thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-06--Unusual 'fellowship' paid high-profile, repeat Democratic candidates between runs

Several repeat Democratic candidates in high-profile races who lost their 2018 bids for Congress got direct financial help from a nonprofit organization in the form of an unusual “ fellowship ” during the interim period before they launched 2020 campaigns .
New Politics is a 527 advocacy group that seeks to `` revitalize American democracy by recruiting , developing , and electing servant leaders ” — mostly veterans , but also those who were part of national organizations or worked in national security and intelligence — ” who put community and country over self . ''
It has an affiliated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group called the New Politics Leadership Academy , which hosts a training program for prospective candidates and a fellowship program .
Six unsuccessful Democratic 2018 congressional candidates were named fellows in the inaugural fellowship class in January 2019 , and four of them later launched campaigns in major races again this year : Amy McGrath , Gina Ortiz Jones , Dan Feehan , and Roger Dean Huffstetler .
A press release announcing the program gave vague descriptions of projects , such as , `` examine the nature of today 's political engagement with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research on how to further close the rural-urban political gap . ''
Gabriel Ramos , communications director for both New Politics and the New Politics Leadership Academy , told the Washington Examiner that the opportunity to become a fellow was extended to both Republican and Democratic former candidates .
`` The expectation of these fellows was that they would work to advance and inform NPLA ’ s mission of 'revitalizing our democracy ' through their advocacy , research , and engagement with our community , '' Ramos said in a statement .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to NPLA 's leadership development and educational mission — including projects that provided NPLA with quantitative research about the rural-urban divide and insight into how issues that are typically understood as domestic or state-level challenges , may ultimately affect national security . ''
Previous comments from the group ’ s founder and director , Emily Cherniack , seemed to suggest that the fellowship endeavor is part of a creative way to give perpetual candidates a financial cushion in the brief period between runs for office in back-to-back election cycles .
In a 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview as a way to give candidates money for “ rent or groceries or their mortgage.
” “ What ’ s equally as important is the ones who don ’ t win , and what we have piloted and started this year is a fellowship program .
And so what we realized was , a lot of our candidates who are not wealthy , have spent a year and a half not working , and they ’ re exhausted , ” Cherniack said during the podcast .
“ And we just thought if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them ; four months , where they get a stipend , so they don ’ t have to like worry about paying their rent or their groceries or their mortgage , right , and also they get four months to rethink and reflect and work on and do research on things that they find would be valuable for them as political leadership development.
” She also expressed frustration at candidates ’ personal financial constraints in a tweet last year about a measure to reform campaign expenditure rules : “ To legally use campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a great step in right direction .
It still doesn ’ t solve for candidates who can ’ t afford to not earn a salary for 2 years by running but one step at a time ... ” Cherniack 's comments could spark legal concerns about the group 's tax status .
Charitable 501 ( c ) 3 nonprofit organizations are legally barred from directly supporting candidates or legislation , or from its organization or operation , conducting a “ private benefit ” rather than a public charitable one .
`` Paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after a failed campaign is definitely not a charitable activity and raises a question of impermissible private benefit , '' Ryan Oberly , a South Carolina lawyer and law school lecturer who specializes in tax-exempt organizations , told the Washington Examiner .
`` But , receiving taxable compensation for services rendered to the charity would be perfectly acceptable if the payments were reasonable and not excessive .
The reasonableness analysis would be a determination based on the amount of hours worked , services provided , qualifications , and the payment for similar positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if the compensation is reasonable , a private benefit concern would exist if all the fellows were from the same political party , '' Oberly added .
The four candidates in the 2019 fellowship who ran for office again each gave clear indications that they might run for office again in 2020 despite losing in 2018 .
They received a significant amount of money from the New Politics Leadership Academy for their fellowship .
McGrath , the Democratic challenger to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a former Marine pilot , previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 but lost to incumbent Republican Rep. Andy Barr .
She had a large war chest of $ 9.1 million despite losing her bid and was frequently mentioned as a potential Senate challenger to McConnell .
A candidate financial disclosure form shows that she received $ 42,500 for the fellowship and $ 35,000 in consulting pay from New Politics , McGrath ’ s only listed non-investment income .
She announced her 2020 bid in July 2019 , six months after the New Politics fellowship was announced .
Ortiz Jones , a former Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee for Texas ’ s open 23rd House district , which is being vacated by Republican Rep. Will Hurd .
She unsuccessfully challenged Hurd for the seat in 2018 , losing by just one point .
That December , she told supporters in an email that she was “ very likely ” to run again .
Her June 2019 financial disclosure form shows that she was paid $ 34,000 by New Politics that year .
That , aside from rental properties she owned , appeared to Ortiz Jones ’ s only earned income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May .
Feehan , an Army veteran and the former principal deputy assistant secretary of defense , is the Democratic nominee for Minnesota ’ s 1st House seat .
He is seeking a rematch against Republican incumbent Rep. Jim Hagedorn after narrowly losing to him in 2018 .
Feehan $ 55,500 in 2019 from the New Politics Leadership Academy fellowship and $ 64,000 from them in the preceding year , in addition to a separate $ 120,000 salary .
Hagedorn has Feehan of violating federal elections laws , and last month filed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Politics Leadership Academy and another organization with the Federal Elections Commission .
Huffstetler , who ran for Virginia ’ s 5th House seat this year but lost in the June primary , reported receiving $ 25,500 from the fellowship .
He also sought the seat in 2018 but withdrew from that race before the Democratic primary .
The New Politics Leadership Academy fellowships did not necessarily look blatantly unethical , but that the appearance of being paid to wait for the next election round could raise ethical issues , according to John Pelissero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University and professor emeritus of political science at Loyola University Chicago .
“ What is more unusual about this is that obviously this has been set up by a 527 organization to find a way to provide payment to , income to these candidates , or would-be candidates , ” Pelissero told the Washington Examiner .
He also questioned the logic of the fellowship program .
“ They have experience in running for office .
They 've been through a campaign .
Does a fellowship makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They 've already gained through practical experience what one might think the fellowship , the educational aspect of the tax-exempt fellowship program , would be designed to provide particularly to people who have not run for office before.
” The relationship between the charitable 501 ( c ) 3 organization and the 527 advocacy organization , too , Pelissero said .
“ If the New Politics Fellowship Program was just a standalone — someone created that with its lofty goals and made sense to have it as a tax-exempt organization — there 'd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , given what we know now that it is basically an arm of a 527 organization.
” '' New Politics Leadership Academy and New Politics are separate organizations that are funded and operated separately .
NPLA is non-partisan and does not support or endorse any candidates for public office , '' Ramos said of his organization in a statement .
Top contributors to the New Politics 527 organization include billionaire philanthropist Amos Hostetter , who gave the group $ 250,000 in 2018 , and $ 100,000 in 2019 from the Walton Family Foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Walmart .
New Politics says that it is a bipartisan organization , though the candidates that it supports are largely Democratic .
Out of 30 candidates listed on its website , five are Republicans : Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher ; Peter Meijer , who is running for Michigan 's 3rd Congressional seat ; Louisiana State Sen. Stewart Cathey ; Michigan state House candidate Andrew Beeler ; and North Carolina state senate candidate Mark Cavaliero .
The campaigns for McGrath , Ortiz Jones , and Feehan did not respond to requests for comment @

Several repeat Democratic candidates in high-profile races who lost their 2018 bids for Congress got direct financial help from a nonprofit organization in the form of an unusual “fellowship” during the interim period before they launched 2020 campaigns.
New Politics is a 527 advocacy group that seeks to "revitalize American democracy by recruiting, developing, and electing servant leaders” — mostly veterans, but also those who were part of national organizations or worked in national security and intelligence — ”who put community and country over self." It has an affiliated 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit group called the New Politics Leadership Academy, which hosts a training program for prospective candidates and a fellowship program.
Six unsuccessful Democratic 2018 congressional candidates were named fellows in the inaugural fellowship class in January 2019, and four of them later launched campaigns in major races again this year: Amy McGrath, Gina Ortiz Jones, Dan Feehan, and Roger Dean Huffstetler.
A press release announcing the program gave vague descriptions of projects, such as, "examine the nature of today's political engagement with rural voters" or to "conduct research on how to further close the rural-urban political gap."
Gabriel Ramos, communications director for both New Politics and the New Politics Leadership Academy, told the Washington Examiner that the opportunity to become a fellow was extended to both Republican and Democratic former candidates.
"The expectation of these fellows was that they would work to advance and inform NPLA’s mission of 'revitalizing our democracy' through their advocacy, research, and engagement with our community," Ramos said in a statement. "The fellows worked on several initiatives related to NPLA's leadership development and educational mission — including projects that provided NPLA with quantitative research about the rural-urban divide and insight into how issues that are typically understood as domestic or state-level challenges, may ultimately affect national security."
Previous comments from the group’s founder and director, Emily Cherniack, seemed to suggest that the fellowship endeavor is part of a creative way to give perpetual candidates a financial cushion in the brief period between runs for office in back-to-back election cycles.
In a 2019 podcast interview, Cherniack described the fellowship interview as a way to give candidates money for “rent or groceries or their mortgage.”
“What’s equally as important is the ones who don’t win, and what we have piloted and started this year is a fellowship program. And so what we realized was, a lot of our candidates who are not wealthy, have spent a year and a half not working, and they’re exhausted,” Cherniack said during the podcast. “And we just thought if we could provide some transition time for them; four months, where they get a stipend, so they don’t have to like worry about paying their rent or their groceries or their mortgage, right, and also they get four months to rethink and reflect and work on and do research on things that they find would be valuable for them as political leadership development.”
She also expressed frustration at candidates’ personal financial constraints in a tweet last year about a measure to reform campaign expenditure rules: “To legally use campaign funds to pay for childcare for candidates is a great step in right direction. It still doesn’t solve for candidates who can’t afford to not earn a salary for 2 years by running but one step at a time...”
Cherniack's comments could spark legal concerns about the group's tax status. Charitable 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations are legally barred from directly supporting candidates or legislation, or from its organization or operation, conducting a “private benefit” rather than a public charitable one.
"Paying for political candidates’ monthly living expenses after a failed campaign is definitely not a charitable activity and raises a question of impermissible private benefit," Ryan Oberly, a South Carolina lawyer and law school lecturer who specializes in tax-exempt organizations, told the Washington Examiner. "But, receiving taxable compensation for services rendered to the charity would be perfectly acceptable if the payments were reasonable and not excessive. The reasonableness analysis would be a determination based on the amount of hours worked, services provided, qualifications, and the payment for similar positions by other charities."
"Even if the compensation is reasonable, a private benefit concern would exist if all the fellows were from the same political party," Oberly added.
The four candidates in the 2019 fellowship who ran for office again each gave clear indications that they might run for office again in 2020 despite losing in 2018. They received a significant amount of money from the New Politics Leadership Academy for their fellowship.
McGrath, the Democratic challenger to Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a former Marine pilot, previously ran for Kentucky's 6th House in 2018 but lost to incumbent Republican Rep. Andy Barr. She had a large war chest of $9.1 million despite losing her bid and was frequently mentioned as a potential Senate challenger to McConnell.
A candidate financial disclosure form shows that she received $42,500 for the fellowship and $35,000 in consulting pay from New Politics, McGrath’s only listed non-investment income. She announced her 2020 bid in July 2019, six months after the New Politics fellowship was announced.
Ortiz Jones, a former Air Force intelligence officer, is the Democratic nominee for Texas’s open 23rd House district, which is being vacated by Republican Rep. Will Hurd. She unsuccessfully challenged Hurd for the seat in 2018, losing by just one point. That December, she told supporters in an email that she was “very likely” to run again.
Her June 2019 financial disclosure form shows that she was paid $34,000 by New Politics that year. That, aside from rental properties she owned, appeared to Ortiz Jones’s only earned income that year before announcing her candidacy in May.
Feehan, an Army veteran and the former principal deputy assistant secretary of defense, is the Democratic nominee for Minnesota’s 1st House seat. He is seeking a rematch against Republican incumbent Rep. Jim Hagedorn after narrowly losing to him in 2018. Feehan received $55,500 in 2019 from the New Politics Leadership Academy fellowship and $64,000 from them in the preceding year, in addition to a separate $120,000 salary.
Hagedorn has accused Feehan of violating federal elections laws, and last month filed a formal complaint about payments from the New Politics Leadership Academy and another organization with the Federal Elections Commission.
Huffstetler, who ran for Virginia’s 5th House seat this year but lost in the June primary, reported receiving $25,500 from the fellowship. He also sought the seat in 2018 but withdrew from that race before the Democratic primary.
The New Politics Leadership Academy fellowships did not necessarily look blatantly unethical, but that the appearance of being paid to wait for the next election round could raise ethical issues, according to John Pelissero, a senior scholar at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University and professor emeritus of political science at Loyola University Chicago.
“What is more unusual about this is that obviously this has been set up by a 527 organization to find a way to provide payment to, income to these candidates, or would-be candidates,” Pelissero told the Washington Examiner.
He also questioned the logic of the fellowship program.
“They have experience in running for office. They've been through a campaign. Does a fellowship makes sense?” Pelissero said. “They've already gained through practical experience what one might think the fellowship, the educational aspect of the tax-exempt fellowship program, would be designed to provide particularly to people who have not run for office before.”
The relationship between the charitable 501(c)3 organization and the 527 advocacy organization, too, Pelissero said. “If the New Politics Fellowship Program was just a standalone — someone created that with its lofty goals and made sense to have it as a tax-exempt organization — there'd be fewer questions raised about it then, given what we know now that it is basically an arm of a 527 organization.”
"New Politics Leadership Academy and New Politics are separate organizations that are funded and operated separately. NPLA is non-partisan and does not support or endorse any candidates for public office," Ramos said of his organization in a statement.
Top contributors to the New Politics 527 organization include billionaire philanthropist Amos Hostetter, who gave the group $250,000 in 2018, and $100,000 in 2019 from the Walton Family Foundation, which was started by the founders of Walmart.
New Politics says that it is a bipartisan organization, though the candidates that it supports are largely Democratic. Out of 30 candidates listed on its website, five are Republicans: Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher; Peter Meijer, who is running for Michigan's 3rd Congressional seat; Louisiana State Sen. Stewart Cathey; Michigan state House candidate Andrew Beeler; and North Carolina state senate candidate Mark Cavaliero.
The campaigns for McGrath, Ortiz Jones, and Feehan did not respond to requests for comment.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-06--Alaska Senate race could be majority-maker for Democrats

Alaska is an unlikely chink in Senate Republicans ' armor as they fight to hold on to their majority in the chamber .
Senate Republicans are defending 23 seats on Nov. 3 , and Democrats only need to gain three to four seats to clinch control , depending on whether President Trump or Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins at the top of the ticket .
The Alaska Senate race between first-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and independent political novice Al Gross was n't originally considered a GOP vulnerability .
The Sullivan-Gross contest is rated as likely Republican by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominated in Alaska four years ago by almost 15 percentage points and 51 % of the vote .
But recent polls suggest Gross , an orthopedic surgeon and commercial fisherman whose father was the state 's attorney general , is surging , with less than 30 days to go before Election Day .
Alaska is a notoriously difficult state to poll , given its small population and lack of telecommunications infrastructure .
An Alaska Survey Research poll published in July found Sullivan was 13 points ahead of Gross .
But other surveys released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including one last week that gave the former Marine , state attorney general , and Alaska Department of Natural Resources commissioner a 1-point edge .
That narrow margin is similar to the senator 's 2014 election , which he won by 2 points , or 6,000 votes , after a bid that blasted the Obama administration for overreach .
Gross also barely lags Sullivan in fundraising .
Gross , who is the Democratic nominee despite still being registered as an independent , raised $ 5.2 million as of July 31 while Sullivan raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an additional $ 3 million alone during the three days after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg 's death .
While Gross is backed by Senate Democrats ' campaign arm , anti-Trump PAC the Lincoln Project , and an outside group called Independent Alaska that 's been linked to national Democrats , Sullivan has Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's support .
McConnell 's Senate Leadership Fund has invested $ 1.6 million in Sullivan .
Sullivan 's been endorsed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski .
The Alaska Republican has bolstered her colleague in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told a former mining executive he was behind a controversial project but declined to do so in public .
University of Alaska Anchorage political science professor Forrest Nabors said coronavirus-related shutdowns and the economy were the race 's most pressing issues because the state has had few COVID-19 deaths .
`` Sullivan is emphasizing what he has done to bring relief and to Alaska , '' he said of voters who have traditionally rewarded state loyalty over party loyalty when reelecting incumbents .
Gross , a pro-gun nominee who on his website celebrates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his independent status in ads , according to Nabors .
Gross , who has indicated he 'll caucus with Democrats , has pointed to Sullivan 's record of siding with Trump when the majority of Alaskans are registered as nonpartisan or are unaffiliated .
`` In his ads , Sen. Sullivan is painting Gross as a liberal who is a disguised Dem , '' Nabors said .
National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Joanna Rodriguez echoed the sentiment , describing Gross as `` a complete fraud intent on misleading Alaska voters . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by extreme liberals , and if given the chance , he 'll go to Washington and be a rubber stamp for their agenda to eliminate private health insurance , wipe out Alaska 's oil and gas industry , raise taxes , and defund law enforcement , '' she said .
While the Sullivan-Gross race flies under the radar , contests , such as that of Democrat Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama , have picked up more attention .
Jones will likely lose his election against Republican Tommy Tuberville , the former Auburn University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Martha McSally of Arizona and Cory Gardner of Colorado are on the precipice of being defeated by Democrats .
Arizona astronaut Mark Kelly and former Colorado Gov .
John Hickenlooper , both Democrats , have significant polling advantages .
Toss-up races deemed too close to call include that of Republican Sens .
Joni Ernst of Iowa , Susan Collins of Maine , Steve Daines of Montana , and Thom Tillis in North Carolina , as well as David Perdue 's regularly scheduled Georgia contest .
Texas Democrat MJ Hegar raised $ 13.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 for her race against Republican Sen. John Cornyn .
The Air Force veteran and teacher trails the former Texas attorney general and judge by an average of 8 points , according to RealClearPolitics .
Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock brought in almost $ 13 million during the same period for his state 's special election .
Appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler leads the 21-contender field in the lean-Republican contest by an average of 2.5 points .
Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters hauled in more than $ 14 million , “ easily a record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Peters is 3.8 points ahead of Army veteran and businessman John James , a Republican , in the lean-Democratic race .

Alaska is an unlikely chink in Senate Republicans' armor as they fight to hold on to their majority in the chamber.
Senate Republicans are defending 23 seats on Nov. 3, and Democrats only need to gain three to four seats to clinch control, depending on whether President Trump or Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins at the top of the ticket.
The Alaska Senate race between first-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and independent political novice Al Gross wasn't originally considered a GOP vulnerability.
The Sullivan-Gross contest is rated as likely Republican by the Cook Political Report and RealClearPolitics after Trump dominated in Alaska four years ago by almost 15 percentage points and 51% of the vote. But recent polls suggest Gross, an orthopedic surgeon and commercial fisherman whose father was the state's attorney general, is surging, with less than 30 days to go before Election Day.
Alaska is a notoriously difficult state to poll, given its small population and lack of telecommunications infrastructure.
An Alaska Survey Research poll published in July found Sullivan was 13 points ahead of Gross. But other surveys released put Sullivan in front by single-digits, including one last week that gave the former Marine, state attorney general, and Alaska Department of Natural Resources commissioner a 1-point edge.
That narrow margin is similar to the senator's 2014 election, which he won by 2 points, or 6,000 votes, after a bid that blasted the Obama administration for overreach.
Gross also barely lags Sullivan in fundraising. Gross, who is the Democratic nominee despite still being registered as an independent, raised $5.2 million as of July 31 while Sullivan raised $7.8 million. He brought in an additional $3 million alone during the three days after Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death.
While Gross is backed by Senate Democrats' campaign arm, anti-Trump PAC the Lincoln Project, and an outside group called Independent Alaska that's been linked to national Democrats, Sullivan has Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's support. McConnell's Senate Leadership Fund has invested $1.6 million in Sullivan.
Sullivan's been endorsed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski. The Alaska Republican has bolstered her colleague in the state, particularly after reports that Sullivan told a former mining executive he was behind a controversial project but declined to do so in public.
University of Alaska Anchorage political science professor Forrest Nabors said coronavirus-related shutdowns and the economy were the race's most pressing issues because the state has had few COVID-19 deaths.
"Sullivan is emphasizing what he has done to bring relief and to Alaska," he said of voters who have traditionally rewarded state loyalty over party loyalty when reelecting incumbents.
Gross, a pro-gun nominee who on his website celebrates killing a bear, has been underscoring his independent status in ads, according to Nabors. Gross, who has indicated he'll caucus with Democrats, has pointed to Sullivan's record of siding with Trump when the majority of Alaskans are registered as nonpartisan or are unaffiliated.
"In his ads, Sen. Sullivan is painting Gross as a liberal who is a disguised Dem," Nabors said.
National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Joanna Rodriguez echoed the sentiment, describing Gross as "a complete fraud intent on misleading Alaska voters."
"Gross is officially bought and paid for by extreme liberals, and if given the chance, he'll go to Washington and be a rubber stamp for their agenda to eliminate private health insurance, wipe out Alaska's oil and gas industry, raise taxes, and defund law enforcement," she said.
While the Sullivan-Gross race flies under the radar, contests, such as that of Democrat Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, have picked up more attention.
Jones will likely lose his election against Republican Tommy Tuberville, the former Auburn University football coach. Meanwhile, Republican Sens. Martha McSally of Arizona and Cory Gardner of Colorado are on the precipice of being defeated by Democrats. Arizona astronaut Mark Kelly and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, both Democrats, have significant polling advantages.
Toss-up races deemed too close to call include that of Republican Sens. Joni Ernst of Iowa, Susan Collins of Maine, Steve Daines of Montana, and Thom Tillis in North Carolina, as well as David Perdue's regularly scheduled Georgia contest.
Democrats enter the final stretch with strong fundraising numbers.
Texas Democrat MJ Hegar raised $13.5 million in the three months ending Sept. 30 for her race against Republican Sen. John Cornyn. The Air Force veteran and teacher trails the former Texas attorney general and judge by an average of 8 points, according to RealClearPolitics.
Georgia Democrat Raphael Warnock brought in almost $13 million during the same period for his state's special election. Appointed Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler leads the 21-contender field in the lean-Republican contest by an average of 2.5 points.
Michigan Democratic Sen. Gary Peters hauled in more than $14 million, “easily a record for a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan.” Peters is 3.8 points ahead of Army veteran and businessman John James, a Republican, in the lean-Democratic race.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-07--Public opposes packing Supreme Court with liberal judges, Washington Examiner/YouGov poll finds

Only 1 in 3 registered voters favor a Democratic proposal to expand the Supreme Court in order to install a liberal majority , according to a new poll .
A Washington Examiner/YouGov poll found that 47 % oppose growing the Supreme Court beyond its current nine members , while only 34 % back the idea , popularly known as “ court-packing.
” Even among the 60 % of Democrats who want to expand the nation ’ s highest court , half prefer it to be ideologically balanced , and fewer desire a liberal majority .
If the Supreme Court is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters want its composition to be “ overwhelmingly liberal , ” compared to 47 % who would like to see it balanced .
Democrats support a balanced court over a liberal majority by 52 % to 38 % .
The poll also found that the majority of respondents considered the Supreme Court nomination important to their voting this November , with 58 % considering it “ very important , ” while another 21 % said it was “ somewhat important.
” This survey was conducted on Sunday among 1,200 registered voters and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minus 3.6 pecentage points .
The current court has a narrow 5-3 conservative majority , with one vacancy following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Chief Justice John Roberts , a Republican appointee , serves as a key swing vote who occasionally sides with liberals on closely decided cases .
The confirmation of President Trump ’ s latest nominee , Amy Coney Barrett , tapped to fill the vacant seat , would change the court makeup to a 6-3 conservative majority .
Democrats have increasingly touted court-packing in response to Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ court .
After conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died in early 2016 , Senate Republicans blocked consideration of Barack Obama ’ s nominee Merrick Garland for almost a year , only to confirm Trump ’ s choice of Neil Gorsuch quickly in 2017 .
“ [ Senate Majority Leader ] Mitch McConnell set the precedent , ” tweeted Sen. Ed Markey , a Massachusetts Democrat .
“ No Supreme Court vacancies filled in an election year .
If he violates it , when Democrats control the Senate in the next Congress , we must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court.
” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler , a New York Democrat , has signaled support for the proposal if Trump loses and a lame-duck Senate confirms Barrett anyway following the election .
“ Congress would have to act and expanding the court would be the right place to start , ” he tweeted .
In 2018 , Justice Anthony Kennedy retired , and Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to succeed him .
Kavanaugh faced highly contentious confirmation hearings and was ultimately approved by the smallest margin of any successful nominee in .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stolen ” from the Democrats .
“ And tomorrow , MoveOn members and our allies are taking to the streets across the country in a show of force to stop Trump , McConnell , and the GOP from stealing RBG 's seat , ” said the left-wing group in a statement .
Markey also said that if Barrett is confirmed , “ Republicans will have stolen two Supreme Court justices.
” The Supreme Court has had nine justices since 1869 , but the number is not fixed by the Constitution and could be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden has been reluctant to support court-packing legislation during the primaries , but he has been mum on the idea in the general election campaign .
The former vice president refused to answer moderator Chris Wallace ’ s question about it at the first presidential debate , even as Trump repeatedly pressed him on the subject .
`` Whatever position I take on that , that will become the issue , ” Biden said .
“ The issue is the American people should speak.
” '' Are you going to pack the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He does n't want to answer the question . ''
`` I 'm not going to answer the question because the question is ... will you shut up , man ? ''
Biden replied .
The Senate has scheduled confirmation hearings for Barrett later this month .
Check back later this morning for more results from the Washington Examiner/YouGov poll .

Only 1 in 3 registered voters favor a Democratic proposal to expand the Supreme Court in order to install a liberal majority, according to a new poll.
A Washington Examiner/YouGov poll found that 47% oppose growing the Supreme Court beyond its current nine members, while only 34% back the idea, popularly known as “court-packing.” Even among the 60% of Democrats who want to expand the nation’s highest court, half prefer it to be ideologically balanced, and fewer desire a liberal majority.
If the Supreme Court is expanded, just 11% of all voters want its composition to be “overwhelmingly liberal,” compared to 47% who would like to see it balanced. Democrats support a balanced court over a liberal majority by 52% to 38%.
The poll also found that the majority of respondents considered the Supreme Court nomination important to their voting this November, with 58% considering it “very important,” while another 21% said it was “somewhat important.”
This survey was conducted on Sunday among 1,200 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 pecentage points.
The current court has a narrow 5-3 conservative majority, with one vacancy following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Chief Justice John Roberts, a Republican appointee, serves as a key swing vote who occasionally sides with liberals on closely decided cases.
The confirmation of President Trump’s latest nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, tapped to fill the vacant seat, would change the court makeup to a 6-3 conservative majority.
Democrats have increasingly touted court-packing in response to Trump’s conservative nominees to the high court. After conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died in early 2016, Senate Republicans blocked consideration of Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland for almost a year, only to confirm Trump’s choice of Neil Gorsuch quickly in 2017.
“[Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell set the precedent,” tweeted Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat. “No Supreme Court vacancies filled in an election year. If he violates it, when Democrats control the Senate in the next Congress, we must abolish the filibuster and expand the Supreme Court.”
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, has signaled support for the proposal if Trump loses and a lame-duck Senate confirms Barrett anyway following the election. “Congress would have to act and expanding the court would be the right place to start,” he tweeted.
In 2018, Justice Anthony Kennedy retired, and Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to succeed him. Kavanaugh faced highly contentious confirmation hearings and was ultimately approved by the smallest margin of any successful nominee in 137 years .
Some liberals regard these seats as “stolen” from the Democrats. “And tomorrow, MoveOn members and our allies are taking to the streets across the country in a show of force to stop Trump, McConnell, and the GOP from stealing RBG's seat,” said the left-wing group in a statement. Markey also said that if Barrett is confirmed, “Republicans will have stolen two Supreme Court justices.”
The Supreme Court has had nine justices since 1869, but the number is not fixed by the Constitution and could be changed by legislation.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has been reluctant to support court-packing legislation during the primaries, but he has been mum on the idea in the general election campaign. The former vice president refused to answer moderator Chris Wallace’s question about it at the first presidential debate, even as Trump repeatedly pressed him on the subject.
"Whatever position I take on that, that will become the issue,” Biden said. “The issue is the American people should speak.”
"Are you going to pack the court?" Trump demanded. "He doesn't want to answer the question."
"I'm not going to answer the question because the question is ... will you shut up, man?" Biden replied.
The Senate has scheduled confirmation hearings for Barrett later this month.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-07--Trump campaign beating Democrats at voter registration in key states

The Republicans have cut the Democratic Party ’ s voter registration edge in key states , a development President Trump ’ s campaign views as a hidden advantage as polls show rival Joe Biden growing his lead .
In Pennsylvania , the Republican Party has sliced the Democrats ’ dominance with registered voters by nearly 200,000 since Election Day 2016 .
The Republicans also made up ground in North Carolina , reducing the Democrats ’ superiority among registered voters by 243,000 compared to four years ago .
In Florida , the GOP chopped the Democratic advantage by 154,000 .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15,000 voter registration deficit on March 1 into a 13,000 lead on Thursday .
Biden has increased his lead nationally and improved his standing in critical battleground states , according to polls released after the first presidential debate and in the aftermath of Trump contracting the coronavirus .
But the Trump campaign is excited about the results of voter registration efforts amid a disruptive pandemic , saying the legwork puts the president on track for reelection .
`` Part of voter registration is simply harnessing enthusiasm , '' said Nick Trainer , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` There is a knock-down , drag-out part of registering voters , and it 's time-consuming .
But you can ’ t register them if they 're not enthused about your party or your candidate . ''
Charlie Gerow , a Republican operative in Pennsylvania , said the vast improvement in GOP registration figures is directly related to enthusiasm for Trump and can not simply be explained by voters adjusting their registration to match party preference .
“ Some of these registrations are , in fact , Democrat crossovers from people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Gerow said .
But that doesn ’ t explain the massive change in Pennsylvania , he said .
`` Many are new registrants as well as a significant number who are registering Republican specifically because of Donald Trump , ” Gerow said .
Democrats are dismissing the Trump campaign ’ s braggadocio as misplaced confidence .
Democratic National Committee spokesman David Bergstein said the party also is growing its ranks of registered voters in crucial battlegrounds .
For instance , the Democrats now hold an 11 % voter registration edge in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populous county in a critical swing state .
Another unfolding dynamic Democrats emphasize to counter the significance of Republican registration gains is the strong advantage the party enjoys in mail-in voting and early , in-person voting .
Not only are Democrats outpacing Republicans , the party is outpacing itself compared to four years ago , when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton on the strength of narrow victories in states such as Florida and Pennsylvania and a landslide-level win in Iowa .
“ We are beating them in voter participation , ” Bergstein said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` across the battleground states '' still exceeds that of Republicans .
Late Tuesday , Biden ’ s lead in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls had jumped to 9 percentage points .
His margin over Trump was 6.5 points in Pennsylvania , 3.5 points in Florida , and 3.4 points in Arizona .
The race was essentially tied in Iowa and North Carolina .
Republicans are putting a lot of stock in Trump ’ s ground game , run jointly with the Republican National Committee .
The Trump campaign returned to in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The GOP believes this tactical difference led the party ’ s voter registration gains and will increase Trump ’ s performance on Election Day compared to any deficiencies suggested by the public opinion polls .
Some Republican insiders caution that the president is going to have to keep the contest with Biden a lot closer than it is now for voter turnout to be the difference-maker the Trump campaign is predicting .
In Iowa , where Trump had maintained a small lead but where recent polls now show a margin-of-error race , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters could put the president over the top .
“ It helps marginally , ” a GOP operative in Iowa said .
“ The real question will be whether Trump holds the Obama-Obama-Trump voters .
”

The Republicans have cut the Democratic Party’s voter registration edge in key states, a development President Trump’s campaign views as a hidden advantage as polls show rival Joe Biden growing his lead.
In Pennsylvania, the Republican Party has sliced the Democrats’ dominance with registered voters by nearly 200,000 since Election Day 2016. The Republicans also made up ground in North Carolina, reducing the Democrats’ superiority among registered voters by 243,000 compared to four years ago. In Florida, the GOP chopped the Democratic advantage by 154,000. In Iowa, the Republicans turned a nearly 15,000 voter registration deficit on March 1 into a 13,000 lead on Thursday.
Biden has increased his lead nationally and improved his standing in critical battleground states, according to polls released after the first presidential debate and in the aftermath of Trump contracting the coronavirus. But the Trump campaign is excited about the results of voter registration efforts amid a disruptive pandemic, saying the legwork puts the president on track for reelection.
"Part of voter registration is simply harnessing enthusiasm," said Nick Trainer, the Trump campaign's director of battleground strategy. "There is a knock-down, drag-out part of registering voters, and it's time-consuming. But you can’t register them if they're not enthused about your party or your candidate."
Charlie Gerow, a Republican operative in Pennsylvania, said the vast improvement in GOP registration figures is directly related to enthusiasm for Trump and cannot simply be explained by voters adjusting their registration to match party preference.
“Some of these registrations are, in fact, Democrat crossovers from people who have been voting Republican for a while,” Gerow said. But that doesn’t explain the massive change in Pennsylvania, he said. "Many are new registrants as well as a significant number who are registering Republican specifically because of Donald Trump,” Gerow said.
Democrats are dismissing the Trump campaign’s braggadocio as misplaced confidence.
Democratic National Committee spokesman David Bergstein said the party also is growing its ranks of registered voters in crucial battlegrounds. For instance, the Democrats now hold an 11% voter registration edge in Pima County, Arizona, the second-most populous county in a critical swing state. Another unfolding dynamic Democrats emphasize to counter the significance of Republican registration gains is the strong advantage the party enjoys in mail-in voting and early, in-person voting.
Not only are Democrats outpacing Republicans, the party is outpacing itself compared to four years ago, when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton on the strength of narrow victories in states such as Florida and Pennsylvania and a landslide-level win in Iowa.
“We are beating them in voter participation,” Bergstein said. And he noted that Democratic voter registration "across the battleground states" still exceeds that of Republicans.
Late Tuesday, Biden’s lead in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls had jumped to 9 percentage points. His margin over Trump was 6.5 points in Pennsylvania, 3.5 points in Florida, and 3.4 points in Arizona. The race was essentially tied in Iowa and North Carolina.
Republicans are putting a lot of stock in Trump’s ground game, run jointly with the Republican National Committee. The Trump campaign returned to in-person field operations months before the Biden campaign. The GOP believes this tactical difference led the party’s voter registration gains and will increase Trump’s performance on Election Day compared to any deficiencies suggested by the public opinion polls.
Some Republican insiders caution that the president is going to have to keep the contest with Biden a lot closer than it is now for voter turnout to be the difference-maker the Trump campaign is predicting. In Iowa, where Trump had maintained a small lead but where recent polls now show a margin-of-error race, the Republicans’ small lead in registered voters could put the president over the top.
“It helps marginally,” a GOP operative in Iowa said. “The real question will be whether Trump holds the Obama-Obama-Trump voters.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Pence says Biden's COVID plan 'looks a little bit like plagiarism' of Trump response, Harris slams '

Pence says Biden's COVID plan 'looks a little bit like plagiarism' of Trump response, Harris slams 'incompetence' of administration

Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris traded blows about the Trump administration 's response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Debate moderator Susan Page began the vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City by asking Harris how a Biden administration would have handled the virus differently from the Trump administration .
`` The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country , '' Harris said .
`` They still do n't have a plan .
Well , Joe Biden does .
And our plan is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a national strategy for contact tracing , for testing , for administration of the vaccine and make sure it will be free for all . ''
Harris said the response by the Trump administration had failed over the past eight months before accusing the pair of not `` telling the truth '' about the highly contagious disease that has rocked the global economy .
Pence accused Biden and Harris of failing to present a plan substantially different from what the Trump administration has done .
Pence said Trump 's decision to ban travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bought us invaluable time to stand up the greatest national mobilization since World War II . ''
Pence defended what he called an `` unprecedented step to shut down the American economy '' before saying that Biden 's plan was like `` plagiarism '' of Trump 's .
`` The reality is , when you look at the Biden plan , it reads an awful lot like what President Trump and I and our task force have been doing every step of the way , '' Pence said .
`` When I look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing , creating new PPE , developing a vaccine , it looks a little bit like plagiarism , which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about . ''
Pence was referencing Biden 's 1988 presidential campaign , which was hammered by accusations of plagiarism in Biden 's speeches .

Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris traded blows about the Trump administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Debate moderator Susan Page began the vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City by asking Harris how a Biden administration would have handled the virus differently from the Trump administration.
"The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country," Harris said. "They still don't have a plan. Well, Joe Biden does. And our plan is around what we need to do around a national strategy for contact tracing, for testing, for administration of the vaccine and make sure it will be free for all."
Harris said the response by the Trump administration had failed over the past eight months before accusing the pair of not "telling the truth" about the highly contagious disease that has rocked the global economy.
Pence accused Biden and Harris of failing to present a plan substantially different from what the Trump administration has done. Pence said Trump's decision to ban travel to and from China in February "bought us invaluable time to stand up the greatest national mobilization since World War II."
Pence defended what he called an "unprecedented step to shut down the American economy" before saying that Biden's plan was like "plagiarism" of Trump's.
"The reality is, when you look at the Biden plan, it reads an awful lot like what President Trump and I and our task force have been doing every step of the way," Pence said. "When I look at their plan that talks about advancing testing, creating new PPE, developing a vaccine, it looks a little bit like plagiarism, which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about."
Pence was referencing Biden's 1988 presidential campaign, which was hammered by accusations of plagiarism in Biden's speeches.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Kamala Harris misleads on Trump's coronavirus 'hoax' comments after multiple fact-checks

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris claimed that President Trump called the coronavirus a `` hoax '' in the early months of the pandemic .
`` On Jan. 28 , '' Harris said , `` the vice president and the president were informed about the nature about this pandemic .
They were informed that it ’ s lethal in consequence , that it is airborne , that it will affect young people . ''
`` They didn ’ t tell you .
Can you imagine if you knew on Jan. 28 as opposed to March 13 what they knew ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they covered it up .
The president said it was a 'hoax . '
” The Associated Press reported in September that the claim , repeatedly used by former Vice President Joe Biden 's campaign , is misleading .
Trump 's full quotation was in regard to Democratic leaders ' response to the coronavirus , not the virus itself .
“ Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus , ” Trump said during a campaign rally .
“ You know that , right ?
Coronavirus .
They ’ re politicizing it.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the House impeachment proceedings , he said , “ They tried the impeachment hoax .
[ ... ] And this is their new hoax.
” The claim resurfaced among Democrats after Trump announced on Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 .

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris claimed that President Trump called the coronavirus a "hoax" in the early months of the pandemic.
"On Jan. 28," Harris said, "the vice president and the president were informed about the nature about this pandemic. They were informed that it’s lethal in consequence, that it is airborne, that it will affect young people."
"They didn’t tell you. Can you imagine if you knew on Jan. 28 as opposed to March 13 what they knew?" she asked. “They knew, and they covered it up. The president said it was a 'hoax.'”
The Associated Press reported in September that the claim, repeatedly used by former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign, is misleading.
Trump's full quotation was in regard to Democratic leaders' response to the coronavirus, not the virus itself.
“Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus,” Trump said during a campaign rally. “You know that, right? Coronavirus. They’re politicizing it.” After bringing up the Russia investigation and the House impeachment proceedings, he said, “They tried the impeachment hoax. [...] And this is their new hoax.”
The claim resurfaced among Democrats after Trump announced on Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--'Zombie eye': Twitter obsesses over Mike Pence's bloodshot eye during debate

Vice President Mike Pence really caught the eye of social media during the debate against Sen. Kamala Harris on Wednesday .
Moments into the contest , moderated by USA Today 's Susan Page , several Twitter users started posting close-up screenshots of Pence with a bloodshot left eye .
Others made jokes .
`` Woah what ’ s up with Pence ’ zombie eye ?
?
Pink eye is a COVID symptom ! ''
one Twitter account said .
Indeed , as the New York Times reported , doctors have seen a small percentage of coronavirus patients with eye symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although President Trump and other officials in the White House have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days , Pence has repeatedly tested negative .
“ Pence looks ill !
What wrong with his left eye ?
?
I need answers .
yikes , ” wrote former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman said .
Many other accounts , both verified and and unverified , also chimed in , some making comparisons to villains in literature and movies .
The buzz about Pence ’ s red and irritated eye was similar to when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eye appeared to fill with blood during a CNN town hall last September .
A broken blood vessel in the eye , known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage , is a common condition that can be caused by things such as straining , vomiting , or sneezing , according to Premier Health .
The vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City , Utah , is the second of four debates in the 2020 general election cycle .
The first presidential debate between Trump and Biden took place last week .
Two more presidential debates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Day on Nov. 3 .

Vice President Mike Pence really caught the eye of social media during the debate against Sen. Kamala Harris on Wednesday.
Moments into the contest, moderated by USA Today's Susan Page, several Twitter users started posting close-up screenshots of Pence with a bloodshot left eye. Others made jokes.
"Woah what’s up with Pence’ zombie eye?? Pink eye is a COVID symptom!" one Twitter account said.
Indeed, as the New York Times reported, doctors have seen a small percentage of coronavirus patients with eye symptoms such as conjunctivitis or pink eye. Although President Trump and other officials in the White House have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days, Pence has repeatedly tested negative.
Woah what’s up with Pence’ zombie eye?? Pink eye is a COVID symptom! #VPDebate pic.twitter.com/iHU7aJs6CJ — Houston 🏳🌈 (@radiohouston) October 8, 2020
“Pence looks ill! What wrong with his left eye?? I need answers. yikes,” wrote former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman.
Pence looks ill! What wrong with his left eye?? I need answers. yikes pic.twitter.com/EQXOh47GRk — Omarosa (@OMAROSA) October 8, 2020
Many other accounts, both verified and and unverified, also chimed in, some making comparisons to villains in literature and movies.
Every time Pence says “The American people” stab yourself in the eye. — Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) October 8, 2020
Mike Pence popped a blood vessel in his eye ball when he realized he had to talk to a woman that wasn’t his mother pic.twitter.com/TzM4iodsXn — Joanna Hausmann Jatar (@Joannahausmann) October 8, 2020
#VPDebate mike pence has a look in his eye which I have seen before... pic.twitter.com/gHmBw63QBF — Daryl Oliver (@bigdtampa) October 8, 2020
Mike Pence looked like he felt the eye of Sauron turn to him through the camera as he was asked about Trump paying $750 in taxes. — Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) October 8, 2020
Look, I don’t like Pence either but I don’t think it was necessary for Trump to hit him in the eye before the debate. pic.twitter.com/GuqjqypMEj — Josh Gad (@joshgad) October 8, 2020
Pence looks like the fake Arnold Schwarzenegger head that cuts its own eye out in The Terminator pic.twitter.com/gfZgIymhit — Aaron Stewart-Ahn (@somebadideas) October 8, 2020
The buzz about Pence’s red and irritated eye was similar to when former Vice President Joe Biden’s eye appeared to fill with blood during a CNN town hall in September 2019.
A broken blood vessel in the eye, known as a subconjunctival hemorrhage, is a common condition that can be caused by things such as straining, vomiting, or sneezing, according to Premier Health.
The vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the second of four debates in the 2020 general election cycle. The first presidential debate between Trump and Biden took place last week. Two more presidential debates are still on the schedule before Election Day on Nov. 3.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-07--Scott Perry in dead heat with Democratic challenger in competitive Pennsylvania race

Rep. Scott Perry is in a dead-heat battle to hold on to his House seat against Democrat Eugene DePasquale , the Pennsylvania state auditor general .
Perry , a stalwart conservative , was elected in 2012 and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus .
Before he ran for Congress , Perry had a political career in state politics , as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives between 2006 and 2012 .
He is also an Iraq War veteran .
Perry won his last reelection bid by 3 percentage points .
It was the narrowest win he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congress .
In 2012 , he won by 25 points , while winning by 49 points in 2014 and 32 points in 2016 .
York County , which partly lies in the 10th District , has been represented by a Republican since 1966 .
Perry owns the most conservative voting record among Pennsylvania 's 18-member U.S. House delegation .
The Philadelphia Inquirer characterizes Pennsylvania 's 10th District as a `` microcosm of the country , '' with it comprised of medium and small cities in addition to rural areas , and the race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The nonpartisan election forecaster Cook Political Report considers the race a Republican toss-up with Democrats hoping to flip Perry 's seat .
DePasquale is campaigning largely on traditional kitchen table issues such as healthcare and the sluggish economy .
He 's vowed that if elected , his first order of business would be to introduce a bill to create funding to stop the backlog of rape kits across the country , according to the York Daily Record .
DePasquale reportedly has advocated for the proposal since 2016 after it was found Pennsylvania had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that dated back 20 years .
As state auditor , DePasquale concluded that a coronavirus business waiver program under Gov .
Tom Wolf , a fellow Democrat , was inconsistent and confusing for business owners in the state .
DePasquale supports the expansion of the Affordable Care Act and believes healthcare is a fundamental human right .
He supports a $ 15 minimum wage and stronger job training in skilled trades , as well as increased investment in alternative energy and solar power .

Rep. Scott Perry is in a dead-heat battle to hold on to his House seat against Democrat Eugene DePasquale, the Pennsylvania state auditor general.
Perry, a stalwart conservative, was elected in 2012 and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus.
Before he ran for Congress, Perry had a political career in state politics, as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives between 2006 and 2012. He is also an Iraq War veteran.
Perry won his last reelection bid by 3 percentage points. It was the narrowest win he's had since first being elected to Congress. In 2012, he won by 25 points, while winning by 49 points in 2014 and 32 points in 2016.
York County, which partly lies in the 10th District, has been represented by a Republican since 1966. Perry owns the most conservative voting record among Pennsylvania's 18-member U.S. House delegation.
The Philadelphia Inquirer characterizes Pennsylvania's 10th District as a "microcosm of the country," with it comprised of medium and small cities in addition to rural areas, and the race mirroring similarities to the presidential race. The nonpartisan election forecaster Cook Political Report considers the race a Republican toss-up with Democrats hoping to flip Perry's seat.
DePasquale is campaigning largely on traditional kitchen table issues such as healthcare and the sluggish economy. He's vowed that if elected, his first order of business would be to introduce a bill to create funding to stop the backlog of rape kits across the country, according to the York Daily Record. DePasquale reportedly has advocated for the proposal since 2016 after it was found Pennsylvania had a backlog of 3,200 untested rape kits that dated back 20 years.
As state auditor, DePasquale concluded that a coronavirus business waiver program under Gov. Tom Wolf, a fellow Democrat, was inconsistent and confusing for business owners in the state.
DePasquale supports the expansion of the Affordable Care Act and believes healthcare is a fundamental human right. He supports a $15 minimum wage and stronger job training in skilled trades, as well as increased investment in alternative energy and solar power.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-07--Taylor Swift endorses Biden ahead of Harris-Pence debate

Taylor Swift revealed her endorsement of Joe Biden for president just hours before the vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence .
The singer-songwriter shared her support for the Democratic ticket , her first presidential endorsement , alongside a photo of homemade Biden-Harris cookies .
`` I spoke to @ vmagazine about why I ’ ll be voting for Joe Biden for president .
So apt that it ’ s come out on the night of the VP debate .
Gon na be watching and supporting @ KamalaHarris by yelling at the tv a lot .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 30 , said in a tweet on Wednesday .
“ The change we need most is to elect a president who recognizes that people of color deserve to feel safe and represented , that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies , and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be acknowledged and included , '' Swift told V Magazine .
`` Everyone deserves a government that takes global health risks seriously and puts the lives of its people first .
The only way we can begin to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are willing to face these issues and find ways to work through them . ''
“ I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year ’ s presidential election .
Under their leadership , I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs , ” Swift said .
It is not the first time that Swift expressed support for the Biden-Harris ticket .
When the former vice president announced the California senator as his running mate in August , Swift reacted in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international superstar was notoriously silent about her political views for years .
But in 2018 , she explained that she had changed her mind about keeping her views to herself and announced support for Tennessee Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen that year .
Bredesen lost to Republican incumbent Sen. Marsha Blackburn .
A documentary about Swift , Miss Americana , showed her progression toward being outspoken about her political views .
In the documentary , she called Blackburn , `` Trump in a wig . ''
Swift has actively supported gun control and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Also in August , amid concerns swirling among Democrats about President Trump tampering with the operations of the Post Office , Swift accused Trump of trying to `` blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans ’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power . ''
In a Vogue interview earlier this year , Swift explained why she did not actively support Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election .
“ Unfortunately in the 2016 election you had a political opponent who was weaponizing the idea of the celebrity endorsement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' I 'm a man of the people .
I ’ m for you .
I care about you . '
I just knew I wasn ’ t going to help , ” Swift said .
`` The summer before that election , all people were saying was , 'She ’ s calculated .
She ’ s manipulative .
She ’ s not what she seems .
She ’ s a snake .
She ’ s a liar . '
These are the same exact insults people were hurling at Hillary .
Would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a liability ? ''
Swift is one of the few people on Twitter with more followers than the president : 87.2 million to Trump 's 87.1 million .

Taylor Swift revealed her endorsement of Joe Biden for president just hours before the vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence.
The singer-songwriter shared her support for the Democratic ticket, her first presidential endorsement, alongside a photo of homemade Biden-Harris cookies.
"I spoke to @vmagazine about why I’ll be voting for Joe Biden for president. So apt that it’s come out on the night of the VP debate. Gonna be watching and supporting @KamalaHarris by yelling at the tv a lot. And I also have custom cookies," Swift, 30, said in a tweet on Wednesday.
I spoke to @vmagazine about why I’ll be voting for Joe Biden for president. So apt that it’s come out on the night of the VP debate. Gonna be watching and supporting @KamalaHarris by yelling at the tv a lot. And I also have custom cookies 🍪💪😘
📷 @inezandvinoodh pic.twitter.com/DByvIgKocr — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) October 7, 2020
“The change we need most is to elect a president who recognizes that people of color deserve to feel safe and represented, that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be acknowledged and included," Swift told V Magazine. "Everyone deserves a government that takes global health risks seriously and puts the lives of its people first. The only way we can begin to make things better is to choose leaders who are willing to face these issues and find ways to work through them."
“I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election. Under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs,” Swift said.
It is not the first time that Swift expressed support for the Biden-Harris ticket. When the former vice president announced the California senator as his running mate in August, Swift reacted in a tweet: "YES!"
The international superstar was notoriously silent about her political views for years. But in 2018, she explained that she had changed her mind about keeping her views to herself and announced support for Tennessee Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen that year. Bredesen lost to Republican incumbent Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
A documentary about Swift, Miss Americana, showed her progression toward being outspoken about her political views. In the documentary, she called Blackburn, "Trump in a wig."
Swift has actively supported gun control and employment protections for gay and transgender people.
Also in August, amid concerns swirling among Democrats about President Trump tampering with the operations of the Post Office, Swift accused Trump of trying to "blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power."
In a Vogue interview earlier this year, Swift explained why she did not actively support Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
“Unfortunately in the 2016 election you had a political opponent who was weaponizing the idea of the celebrity endorsement. He was going around saying, 'I'm a man of the people. I’m for you. I care about you.' I just knew I wasn’t going to help,” Swift said. "The summer before that election, all people were saying was, 'She’s calculated. She’s manipulative. She’s not what she seems. She’s a snake. She’s a liar.' These are the same exact insults people were hurling at Hillary. Would I be an endorsement or would I be a liability?"
Swift is one of the few people on Twitter with more followers than the president: 87.2 million to Trump's 87.1 million.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-07--Biden on defense in Nevada

Biden on defense in Nevada

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has enjoyed a steady lead over President Trump in Nevada , but uncertainty in the state is leading his campaign to spend millions of dollars in advertising .
On Friday , the former vice president will make his first trip to the state since the height of the Democratic primary in February .
Notably , his vice presidential pick , California Sen. Kamala Harris , made a stop there earlier this month , her first trip of the campaign .
The moves from the Biden campaign remain peculiar , considering he has enjoyed a steady @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A RealClearPolitics average of recent surveys has Biden at a 6-point lead over Trump .
A New York Times/Siena College poll released Wednesday found that Biden leads Trump in Nevada by 6 points among likely voters , with 48 % .
Six percent of voters in Nevada remain undecided .
The margin of error for the poll was plus or minus 4.3 percentage points .
In 2016 , Trump lost the state by just under 2.5 points .
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won with just 47.92 % of the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes for any Democrat to win Nevada in recent political history .
That margin in 2016 means the Biden campaign remains concerned about its chances there in November .
During the Democratic primary , Biden hardly campaigned in the state and practically ceded the caucus to rival Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont .
In that contest , Sanders won 40.5 % of the vote while Biden earned 18.9 % , a similar margin to Biden 's massive win in the South Carolina primary the following week .
The key to Democratic victories in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every presidential race since 2008 , is their aggressive voter registration efforts .
Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , the most powerful politician to come out of Nevada in generations , helped expand the Democratic turnout effort in Las Vegas and Reno .
But the coronavirus pandemic has severely hampered the traditional door-knocking that has long been key to the Nevada Democratic Party 's strategy .
Last month , the Cook Political Report moved Nevada from `` Likely Democrat '' to `` Lean Democrat , '' signaling the race has shifted slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's voter registration in the state has remained aggressive , with officials boasting about reaching thousands of new voters and 2.5 million voter contacts in the last year .
The president has made several trips to the state , flouting guidelines from health experts that caution against large gatherings .
Democrats maintain a hefty edge over Republicans in terms of voter registration , with 90,000 , but Republicans point to the inordinate amount of independent voters in the state as evidence that the state remains up for grabs .
Nearly 400,000 Nevada voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the focus of the Trump campaign 's outreach efforts in addition to getting his base to turn out .
To make up for lost ground , the Biden campaign and its supportive super PACs are investing millions in the state on advertising .
Since March , they have spent nearly $ 10 million on television commercials , about twice as much as Trump and his allies .
According to the Los Angeles Times , the Biden campaign has spent five times as much money on advertising in Nevada as Trump since Labor @ @

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has enjoyed a steady lead over President Trump in Nevada, but uncertainty in the state is leading his campaign to spend millions of dollars in advertising.
On Friday, the former vice president will make his first trip to the state since the height of the Democratic primary in February. Notably, his vice presidential pick, California Sen. Kamala Harris, made a stop there earlier this month, her first trip of the campaign.
The moves from the Biden campaign remain peculiar, considering he has enjoyed a steady polling advantage over the president for months. A RealClearPolitics average of recent surveys has Biden at a 6-point lead over Trump.
A New York Times/Siena College poll released Wednesday found that Biden leads Trump in Nevada by 6 points among likely voters, with 48%. Six percent of voters in Nevada remain undecided. The margin of error for the poll was plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
In 2016, Trump lost the state by just under 2.5 points. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won with just 47.92% of the vote, one of the lowest shares of votes for any Democrat to win Nevada in recent political history.
That margin in 2016 means the Biden campaign remains concerned about its chances there in November. During the Democratic primary, Biden hardly campaigned in the state and practically ceded the caucus to rival Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. In that contest, Sanders won 40.5% of the vote while Biden earned 18.9%, a similar margin to Biden's massive win in the South Carolina primary the following week.
The key to Democratic victories in the state, which have happened in every presidential race since 2008, is their aggressive voter registration efforts. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the most powerful politician to come out of Nevada in generations, helped expand the Democratic turnout effort in Las Vegas and Reno.
But the coronavirus pandemic has severely hampered the traditional door-knocking that has long been key to the Nevada Democratic Party's strategy. Last month, the Cook Political Report moved Nevada from "Likely Democrat" to "Lean Democrat," signaling the race has shifted slightly in Trump's favor.
The GOP's voter registration in the state has remained aggressive, with officials boasting about reaching thousands of new voters and 2.5 million voter contacts in the last year. The president has made several trips to the state, flouting guidelines from health experts that caution against large gatherings.
Democrats maintain a hefty edge over Republicans in terms of voter registration, with 90,000, but Republicans point to the inordinate amount of independent voters in the state as evidence that the state remains up for grabs. Nearly 400,000 Nevada voters are currently registered as nonpartisan and have been the focus of the Trump campaign's outreach efforts in addition to getting his base to turn out.
To make up for lost ground, the Biden campaign and its supportive super PACs are investing millions in the state on advertising. Since March, they have spent nearly $10 million on television commercials, about twice as much as Trump and his allies. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Biden campaign has spent five times as much money on advertising in Nevada as Trump since Labor Day.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-07--Ortiz Jones just 1 point ahead of Gonzales in Texas House race despite cash advantage: Poll

The race for Texas 's open House seat in the 23rd Congressional District is statistically tied , according to a polling memo obtained by the Washington Examiner , despite Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones having a cash advantage over Republican Tony Gonzales .
A Public Opinion Strategies poll conducted on behalf of Gonzales 's campaign found Ortiz Jones slightly in the lead with 42 % support , while Gonzales had 41 % support .
The poll was conducted among 400 voters in the district reached by telephone from Saturday to Monday and has a margin of error of plus or minus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interviews were conducted on cellphones , and 17 % of the interviews were in Spanish .
The poll is an encouraging sign for Gonzales , who is being outpaced by Ortiz Jones in fundraising .
Earlier this week , the Ortiz Jones campaign announced that she raised $ 1.7 million in the third quarter of the year from July through September .
Gonzales said that he raised $ 1 million during the same period .
As of June 30 , Gonzales had $ 390,927 in cash-on-hand , while Ortiz Jones had just over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which borders Mexico and runs from El Paso to San Antonio , is a top target for Democrats in 2020 as they hope to expand their House majority , while Republicans fight to keep the district .
Current Republican Rep. Will Hurd is vacating his seat at the end of his term .
The poll found a bright spot for Gonzales among independent voters , leading Jones 36 % to 32 % , and among voters who have heard of both candidates , 50 % to 40 % .
`` The information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jones and her allies have spent a massive amount in the race to date , but still are not having their desired impact , '' Nicole McCleskey of Public Opinion Strategies said in the memo .
`` Based on what voters are hearing in the campaign , 27 % are more favorable to Gonzales and 13 % less favorable ( +14 information flow ) .
Gina Jones ’ information flow is 27 % more favorable and 20 % less favorable ( +7 information flow ) . ''
This is Ortiz Jones 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having narrowly lost to Hurd in 2018 .
Both candidates are veterans who were deployed to Iraq .
Ortiz Jones was an Air Force intelligence officer , and Gonzales was a Navy cryptologist .
The last Public Opinion Strategies poll of the district conducted in August also found Ortiz Jones ahead by just 1 point , 41 % to 40 % .

The race for Texas's open House seat in the 23rd Congressional District is statistically tied, according to a polling memo obtained by the Washington Examiner, despite Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones having a cash advantage over Republican Tony Gonzales.
A Public Opinion Strategies poll conducted on behalf of Gonzales's campaign found Ortiz Jones slightly in the lead with 42% support, while Gonzales had 41% support.
The poll was conducted among 400 voters in the district reached by telephone from Saturday to Monday and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points. Half of the interviews were conducted on cellphones, and 17% of the interviews were in Spanish.
The poll is an encouraging sign for Gonzales, who is being outpaced by Ortiz Jones in fundraising.
Earlier this week, the Ortiz Jones campaign announced that she raised $1.7 million in the third quarter of the year from July through September. Gonzales said that he raised $1 million during the same period.
As of June 30, Gonzales had $390,927 in cash-on-hand, while Ortiz Jones had just over $3 million.
The Texas district, which borders Mexico and runs from El Paso to San Antonio, is a top target for Democrats in 2020 as they hope to expand their House majority, while Republicans fight to keep the district. Current Republican Rep. Will Hurd is vacating his seat at the end of his term.
The poll found a bright spot for Gonzales among independent voters, leading Jones 36% to 32%, and among voters who have heard of both candidates, 50% to 40%.
"The information flow in the race also favors Gonzales. Jones and her allies have spent a massive amount in the race to date, but still are not having their desired impact," Nicole McCleskey of Public Opinion Strategies said in the memo. "Based on what voters are hearing in the campaign, 27% are more favorable to Gonzales and 13% less favorable (+14 information flow). Gina Jones’ information flow is 27% more favorable and 20% less favorable (+7 information flow)."
This is Ortiz Jones's second run for the House seat, having narrowly lost to Hurd in 2018.
Both candidates are veterans who were deployed to Iraq. Ortiz Jones was an Air Force intelligence officer, and Gonzales was a Navy cryptologist.
The last Public Opinion Strategies poll of the district conducted in August also found Ortiz Jones ahead by just 1 point, 41% to 40%.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-07--New Jersey GOP House candidate tries to tie freshman Kim to Pelosi

Rep. Andy Kim is in a decent position to hold on to his seat in November , despite attacks on his short record in Congress by his challenger , David Richter .
Kim , a Democrat , was elected in 2018 , becoming New Jersey 's first Asian American representative .
Prior to his brief congressional career , Kim worked under several federal agencies focusing on national security issues and Iraq under the Obama administration .
But , even with less than two years as a lawmaker under his belt , Kim 's GOP challenger Richter has zeroed in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the freshman as subservient to the power players of the Democratic Party .
During his 2018 race , Kim distanced himself from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the belief that new leadership was needed in Congress .
In November 2018 , Kim was one of 32 Democrats who voted against Pelosi 's nomination during a Democratic caucus meeting , but later reversed his decision in his first official action in Congress where he voted in favor of Pelosi to return to her previous position as speaker .
The focus of Pelosi in GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made rounds again with Richter declaring Kim `` Nancy Pelosi 's puppet . ''
Richter also turned the messaging of Democratic attack ads on him back to the party 's leaders .
In some ads , Richter , who is Jewish , is depicted clutching piles of money and donning clothes lined with dollars .
The Republican candidate chalked up the ads as anti-Semitic , invoking Pelosi 's name again while calling on Kim to tell his party 's leaders to apologize `` to everyone of the Jewish faith for allowing these disgraceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Kim 's record , the nonpartisan Cook Political Report views this race as leaning Democratic .
Richter , the former CEO of construction giant Hill International , has also been the subject of ads disparaging his business career .
Richter resigned from the Philadelphia-based construction consulting company in 2017 after a 22-year career , holding several senior roles since 1995 and eventually becoming CEO in 2014 .
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched an ad focusing on Richter 's time at Hill International , depicting him as a corrupt businessman who accepted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was losing money before stepping down .
Richter is running a campaign using his business background to boost himself as a job creator and someone who understands entrepreneurs and small business owners ' needs .
The Republican also emphasizes Hill International 's services to the public sector helps him understand public infrastructure and the environmental impact of development .
He has several degrees in business , including from the University of Oxford and Harvard University .
He earned a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and began his career practicing law in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Kim is the son of Korean immigrants and is a Rhodes scholar who spent the majority of his career developing and expanding his expertise in counterterrorism and national security .
The majority of his work has been served under the Obama administration , but he also had a brief stint in the Bush administration .

Rep. Andy Kim is in a decent position to hold on to his seat in November, despite attacks on his short record in Congress by his challenger, David Richter.
Kim, a Democrat, was elected in 2018, becoming New Jersey's first Asian American representative. Prior to his brief congressional career, Kim worked under several federal agencies focusing on national security issues and Iraq under the Obama administration.
But, even with less than two years as a lawmaker under his belt, Kim's GOP challenger Richter has zeroed in on a broken promise to try and paint the freshman as subservient to the power players of the Democratic Party.
During his 2018 race, Kim distanced himself from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the belief that new leadership was needed in Congress. In November 2018, Kim was one of 32 Democrats who voted against Pelosi's nomination during a Democratic caucus meeting, but later reversed his decision in his first official action in Congress where he voted in favor of Pelosi to return to her previous position as speaker.
The focus of Pelosi in GOP ads in New Jersey congressional districts have made rounds again with Richter declaring Kim "Nancy Pelosi's puppet."
Richter also turned the messaging of Democratic attack ads on him back to the party's leaders. In some ads, Richter, who is Jewish, is depicted clutching piles of money and donning clothes lined with dollars. The Republican candidate chalked up the ads as anti-Semitic, invoking Pelosi's name again while calling on Kim to tell his party's leaders to apologize "to everyone of the Jewish faith for allowing these disgraceful mailers."
Despite the strategic attacks on Kim's record, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report views this race as leaning Democratic.
Richter, the former CEO of construction giant Hill International, has also been the subject of ads disparaging his business career. Richter resigned from the Philadelphia-based construction consulting company in 2017 after a 22-year career, holding several senior roles since 1995 and eventually becoming CEO in 2014.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched an ad focusing on Richter's time at Hill International, depicting him as a corrupt businessman who accepted generous pay and perks while his company was losing money before stepping down.
Richter is running a campaign using his business background to boost himself as a job creator and someone who understands entrepreneurs and small business owners' needs. The Republican also emphasizes Hill International's services to the public sector helps him understand public infrastructure and the environmental impact of development.
He has several degrees in business, including from the University of Oxford and Harvard University. He earned a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and began his career practicing law in New York City before joining Hill International.
Kim is the son of Korean immigrants and is a Rhodes scholar who spent the majority of his career developing and expanding his expertise in counterterrorism and national security. The majority of his work has been served under the Obama administration, but he also had a brief stint in the Bush administration.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-07--Public split on confirming new Supreme Court justice before January, Washington Examiner/YouGov poll

Public split on confirming new Supreme Court justice before January, Washington Examiner/YouGov poll finds

Voters are split on whether to confirm a new Supreme Court justice before the presidential inauguration in January , with more wanting to wait than move full-steam ahead , a new poll has found .
A Washington Examiner/YouGov poll found that 51 % would like to wait , compared to 42 % who disagree .
The Sunday survey of 1,200 registered voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points .
Voters largely broke down along partisan lines on the question when to confirm the next justice .
Republicans want to proceed before the inauguration by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats favor waiting by 88 % to 8 % .
An overwhelming majority said the Supreme Court nomination was important to their 2020 vote , including 84 % of Republicans and 81 % of Democrats .
Overall , 58 % considered it “ very important ” and another 21 % “ somewhat important.
” President Trump has nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Trump , on Monday , urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Kentucky Republican , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outstanding nominee to the United States Supreme Court.
” The confirmation process is scheduled to begin this month .
Democrats counter that when Justice Antonin Scalia died in 2016 , the McConnell-led Senate Republicans denied Judge Merrick Garland , President Barack Obama ’ s replacement nominee , a hearing for almost a year .
After Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in that presidential election , the GOP-controlled Senate confirmed his nominee , Judge Neil Gorsuch , to fill the seat .
Therefore , Democrats argued , a Ginsburg replacement should not be confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be filled by whoever wins in November after they are inaugurated on Jan. 20 .
Trump and McConnell contend the Garland precedent doesn ’ t apply because the same party controls both the Senate and the White House .
Historically , justices have been nominated 29 times in an election year .
Of these , 19 have occurred when the presidency and Senate are controlled by the same party , and 17 have been confirmed .
Of the 10 justices nominated when the president and Senate are partisan opponents , only two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , and therefore , we have the right to choose her , '' Trump said in the first presidential debate .
`` I 'm not elected for three years , I 'm elected for four years . ''
Democrats believe their nominee for the White House , former Vice President Joe Biden , is likely to win in November and would prefer he fill the vacancy .
`` The American people have a right to have a say in who the Supreme Court nominee is , and that say occurs when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they vote for the president of the United States , '' Biden said in the debate .
`` They 're not going to get that chance now because we 're in the middle of an election already .
The election has already started , tens of thousands of people have already voted . ''
Liberal groups already regard the Gorsuch seat as “ stolen ” and will feel the same about Barrett succeeding Ginsburg .
“ Next January , when the Democrats win the Senate and we win the presidency , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must begin a process to expand the Supreme Court because the Republicans will have stolen two Supreme Court justices , ” Sen. Ed Markey , a Massachusetts Democrat , said in a press conference last month .
The Washington Examiner/YouGov poll also found that only a third of registered voters would support expanding the court and most would prefer ideological balance to ensuring a liberal majority .

Voters are split on whether to confirm a new Supreme Court justice before the presidential inauguration in January, with more wanting to wait than move full-steam ahead, a new poll has found.
A Washington Examiner/YouGov poll found that 51% would like to wait, compared to 42% who disagree. The Sunday survey of 1,200 registered voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
Voters largely broke down along partisan lines on the question when to confirm the next justice. Republicans want to proceed before the inauguration by 90% to 6%, while Democrats favor waiting by 88% to 8%.
An overwhelming majority said the Supreme Court nomination was important to their 2020 vote, including 84% of Republicans and 81% of Democrats. Overall, 58% considered it “very important” and another 21% “somewhat important.”
President Trump has nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Trump, on Monday, urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, to “focus full time on approving my outstanding nominee to the United States Supreme Court.” The confirmation process is scheduled to begin this month.
Democrats counter that when Justice Antonin Scalia died in 2016, the McConnell-led Senate Republicans denied Judge Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama’s replacement nominee, a hearing for almost a year. After Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in that presidential election, the GOP-controlled Senate confirmed his nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, to fill the seat. Therefore, Democrats argued, a Ginsburg replacement should not be confirmed in an election year and the vacancy should be filled by whoever wins in November after they are inaugurated on Jan. 20.
Trump and McConnell contend the Garland precedent doesn’t apply because the same party controls both the Senate and the White House. Historically, justices have been nominated 29 times in an election year. Of these, 19 have occurred when the presidency and Senate are controlled by the same party, and 17 have been confirmed. Of the 10 justices nominated when the president and Senate are partisan opponents, only two have been confirmed.
"We won the election, and therefore, we have the right to choose her," Trump said in the first presidential debate. "I'm not elected for three years, I'm elected for four years." Democrats believe their nominee for the White House, former Vice President Joe Biden, is likely to win in November and would prefer he fill the vacancy.
"The American people have a right to have a say in who the Supreme Court nominee is, and that say occurs when they vote for United States senators and when they vote for the president of the United States," Biden said in the debate. "They're not going to get that chance now because we're in the middle of an election already. The election has already started, tens of thousands of people have already voted."
Liberal groups already regard the Gorsuch seat as “stolen” and will feel the same about Barrett succeeding Ginsburg. “Next January, when the Democrats win the Senate and we win the presidency, then we must abolish the filibuster, and we must begin a process to expand the Supreme Court because the Republicans will have stolen two Supreme Court justices,” Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said in a press conference last month.
The Washington Examiner/YouGov poll also found that only a third of registered voters would support expanding the court and most would prefer ideological balance to ensuring a liberal majority.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--'He has been disappointing': Trump criticizes FBI Director Wray for dismissing voter fraud concerns

President Trump declined to say whether he would oust FBI Director Christopher Wray after the election but did criticize the top law enforcement official for comments on election security .
Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo asked Trump on Thursday morning to that he wanted to get rid of Wray over a series of disagreements , including a recent spat between the two over the legitimacy of the threat of voter fraud in which Wray dismissed Trump 's concerns .
`` I don ’ t want to say [ whether Wray will be removed ] yet , '' Trump said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ talks about , you know , even voting thing , that he doesn ’ t see the voting ballots as a problem .
There are thousands of ballots right now pick up any paper in the country , practically , and they are cheating all over the place on ballots .
How is that not a problem ? ''
`` That is a much bigger problem than China or Russia , if you look at it .
It 's a much bigger problem .
So , you know , when you say that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that as a problem , pick up the newspaper and read , '' he added .
Trump noted that are in limbo in North Carolina because of missing information on absentee forms .
He also pointed to issues with and where ballots were sent to the wrong absentee voters .
In addition , Trump highlighted possibly malicious behavior , including the recent arrest of a who was caught tossing election mail .
Wray has denied that there is a significant threat to election security from potential voter fraud during recent testimony before Congress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` at the local level from time to time '' but maintained that the issue was not a wide-scale threat .
The Trump administration expressed frustration with that testimony , including White House chief of staff , who questioned Wray 's leadership of the FBI .

President Trump declined to say whether he would oust FBI Director Christopher Wray after the election but did criticize the top law enforcement official for comments on election security.
Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo asked Trump on Thursday morning to address reports that he wanted to get rid of Wray over a series of disagreements, including a recent spat between the two over the legitimacy of the threat of voter fraud in which Wray dismissed Trump's concerns.
"I don’t want to say [whether Wray will be removed] yet," Trump said. "He has been disappointing. He talks about, you know, even the voting thing, that he doesn’t see the voting ballots as a problem. There are thousands of ballots right there. You pick up any paper in the country, practically, and they're cheating all over the place on the ballots. How is that not a problem?"
"That's a much bigger problem than China or Russia, if you look at it. It's a much bigger problem. So, you know, when you say that oh, I don’t see that as a problem, pick up the newspaper and read," he added.
Trump noted that thousands of ballots are in limbo in North Carolina because of missing information on absentee forms. He also pointed to issues with mail-in ballots in Virginia and New York where ballots were sent to the wrong absentee voters. In addition, Trump highlighted possibly malicious behavior, including the recent arrest of a postal carrier who was caught tossing election mail.
Wray has denied that there is a significant threat to election security from potential voter fraud during recent testimony before Congress. He acknowledged that there was fraud "at the local level from time to time" but maintained that the issue was not a wide-scale threat.