NRSC Weekly Rundown: Trump Hammers Nelson and Casey, Red State Dems Following Schumer’s Lead, Dems’ $32.6 Trillion Disaster and more!
And here’s this week’s edition of the NRSC Weekly Rundown:
#AmericanJobs: The U.S. job market is booming! Just one day after the Labor Department’s employment-cost index found that over the past year American workers received the biggest pay increase in nearly a decade, new reports found that private payrolls in the U.S. increased by 219,000 in July. Now that President Trump’s economy is booming at a historic 4.1% growth rate and American workers are reaping the benefits of the GOP tax cuts, how do red state Democrats plan on defending their opposition to the Republican tax relief bill?
#FollowTheLeader: President Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court weeks ago, but reports show that red state Democrats were intentionally putting off scheduling a meeting with the judge until they got approval from New York liberal Chuck Schumer. Could the source of their loyalty be the millions of dollars Schumer’s super PAC is funneling into their campaigns?
#TRILLIONS: A new study from the Mercatus Center confirmed an astounding $32.6 trillion price tag for Bernie Sanders’ government-run health care plan and warned that “historic tax increases” would be needed to pay for it. Red state Democrats likeTammy Baldwin, Jon Tester, Kyrsten Sinema and Phil Bredesen have all gone on record saying they’re open to a single-payer health care system. While running in states President Trump carried in 2016, these Democrats are going to have a tough time explaining to voters why they want to replace their existing health insurance with a government-run boondoggle.
#FLSen: While in Tampa this week, President Trump hammered career politician Bill Nelson saying, “The only time I see Bill Nelson is 5 months before a reelection. After a while you forget, who’s the senator?” President Trump also blasted Nelson for being controlled by his Democratic Party boss, Chuck Schumer. And it looks like Nelson is obeying Schumer’s orders on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaughby refusing to schedule a meeting with the eminently qualified judge. Also this week, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was set to expire, potentially leaving 1.8 million Floridians without coverage in the middle of hurricane season. Even though the NFIP has come up for reauthorization dozens of time, Bill Nelson has continuously failed to lead the charge on a long-term solution. True to form, the elusive career politician has woken up from his six-year slumber and is making the rounds trying to convince Floridians he cares about them by hosting a roundtable on the toxic algae bloom impacting Lake Okeechobee. But once again, it’s been thirty years since Nelson made a pledge to “save Lake Okeechobee” and he hasn’t come close to upholding this commitment, failing to secure funding to repair the federally operated Herbert Hoover Dike.
#PASen: President Trump visited Luzerne County, PA this week, highlighting the GOP tax cuts that have led to historically low unemployment and 4.1% GDP growth, and taking the opportunity to boost Republican Senate candidate Lou Barletta and bash Bob Casey for his constant obstruction. President Trumpreminded Pennsylvanians of Casey’s dismal record on immigration saying, “Bob Casey wants open borders which means crime…he wants to abolish ICE, because he’s weak,” in contrast to Lou Barletta who he praised as “an incredible champion, an incredible winner.”
#WVSen: Joe Manchin made headlines over his meeting with Judge Brett Kavanaugh, but has still refused to say whether he’ll vote for the distinguished Supreme Court nominee. According to Politico, Democratic Party boss, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, is ordering red state Democrats like Manchin to, “Keep your powder dry. Don’t commit. Stay as neutral as you can, as long as you can,” in order to give liberals room to maneuver as they attempt to derail Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Manchin also doubled down on his loyal support of Hillary Clintonduring the 2016 presidential election. At a campaign stop last weekend, Manchin claimed that Clinton would have been good for West Virginia, despite her desire to shut down the state’s vital coal industry.
#NDSen: Heidi Heitkamp finally caved to the will of North Dakotans and scheduled a meeting with Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. But despite 60% of North Dakota voters wanting to see Judge Kavanaugh confirmed to the Supreme Court, Heitkamp still hasn’t let them know where she stands on his confirmation. The NRSC also launched a new TV ad slamming Heitkamp for siding with Hillary Clinton and refusing to crack down on dangerous sanctuary cities. North Dakota voters are going to be reminded day in and day out of Heitkamp’s cozy relationship with Clinton and her out-of-touch policies.
#NVSen: In a new television ad, Jacky Rosen talks about how she “won’t walk the party line.” But in Congress, she has done the exact opposite, voting with Nancy Pelosi nearly 90 percent of the time. Rosen has sided with her Democratic Party leaders on every major vote and her new ad is emblematic of the complete disregard she has for putting Nevadans first.
#OHSen: Last week, Sherrod Brown proposed devoting an entire debate with Rep. Jim Renacci to discussing the GOP tax cuts that are saving Ohioans more of their hard-earned money. But Brown’s team went into damage control, attempting to backtrack on their boss’s invitation. So will Sherrod Brown make good on his debate proposal and attempt to explain to Ohioans why he voted against the tax cuts that have put more money in their pockets and revitalized the economy?
#TNSen: Congressman Marsha Blackburn easily secured the Republican nomination in Thursday night’s primary and will face liberal Democratic nominee Phil Bredesen in the general election this fall. Bredesen was in hot water this week after he refused to denounce the hateful comments his former Legislative Director and current Tennessee Democratic Party spokesman made, calling Trump voters “idiots,” and saying evangelicals were showing their “racist colors” by supporting President Trump.
NEWS AND NOTES:
U.S. Workers Get Biggest Pay Increase in Nearly a Decade
U.S. workers received their biggest pay increases in nearly a decade over the 12 months through June, a sign the strong labor market is boosting wages as employers compete for scarcer workers. The Labor Department’s employment-cost index rose 2.8% in the year to June compared, the government said Tuesday. Wages and salaries, which account for about 70% of all employment costs, also rose 2.8% from a year earlier, the strongest gain for both measures since September 2008. READ
CNBC: Private payrolls boom in July, increasing by 219,000 vs 185,000 estimate: ADP
Jobs in the U.S. increased by 219,000 in July, while economists polled by Reuters expected a gain of 185,000. July’s job gains were the best since February, when 241,000 jobs were added. Jobs growth for the previous month was also revised up to 181,000 from 177,000. READ
Boston Herald: Editorial: So far so good on economy
The U.S. economy is supercharged. Second quarter growth rose to 4.1 percent. Although a full-on celebration of Trumponomics is premature, we must give him a lot of credit for the good news. Americans are spending their tax cuts and businesses are unrestrained by the burdensome regulations that hindered their growth potential for years. The president is pro-business to the core. There is no doubt about that and it is fair to speculate that his enthusiasm gooses the morale of those in business and finance. READ
Louisville Courier-Journal: Brett Kavanaugh Is A Great Judge, A Good Man And Great Nominee
Kavanaugh is also a person of impeccable character. I’ve heard him speak passionately about the importance of family, equality, and public service, and I’ve witnessed him live those values in his everyday life. He coaches his little girls’ basketball teams. He serves meals to the homeless. And he has been among the leading advocates in the judiciary for a fairer and more inclusive profession. READ
Washington Examiner: Joe Manchin’s explanation for why he endorsed Hillary Clinton never quite added up
Manchin continued, addressing directly the thing that made his 2016 endorsement such a nightmare for his office, “I’ve known Hillary for a long time. She was running, she first announced, and I thought, ‘Fine. She knows West Virginia.’ Then she says the horrible thing that she said, that ‘we’re going to shut mines down.’” He added that he “called [her] that night” to straighten her out, educating her on the situation of many West Virginians. READ
Kansas City Star: Will McCaskill side with Missouri or extremist Democrats on Kavanaugh?
President Donald Trump has nominated another terrific, highly-qualified judge to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. But Sen. Claire McCaskill’s party is launching a full-scale attack on the tremendous character and qualifications of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Can we count on McCaskill to resist the extremism of the Democratic Party and vote for the best candidate for the job? Don’t bet on it. READ
###