls and there’s evidence that critical suburban voters are shifting leftward.
Three former Walker aides have even turned on the governor, with two cutting ads for Evers. And Walker has quickly gone negative on Evers, including in a new, highly-charged ad.
Just as important, Democrats are running a populist candidate they believe is made for the moment — Evers, who built momentum from decisively winning a crowded primary and went on to raise $1 million in his first week as the nominee.
Gov. Jerry Brown Makes Good Environmental News
Gov. Jerry Brown Just Ensured All California’s Electricity Will Be Emissions-Free By 2045, Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Mother Jones, September 10, 2018.
On Monday, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law SB100—which aims to make the state’s electricity supply totally emissions-free by 2045. Brown also issued an executive order on Monday instructing California to achieve carbon neutrality (having a zero-carbon footprint) by the same year. The actions came just ahead of the Global Climate Action Summit, a world-wide conference on climate change to be held in San Francisco this week.
“This bill and the executive order put California on a path to meet the goals of Paris and beyond,” Brown said Monday in a press release. “It will not be easy. It will not be immediate. But it must be done.”
⚡️ Lightning Roundup ⚡️
Rick Scott plays ‘keep away from Trump’, Marc Caputo, Politico, September 10, 2018.
Group raises nearly $1m for Susan Collins’s nonexistent opponent if she votes to confirm Brett Kavanaugh, Scott Bixby, The Daily Beast, September 10, 2018.
The cavalry comes to save Ted Cruz from humiliation, Lachlan Markay, The Daily Beast, September 10, 2018.
The White House Tried to Take Credit for the Economy. It Wasn’t Very Convincing. Jordan Weissmann, Slate, September 10, 2018.
Beto O’Rourke Makes Republicans So Anxious, They Forgot How Much They Hate Ted Cruz, Josh Vorhees, Slate, September 10, 2018.
🌊 Action Roundup 🌊
Please don’t forget the families who were forcibly separated by this evil so-called *administration*. Check out oldhippiedude’s action list here.
The ActBlue link is an easy way to contribute to 14 organizations, including the ACLU, who are working to help these families.
Also:
Donate to ActBlue
Donate to Swing Left
Send postcards to voters in other districts
Sign up to go door to door in your district
Sign up to drive people to the polls
Find your local Democratic Party and volunteer!
Plus! Check out Yosef 52's diaries, posted daily, chockerblock full of ideas and information.
And FreewayBlogger
💚 Roundup Winddown 💚
That’s all for this Tuesday from me. I’m packing up to drive to northeast Georgia to be with an elderly relative until Florence has blown herself out. If you are in the path of the storm, please stay safe.
I’ll leave you with a musical selection that seems fitting on this September 11 as we remember all the ordinary men and women who died that day. I’m using this video featuring Leonard Bernstein, who was born 100 years ago last month, and Aaron Copland conducting the performance of his own composition.
Happy Tuesday, Newsies!