thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-04--'Imaginary controversy': Biden campaign rebuts debate-ducking theories

Joe Biden 's presidential campaign said theories that he might skip the presidential debates are not grounded in reality and suggested that it is little more than a conservative conspiracy theory .
`` Donald Trump and his allies at Fox News have decided an imaginary controversy about debates will be their latest attempt to distract Americans from the president ’ s disastrous response to the coronavirus , which has cost 150,000 Americans their lives and left millions jobless , '' Trump spokesman T.J. Ducklo said in a statement to CNN .
`` This is not a mystery , '' Ducklo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invited both candidates to participate in three debates .
Joe Biden has accepted .
Donald Trump has not .
Mystery solved . ''
Conservative hosts including Tucker Carlson of Fox News and syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh have theorized that the Democratic presidential nominee , who is notorious for stumbling over his words , will back out of a one-on-one televised exchange of talking points .
The Wall Street Journal editorial board joined the speculation on Monday .
Several left-leaning commentators have also suggested that Biden skip out on the debates .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month that Biden should not debate Trump unless the president agrees to terms such as live fact-checking .
Clinton administration press secretary Joe Lockhart said recently that Biden should skip the debates because of Trump 's lies .
Journalist Elizabeth Drew wrote in the New York Times on Monday that the debates should be scrapped altogether .
Biden has said several times that he `` can hardly wait '' to debate Trump .
`` I 'm going to beat him like a drum , '' Biden said in February , and he repeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign has asked for more than three debates , including one that takes place before early voting starts in some states .
Biden 's campaign is against the expansion , saying that the Trump campaign is hoping to pick the moderators for the debate .
Trump 's new stance is a stark contrast from December , when the New York Times reported that Trump was considering skipping debates because of his disagreements with the commission on how the 2016 debates against Hillary Clinton were handled .
During the 2016 Republican primary cycle , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was polling ahead of the rest of the crowded primary field .

Joe Biden's presidential campaign said theories that he might skip the presidential debates are not grounded in reality and suggested that it is little more than a conservative conspiracy theory.
"Donald Trump and his allies at Fox News have decided an imaginary controversy about debates will be their latest attempt to distract Americans from the president’s disastrous response to the coronavirus, which has cost 150,000 Americans their lives and left millions jobless," Trump spokesman T.J. Ducklo said in a statement to CNN.
"This is not a mystery," Ducklo said. "The debate commission has invited both candidates to participate in three debates. Joe Biden has accepted. Donald Trump has not. Mystery solved."
Conservative hosts including Tucker Carlson of Fox News and syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh have theorized that the Democratic presidential nominee, who is notorious for stumbling over his words, will back out of a one-on-one televised exchange of talking points. The Wall Street Journal editorial board joined the speculation on Monday.
Several left-leaning commentators have also suggested that Biden skip out on the debates.
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman suggested last month that Biden should not debate Trump unless the president agrees to terms such as live fact-checking. Clinton administration press secretary Joe Lockhart said recently that Biden should skip the debates because of Trump's lies. Journalist Elizabeth Drew wrote in the New York Times on Monday that the debates should be scrapped altogether.
Biden has said several times that he "can hardly wait" to debate Trump.
"I'm going to beat him like a drum," Biden said in February, and he repeated the sentiment in June.
Trump's campaign has asked for more than three debates, including one that takes place before early voting starts in some states. Biden's campaign is against the expansion, saying that the Trump campaign is hoping to pick the moderators for the debate.
Trump's new stance is a stark contrast from December, when the New York Times reported that Trump was considering skipping debates because of his disagreements with the commission on how the 2016 debates against Hillary Clinton were handled. During the 2016 Republican primary cycle, Trump skipped a presidential debate when he was polling ahead of the rest of the crowded primary field.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-04--Never Trumpers are very Trumpy

Never Trumpers are very Trumpy

A month ago , I asked Twitter , “ When did ‘ never Trump , ’ morph into ‘ only Democrats ’ ?
What is conservative about working for Democratic majorities ?
” There were many rebarbative replies , it being Twitter .
But one superficially logical response was that the party deserves obliteration because almost no Republican has stood up to President Trump ; they ’ ve all become his creatures , “ playing team sports with politics , ” siding with their guy rather than holding him accountable .
To this , there are at least two obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you really think politics became a team sport only with Trump ?
Check your selective memory and see if you can recall any Democratic senator voting “ guilty ” at President Bill Clinton ’ s impeachment trial for offenses he obviously committed .
Democrats 22 years ago followed their leader ’ s conclusion that they ’ d “ just have to win.
” Simple as that .
Second , it is cynical to assume that Republicans who stick with Trump are acting in bad faith .
Sen. Susan Collins , a centrist of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Cory Gardner of Colorado choose to avoid a breach with the leader of their party .
Yes , there is a niggling , unavoidable thought that if they had done otherwise , Trump or his supporters might punish them .
But even if such considerations are part of what is weighed in the scales , they might actually do themselves an electoral favor by distancing themselves more from the president — it ’ s not unprincipled to decide against repudiating the leader voters chose in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supposedly conservatives and Republicans , attacks them all indiscriminately as sycophants and Trump toadies .
As a Washington Examiner editorial noted recently , the “ broadly conservative ” Lincoln Project egregiously called Collins a “ fraud.
” The Lincoln Project is named to imply a return to Republican values , but it is working not simply to elect Joe Biden but also to defeat Republican senators and give the Left control of both sides of Capitol Hill .
Why would conservatives grease the skids for Biden ’ s agenda , which is acknowledged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ most progressive ” ever by the Justice Democrats , an extremist organization that promotes such militants as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Ilhan Omar , Rashida Tlaib , and Ayanna Pressley ?
Wouldn ’ t it make sense for supposed conservatives who can ’ t abide Trump to work hard as dammit to keep the GOP ’ s Senate majority ?
To a true Republican conservative , that outcome would make Biden ’ s election more palatable .
His agenda would be blocked until an acceptable conservative could be elected on the Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Razor suggests instead that many , though not all , of those who present themselves as Trump-hating conservatives and Republicans aren ’ t either of those things anymore .
Some never were .
The Lincoln Project gets much of its money from super-rich longtime Democratic donors .
It walks like a duck and quacks like a duck — it ’ s a Democratic organization , and it is deceptive about it .
There ’ s another point that will be unwelcome to self-identifying conservatives who wish to extirpate the GOP in November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite a bit more like Trump than they ’ d care to admit .
Sometimes , a sledgehammer is the best tool for the job at hand , and Trump is a political sledgehammer .
He irrupted into the Republican primary in 2015 , smashing norms as merrily as his most fervent supporters could desire .
And he has continued to do so in office .
Many of those who elected him in 2016 yearned to destroy the two-party dispensation which , with justification , they saw as brushing aside their concerns about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an overweening politically correct culture .
They wanted to punish the class of politicians who had visited these predations upon the middle and lower classes .
Now , Trump ’ s most savage critics are doing the same thing .
They don ’ t desire only to get rid of him but also to punish those who made him possible .
They have for years threatened vengeance on anyone with the temerity to disagree with them and serve the president .
Answering the call used to be thought admirable ; it was called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discomfited by Trump four years ago now wants to salt the earth in which Trump flourished and make sure nothing ever grows there again .
This is what the ancient Romans , according to legend , did to exact their revenge and make sure Carthage never rose again .
These days , salting the earth remains familiar enough , but it comes in a new variety .
Those who don ’ t acquiesce must be broken .
Disagreement is excoriated as unpardonable evil .
It ’ s called cancel culture , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @

A month ago, I asked Twitter, “When did ‘never Trump,’ morph into ‘only Democrats’? What is conservative about working for Democratic majorities?”
There were many rebarbative replies, it being Twitter. But one superficially logical response was that the party deserves obliteration because almost no Republican has stood up to President Trump; they’ve all become his creatures, “playing team sports with politics,” siding with their guy rather than holding him accountable.
To this, there are at least two obvious and reasonable replies.
First, do you really think politics became a team sport only with Trump? Check your selective memory and see if you can recall any Democratic senator voting “guilty” at President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial for offenses he obviously committed. Democrats 22 years ago followed their leader’s conclusion that they’d “just have to win.” Simple as that.
Second, it is cynical to assume that Republicans who stick with Trump are acting in bad faith. Sen. Susan Collins, a centrist of Maine, and conservatives such as Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Cory Gardner of Colorado choose to avoid a breach with the leader of their party. Yes, there is a niggling, unavoidable thought that if they had done otherwise, Trump or his supporters might punish them. But even if such considerations are part of what is weighed in the scales, they might actually do themselves an electoral favor by distancing themselves more from the president — it’s not unprincipled to decide against repudiating the leader voters chose in 2016. Yet the Never Trump crowd, supposedly conservatives and Republicans, attacks them all indiscriminately as sycophants and Trump toadies. As a Washington Examiner editorial noted recently, the “broadly conservative” Lincoln Project egregiously called Collins a “fraud.”
The Lincoln Project is named to imply a return to Republican values, but it is working not simply to elect Joe Biden but also to defeat Republican senators and give the Left control of both sides of Capitol Hill. Why would conservatives grease the skids for Biden’s agenda, which is acknowledged to be the blue party’s “most progressive” ever by the Justice Democrats, an extremist organization that promotes such militants as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley?
Wouldn’t it make sense for supposed conservatives who can’t abide Trump to work hard as dammit to keep the GOP’s Senate majority? To a true Republican conservative, that outcome would make Biden’s election more palatable. His agenda would be blocked until an acceptable conservative could be elected on the Republican ticket in 2024.
But Occam’s Razor suggests instead that many, though not all, of those who present themselves as Trump-hating conservatives and Republicans aren’t either of those things anymore. Some never were. The Lincoln Project gets much of its money from super-rich longtime Democratic donors. It walks like a duck and quacks like a duck — it’s a Democratic organization, and it is deceptive about it.
There’s another point that will be unwelcome to self-identifying conservatives who wish to extirpate the GOP in November. It is that they are acting quite a bit more like Trump than they’d care to admit.
Sometimes, a sledgehammer is the best tool for the job at hand, and Trump is a political sledgehammer. He irrupted into the Republican primary in 2015, smashing norms as merrily as his most fervent supporters could desire. And he has continued to do so in office. Many of those who elected him in 2016 yearned to destroy the two-party dispensation which, with justification, they saw as brushing aside their concerns about illegal immigration, depressed earnings, and an overweening politically correct culture. They wanted to punish the class of politicians who had visited these predations upon the middle and lower classes.
Now, Trump’s most savage critics are doing the same thing. They don’t desire only to get rid of him but also to punish those who made him possible. They have for years threatened vengeance on anyone with the temerity to disagree with them and serve the president. Answering the call used to be thought admirable; it was called public service. But the insouciant caste discomfited by Trump four years ago now wants to salt the earth in which Trump flourished and make sure nothing ever grows there again.
This is what the ancient Romans, according to legend, did to exact their revenge and make sure Carthage never rose again. These days, salting the earth remains familiar enough, but it comes in a new variety. Those who don’t acquiesce must be broken. Disagreement is excoriated as unpardonable evil. It’s called cancel culture, and it’s very à la mode.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-04--GOP leads in Alabama, Kentucky, and Texas suggest Democrats must deal with filibuster if Senate flip

GOP leads in Alabama, Kentucky, and Texas suggest Democrats must deal with filibuster if Senate flips

Republican Senate candidates hold large leads in Alabama and Kentucky and have an edge in Texas while being nearly tied in South Carolina — some good news for the GOP as political dynamics give Democrats an edge in races across the country .
The Kentucky result from the set of Morning Consult polls , which were conducted from July 24 to Aug. 2 and released on Tuesday , found Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell with 53 % support , ahead of Democratic challenger Amy McGrath 's 36 % , by 17 points .
The result came from 793 likely voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a 3-point margin of error .
In South Carolina , Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham had 44 % support , nearly tied with Democrat Jaime Harrison 's 43 % , based off 741 likely voters and a 4-point margin of error .
That represents a shift in favor of Harrison : The RealClearPolitics average in the state shows Graham with a 12.3-point lead .
Democratic Alabama Sen. Doug Jones is 17 points behind Republican challenger Tommy Tuberville , at 35 % to 52 % .
That is based on answers from 609 likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of error of 4 points .
And in Texas , Republican Sen. John Cornyn has 44 % support , 6 points ahead of Democratic challenger M.J. Hegar .
That came from 2,576 likely voters in Texas , and the result has a 2-point margin of error .
Cornyn is 10 points ahead in the RealClearPolitics average .
The four Senate races are thought of as reach state targets for Democrats , but President Trump 's unfavorable poll numbers are seen to be harming down-ballot Republicans in Senate and House races , giving Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
The Morning Consult polls , though , suggest that the down-ballot phenomenon is not enough to put Democrats on track to a filibuster-proof majority of 60 or more seats .
The filibuster prevents Senate debate on legislation from ending and moving to a vote without approval from 60 out of 100 senators , which requires a tightly divided Senate to reach bipartisan consensus to pass legislation .
Democrats must flip four seats to win a slim majority , and election forecasters at the Cook Political Report say that Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates six Republican-held Senate seats as toss-ups , and it expects Republican Arizona Rep. Martha McSally 's seat to flip to a Democrat and for Democratic Alabama Sen. Doug Jones 's seat to flip back to the GOP .
Some Democrats , including President Barack Obama , advocate eliminating the filibuster if Democrats win both chambers of Congress and the White House and are unable to pass key legislation with the filibuster in place .
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , who spent more than three decades in the Senate , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filibuster , but he has not specifically endorsed the move .

Republican Senate candidates hold large leads in Alabama and Kentucky and have an edge in Texas while being nearly tied in South Carolina — some good news for the GOP as political dynamics give Democrats an edge in races across the country.
The Kentucky result from the set of Morning Consult polls, which were conducted from July 24 to Aug. 2 and released on Tuesday, found Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell with 53% support, ahead of Democratic challenger Amy McGrath's 36%, by 17 points. The result came from 793 likely voters in the state, and the result has a 3-point margin of error.
In South Carolina, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham had 44% support, nearly tied with Democrat Jaime Harrison's 43%, based off 741 likely voters and a 4-point margin of error. That represents a shift in favor of Harrison: The RealClearPolitics average in the state shows Graham with a 12.3-point lead.
Democratic Alabama Sen. Doug Jones is 17 points behind Republican challenger Tommy Tuberville, at 35% to 52%. That is based on answers from 609 likely voters in Alabama and has a margin of error of 4 points.
And in Texas, Republican Sen. John Cornyn has 44% support, 6 points ahead of Democratic challenger M.J. Hegar. That came from 2,576 likely voters in Texas, and the result has a 2-point margin of error. Cornyn is 10 points ahead in the RealClearPolitics average.
The four Senate races are thought of as reach state targets for Democrats, but President Trump's unfavorable poll numbers are seen to be harming down-ballot Republicans in Senate and House races, giving Democrats better chances of winning in races across the country. The Morning Consult polls, though, suggest that the down-ballot phenomenon is not enough to put Democrats on track to a filibuster-proof majority of 60 or more seats.
The filibuster prevents Senate debate on legislation from ending and moving to a vote without approval from 60 out of 100 senators, which requires a tightly divided Senate to reach bipartisan consensus to pass legislation.
Democrats must flip four seats to win a slim majority, and election forecasters at the Cook Political Report say that Democrats are favored to do so. The site rates six Republican-held Senate seats as toss-ups, and it expects Republican Arizona Rep. Martha McSally's seat to flip to a Democrat and for Democratic Alabama Sen. Doug Jones's seat to flip back to the GOP.
Some Democrats, including President Barack Obama, advocate eliminating the filibuster if Democrats win both chambers of Congress and the White House and are unable to pass key legislation with the filibuster in place. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who spent more than three decades in the Senate, is open to the idea of ending the filibuster, but he has not specifically endorsed the move.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-04--Biden solidifies lead on Trump in Wisconsin: Poll

Joe Biden has notched up a lead in another Wisconsin poll .
The presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee has 51 % support in the crucial battleground state , compared to President Trump 's 42 % , an internal Global Strategy Group poll released Monday found .
The survey was GSG 's first of the 2020 election cycle .
Biden has an average 5-point and 6.6-point advantage in Wisconsin for its 10 electoral votes , according to contest forecasters RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight , respectively .
Monday 's poll quizzed respondents regarding Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson , who is also the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson 's panel is investigating Burisma Holdings , a Ukrainian energy firm that previously employed Joe Biden ’ s son , Hunter .
Researchers found 55 % became concerned about Johnson 's inquiry after being told Trump is encouraging it , and GOP lawmakers `` are only supporting the probe to help Trump win in the November election . ''
Hunter Biden was a member of Burisma 's board when his father was vice president and spearheading the Obama administration ’ s Ukraine policy .
Trump and his allies allege that the elder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his son from a Ukrainian investigation .
The pair deny any wrongdoing .
Johnson told reporters in May he hoped to publish an inquiry report `` in the June time frame , personally , certainly before the August recess . ''
CSG surveyed 600 likely Wisconsin voters from July 11 to July 17 .
The firm 's findings have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points .

Joe Biden has notched up a lead in another Wisconsin poll.
The presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee has 51% support in the crucial battleground state, compared to President Trump's 42%, a Congressional Integrity Project-commissioned Strategy Group poll released Monday found. The survey was GSG's first of the 2020 election cycle.
Biden has an average 5-point and 6.6-point advantage in Wisconsin for its 10 electoral votes, according to contest forecasters RealClearPolitics and FiveThirtyEight, respectively.
Monday's poll quizzed respondents regarding Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who is also the Senate Homeland Security Committee's top Republican. Johnson's panel is investigating Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy firm that previously employed Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.
Researchers found 55% became concerned about Johnson's inquiry after being told Trump is encouraging it, and GOP lawmakers "are only supporting the probe to help Trump win in the November election."
Hunter Biden was a member of Burisma's board when his father was vice president and spearheading the Obama administration’s Ukraine policy. Trump and his allies allege that the elder Biden improperly leveraged his position to shield his son from a Ukrainian investigation. The pair deny any wrongdoing.
Johnson told reporters in May he hoped to publish an inquiry report "in the June time frame, personally, certainly before the August recess."
CSG surveyed 600 likely Wisconsin voters from July 11 to July 17. The firm's findings have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--'Clearly desperate': Minnesota DFL file campaign finance complaint against Ilhan Omar's opponent

The Federal Election Commission has received a complaint accusing Rep. Ilhan Omar 's primary opponent of failing to disclose some of his donors .
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party , which is affiliated with the Democratic Party , claimed that was `` conspiring to intentionally obscure '' who had donated to his campaign and alleged he had been paying vendors off-the-books .
Melton-Meaux said the FEC complaint is a `` desperate '' attempt to muddy his campaign after he raked in seven times as much in donations as Omar .
`` Today the DFL announced that they ’ re filing an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frivolous and baseless claim .
And this is a continuation of more divisiveness and distraction from my opponent , Rep. Ilhan Omar , who is clearly desperate , '' Melton-Meaux said .
`` Scott Thomas , a former FEC commissioner and four-time chair of the FEC , who reviewed numerous complaints during his 30-year career with the FEC said , 'The complaint by the DFL would be rejected by the FEC because it lacks merit , ' '' he added .
Melton-Meaux said it was `` chilling and dangerous to the democratic process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complaints against primary challengers .
Omar has had her own experience in violating campaign finance laws .
She was by the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board for misusing campaign funds while serving in the state House .
Omar and Melton-Meaux are set to face off in their primary on Tuesday .

The Federal Election Commission has received a complaint accusing Rep. Ilhan Omar's primary opponent of failing to disclose some of his donors.
The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which is affiliated with the Democratic Party, claimed that Omar's primary opponent Antone Melton-Meaux was "conspiring to intentionally obscure" who had donated to his campaign and alleged he had been paying vendors off-the-books.
Melton-Meaux said the FEC complaint is a "desperate" attempt to muddy his campaign after he raked in seven times as much in donations as Omar.
"Today the DFL announced that they’re filing an FEC complaint against my campaign. This is a frivolous and baseless claim. And this is a continuation of more divisiveness and distraction from my opponent, Rep. Ilhan Omar, who is clearly desperate," Melton-Meaux said.
"Scott Thomas, a former FEC commissioner and four-time chair of the FEC, who reviewed numerous complaints during his 30-year career with the FEC said, 'The complaint by the DFL would be rejected by the FEC because it lacks merit,'" he added.
Melton-Meaux said it was "chilling and dangerous to the democratic process" for the DFL to file such complaints against primary challengers.
Omar has had her own experience in violating campaign finance laws. She was fined $500 by the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board for misusing campaign funds while serving in the state House.
Omar and Melton-Meaux are set to face off in their primary on Tuesday.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--Players on WNBA team co-owned by Sen. Kelly Loeffler promote her Democratic challenger

Players for the Atlanta Dream , which is co-owned by Republican Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler , publicly backed one of her Democratic challengers .
They showed up to Tuesday night 's WNBA game , which the team ultimately lost to the Phoenix Mercury , in T-shirts that said , `` Vote [ for Rev .
Raphael ] Warnock '' and “ Black Lives Matter.
” Some of the Phoenix players participated in the protest given Loeffler 's repeated unapologetic rejection of the Black Lives Matter movement .
One Dream player , center Elizabeth Williams , posted a photo of herself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and captioned it with a quote from the late Rep. John Lewis , who had represented Georgia 's 5th Congressional District for decades until his death last month .
Warnock posted a tweet that said he was `` honored and humbled '' by the show of support from the WNBA players .
Loeffler , a partial owner of the Dream for nearly a decade , said the players were trying to make her the latest casualty of `` cancel culture . ''
“ This is just more proof that the out of control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who disagrees with them , ” the lawmaker wrote in a statement .
“ It ’ s clear that the league is more concerned with playing politics than basketball.
” The Georgia senator , who has repeatedly accused the Black Lives Matter movement of being a Marxist organization , sent a letter to league Commissioner Cathy Engelbert last month urging her to reconsider the social justice stances that have been implemented into the game .
Loeffler said allowing political rhetoric on the court `` undermines the potential of the sport and sends a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came shortly after the league announced that it would be starting the new season with a first week of competition “ centered around the Black Lives Matter movement.
” Loeffler , appointed by Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp to replace retired Sen. Johnny Isakson in January , is in a tough race to keep her seat against Warnock and a couple of others , including Republican Rep. Doug Collins , in November .

Players for the Atlanta Dream, which is co-owned by Republican Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler, publicly backed one of her Democratic challengers.
They showed up to Tuesday night's WNBA game, which the team ultimately lost to the Phoenix Mercury, in T-shirts that said, "Vote [for Rev. Raphael] Warnock" and “Black Lives Matter.” Some of the Phoenix players participated in the protest given Loeffler's repeated unapologetic rejection of the Black Lives Matter movement.
One Dream player, center Elizabeth Williams, posted a photo of herself in a "Vote Warnock" shirt and captioned it with a quote from the late Rep. John Lewis, who had represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District for decades until his death last month.
We are @wnba players, but like the late, great John Lewis said, we are also ordinary people with extraordinary vision. @ReverendWarnock has spent his life fighting for the people and we need him in Washington. Join the movement for a better Georgia at https://t.co/hC8iF9urak pic.twitter.com/mvN5e9m4oO — Elizabeth Williams (@E_Williams_1) August 4, 2020
Warnock posted a tweet that said he was "honored and humbled" by the show of support from the WNBA players.
Loeffler, a partial owner of the Dream for nearly a decade, said the players were trying to make her the latest casualty of "cancel culture."
“This is just more proof that the out of control cancel culture wants to shut out anyone who disagrees with them,” the lawmaker wrote in a statement. “It’s clear that the league is more concerned with playing politics than basketball.”
The Georgia senator, who has repeatedly accused the Black Lives Matter movement of being a Marxist organization, sent a letter to league Commissioner Cathy Engelbert last month urging her to reconsider the social justice stances that have been implemented into the game.
Loeffler said allowing political rhetoric on the court "undermines the potential of the sport and sends a message of exclusion." The letter came shortly after the league announced that it would be starting the new season with a first week of competition “centered around the Black Lives Matter movement.”
Loeffler, appointed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to replace retired Sen. Johnny Isakson in January, is in a tough race to keep her seat against Warnock and a couple of others, including Republican Rep. Doug Collins, in November.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--Trump and Biden engage in debate gamesmanship

In a hard-fought presidential campaign , even debates are subject to debate as supporters of President Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden each try to present the other as unwilling participants in the scheduled fall presidential debates .
“ President Trump is looking forward to debating Joe Biden , who is the only one who is being publicly advised to skip debates , ” Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told the Washington Examiner .
“ In fact , we have asked for a greater number of debates and an earlier calendar.
” The Trump campaign has increasingly sounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late for early voting .
“ Voters in 16 states will already be casting their early votes before the first debate takes place on Sept. 29 as the schedule stands now , ” Murtaugh said .
“ We don ’ t think it ’ s too much to ask that Americans get a look at the two candidates side by side before voters start voting.
” But the Biden campaign the mounting speculation , mostly in conservative circles , that its candidate would decline to participate in the debates .
`` Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided an imaginary controversy about debates will be their latest attempt to distract Americans from the president ’ s disastrous response to the coronavirus , which has cost 150,000 Americans their lives and left millions jobless , '' Biden spokesman T.J. Ducklo in a statement to CNN .
Instead , the Biden camp turned the debate-ducking accusation back on Trump .
`` This is not a mystery , '' Ducklo added .
`` The debate commission has invited both candidates to participate in three debates .
Joe Biden has accepted .
Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Plenty of commentators who are plausibly seen as more sympathetic to Biden than Trump have called for getting rid of the presidential debates , including veteran journalist Elizabeth Drew and columnist Thomas Friedman in the pages of the New York Times .
But none have been directly associated with the Biden campaign , and only one prominent of debating Trump has a history as a Democratic operative — Joe Lockhart , a former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton .
Conservatives believe this suggests liberals and establishment media voices are fearful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Trump .
He performed well in the vice presidential debates against Sarah Palin and Paul Ryan , respectively , but at 77 was noticeably less sharp in this year ’ s Democratic primary debates .
And as the front-runner — Biden leads Trump by 7.4 points in the RealClearPolitics national polling average — the former vice president has every incentive to sit on his lead and avoid anything that could change the dynamics of the race .
At the same time , refusing to debate could give jibes against Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll last month found that 47 % thought Biden had the mental soundness to be president , compared to 43 % for Trump , a smaller advantage than the Democrat enjoyed on most other issues tested .
The pandemic has also been a factor in the debate schedule , with one original location — the University of Notre Dame — pulling out because of the outbreak .
“ There will be presidential debates , ” said Republican strategist Alex Conant .
“ Just like the conventions and campaigns , they will probably look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nominees will face off on live television .
Any candidate who actually refused to debate would quickly see their campaign overwhelmed by the issue — it would be impossible for them to advance any other message .
Presidential debates are custom that voters expect.
” The Trump campaign is pressing to get the debates going pronto .
`` We want more debates , '' campaign manager Bill Stepien told Fox & Friends on Monday .
“ We want debates starting sooner . ''
And when the Biden campaign opposes the idea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the refs by picking his own moderators ?
`` We are already seeing the liberal Left , the liberal media , trying to create trapdoors for Joe Biden to escape his commitment and his obligation to debate Donald Trump on a debate stage in front of the American people , '' Stepien said .
This type of debate gamesmanship is not unusual .
Ronald Reagan rallied in New Hampshire after pushing for the inclusion of other Republican candidates in what was originally supposed to be a one-on-one debate with George H.W .
Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that microphone ” moment .
Reagan later advocated for third-party candidate John Anderson getting a place on the general election debate stage .
Jimmy Carter , the Democratic incumbent , balked , and Reagan debated both candidates separately .
After independent Ross Perot upended the 1992 debates , Bob Dole ’ s camp opposed his participation unless Green Party nominee Ralph Nader was included too .
In down-ballot races , it ’ s common for trailing candidates to ask for more debates .
Jeff Sessions most recently did in his recent Alabama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former attorney general lost .
Trump has complained about unfair debate moderators in the past but only skipped one during the competitive phase of the 2016 GOP primaries .
He was going to sit out another after the race was well in hand , but it got canceled .
Trump then debated Hillary Clinton according to the commission schedule .
“ We 're in the early stages of expectation settings , with some Democrats trying to make the case that Biden has nothing to gain by appearing with Trump or that an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Conant said .
“ I would n't be surprised if Trump 's team starts lowering their own expectations by claiming Trump is too busy to prepare or that the debate commission is biased .
Given how important the debates could be this year , it 's not a surprise that the expectation-setting is happening so soon.
” The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate this fall , with the first taking place at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland on Sept. 29 .

In a hard-fought presidential campaign, even debates are subject to debate as supporters of President Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden each try to present the other as unwilling participants in the scheduled fall presidential debates.
“President Trump is looking forward to debating Joe Biden, who is the only one who is being publicly advised to skip debates,” Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told the Washington Examiner. “In fact, we have asked for a greater number of debates and an earlier calendar.”
The Trump campaign has increasingly sounded the alarm over the debates occurring too late for early voting. “Voters in 16 states will already be casting their early votes before the first debate takes place on Sept. 29 as the schedule stands now,” Murtaugh said. “We don’t think it’s too much to ask that Americans get a look at the two candidates side by side before voters start voting.”
But the Biden campaign dismissed the mounting speculation, mostly in conservative circles, that its candidate would decline to participate in the debates. "Donald Trump and his allies at Fox News have decided an imaginary controversy about debates will be their latest attempt to distract Americans from the president’s disastrous response to the coronavirus, which has cost 150,000 Americans their lives and left millions jobless," Biden spokesman T.J. Ducklo said in a statement to CNN.
Instead, the Biden camp turned the debate-ducking accusation back on Trump. "This is not a mystery," Ducklo added. "The debate commission has invited both candidates to participate in three debates. Joe Biden has accepted. Donald Trump has not. Mystery solved."
Plenty of commentators who are plausibly seen as more sympathetic to Biden than Trump have called for getting rid of the presidential debates, including veteran journalist Elizabeth Drew and columnist Thomas Friedman in the pages of the New York Times. But none have been directly associated with the Biden campaign, and only one prominent opponent of debating Trump has a history as a Democratic operative — Joe Lockhart, a former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton.
Conservatives believe this suggests liberals and establishment media voices are fearful Biden would do poorly in the debates against Trump. He performed well in the vice presidential debates against Sarah Palin and Paul Ryan, respectively, but at 77 was noticeably less sharp in this year’s Democratic primary debates. And as the front-runner — Biden leads Trump by 7.4 points in the RealClearPolitics national polling average — the former vice president has every incentive to sit on his lead and avoid anything that could change the dynamics of the race.
At the same time, refusing to debate could give jibes against Biden’s mental acuity legs. A Fox News poll last month found that 47% thought Biden had the mental soundness to be president, compared to 43% for Trump, a smaller advantage than the Democrat enjoyed on most other issues tested. The pandemic has also been a factor in the debate schedule, with one original location — the University of Notre Dame — pulling out because of the outbreak.
“There will be presidential debates,” said Republican strategist Alex Conant. “Just like the conventions and campaigns, they will probably look different. But at some point, the nominees will face off on live television. Any candidate who actually refused to debate would quickly see their campaign overwhelmed by the issue — it would be impossible for them to advance any other message. Presidential debates are custom that voters expect.”
The Trump campaign is pressing to get the debates going pronto. "We want more debates," campaign manager Bill Stepien told Fox & Friends on Monday. “We want debates starting sooner." And when the Biden campaign opposes the idea, saying Trump is just looking to work the refs by picking his own moderators? "We are already seeing the liberal Left, the liberal media, trying to create trapdoors for Joe Biden to escape his commitment and his obligation to debate Donald Trump on a debate stage in front of the American people," Stepien said.
This type of debate gamesmanship is not unusual. Ronald Reagan rallied in New Hampshire after pushing for the inclusion of other Republican candidates in what was originally supposed to be a one-on-one debate with George H.W. Bush, producing the famous “I paid for that microphone” moment. Reagan later advocated for third-party candidate John Anderson getting a place on the general election debate stage. Jimmy Carter, the Democratic incumbent, balked, and Reagan debated both candidates separately. After independent Ross Perot upended the 1992 debates, Bob Dole’s camp opposed his participation unless Green Party nominee Ralph Nader was included too.
In down-ballot races, it’s common for trailing candidates to ask for more debates. Jeff Sessions most recently did in his recent Alabama senatorial primary against Tommy Tuberville, which the former attorney general lost.
Trump has complained about unfair debate moderators in the past but only skipped one during the competitive phase of the 2016 GOP primaries. He was going to sit out another after the race was well in hand, but it got canceled. Trump then debated Hillary Clinton according to the commission schedule.
“We're in the early stages of expectation settings, with some Democrats trying to make the case that Biden has nothing to gain by appearing with Trump or that an honest debate isn't possible with Trump,” Conant said. “I wouldn't be surprised if Trump's team starts lowering their own expectations by claiming Trump is too busy to prepare or that the debate commission is biased. Given how important the debates could be this year, it's not a surprise that the expectation-setting is happening so soon.”
The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate this fall, with the first taking place at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland on Sept. 29.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--Democrat Carolyn Maloney clings onto House seat after tight New York primary fight

Rep. Carolyn Maloney will serve a 15th term in Congress after beating challenger Suraj Patel in their closer-than-expected New York City district Democratic primary .
Maloney , 74 , held a narrow 648-vote advantage on attorney Patel , 36 , after ballots cast in person were tallied on the night of their June 23 contest , 41 % to 40 % .
But with more than 50 % of the vote being cast by mailed-in absentee ballots , the final results were delayed until counting began on the week of July 6 .
The New York State Board of Elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later on Tuesday .
Maloney had earlier claimed victory by 3,700 votes on July 29 before official results were available .
Patel did n't concede either , calling the `` massive and disproportionate irregularities '' in tabulating ballots `` a systematic disenfranchisement of thousands of voters '' after the board was sued in federal court .
In a statement , Patel said the board mailed more than 33,000 ballots in New York City on June 22 , `` knowing there was no chance that voters could vote on time by June 23 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with missing signatures , no postmarks , or postmarks on June 24 , he added .
`` This election is a canary in the coal mine for November .
As Democrats , we must be on the side of the voter .
We can ’ t set a dangerous precedent for Donald Trump to attack vote by mail and conflate disenfranchisement with his goal of voter suppression .
We hope the court or New York elected officials will re-enfranchise thousands of New Yorkers rather than cast their voices aside , '' Patel wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Analisa Torres this week ordered for the invalidated ballots to be included in the tally .
`` We should be concerned that the State of New York spent taxpayer dollars in court arguing that counting votes validly cast but received without a postmark through no fault of the voter was 'not in the public interest ' and was not purposeful as to deserve a remedy .
But a federal judge disagreed , writing in her opinion , 'The Constitution is not so toothless , ' '' Patel wrote on Monday .
Maloney 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for two of its top members .
Maloney 's colleague Rep. Eliot Engel was n't so lucky .
The 31-year incumbent and House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman , who has represented northern Bronx and southern Westchester County since 1988 , lost his primary against insurgent Jamaal Bowman .
Maloney has led the House Oversight Committee since Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings 's death last October .
Maloney and Patel 's match-up was a reprisal of their 2018 bout , in which Maloney earned 60 % of the vote to Patel 's 40 % .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from wealthy East Manhattan , as opposed to the other younger parts of New York 's 12th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens .
Most of the outstanding ballots in 2020 were from Manhattan .
Maloney , who was first elected to Congress in 1992 , did n't go easy on Patel , who ran without the backing of progressive groups , such as Justice Democrats .
In a digital ad , she accused Patel of being `` creepy '' in a 2012 Facebook post about being attracted to then-16-year-old Olympic gymnast McKayla @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Committee complaint , calling Maloney out for pushing `` a racist trope . ''
He also criticized Maloney for questioning whether vaccines had any connection to autism .

Rep. Carolyn Maloney will serve a 15th term in Congress after beating challenger Suraj Patel in their closer-than-expected New York City district Democratic primary.
Maloney, 74, held a narrow 648-vote advantage on attorney Patel, 36, after ballots cast in person were tallied on the night of their June 23 contest, 41% to 40%. But with more than 50% of the vote being cast by mailed-in absentee ballots, the final results were delayed until counting began on the week of July 6.
The New York State Board of Elections certified Maloney as the winner seven weeks later on Tuesday.
Maloney had earlier claimed victory by 3,700 votes on July 29 before official results were available. Patel didn't concede either, calling the "massive and disproportionate irregularities" in tabulating ballots "a systematic disenfranchisement of thousands of voters" after the board was sued in federal court.
In a statement, Patel said the board mailed more than 33,000 ballots in New York City on June 22, "knowing there was no chance that voters could vote on time by June 23." It also tossed out 12,500 ballots with missing signatures, no postmarks, or postmarks on June 24, he added.
"This election is a canary in the coal mine for November. As Democrats, we must be on the side of the voter. We can’t set a dangerous precedent for Donald Trump to attack vote by mail and conflate disenfranchisement with his goal of voter suppression. We hope the court or New York elected officials will re-enfranchise thousands of New Yorkers rather than cast their voices aside," Patel wrote in a statement.
U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres this week ordered for the invalidated ballots to be included in the tally.
"We should be concerned that the State of New York spent taxpayer dollars in court arguing that counting votes validly cast but received without a postmark through no fault of the voter was 'not in the public interest' and was not purposeful as to deserve a remedy. But a federal judge disagreed, writing in her opinion, 'The Constitution is not so toothless,'" Patel wrote on Monday.
Maloney's win means House Democrats avoid embarrassing defeats for two of its top members. Maloney's colleague Rep. Eliot Engel wasn't so lucky. The 31-year incumbent and House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, who has represented northern Bronx and southern Westchester County since 1988, lost his primary against insurgent Jamaal Bowman. Maloney has led the House Oversight Committee since Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings's death last October.
Maloney and Patel's match-up was a reprisal of their 2018 bout, in which Maloney earned 60% of the vote to Patel's 40%. The majority of Maloney's support came from wealthy East Manhattan, as opposed to the other younger parts of New York's 12th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens. Most of the outstanding ballots in 2020 were from Manhattan.
Maloney, who was first elected to Congress in 1992, didn't go easy on Patel, who ran without the backing of progressive groups, such as Justice Democrats. In a digital ad, she accused Patel of being "creepy" in a 2012 Facebook post about being attracted to then-16-year-old Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney. Patel filed a House Ethics Committee complaint, calling Maloney out for pushing "a racist trope." He also criticized Maloney for questioning whether vaccines had any connection to autism.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--Odds growing of split Senate after November

The question of who controls the Senate may get a little trickier after the November election as the odds of a 50-50 split in the chamber look increasingly likely .
To flip the Senate , Democrats need a net gain of three or four seats , depending on whether President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence win a second term , or presumptive Democratic nominee and his soon-to-be-announced running mate occupy the West Wing .
The vice president breaks ties on Senate votes and may be needed a fair amount .
Attention will increasingly be focused on competitive races in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Montana , and North Carolina , among others .
But each of those states contains unique electoral dynamics , meaning a general Democratic wave wo n't necessarily carry each candidate across the finish line .
Similarly , Trump and the Republican Party ca n't anticipate they 'll maintain control of the Senate should the president reverse his current unpopularity and eke out a victory .
Leaving out the toss-up races , both Republicans and Democrats enter the November election with 47 safe seats apiece , assuming the GOP holds onto its seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove Arizona Sen. Martha McSally from office .
Also , Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones is highly likely to lose the seat he won in a fluky December 2017 special election .
Should Montana Gov .
Steve Bullock fail in his attempt to oust Republican incumbent Steve Daines , the GOP would need to grab just two more seats , the easiest likely being Iowa where Joni Ernst is up for reelection .
Trump currently holds a narrow lead in the state , meaning Democrats would need heavy split-ticket voting to pull challenger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Democrats can count on some of their own coattails , particularly in Colorado .
There , Democrats hold a steady lead not only in presidential polls but in the Senate race where GOP incumbent Cory Gardner consistently falls behind former Democratic presidential candidate and state Gov .
John Hickenlooper .
Those two outcomes would grant the GOP 49 seats to the Democrats ' 48 , meaning control of the chamber would come down to races in North Carolina , Maine , and Georgia 's other seat currently held by David Perdue .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ossoff , the Republicans would enjoy 50 seats .
Democrats could then sweep both North Carolina and Maine , making the makeup of the Senate at 50-50 , with neither party in control , the first time since the 2000 Senate election cycle .
During that time , party leaders Republican Trent Lott and Democrat Tom Daschle created a power-sharing agreement that effectively evenly split committees with staffers from both parties .
Passing legislation , however , would likely remain a partisan affair as the vice president is constitutionally tasked with breaking any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equilibrium last long in 2001 , after the new senators were sworn in at the start of the 107th Congress .
Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords , long considered a liberal Republican , announced his resignation from the GOP following the passing of the Bush tax cuts , handing control of the Senate to the Democrats until early January 2003 .

The question of who controls the Senate may get a little trickier after the November election as the odds of a 50-50 split in the chamber look increasingly likely.
To flip the Senate, Democrats need a net gain of three or four seats, depending on whether President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence win a second term, or presumptive Democratic nominee and his soon-to-be-announced running mate occupy the West Wing. The vice president breaks ties on Senate votes and may be needed a fair amount.
Attention will increasingly be focused on competitive races in Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Montana, and North Carolina, among others.
But each of those states contains unique electoral dynamics, meaning a general Democratic wave won't necessarily carry each candidate across the finish line. Similarly, Trump and the Republican Party can't anticipate they'll maintain control of the Senate should the president reverse his current unpopularity and eke out a victory.
Leaving out the toss-up races, both Republicans and Democrats enter the November election with 47 safe seats apiece, assuming the GOP holds onto its seat in the Georgia special election and Democrats remove Arizona Sen. Martha McSally from office. Also, Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones is highly likely to lose the seat he won in a fluky December 2017 special election.
Should Montana Gov. Steve Bullock fail in his attempt to oust Republican incumbent Steve Daines, the GOP would need to grab just two more seats, the easiest likely being Iowa where Joni Ernst is up for reelection. Trump currently holds a narrow lead in the state, meaning Democrats would need heavy split-ticket voting to pull challenger Theresa Greenfield across the finish line.
But Democrats can count on some of their own coattails, particularly in Colorado. There, Democrats hold a steady lead not only in presidential polls but in the Senate race where GOP incumbent Cory Gardner consistently falls behind former Democratic presidential candidate and state Gov. John Hickenlooper.
Those two outcomes would grant the GOP 49 seats to the Democrats' 48, meaning control of the chamber would come down to races in North Carolina, Maine, and Georgia's other seat currently held by David Perdue. Should Perdue fight off Democratic challenger John Ossoff, the Republicans would enjoy 50 seats.
Democrats could then sweep both North Carolina and Maine, making the makeup of the Senate at 50-50, with neither party in control, the first time since the 2000 Senate election cycle. During that time, party leaders Republican Trent Lott and Democrat Tom Daschle created a power-sharing agreement that effectively evenly split committees with staffers from both parties.
Passing legislation, however, would likely remain a partisan affair as the vice president is constitutionally tasked with breaking any ties in the Senate. Nor did equilibrium last long in 2001, after the new senators were sworn in at the start of the 107th Congress. Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords, long considered a liberal Republican, announced his resignation from the GOP following the passing of the Bush tax cuts, handing control of the Senate to the Democrats until early January 2003.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--Trump campaign requests fourth presidential debate with Biden in early September

President Trump 's campaign is pushing for a fourth debate with former Vice President Joe Biden , to be held in early September .
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani , on behalf of Trump 's campaign , sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates on Wednesday asking that an additional debate be scheduled ahead of the three others — before early ballots are cast .
`` The Commission ’ s current approach is an outdated dinosaur and not reflective of voting realities in 2020 , '' the letter read .
`` For a nation already deprived of a traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , it makes no sense to also deprive so many Americans of the opportunity to see and hear the two competing visions for our country ’ s future before millions of votes have been cast . ''
The campaign alternatively requested that the final presidential debate , scheduled Oct. 22 , be moved to early September if the commission is unable to add a fourth debate date .
The letter also included a list of potential moderator recommendations , ranging from Fox News anchors Bret Baier , Harris Faulkner , and Shannon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saagar Enjeti , and Hugh Hewitt .
In the event that debate structures are altered due to the coronavirus , the letter asked the commission to establish backup locations for a debate that would not include an audience .
`` Now that former Vice President Biden has finally confirmed he is indeed available to leave his basement for the fall debates , we are also requesting the Commission solidify its backup plans for debate locations and logistics in the event additional COVID-19 complications arise at any of the locations , '' the letter @ @

President Trump's campaign is pushing for a fourth debate with former Vice President Joe Biden, to be held in early September.
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, on behalf of Trump's campaign, sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates on Wednesday asking that an additional debate be scheduled ahead of the three others — before early ballots are cast.
"The Commission’s current approach is an outdated dinosaur and not reflective of voting realities in 2020," the letter read. "For a nation already deprived of a traditional campaign schedule because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, it makes no sense to also deprive so many Americans of the opportunity to see and hear the two competing visions for our country’s future before millions of votes have been cast."
The campaign alternatively requested that the final presidential debate, scheduled Oct. 22, be moved to early September if the commission is unable to add a fourth debate date. The letter also included a list of potential moderator recommendations, ranging from Fox News anchors Bret Baier, Harris Faulkner, and Shannon Bream to conservative commentators Larry Elder, Saagar Enjeti, and Hugh Hewitt.
In the event that debate structures are altered due to the coronavirus, the letter asked the commission to establish backup locations for a debate that would not include an audience.
"Now that former Vice President Biden has finally confirmed he is indeed available to leave his basement for the fall debates, we are also requesting the Commission solidify its backup plans for debate locations and logistics in the event additional COVID-19 complications arise at any of the locations," the letter read.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--Biden cans plans to accept 2020 Democratic presidential nomination in Milwaukee

Joe Biden has nixed plans to travel to Milwaukee to accept the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination .
Biden , the two-term vice president and 36-year United States senator , was expected to be crowned his party 's 2020 standard-bearer in Milwaukee , along with his yet-to-be-revealed running mate .
But the Democratic National Convention Committee and his campaign altered their arrangements as Wisconsin and other Midwestern states experience a rise in COVID-19 cases .
Instead , Biden will address Democrats from his home state of Delaware after consulting with public health officials and experts , the DNCC said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make addresses will also not visit Milwaukee .
“ From the very beginning of this pandemic , we put the health and safety of the American people first .
We followed the science , listened to doctors and public health experts , and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives , '' Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said .
The convention will still entail four nights of pre-recorded and live programming , which will air from locations around the country from Aug. 17 to Aug. 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That will include digital press briefings and interviews .
Biden 's announcement coincides with President Trump teasing Wednesday morning that he may be coronated on the White House 's South Lawn .
`` It 's the easiest alternative , '' Trump told Fox & Friends .
`` I 'll probably do mine live from the White House . ''
The White House is `` the least expensive from the country 's standpoint , '' the president added .
The coronavirus pandemic has upended both the 2020 Democratic and Republican conventions .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduling a mostly virtual event `` anchored '' from the must-win state of Wisconsin .
The GOP yanked its convention from Charlotte , North Carolina , save for party business meetings , in favor of holding the festivities in Jacksonville , Florida .
But the events pegged for Florida were scrapped with spikes in COVID-19 cases reported across the state .

Joe Biden has nixed plans to travel to Milwaukee to accept the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
Biden, the two-term vice president and 36-year United States senator, was expected to be crowned his party's 2020 standard-bearer in Milwaukee, along with his yet-to-be-revealed running mate. But the Democratic National Convention Committee and his campaign altered their arrangements as Wisconsin and other Midwestern states experience a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Instead, Biden will address Democrats from his home state of Delaware after consulting with public health officials and experts, the DNCC said in a statement. Other speakers who were set to make addresses will also not visit Milwaukee.
“From the very beginning of this pandemic, we put the health and safety of the American people first. We followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts, and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives," Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said.
The convention will still entail four nights of pre-recorded and live programming, which will air from locations around the country from Aug. 17 to Aug. 20 between 9 and 11 p.m. ET. That will include digital press briefings and interviews.
Biden's announcement coincides with President Trump teasing Wednesday morning that he may be coronated on the White House's South Lawn.
"It's the easiest alternative," Trump told Fox & Friends. "I'll probably do mine live from the White House."
The White House is "the least expensive from the country's standpoint," the president added.
The coronavirus pandemic has upended both the 2020 Democratic and Republican conventions.
Democrats delayed their gathering by a month, scheduling a mostly virtual event "anchored" from the must-win state of Wisconsin.
The GOP yanked its convention from Charlotte, North Carolina, save for party business meetings, in favor of holding the festivities in Jacksonville, Florida. But the events pegged for Florida were scrapped with spikes in COVID-19 cases reported across the state.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--Potential Biden vice president contender praised member of Communist Party USA as 'friend and mentor

Potential Biden vice president contender praised member of Communist Party USA as 'friend and mentor'

Rep. Karen Bass is attempting to distance herself from comments she read into the congressional record three years ago , praising a longtime member of Communist Party USA as a `` friend and mentor . ''
During a eulogy for Oneil Marion Cannon in 2017 , Bass , a Democrat , called Cannon a `` one man force in progressive politics '' and said his contributions to minority communities in the United States were powerful .
`` Deeply involved in politics , Oneil belonged to the Independent Progressive Party and campaigned to put Henry Wallace on the ballot in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her speech .
`` As part of the IPP , he used economic power to force employers to hire black and Mexican American workers , using the slogan , 'Do n't bank or buy where you ca n't work . '
He worked for decades to elect representatives of color to office , including Tom Bradley , Ed Roybal , and even campaigning at age 90 for Barack Obama . ''
Bass saluted Cannon for his `` long-standing commitment to serving and uplifting others and for a century of fighting to make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obituary for Cannon mentions his time as the `` education director for the Communist Party USA in the Southern California District , and a member of the Party ’ s Southern California and National Central Committees . ''
“ Karen Bass has always been a Democrat and only a Democrat , '' a spokesman told Politico in reference to Bass 's praise of Cannon .
`` The congresswoman is friends with Kevin McCarthy and is not a Republican .
She knew Oneil Cannon but never shared the political ideology he may have had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Bass 's comments about Cannon and other radical political figures similar to him have come under increasing scrutiny as she remains on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden 's shortlist as a potential vice presidential pick .
In a statement issued shortly after the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro , Bass called Castro “ Comandante en Jefe , ” or commander in chief in Spanish .
Those remarks have worried some Democrats in Florida that a decision by Biden to pick Bass could hurt his chances of carrying the state in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It shows a lack of understanding about what the Castro regime was about .
So I have to learn more about her position and perspective on Fidel Castro , ” said Florida state Rep. Javier Fernandez .
`` Praise like the one that was given by Bass at the time of Castro ’ s death is inconsistent with my family ’ s experience with what the regime did — and continues to do — to people on the island , which is to suppress human rights , keep people under a totalitarian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Bass dismissed any assertion that she has communist sympathies when pressed about her years-old , but warm , characterizations of fascist dictators .
“ I have talked to my colleagues in the House about that , and it ’ s certainly something that I would not say again , ” Bass said late last month .
`` I have always supported the Cuban people and the relationship that Barack Obama and Biden had in their administration in terms of opening up relations.
” The congresswoman has also expressed discomfort with the messaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group President Trump and other Republicans have described as a Marxist outfit seeking to destroy American institutions .
`` I told some friends that ’ s probably one of the worst slogans ever , ” she said of calls to `` defund the police '' in the wake of George Floyd 's death .
`` Police officers are the first ones to say they are law enforcement officers .
They ’ re not social workers .
What we have done in our country is we have not invested in health , social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We leave the police to pick up the pieces . ''
Biden has promised to pick a woman as his running mate , and many political strategists view his choosing of a woman of color as needed evidence that he will have an inclusive cabinet .
“ I think anybody that is willing to become vice president , if they ’ re invited , should be ready , '' Bass said of Biden .
`` And I think that I am . ''

Rep. Karen Bass is attempting to distance herself from comments she read into the congressional record three years ago, praising a longtime member of Communist Party USA as a "friend and mentor."
During a eulogy for Oneil Marion Cannon in 2017, Bass, a Democrat, called Cannon a "one man force in progressive politics" and said his contributions to minority communities in the United States were powerful.
"Deeply involved in politics, Oneil belonged to the Independent Progressive Party and campaigned to put Henry Wallace on the ballot in the late 1940s," Bass said in her speech. "As part of the IPP, he used economic power to force employers to hire black and Mexican American workers, using the slogan, 'Don't bank or buy where you can't work.' He worked for decades to elect representatives of color to office, including Tom Bradley, Ed Roybal, and even campaigning at age 90 for Barack Obama."
Bass saluted Cannon for his "long-standing commitment to serving and uplifting others and for a century of fighting to make the world a better place."
An obituary for Cannon mentions his time as the "education director for the Communist Party USA in the Southern California District, and a member of the Party’s Southern California and National Central Committees."
“Karen Bass has always been a Democrat and only a Democrat," a spokesman told Politico in reference to Bass's praise of Cannon. "The congresswoman is friends with Kevin McCarthy and is not a Republican. She knew Oneil Cannon but never shared the political ideology he may have had at one time in his life."
Bass's comments about Cannon and other radical political figures similar to him have come under increasing scrutiny as she remains on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's shortlist as a potential vice presidential pick.
In a statement issued shortly after the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, Bass called Castro “Comandante en Jefe,” or commander in chief in Spanish. Those remarks have worried some Democrats in Florida that a decision by Biden to pick Bass could hurt his chances of carrying the state in November.
“The comments are troubling. It shows a lack of understanding about what the Castro regime was about. So I have to learn more about her position and perspective on Fidel Castro,” said Florida state Rep. Javier Fernandez. "Praise like the one that was given by Bass at the time of Castro’s death is inconsistent with my family’s experience with what the regime did — and continues to do — to people on the island, which is to suppress human rights, keep people under a totalitarian thumb, and stifle economic growth."
Bass dismissed any assertion that she has communist sympathies when pressed about her years-old, but warm, characterizations of fascist dictators.
“I have talked to my colleagues in the House about that, and it’s certainly something that I would not say again,” Bass said late last month. "I have always supported the Cuban people and the relationship that Barack Obama and Biden had in their administration in terms of opening up relations.”
The congresswoman has also expressed discomfort with the messaging behind the Black Lives Matter movement — a group President Trump and other Republicans have described as a Marxist outfit seeking to destroy American institutions.
"I told some friends that’s probably one of the worst slogans ever,” she said of calls to "defund the police" in the wake of George Floyd's death. "Police officers are the first ones to say they are law enforcement officers. They’re not social workers. What we have done in our country is we have not invested in health, social, and economic problems in communities. We leave the police to pick up the pieces."
Biden has promised to pick a woman as his running mate, and many political strategists view his choosing of a woman of color as needed evidence that he will have an inclusive cabinet.
“I think anybody that is willing to become vice president, if they’re invited, should be ready," Bass said of Biden. "And I think that I am."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--House Democrat ahead in bitter Georgia rematch: Poll

A House Democrat who unseated a Republican incumbent in 2018 by a single percentage point is ahead with less than 100 days before their rematch .
Rep. Lucy McBath leads former GOP lawmaker Karen Handel in Georgia 's 6th Congressional District , 48 % to 46 % , according to a National Republican Congressional Committee poll by North Star Opinion Research .
Another 7 % of voters remain undecided , the survey found .
The same firm had McBath trailing Handel in March , 47 % to 49 % .
Pollsters said two-thirds of respondents in the traditionally conservative stronghold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track due to the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout , with 27 % feeling the opposite .
That 's a double-digit increase from March when there was a 52 % to 45 % divide .
Yet , the study also found 11 % of respondents had no opinion of McBath .
Another 20 % revealed they 'd never heard of her .
`` Despite a spring and summer of difficult health and economic news , Karen Handel ’ s long service and familiarity with the district makes her well-positioned to win back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the electorate this year versus 2018 when she lost by just a point , '' North Star Opinion Research 's Jon McHenry and Whit Ayres wrote in a memo to the NRCC .
Handel , an ex-businesswoman and Georgia secretary of state , was elected to Congress by north Atlanta and counties further north in a 2017 special election to replace then-Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price .
McBath ousted her by less than 4,000 votes 18 months later in one of the biggest political upsets of the 2018 midterm elections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters registered in Georgia ’ s 6th District between July 26 and July 28 via landlines and cellphones .
The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 points .

A House Democrat who unseated a Republican incumbent in 2018 by a single percentage point is ahead with less than 100 days before their rematch.
Rep. Lucy McBath leads former GOP lawmaker Karen Handel in Georgia's 6th Congressional District, 48% to 46%, according to a National Republican Congressional Committee poll by North Star Opinion Research. Another 7% of voters remain undecided, the survey found. The same firm had McBath trailing Handel in March, 47% to 49%.
Pollsters said two-thirds of respondents in the traditionally conservative stronghold believed the country was on the wrong track due to the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout, with 27% feeling the opposite. That's a double-digit increase from March when there was a 52% to 45% divide.
Yet, the study also found 11% of respondents had no opinion of McBath. Another 20% revealed they'd never heard of her.
"Despite a spring and summer of difficult health and economic news, Karen Handel’s long service and familiarity with the district makes her well-positioned to win back the seat, especially considering the make-up of the electorate this year versus 2018 when she lost by just a point," North Star Opinion Research's Jon McHenry and Whit Ayres wrote in a memo to the NRCC.
Handel, an ex-businesswoman and Georgia secretary of state, was elected to Congress by north Atlanta and counties further north in a 2017 special election to replace then-Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. McBath ousted her by less than 4,000 votes 18 months later in one of the biggest political upsets of the 2018 midterm elections.
North Star Opinion Research surveyed 400 voters registered in Georgia’s 6th District between July 26 and July 28 via landlines and cellphones. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 points.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--Biden visibly irritated when asked if he’s taken cognitive test, compares to drug test

Joe Biden grew visibly irritated when asked whether he would take a cognitive test such as President Trump did .
`` No , I have n't taken a test .
Why the hell would I take a test ? ''
Biden said in a Tuesday interview .
`` C'mon , man . ''
Biden was asked a similar question last week , during which the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee dodged the question by saying that he is constantly tested when he is on the campaign trail .
This time , Biden compared the aim of question from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to being asked to take a drug test .
`` That 's like saying you , before you got in this program , 'Will you take a test , were you taking cocaine or not ? '
What do you think , huh ?
Are you a junkie ? '
'' Trump boasted in recent interviews that he scored a 30 out of 30 on a cognitive test during his last physical , which included questions like identifying drawings of a lion and a rhinoceros .
In one interview , Trump described being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the phrase “ Person .
Woman .
Man .
Camera .
TV.
” Biden , though , suggested that the president failed a portion of the test .
`` Well , if he ca n't figure out the difference between an elephant and a lion , I do n't know what the hell he 's talking about , '' Biden said .
`` I know you 're trying to goad me , '' he said to the interviewer , adding that he is looking forward to debating Trump .
The former vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stutter as a child , stumbled in the last portion of his comments in the clip .
`` I am very willing to let the American public judge my physical and mental — my physical as well as mental fill — fitness , and to , you know , to make a judgment about who I am , '' Biden said .
The full Tuesday interview will be aired Thursday at the combined convention of the National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists .
Trump and his campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a campaign tactic , often pointing out when he stumbles over words and misspeaks .

Joe Biden grew visibly irritated when asked whether he would take a cognitive test such as President Trump did.
"No, I haven't taken a test. Why the hell would I take a test?" Biden said in a Tuesday interview. "C'mon, man."
Biden was asked a similar question last week, during which the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee dodged the question by saying that he is constantly tested when he is on the campaign trail.
This time, Biden compared the aim of question from the interviewer, who is black, to being asked to take a drug test.
"That's like saying you, before you got in this program, 'Will you take a test, were you taking cocaine or not?' What do you think, huh? Are you a junkie?'"
Trump boasted in recent interviews that he scored a 30 out of 30 on a cognitive test during his last physical, which included questions like identifying drawings of a lion and a rhinoceros. In one interview, Trump described being asked to repeat certain words, popularizing the phrase “Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.”
Biden, though, suggested that the president failed a portion of the test.
"Well, if he can't figure out the difference between an elephant and a lion, I don't know what the hell he's talking about," Biden said. "I know you're trying to goad me," he said to the interviewer, adding that he is looking forward to debating Trump.
The former vice president and 36-year Delaware senator, who had a stutter as a child, stumbled in the last portion of his comments in the clip.
"I am very willing to let the American public judge my physical and mental — my physical as well as mental fill — fitness, and to, you know, to make a judgment about who I am," Biden said.
The full Tuesday interview will be aired Thursday at the combined convention of the National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Trump and his campaign is targeting Biden's cognitive ability as a campaign tactic, often pointing out when he stumbles over words and misspeaks.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-05--Developed countries ‘ban’ mail-in voting, US would be ‘laughing stock’: Report

Most developed countries , especially in Europe , ban mail-in voting to fight vast fraud and vote buying that had threatened the integrity of their elections , according to an exhaustive review of voting rules and histories in over 30 major nations .
In the European Union , 63 % have put a ban on mailing in ballots except for citizens living overseas .
Another 22 % have imposed a ban even for those overseas .
And most of those that allow mail-in ballots require some form of photo ID to get one , according to the report from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ These countries have learned the hard way about what happens when mail-in ballots aren ’ t secured .
They have also discovered how hard it is to detect vote buying when both those buying and selling the votes have an incentive to hide the exchange , ” said author John R. Lott , the center ’ s president .
While politicians in the United States have been debating the pros and cons of mail-in voting due to concerns of spreading COVID-19 at the polls and new reports of postal service and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center is known for its gun research , built a voting database of the European Union and the larger Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries .
Those countries , said Lott , are typically held up by Democrats as a model to follow .
“ Liberals and progressives often try to model the U.S. on Western European countries in many ways , but you never hear them arguing that we should adopt their voting rules .
There is a reason for that .
Banning mail-in voting or requiring people to use photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite common in developed countries , especially in Europe , ” he said in the report .
The report , titled Why Do Most Countries Ban Mail-in Ballots ?
They Have Seen Massive Vote Fraud Problems , listed the rules for voting and widespread cases of fraud and vote buying .
His report also listed notable cases of fraud in U.S. voting .
He ended up calling mail-in voting a “ throwback to the dark old days of vote-buying and fraud .
Like most of the rest of the world , Americans deserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been critical of mail-in voting , though his campaign has endorsed it in some states such as Florida .
He has warned that it can be manipulated , a charge that has prompted Democrats eager for it to call the president delusional .
But Lott said the president is correct and listed nearly 10 cases of mail-in voting fraud and vote buying to support his case .
He referenced cases of deceased voters receiving mail-in ballots , including 458,000 in California .
In another , he cited a report that 83 mail-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment .
And in another , he cited reports of fraud in Pennsylvania mail-in voting that resulted in giving Democrats control of the state Senate in 1994 .
In overseas cases , he cited a case of mail-in voting fraud in 2005 that led to the election of six officials in Birmingham , England , and the history of fraud in Mexico .
“ If concern about vote fraud with mail-in ballots is delusional , it is a delusion that is shared by most of the world .
Even the countries that allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government-issued photo IDs .
But Americans are constantly assured even this step is completely unnecessary .
Without basic precautions , our elections are on course to become the laughing stock of the developed world , ” Lott concluded .

Most developed countries, especially in Europe, ban mail-in voting to fight vast fraud and vote buying that had threatened the integrity of their elections, according to an exhaustive review of voting rules and histories in over 30 major nations.
In the European Union, 63% have put a ban on mailing in ballots except for citizens living overseas. Another 22% have imposed a ban even for those overseas. And most of those that allow mail-in ballots require some form of photo ID to get one, according to the report from the Crime Prevention Research Center shared with Secrets.
“These countries have learned the hard way about what happens when mail-in ballots aren’t secured. They have also discovered how hard it is to detect vote buying when both those buying and selling the votes have an incentive to hide the exchange,” said author John R. Lott, the center’s president.
While politicians in the United States have been debating the pros and cons of mail-in voting due to concerns of spreading COVID-19 at the polls and new reports of postal service and vote counting issues, Lott, whose center is known for its gun research, built a voting database of the European Union and the larger Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
Those countries, said Lott, are typically held up by Democrats as a model to follow.
“Liberals and progressives often try to model the U.S. on Western European countries in many ways, but you never hear them arguing that we should adopt their voting rules. There is a reason for that. Banning mail-in voting or requiring people to use photo IDs to obtain a mail-in ballot is quite common in developed countries, especially in Europe,” he said in the report.
The report, titled Why Do Most Countries Ban Mail-in Ballots? They Have Seen Massive Vote Fraud Problems, listed the rules for voting and widespread cases of fraud and vote buying. His report also listed notable cases of fraud in U.S. voting.
He ended up calling mail-in voting a “throwback to the dark old days of vote-buying and fraud. Like most of the rest of the world, Americans deserve a more trustworthy system.”
President Trump has been critical of mail-in voting, though his campaign has endorsed it in some states such as Florida.
He has warned that it can be manipulated, a charge that has prompted Democrats eager for it to call the president delusional.
But Lott said the president is correct and listed nearly 10 cases of mail-in voting fraud and vote buying to support his case.
He referenced cases of deceased voters receiving mail-in ballots, including 458,000 in California. In another, he cited a report that 83 mail-in ballots went to a single, two-bedroom apartment. And in another, he cited reports of fraud in Pennsylvania mail-in voting that resulted in giving Democrats control of the state Senate in 1994.
In overseas cases, he cited a case of mail-in voting fraud in 2005 that led to the election of six officials in Birmingham, England, and the history of fraud in Mexico.
“If concern about vote fraud with mail-in ballots is delusional, it is a delusion that is shared by most of the world. Even the countries that allow mail-in ballots have protections, such as government-issued photo IDs. But Americans are constantly assured even this step is completely unnecessary. Without basic precautions, our elections are on course to become the laughing stock of the developed world,” Lott concluded.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-06--Nevada mail-in voting law previews looming 2020 legal battles over ballots

Nevada ’ s new automatic mail-in voting law is only the latest ballot systems change that has the potential to complicate the November election .
With less than three months until the election , the rapid changes are likely to prompt legal battles and election delays that could not only frustrate the public but undermine public confidence in the process .
In the wake of fears that the coronavirus pandemic could endanger public health at the polls , Democratic Nevada Gov .
Steve Sisolak signed a bill into law on Monday that dramatically expands mail-in voting in the state , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot , rather than requiring voters to request one .
The Trump campaign on Wednesday in hopes of stopping the legislation , arguing that it is unconstitutional .
Part of the concern with mail-in voting has to do with its potential for voter fraud , which has historically been a statistically insignificant problem .
“ I 'm particularly concerned that there 's been the push for vote-by-mail with the demand that it be automatic , so ballots get sent automatically to all voter registrations , and then you do away with election safeguards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Jason Snead , the executive director of Honest Elections .
“ What Nevada did was not only will they be automatically mailing ballots , but they will also be legalizing vote harvesting.
” “ Vote harvesting ” is the practice of allowing individuals other than the voter to fill out and return his or her ballot .
The laws have varying levels of flexibility from state to state , but the new Nevada law allows voters to designate any person to return the ballot .
The practice led to one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operative turned in so many false ballots for a North Carolina congressional candidate that the election had to be done over .
But a potentially bigger issue is whether elections administrators can handle the rapid changes , and if they can ’ t , whether legal battles over which mail-in ballots to count prompt a constitutional crisis .
“ I do n't want to be melodramatic , ” Snead said .
But he offered a metaphor for the impact of the vote-by-mail changes : “ One of the things that folks do n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew they were sailing into an area of the ocean with icebergs .
They knew that , and they did it anyway .
And they sailed at full speed , and they were absolutely confident that they could manage the crisis if anything happens , and we all know that they hit an iceberg and sank.
” Primary elections have already exposed the challenges of rapid vote-by-mail implementation .
Former Democratic Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams that her primary ballot arrived with the return envelope sealed .
Democratic Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in time to vote for himself by mail .
In a press briefing on Tuesday , press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called attention to the challenges of mail-in voting by pointing to New York primary races , where the winner in some races could not be determined weeks later .
“ It is day 42 of the botched New York City primary , where still there is no election result in one congressional race , ” she said .
Snead brought up Washington , D.C. , which attempted ballots to every registered voter for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to resort to emailing PDF of ballots to voters so that they would be able to vote , ” he said .
Other challenges , such as deciding whether to count ballots that arrive after Election Day or elections administrators deciding if a mail-in ballot envelope signature matches that of the voter , could lead to lawsuits that divide the country .
“ If states do adopt this sort of rush vote-by-mail model , then there is a serious risk of post-election litigation , particularly if there are tight races not just president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Senate , governors , ” Snead said .
And the result of that litigation could cast doubts about the U.S. electoral system , made even more consequential by rampant polarization .
“ The ultimate goal of an election is to encourage people to believe in the democratic process , to show people that , ‘ Here 's the rules , here 's the process , we follow the rules .
Everything was transparent , ’ ” Snead said .
“ If the trust breaks down , and all you 've got is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it was stolen from you , at this particular juncture in our politics , that could be a very , very damaging thing.
” The vast majority of the electorate will have the option to vote by mail this November , due , in part , to states that have changed their rules due to the coronavirus pandemic .
And two key swing states changed their rules to send mail ballot applications , not actual ballots , to voters automatically : Wisconsin and Michigan .
But so far , none of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone so far as to send all voters a mail-in ballot automatically .
In addition to Nevada , California , the District of Columbia , and Vermont to send voters ballots automatically .
But even at this late stage , that could change .
“ There are other states that are looking at their election practices putting their plans forward right now , ” Snead said .
“ I fully expect that we 're going to see at least a few more adopt this practice .
”

Nevada’s new automatic mail-in voting law is only the latest ballot systems change that has the potential to complicate the November election.
With less than three months until the election, the rapid changes are likely to prompt legal battles and election delays that could not only frustrate the public but undermine public confidence in the process.
In the wake of fears that the coronavirus pandemic could endanger public health at the polls, Democratic Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak signed a bill into law on Monday that dramatically expands mail-in voting in the state, including sending every registered voter a mail-in ballot, rather than requiring voters to request one.
The Trump campaign filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in hopes of stopping the legislation, arguing that it is unconstitutional.
Part of the concern with mail-in voting has to do with its potential for voter fraud, which has historically been a statistically insignificant problem.
“I'm particularly concerned that there's been the push for vote-by-mail with the demand that it be automatic, so ballots get sent automatically to all voter registrations, and then you do away with election safeguards that help to combat fraud,” said Jason Snead, the executive director of Honest Elections. “What Nevada did was not only will they be automatically mailing ballots, but they will also be legalizing vote harvesting.”
“Vote harvesting” is the practice of allowing individuals other than the voter to fill out and return his or her ballot. The laws have varying levels of flexibility from state to state, but the new Nevada law allows voters to designate any person to return the ballot.
The practice led to one of the most well-known cases of voter fraud when a Republican operative turned in so many false ballots for a North Carolina congressional candidate that the election had to be done over.
But a potentially bigger issue is whether elections administrators can handle the rapid changes, and if they can’t, whether legal battles over which mail-in ballots to count prompt a constitutional crisis.
“I don't want to be melodramatic,” Snead said. But he offered a metaphor for the impact of the vote-by-mail changes: “One of the things that folks don't know about the Titanic is that they knew they were sailing into an area of the ocean with icebergs. They knew that, and they did it anyway. And they sailed at full speed, and they were absolutely confident that they could manage the crisis if anything happens, and we all know that they hit an iceberg and sank.”
Primary elections have already exposed the challenges of rapid vote-by-mail implementation.
Former Democratic Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams said that her primary ballot arrived with the return envelope sealed. Democratic Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff didn’t receive his primary ballot in time to vote for himself by mail.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called attention to the challenges of mail-in voting by pointing to New York primary races, where the winner in some races could not be determined weeks later. “It is day 42 of the botched New York City primary, where still there is no election result in one congressional race,” she said.
Snead brought up Washington, D.C., which attempted ballots to every registered voter for the primary election. “They had to resort to emailing PDF of ballots to voters so that they would be able to vote,” he said.
Other challenges, such as deciding whether to count ballots that arrive after Election Day or elections administrators deciding if a mail-in ballot envelope signature matches that of the voter, could lead to lawsuits that divide the country.
“If states do adopt this sort of rush vote-by-mail model, then there is a serious risk of post-election litigation, particularly if there are tight races not just president, but any race — for House, Senate, governors,” Snead said.
And the result of that litigation could cast doubts about the U.S. electoral system, made even more consequential by rampant polarization.
“The ultimate goal of an election is to encourage people to believe in the democratic process, to show people that, ‘Here's the rules, here's the process, we follow the rules. Everything was transparent,’” Snead said. “If the trust breaks down, and all you've got is the pain of loss and the feeling that it was stolen from you, at this particular juncture in our politics, that could be a very, very damaging thing.”
The vast majority of the electorate will have the option to vote by mail this November, due, in part, to states that have changed their rules due to the coronavirus pandemic. And two key swing states changed their rules to send mail ballot applications, not actual ballots, to voters automatically: Wisconsin and Michigan.
But so far, none of the six most-watched Electoral College swing states have gone so far as to send all voters a mail-in ballot automatically. In addition to Nevada, California, the District of Columbia, and Vermont changed this year to send voters ballots automatically.
But even at this late stage, that could change.
“There are other states that are looking at their election practices putting their plans forward right now,” Snead said. “I fully expect that we're going to see at least a few more adopt this practice.”