MI-GOV: Gretchen Whitmer praises Abdul El-Sayed and Shri Thanedar ahead of Primary Day.

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Scam Targeted Senator Shaheen for Dirt on Russia Sanctions

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), known for her outspoken criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, “was hit with a bizarre impersonation attempt by someone hoping to get inside information on American sanctions targeting Russia,” according to emails and an audio recording obtained by the Daily Beast.

Shaheen “was contacted through her staff last November by an individual who said he worked for the foreign ministry of Latvia, a tiny Baltic nation supportive of efforts to reign in Russian aggression. The man said he was trying to set up a phone call between the senator and Edgars Rinkevičs, the Latvian foreign minister.”

“But before the call could take place, Shaheen’s office contacted the Latvian embassy to confirm Vaiders’ bona fides. The embassy responded that outreach attempt was fake.”



https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/30/sting-targets-senator-for-dirt-on-russia-sanctions/

Trump Mulls a Unilateral Tax Cut for the Wealthy

“The Trump administration is considering bypassing Congress to grant a $100 billion tax cut mainly to the wealthy, a legally tenuous maneuver that would cut capital gains taxation and fulfill a long-held ambition of many investors and conservatives,” the New York Times reports.

“Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, said in an interview on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit meeting in Argentina this month that his department was studying whether it could use its regulatory powers to allow Americans to account for inflation in determining capital gains tax liabilities.”

Said Mnuchin: “If it can’t get done through a legislation process, we will look at what tools at Treasury we have to do it on our own and we’ll consider that.”


https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/30/trump-administration-mulls-a-unilateral-tax-cut-for-wealthy/

Former Oakland mayor, congressman Ron Dellums dies

OAKLAND — Ronald V. Dellums, a former Oakland mayor who served nearly three decades in the U.S. Congress, has died. He was 82.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) confirmed Dellums’ death Monday morning. He died early Monday at his home in Washington D.C. after a battle with prostate cancer.

“It is with deep sadness that I can confirm the passing of a great warrior and statesman, Congressman Ron Dellums,” Lee said in a statement. “The contributions that Congressman Dellums made to our East Bay community, the nation and the world are too innumerable to count.”

Born November 24, 1935, Dellums was raised in West Oakland, the first stop for African Americans in Oakland migrating from the south during the buildup to World War II. His uncle, C.L. Dellums, was a labor organizer with the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first African American-led trade union in the U.S.

After graduating from Oakland Technical High School, Dellums served two years in the Marine Corps, attended Oakland City College (now Laney College), received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Francisco State University and then a masters degree in social work at UC Berkeley.

Dellums began his political career serving on the Berkeley City Council from 1967-70. Long before his time as mayor, Dellums served in the House of Representatives from 1971-1998 from Northern California’s Ninth Congressional District. He was reelected 11 times.

His efforts in Congress led Dellums to be named on President Richard Nixon’s “Enemies List,” the informal name given to a list of President Nixon’s major political opponents.

He also helped create and pass the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, which called for sanctions against South Africa because of it’s apartheid policy. President Ronald Reagan vetoed the bill, but Congress overrode the bill, the first override in the 20th century of a presidential veto on foreign policy.

Dellums served as Oakland’s 48th mayor and third African American mayor from 2007-11, a term that started with high hopes but ended with his term characterized more by his absence from public view and his prickly attacks on the media.

He pointed to the Oakland Partnership as the highlight of his four-year term. The Oakland Partnership was a public-private collaboration with government, business, education, labor and the community that devised a strategy to create 10,000 jobs.

Crime also went down during his term, and there was a 28 percent drop in homicides in his final year in office.

“Ron Dellums governed from a place of morality and compassion, and his political activism shed light on injustices within our country and all over the world,” current Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said. “His progressive values set the bedrock for Oakland values, and his life of public service will continue to inspire all of us to fight for a more just and equitable society. My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends.”

A recall effort in 2007 by Oakland reporter Elise Ackerman didn’t succeed, and the mayor announced three years later that he wouldn’t seek re-election.

In 2016, during the presidential campaign, he wrote for the East Bay Express that “we must stand up and engage this country on the issues of racial and economic justice and fight to realize our core values as Americans.”

“I feel blessed to have called Congressman Dellums my dear friend, predecessor and mentor,” Lee said. “I will miss him tremendously, and I will hold dear to my heart the many lessons I learned from this great public servant.”


https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mercurynews.com/2018/07/30/report-former-oakland-mayor-congressman-ron-dellum-dies/amp/

Koch Network Will Not Back Candidates In Three States

The Koch political network announced that it does not currently plan to support Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) in his effort to unseat Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), “one of the most vulnerable Democrats up for reelection this November,” the Washington Post reports.

“Heitkamp’s race is a top pickup opportunity for Republicans, who are trying to retain their slim two-seat majority in the Senate. Heitkamp, the only Democrat who holds statewide office in North Dakota, is running for reelection in a state that President Trump won by more than 35 points.”

“Koch network also has no current plans to back Senate candidates in Nevada and Indiana.”


https://politicalwire.com/2018/07/30/koch-network-will-not-back-gop-candidates-in-three-states/

FL-GOV: DeSantis teaches child to 'build the wall' with blocks in new ad

Florida gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis (R) released a campaign advertisement on Monday in which he shows his support for President Trump by teaching his child to "build the wall" with blocks.

"Everyone knows my husband Ron DeSantis is endorsed by President Trump," DeSantis's wife, Casey, says to open the ad. "But he's also an amazing dad. Ron loves playin' with the kids."

The clip then features Ron DeSantis saying "build the wall" as his child places blocks atop one another. The candidate also reads "The Art of The Deal" to a child and teaches another how to talk by saying "Make America Great Again."

"People say Ron is all Trump, but he is so much more, I just thought you should know," Casey DeSantis says as the advertisement ends.


https://www.google.com/amp/thehill.com/homenews/399499-florida-gop-candidate-teaches-child-to-build-the-wall-with-blocks-in-new-ad%3famp

MI-GOV: Planned Parenthood voluteerd ready final push Gretchen Whitmer

WI-GOV: Second poll shows a lead for Evers over Walker.

The Democratic Primary for Governor appears to be breaking in the direction of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers with 30% of the vote. Only State Senator Kathleen Vinehout is the only other candidate in double digits at 10%, 33% of Democratic primary voters are still undecided (n=282, +/-6.3%).

Evers appears in a strong position for a General Election run against incumbent Governor Scott Walker. Evers leads 48% to 41%, with 7% undecided. One variable that could factor in to the Evers lead is Governor Walker's popularity in the state is underwater, with a 40% approval and 46% disapproval. Independents disapprove of Walker 47% to 36%, and break for Evers over Walker 47% to 34%.


https://www.emerson.edu/sites/default/files/Files/Academics/ecp-pr-wi-7.28.18.pdf

North Carolina General Assembly Intervenes On Ballot Wording, State Supreme Court Race

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina legislature returned briefly to business Tuesday so Republicans could wrest the seemingly ordinary work of adding titles to proposed constitutional amendments on November ballots out of the hands of a state panel controlled by Democrats.

But GOP legislators, who called themselves back for a special session, also decided to intervene in this fall's only state Supreme Court race, where a candidate's late party-switch appeared to hurt the GOP incumbent's chances to win. Democrats blasted the interference in both matters while tens of thousands of tax dollars were spent to hold the session.

Gov. Roy Cooper could soon veto the two pieces of legislation the General Assembly approved by late Tuesday, accentuating high stakes in an election year despite its lack of marquee statewide races.

Republicans are seeking to dampen the Democrats' energized efforts to end the GOP's veto-proof majorities in the legislature. Six constitutional amendments could boost conservative voter turnout in November, and some amendments, if approved, would erode some of Cooper's powers and enshrine a voter ID mandate in the North Carolina Constitution. Democrats also are aiming to extend their recently-obtained 4-3 majority on the state's highest court, which sometimes rules on the legality of General Assembly action.



http://www.bpr.org/post/north-carolina-general-assembly-intervenes-ballot-wording-state-supreme-court-race