NRSC Weekly Rundown: America’s Economy is WINNING, How McCaskill Affords Her Lavish Lifestyle, Socialism Making Things Awkward in AZ and more!
And here’s this week’s edition of the NRSC Weekly Rundown:
#Winning: The Bureau of Economic Analysis’ report out today shows that the GDP is growing at 4.1%, the best pace in four years and a testimony that the American economy is booming under President Trump. How will red state Democrats explain the historic 4.1% growth after their votes against the tax cuts that are driving the economic surge, and when the far left is lamenting President Trump’s policies as Armageddon? As the midterms near, it’s clear Democrats will be desperate to talk about anything but Trump’s booming economy.
#MOSen: Claire McCaskill had one unhappy birthday this week. A new report from the Kansas City Star shed light on how McCaskill funds her lavish lifestyle, revealing that businesses owned by her husband, Joseph Shepard, have been awarded more than $131 million in federal subsidies since McCaskill took office. And while in Kansas City this week, President Trump reminded Missourians that McCaskill voted against his tax cut bill that has put more money in their pockets. As Missourians continue to reap the benefits of the GOP tax cuts, McCaskill’s vote looks more and more indefensible.
#NDSen: Heidi Heitkamp continues to beat around the bush on whether she will support Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, but North Dakotans have made up their minds. According to a new poll, 60% of North Dakotans support Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Yet despite this overwhelming majority, Heitkamp continues to play coy. The NRSC also released a new television ad this week hammering Heitkamp for joining with Hillary Clinton to support sanctuary cities not once, not twice, but three times. Heitkamp’s failure to crack down on illegal immigration is just one of the many areas where she’s demonstrated she’s completely out of touch with North Dakotans.
#FLSen: According to new FEC filing reports, Bill Nelson is still avoiding payroll taxes and health care costs for his struggling campaign. This comes after the Free Beaconexposed Nelson’s scheme in last quarter’s filing. And while Nelson will do anything to avoid paying his own taxes, the career politician has had no problem saddling Floridians with higher taxes all while giving himself a pay raise 12 times while in office. Adding to his hypocrisy, Nelson has railed against big money in politics for years and was even endorsed by End Citizens United. But when Chuck Schumer’s super PAC reserved over $20 million in airtime as a thank you for Nelson’s undying loyalty, he didn’t object. And just this week, a liberal dark money group has started running ads trying to prop up Nelson’s struggling campaign. Nelson has made it clear he’s happy to decry dark money unless it’s helping him.
#INSen: It’s been two weeks since President Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and the Judge has been making the rounds at the Capitol. But Sleepin’ Joe Donnelly dragged his feet until pressure from his GOP opponent, Mike Braun, forced him to finally put the Judge on his schedule. With new polling showing that Hoosiers, by a 52-34 margin, want Judge Kavanaugh confirmed, can Sleepin’ Joe really afford to take part in Democrats’ political games?
#MTSen: Jon Tester had a brutal week. After dodging questions about his lavish $1,000,000 home in Washington, D.C., Tester was stopped in the airport and asked again about his lush digs on Capitol Hill. Tester then smugly snipped back, “Cut me a check and it’s yours.” Too bad most Montanans can’t afford such a swanky abode. A day later, Tester’s challenger Matt Rosendale went up with a new TV ad calling out Swampy Jon for his deep roots with the Washington elite, making himself rich in office and buying a million dollar “Cosmopolitan Castle” on Capitol Hill. Vice President Mike Pence stopped in Billings this week and blasted Tester, saying “Jon Tester doesn’t share your values.” After the Vice President’s visit, Montanans woke up to front pages that have Senator Tester feeling the heat for choosing to obstruct President Trump’s agenda at every turn. Tester’s dark money hypocrisy also hit a new high this week with the Senator’s appearance in a Hollywood documentary on the impact of Citizens United in Montana. But this cycle alone, liberal groups have poured nearly $12 million into his campaign. If Senator Tester were sincere in wanting to get dark money out of politics, why wouldn’t he call on his liberal allies to cancel the millions they’re spending to support him?
#WVSen: Vice President Mike Pence stopped in Wheeling on Thursday to go after Joe Manchin’s record of opposing President Trump on everything from tax cuts for the middle class to defunding Planned Parenthood to building the wall. The Vice President summed up the case against Manchin perfectly, concluding, “Joe Manchin just doesn’t represent the values the people of West Virginia cherish most.”West Virginians are in no mood for Joe Manchin and his Democrat colleagues’ political games, with a new poll showing that 55% of Mountain State voters want Judge Kavanaugh confirmed. When the time comes, will Manchin follow Schumer and the #resistance off the cliff and vote against Judge Kavanaugh?
#TNSen: Once again, Phil Bredesen is saying one thing and doing another. Despite claiming he doesn’t support Democrats’ call to abolish ICE, Bredesen was more than happy to accept campaign donations from the movement’s ringleader Kirsten Gillibrand. Vice President Pence also headed to Tennessee and reminded voters that Bredesen is a liberal Democrat who has criticized the GOP tax cuts as “crumbs,” and favors single-payer health care. And in classic Bredesen fashion, he responded to the VP’s comments by lying, saying “it’s too general to declare yourself for or against single-payer.” But Bredesen’s own words make it clear he supports single-payer, as he previously told C-SPAN, “that’s what I think actually we should do.” Bredesen has also been hypocritically touting his efforts as Governor implementing a sales tax holiday, but his record tells a different story. Bredesen was not only responsible for canceling a sales tax holiday in 2009, he also has a history of attempting to raise taxes and fees on Tennesseans as Governor.
#NVSen: Jacky Rosen’s ardent loyalty to left-wing obstruction got her in some trouble over the weekend, as she was severely chastised in the Nevada Independentfor her ill-conceived attacks on Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The Nevada Independent said Rosen “has no idea what judges actually do” and that her views of democracy are “chilling.” FEC reports released this week revealed Rosen, who has repeatedly jetted off to California to raise cash from the Hollywood elite, took big money from a who’s who of Hollywood glitterati, and once again raised more from Californians than Nevadans.
#AZSen: Socialism has taken off like wildfire among the far-left, putting Democrats like Kyrsten Sinema in a tough place. Sinema has spent years trying to run away from her past avowed support of socialism, but she can’t escape the fact that the policies she supported are nearly identical to those pushed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the far left’s new socialist stars. Kyrsten Sinema can try all she wants to run away from her radical past, but the Democratic Party’s leftward lurch and full embrace of socialism only reminds voters Sinema is too extreme to be elected Senator in ruby red Arizona. And Arizonans agree that Sinema is too radical for the state. A new poll released this week shows that an astounding 76% of voters will not vote for a political candidate who labels herself a socialist.
#PASen: In a speech in Philadelphia this week, Vice President Pence went after Bob Casey for his bizarre decision to announce he would vote against any nominee President Trump made to the Supreme Court, even before Judge Brett Kavanaughwas tapped as his pick. Editorial boards across the commonwealth slammed his decision to obstruct at all costs.
#NJSen: Save Jersey took a look at the folks behind the dishonest super PAC ads attacking Republican Senate candidate Bob Hugin, and found that the group is led by none other than David Mitchell, a longtime Democrat operative, who’s produced TV ads for a who’s who of Democratic Party officials. And for a kicker, despite currently running ads attacking Big Pharma, Mitchell was formerly a partner at a firm famous for landing a $12 million contract from the Pharmaceutical lobby. This kind of hypocrisy would be surprising in most races, but it’s just par for the course for disgraced Senator Bob Menendez and his shady friends.
NEWS AND NOTES:
CNBC: Second-quarter GDP jumps 4.1% for best pace in nearly four years
Gross domestic product grew at a solid 4.1 percent pace in the second quarter, its best pace since 2014, boosting hopes that the economy is ready to break out of its decade-long slumber. READ
Bloomberg: Jobless Claims in the U.S. Fall to the Lowest in Almost 50 Years
Unemployment lines across the U.S. last week were the shortest since December 1969, according to Labor Department figures released Thursday. Jobless claims unexpectedly dropped by 8,000 to 207,000, an encouraging sign that the July employment report will remain robust. The claims figures are in sync with other reports showing employers are competing for a limited pool of qualified workers. READ
Washington Examiner: Trump tax cut benefits all congressional districts, up to $44,697 per family
It also said that factoring in other tax cut impacts, “the typical American household will benefit from more than $26,000 in increased take-home pay between 2018 and 2027. The average family of four can expect over $44,000 of increased take-home pay.” READ
Kansas City Star: Businesses linked to McCaskill’s husband get $131 million in federal dollars
Businesses tied to U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s husband have been awarded more than $131 million in federal subsidies since the Missouri Democrat took office in 2007, an analysis by The Kansas City Star found. Joseph Shepard’s personal income from his investments in those businesses has grown exponentially during his wife’s two terms in the Senate. READ
Tampa Bay Times: Bill Nelson’s campaign propped up by the outside money he decries
Sen. Bill Nelson, like many Democrats, decries big money pouring into politics from outside groups. But this morning, the dark money group Majority Forward announced a $2.7 million attack ad against Nelson’s opponent, Gov. Rick Scott. While Nelson has not spent a dime of his campaign money on TV ads, outside groups that can take in unlimited funds have spend millions on his behalf. READ
Billings Gazette: Mike Pence: Our agenda is working for Montana
Since Montana voted to send President Trump to the White House, America’s job creators have added nearly 3.7 million new jobs, including 6,000 in Big Sky Country. Montana’s unemployment has fallen to its lowest level since before the Great Recession, and here in Billings, the unemployment rate is nearly 40 percent lower than the national average READ
Washington Examiner: Trump praises Hawley in his backyard: ‘We need Josh badly’
“We need Josh badly,” Trump said during an event in Kansas City, Mo. Tuesday afternoon, shortly after the state attorney general greeted him on the tarmac for his arrival. Trump slammed McCaskill in his remarks for voting against the GOP tax bill that passed Congress last December. “She voted against [it] — unbelievable. And she wants to now end it so you pay more,” he said. READ
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