Daily Archives: August 29, 2022

Over half of Democratic voters in a new poll said President Biden should not run for a second term in 2024.

A USA Today-Ipsos poll found that 56 percent of Democratic voters are against a reelection bid from their party leader, despite approving of his government experience, policy knowledge and focus on country unification.

Sixty percent of Democrats said they think Biden can win if he does run in 2024.

By contrast, 82 percent of Republican voters think former President Trump could win the 2024 election, and 59 percent think he deserves reelection and should be the Republican nominee.

Biden has said he fully intends to run for reelection, despite his age and generally low approval numbers. Trump has yet to formally announce a third run for the White House, but has repeatedly hinted at a 2024 bid.

Ninety percent of Republican voters think Trump is willing to use all tools at their disposal to get things done, compared with 73 percent of Democrats who said the same of Biden.

Eighty-five percent of Democrats think Biden is focused on bringing the country together and finding compromise, compared with 70 percent of Republicans who said the same of Trump.

The Democratic Party was more likely than the Republican Party to be seen by respondents on both sides as more inclusive and willing to compromise to get things done, while the Republican Party was more likely to be seen as good for the economy and tough on crime.

Conducted Aug 18-22, the online survey polled 2,345 adults and has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

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56 percent of Democrats say Biden shouldnt run for reelection in 2024: poll - The Hill

Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams joins a group of women as they discuss their personal stories of miscarraige at her campaign headquarters in Decatur, Ga. on Aug. 3. Riley Bunch/GPB hide caption

Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams joins a group of women as they discuss their personal stories of miscarraige at her campaign headquarters in Decatur, Ga. on Aug. 3.

ATLANTA Stacey Abrams didn't always support abortion rights. The high-profile Democratic candidate for governor in Georgia, the daughter of two retired United Methodist pastors, grew up opposing abortion because of her religious beliefs at the time.

But on the campaign trail ahead of the November midterms where Georgians will cast ballots in the contentious gubernatorial race, Abrams tells the story of her change of heart that happened in college.

"I evolved on this issue because I learned more. And what I understand is that abortion is not a political decision. It is a medical choice," she said during a press conference in July.

Abortion rights have been thrust into the center of Democrat's campaign for statewide offices in Georgia.

The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and hand the decision on abortion back to states heightened the stakes of decisions made at the ballot box. Particularly in Georgia, where shortly after the ruling a federal appeals court decided the state's strict abortion law could immediately take effect.

By a narrow vote in 2019, Georgia lawmakers passed a law that bans most abortions around six weeks of pregnancy, which opponents say is often before a person knows they're pregnant.

It also includes controversial language that gives an embryo or fetus at any stage of development legal rights. That has prompted a slate of legal questions.

Questions like whether or not a woman who has a miscarriage could be investigated for murder although the law does not explicitly state that.

Polling shows Abrams trailing slightly behind her opponent, incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp with a little more than two months until the November election.

But the party eyes a new opportunity for a boost in turnout in their favor: hopes that anger over the law will mobilize the base and even win over some swing voters.

They have reason to be hopeful. In deeply conservative Kansas, voters recently turned up in droves to vote down a state constitutional referendum that would have dissolved abortion rights.

Abrams said that moment gave her hope.

"What that signals to us here in Georgia is that we have the same power. We are not a hyper-conservative state. We are a divided state," she said. "But that division disappears when you look at what's happening around the issue of abortion."

A recent poll conducted by the University of Georgia for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution showed that more than half of voters do not support the state's new abortion law.

Audrey Haynes, professor of political science at the university, said that Republicans may have alienated some independent voters with their strict abortion choices a group that will be crucial in November as the margin of votes between statewide candidates has gotten slimmer over the past few years.

"It is clear that in the state of Georgia, most people the majority of people are opposed to what happened with Roe v. Wade," she said. "In fact, I think that one of the problems that Republicans have in this case is that they are projecting a level of conservatism on the electorate that doesn't really exist."

Republicans cheered the ruling when a federal appeals court in Georgia allowed the 2019 law to go forward after three years tied up in court.

"We are overjoyed that the court has paved the way for the implementation of Georgia's Life Act," said Kemp in the halls of the state Capitol in July.

But since initial reactions, the party has been quiet on the issue. Instead, Republicans in Georgia and nationally are working hard to leverage disapproval with President Joe Biden and the national economy as their go-to rallying cry to voters.

National polling from Monmouth University shows inflation is still top of mind for voters as they face sky-high prices at the grocery store and the gas pump.

Martha Zoller, the executive director for Georgia Life Alliance and longtime conservative commentator, is skeptical that abortion as a driving issue will have a measurable impact on the outcome of the election.

"I think people that are pro-life are already voting Republican and people that are pro-choice are already voting Democrat," she said. "In light of the economy and inflation, I just still think that this issue is not going to be the number one issue for most voters."

The top of the state ticket in Georgia is nearly entirely women Stacey Abrams is the nominee for governor, Jen Jordan is up for attorney general and Bee Nguyen is in the contest for secretary of state.

The party has launched an aggressive effort to reach women voters Democrats and Republicans alike on the issue with emotional personal appeals.

"As more and more women understand what is happening, as more and more women face the reality of this law, we will see more and more women turn out," Abrams speculated.

In the basement of Abrams' headquarters, a small group of women gathered for an intimate conversation.

Abrams sat in the middle of the six women with a grim look on her face as they shared their personal stories of miscarriage.

Atlanta resident Alana Leverette emotionally described going through two miscarriages one while she was at work.

Atlanta resident Alana Leverette gets emotional as she joins a group of six women during a discussion about their experience with miscarraiges. Riley Bunch/GPB hide caption

Atlanta resident Alana Leverette gets emotional as she joins a group of six women during a discussion about their experience with miscarraiges.

"I felt embarrassed. I felt very, again, sad," she said. "But I wished I had more of a support system to be able to say, I need a minute, I need to grieve."

Uncertainty around Georgia's new law has sparked deeply personal conversations like this one across the state, although abortion opponents adamantly deny that the law would open a path for women to be investigated for murder after a miscarriage.

"The left is just trying to scare people," Zoller, with the Georgia Life Alliance, said.

Democratic state Rep. Shea Roberts was also among the group of women gathered at Abrams' headquarters that day.

She, too, has been sharing her own abortion story after she made the decision 15 years ago to terminate a pregnancy after bloodwork showed the baby would not survive outside the womb.

In 2020, she narrowly beat a Republican incumbent in a suburban Atlanta district her opponent was one of the few GOP lawmakers who voted against Georgia's abortion ban in 2019.

With suburban women a highly sought-after voter demographic, Roberts is focusing a portion of her reelection campaign on reaching Republican and independent women on the issue of abortion.

"I'm hoping that's going to show up at the ballot box," she said. "I'm hoping that people understand. Yes. There are economic issues that need to be addressed right now. But this is [a] fundamental freedom."

Georgia is not the only place where abortion rights could be a key issue in November: Planned Parenthood recently announced a $50 million investment to mobilize around the issue nationwide.

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Georgia Democrats hope abortion can help them win in November - NPR

Democrats are vowing to crack down on corporate greed and price gouging on the campaign trail as the party aims to quell voters concerns over decades-high inflation.

Economists widely view supply and demand as the driving force behind the cost of goods and services, not arbitrary price hikes. But Democrats point to the fact that big companies are profiting from surging inflation.

U.S. nonfinancial corporate profits soared to $2 trillion for the first time in the second quarter of 2022, while corporate profit margins as a share of the economy rose to the highest level in over seven decades, according to Bureau of Economic Analysisdatareleased Thursday.

Following President Bidens lead, Democrats are taking aim at energy giants and meatpacking companies that recently notchedrecord-shattering earnings on the back of higher prices.

As families struggle, oil companies are earning record profits. When corporations take advantage of a crisis, thats price gouging, and its wrong, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), whose race could decide control of the Senate, told viewers in a campaign ad this month.

Shortly before pulling off an upset win in a New York special House election Tuesday, Democrat Pat Ryan ran ads touting his efforts as county executive to take on the regions top utility, which he accused of ripping off consumers.

I approve this message because big corporations have too much power. Its time our families had more, he told viewers.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), another key Senate hopeful, took things further by unveiling a plan to prosecute corporate executives who are found to artificially inflate prices.

Its gross, and deeply unpatriotic, for the big corporations to be rolling around in cash while charging us record high prices for gas and groceries, Fetterman wrote in a recent opinion piece for the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader.

Theremarks are meant to show voters that Democrats have their own plans to tackle inflation, and draw attention away from GOP criticism that the partys own COVID-19 relief package ignited inflation by injecting huge sums of money into the economy.

Inflation has slowed in recent months. Consumer prices remained flat in July and gas prices fell 20 percent from their peak in mid-June. Still, prices remain far higher than they were one year ago, and housing and automobiles are particularly unaffordable for many Americans.

Inflation remains the top issue on Americans minds in swing states like Arizona and Wisconsin, and the corporate greed argument appears to resonate with voters.

Votersprimarily blamecompanies attempts to maximize profits and supply chain issues for fueling red-hot inflation, according to a June Morning Consult poll.

AMay surveyfrom the pollster found that 77 percent of voters support a federal government ban on energy price gouging, the most popular effort to counter soaring gas prices at the time.

Most top economists have poured cold water on the price gouging argument, instead blaming some combination of supply shocks, complications from the war in Ukraine and red-hot consumer demand stemming from the nations economic recovery from COVID-19.

But critics of corporate giants argue that insufficient competition in the U.S. enables the biggest companies to raise prices at will, and that corporations refuse to invest in resilient supply chains because they prioritize short-term profits and stock buybacks.

Why is it that we have too few goods? Its because we have companies throttling supply in order to keep prices high, said Rakeen Mabud, chief economist at the Groundwork Collaborative, a left-leaning think tank. We have an economy that is absolutely riddled with outsize market power by big corporations that use supply and demand as marionettes.

Corporate executives have publicly noted that theyve raised prices far beyond the additional costs incurred from supply chain issues or increased wages, and that customers are willing to pay more in the inflationary environment. Several companies say that they intend to raise prices further or keep them elevated even as inflation appears to cool.

As we continue to price inflation, the inflation events that start to ease, that might put us in a better position for us to continue to recover the margin, Andre Maciel, chief financial officer at Kraft Heinz, said on a recent earnings call.

Energy companies were the top beneficiaries of this summers oil supply shock. ExxonMobil raked in $17.9 billion in second-quarter earnings, the largest ever figure for any oil company, while Chevron tripled its year-over-year profits to $11.6 billion.

House Democrats responded in May by passing a largely symbolic bill to give the Federal Trade Commission powers to investigate allegations of price gouging in the energy sector. Senate Democrats recently unveiled legislation to tax oil companies excess profits.

At a Maryland rally on Thursday,Biden pointed to the Inflation Reduction Act, the sweeping climate, tax and health care bill signed into law this month, as evidence of Democrats ability to take on powerful corporations.

He noted that the bill allows Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices and enacts a 15 percent minimum tax on large corporations profits. The president added that Democrats will work on a bill to cap the cost of insulin after Republicans successfully got the measure removed.

This year, some of the biggest companies in America flooded Capitol Hill with lobbyists and money and campaign contributions, and they lost. The American people won, Biden said.

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Democrats peg inflation to corporate greed on campaign trail - The Hill

As Democrats met in Columbus, top Republicans gathered in Perry for the GOPs annual fish fry. The event, which serves up catfish and hush puppies, brought together Gov. Brian Kemp and U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker, who hadnt been spotted on the campaign trail together until Saturday.

Republicans have blamed Democrats for the nations wobbly economy, which polls show is top of mind for many midterm voters.

But buoyed by a recent string of accomplishments, Democrats say have delivered on key campaign promises from congressional approval of a climate package to executive action canceling some student debt for millions of borrowers.

They also say public sentiment over the rollback of abortion rights is energizing their voters.

So, on Saturday, Democratic candidates up and down the ballot served up fiery speeches aimed at creating the same urgency and enthusiasm as they had two years ago when voters delivered the state for Biden and tipped the balance of power in the U.S. Senate by electing Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.

They also touted the diversity in their slate of statewide candidates. On the ticket are six Black candidates, two white candidates and one Asian American.

We represent what the next chapter of American history is going to look like, said Nakita Hemingway, who is running to become the states first Black and first woman agriculture commissioner.

Agriculture commissioner candidate Nakita Hemingway speaks to the press at the Democratic Party of Georgias State Convention in Columbus on Saturday, August 27, 2022. (Photo: Steve Schaefer/steve.schaefer@ajc.com)

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Agriculture commissioner candidate Nakita Hemingway speaks to the press at the Democratic Party of Georgias State Convention in Columbus on Saturday, August 27, 2022. (Photo: Steve Schaefer/steve.schaefer@ajc.com)

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Warnock, the mornings marquee speaker, urged voters to get involved as Democrats launch what they called a a week of action. The U.S. senator will be on a bus tour all week, beginning with a South Georgia swing on Monday.

Im glad youre in this room, but the work happens outside of this room, he told the delegates. Today we stand on this mountaintop together. Tomorrow we go down in the valley.

Warnock touted his work on things like helping to cap insulin costs at $35 a month. The measure passed, but for Medicare recipients only. Republicans blocked a broader measure.

I mean who would dare block providing insulin for people who need insulin? Warnock asked. Who does that? And, Im sorry, but Im a pastor, where do they go to church?

Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks at the Democratic Party of Georgias State Convention in Columbus on Saturday, August 27, 2022. (Photo: Steve Schaefer / steve.schaefer@ajc.com)

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock speaks at the Democratic Party of Georgias State Convention in Columbus on Saturday, August 27, 2022. (Photo: Steve Schaefer / steve.schaefer@ajc.com)

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Warnock is locked in a tight reelection bid against Walker, the former University of Georgia football star.

During a lunchtime break, delegates and others filtered off into rooms to write campaign postcards or learn how to work a phone bank. A session on abortion was followed by a 10-minute break where aides with clipboards circulated in the crowd, getting attendees to sign up then and there to volunteer for abortion rights activities.

The afternoon featured the candidates for statewide constitutional offices.

Some of the sharpest attacks of the day came from lieutenant governor hopeful Charlie Bailey, who reminded the crowd that his opponent, Republican Burt Jones, was on a slate of fake electors now being investigated by the Fulton County district attorney.

If you seek to overthrow the United States government, you are not fit, you are not qualified to hold any office in this country, Bailey said.

Running for lieutenant governor, Charlie Bailey speaks to the press at the Democratic Party of Georgias State Convention in Columbus on Saturday, August 27, 2022. (Photo: Steve Schaefer/steve.schaefer@ajc.com)

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Running for lieutenant governor, Charlie Bailey speaks to the press at the Democratic Party of Georgias State Convention in Columbus on Saturday, August 27, 2022. (Photo: Steve Schaefer/steve.schaefer@ajc.com)

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Closing out the event was Stacey Abrams, who is in a rematch with Kemp.

The gubernatorial candidate urged supporters to look past polls, which show her trailing Kemp by a small margin.

It doesnt matter what the polls say, its what the people say that we need to pay attention to, Abrams told the crowd, which that on their feet as she spoke.

Were going to defy all the naysayers and take our state all the way back.

Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams talks with people from the crowd before speaking at the Democratic Party of Georgias State Convention in Columbus on Saturday, August 27, 2022. (Photo: Steve Schaefer / steve.schaefer@ajc.com)

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams talks with people from the crowd before speaking at the Democratic Party of Georgias State Convention in Columbus on Saturday, August 27, 2022. (Photo: Steve Schaefer / steve.schaefer@ajc.com)

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Credit: Steve Schaefer

Abrams blasted Brian Kemps Georgia, calling it one filled with economic disparity. She criticized him for failing to use the states record $5 billion surplus to help Georgians who are hurting.

Abrams campaign is also planning a busy week of campaign events beginning with a roundtable on Sunday with sexual assault survivors.

Gloria Jenkins, who is leading an effort to turn out senior citizens at the polls, is a believer.

Im fired up! she said. Ready for action.

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'Fired up' Democrats at Georgia gathering get to work ahead of election - The Atlanta Journal Constitution

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A Democrat running for re-election in one of the most heavily favored seats for Republicans to flip in this year's midterm elections told a reporter earlier this week that he was in favor of hiring 87,000 new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents as part of his party's massive social spending and taxation legislation, known as the Inflation Reduction Act.

The bill, which was signed into law by President Biden earlier this month, will grant an $80 billion boost to the IRS over a 10-year period, with more than half of the funds intended to help the agency crack down on tax evasion by hiring the massive amount of agents that would more than double the agency's current size.

In a Tuesday interview with InMaricopa, Rep. Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz., claimed the cost of hiring thousands of new agents would be offset by the tax income that the move would allegedly bring in through its increased auditing of Americans, and that it would also help reduce the budget deficit.

O'Halleran's claims come despite the massive amount of money set aside for the hiring of such a high number of new agents, as well as what analysts say is the likelihood the move would ultimately end up targeting middle and lower income Americans with a majority of the additional audits.

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The topic came up roughly 20 minutes into the interview when the reporter asked O'Halleran if the additional agents would be targeting corporations, "high-end individuals" or "more than that" with their audits.

"High-end individuals and corporate," O'Halleran said, adding that it would take time to hire that many agents due to a "difficult" job market.

"People look at it and say, well, how come so many? Well, find out how many people a corporation uses to put its tax structure together, and how many attorneys, and how much court time is taken up," he added.

After claiming that the move would actually lower the deficit because of the additional tax income the government would collect, O'Halleran said that the funding was more focused on getting the IRS, according to him, the right amount of personnel to do its job.

"But the overriding issue is 87,000 people when you've had an agency that hasn't had the personnel within the last decade and a half to be able to address it, it's important that we have the revenue streams. We don't want to overtax people, obviously, but we have to invest in America. And if we don't invest in America, it's going to cost us a lot more," he added.

DEMOCRATS MOST AT RISK OF LOSING SEATS IN MIDTERMS SPLIT OVER $300 BILLION BIDEN STUDENT LOAN HANDOUTS

Rep. Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz., speaks as the House reconvenes to debate the objection to confirm the Electoral College vote from Arizona after protesters stormed into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (House Television via AP)

According to an analysis released by House Republicans ahead of the bill's passage, the brunt of the audits would affect Americans making less than $75,000 a year, who will be subject to 710,863, or 60%, of the additional audits stemming from the additional IRS agents.

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Fox News' Kyle Morris and Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.

Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @brandon_cg.

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Democrat congressman defends hiring 87,000 new IRS agents: 'It's important we have the revenue streams' - Fox News

Angle: The Lies of the Left

They are trying to reward the elites, fight to kill the unborn and demonizing your fellow Americans thats one hell of a national strategy.

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Laura Ingraham sounded off on U.S. Senate candidate Tim Ryan portraying himself as a "moderate Democrat" against "real populist" J.D. Vance on "The Ingraham Angle."

LAURA INGRAHAM: Here's an Angle: rule of thumb. Whenever a Democrat in an election year claims to be a sensible moderate or claims that he's going to challenge his party's orthodoxy, he's lying. National Review's headline today made me howl. Moderate Democrats come out against Biden's out-of-touch student loan forgiveness.

LAURA INGRAHAM: OUR FREEDOM TO TRAVEL AS FAR AS WE WANT, WHENEVER WE WANT, IS UNDER ATTACK

They go on to quote Ohio Democrat and Senate candidate Tim Ryan, who claimed yesterday that the Biden debt cancelation sends the wrong message to the millions of Ohioans without a degree working just as hard to make ends meet. Now, Ryan thinks voters are really stupid. He voted with Pelosi and Biden 100% of the time this Congress. Yeah. And yet now, because he's running against a real populist in J.D. Vance, he's trying to morph into being one himself. It's all lies.

Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio. (Photo by Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The truth is, if he's elected, Ryan, just like all the other pretend moderates out there, will be another sure vote for the Biden agenda. And Biden's doddering demeanor is so bad these days that Democrats who are up for re-election are saying, "Thanks, but no thanks, Joe," to any personal appearances by the leader of their own party, if you can believe it. Mark Kelly in Arizona couldn't bring himself to tell the truth when asked about Biden joining him on the campaign trail.

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Laura Ingraham: Whenever a Democrat claims to be a moderate, they are lying - Fox News

Its a sweltering morning in early August, and a hazy Narragansett Bay is visible from Sarah Morgenthaus Saunderstown home. Past the oyster cages off Fox Island, a sailboat idly tacks back and forth. In an ordinary summer, Morgenthau and her family might be out there on their Hobie Cat, or swimming from the sandy beach that sits at the bottom of their sprawling property.

Morgenthau hasn't hadtime for any of that lately: Shes vying to succeed U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin in Congress. Over the weekend, amid a crushing heat wave, she went from shaking hands at the Dominican parade in Providence to singing karaoke at the Charlestown Seafood Festival to chatting up voters at a meet-and-greet in a Johnston backyard.

Now, as the humidity bears down, shes giving a tour to a nosy reporter who has far too many questions about the sheep that are grazing near the tennis court. (There are four of them, and 13 more on the way but thats her husbands domain.)

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Its hard not to wonder why shes putting herself through this. The front-runner in the Democratic primary, state General Treasurer Seth Magaziner, seems poised to cruise to victory on Sept. 13. Hes raised the most money, maintained a roughly 30-point lead in polls, and collected the most endorsements including one from Langevin, who said in June that it was time to "unite behind the strongest candidate in the race.

Yet despite the steep odds, rival Democrats have steadfastly refused to bow out.

More: Where Democrats in RI's 2nd District race stand on housing, health care, Green New Deal

Along with Morgenthau, whos held high-powered jobs in Washington, D.C., but only recently registered to vote at her familys home in Rhode Island, the field includes David Segal, a cerebral populist focused on reining in corporate special interests; Joy Fox, who has served as communications director for both Langevin and Gov. Gina Raimondo and claims the deepest ties to the district; and Omar Bah, an African refugee with a compelling personal story.

Until recently, Spencer Dickinson, a former lawmaker with conservative views, was also in the race. HisfriendJohn Carlevalesaid on Tuesday that Dickinson was experiencing serious health issues and was "suspending the active part of his campaign."

If youre just tuning in, a quick recap: Back in February, Langevin unexpectedly announced that he would not seek reelection. It briefly felt like every politician whod ever set foot in Rhode Islands 2nd Congressional District, which covers the western half of the state, was floating the idea of running for the open seat. One week later, Magaziner announced that he would be exiting the crowded governors race in order to run for Congress.

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To observers, it seemed clear that Democratic insiders were worried about losing the seatand wanted a nominee who was already a known quantity with strong name recognition. But if the goal was to clear the field, that didnt happen: After Magaziner entered the race, other candidates continued to join.

Political forecasters believe that Republicans have a chance ofwinningthe seat in November's general electionfor the first time in decades. While Magaziner has focused on campaigning against Allan Fung, the Republican nominee, his rivals within his own party are trying to make the case that theyre better-positioned to keep the seat in Democratic hands.

More: 'A great time to be running as a Republican': Optimism runs high at RI GOP convention

More: Allan Fung opens up about fundraising visit by GOP House leader Kevin McCarthy

I think Im the strongest candidate to go against Allan Fung, Morgenthau says. I think I draw the greatest contrast.

Says Fox: Im only in this race. Its not like I was running for governor and decided to jump in because it looked easier, and maybe the powers that be convinced me to change my mind. … Im in this because I believe that I can make a difference.

The first time that Seth Magaziners name appeared in The Providence Journal, he was 12 weeks old. His father, Ira Magaziner a campus radical turned wildly successful management consultant had proposed an ambitious plan to revive Rhode Islands economy.

When my son grows up," the elder Magaziner told The Journal, "and when he's 15 or 20 years old and beginning to go out in the world, I'd like to be able to sit down and say that I was part of an effort that made Rhode Island a place where he can find a good job in this state if he wants to.

The economic plan never came to fruition, but Rhode Island nonetheless proved to be a good place for the young Magaziner to find a job.

More: Should Biden run for reelection? Most Democrats in RI congressional race sidestep the question

At 31, he was elected state treasurer, a role that has become a springboard for ambitious politicians. Now, at 39, he has a goodchance of becoming the newest member of Rhode Islands congressional delegation.

Magaziner grew up to be an affable nerd whose career has centered around the notion that financial systems can be leveraged to create positive social outcomes. Hes now a father himself and often says hes running to make a better world for his 10-month-oldson, Max who periodically causes chaos at campaign events.

As soon as I start my stump speech, he goes nuts and he starts screaming, Magaziner jokes. Hopefully, hes not going to grow up to be a Republican.

Magaziner spent his own early years on Bristols desirable Poppasquash Neck; later, his father became a top adviser to President Bill Clinton and temporarily moved the family to Washington, D.C.He attended Milton Academy and Brown University, where he was president of the College Democrats.

Afterward, he followed a popularpath for idealistic graduates: joining Teach for America.

His two years teaching third and fourth grade in Opelousas, Louisiana Cajun country, out in the swamps were a formative experience, he said. The majority of his students were Black and qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, and many lived in public housing.

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After a year, he recalled, the Home Depot in town shut down. Then, the one nice restaurant and by nice I mean the one restaurant with tablecloths closed. We didnt know it at the time, but it was the start of the Great Recession.

Students vanished from his classroom as their parents lost their jobs and moved away. Soon, Magaziner had also moved on to get an MBA at Yale.

Hed had a realization that there were decisions being made in boardrooms a thousand miles away that were impacting the lives of my kids and my parents, he said. And the people in those boardrooms making those decisions had no concept of what was going on in communities like the one I was working in.

He didnt know what he wanted to do with a business degree, he said. But I just knew that I wanted to try to understand both ends of the spectrum. I wanted to understand how the financial world worked with the goal of making it work better in places like Opelousas.

After Yale, Magaziner got a job at Trillium Asset Management, which positions itself as a socially responsible investment firm. While living in Providence and commuting to Boston by train, he got involved with local causes like the campaign for marriage equality, then launched his bid for state general treasurer in 2013.

Magaziner defeatedFrank Caprio, aveteran politician who had previously served as treasurer,in an upset.As treasurer, Magaziner seized on the fact that the state pension fund has the ability to push for changes at companies that it invests in. Recently, for instance, he urged Mastercard to crack down on sellers of ghost guns. When Pinterest faced allegations of discrimination, he initiated a lawsuit that resulted in a number of reforms.

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But he sees a school construction initiative that led to a majority of school buildings in the state being repaired or replaced as his biggest accomplishment.

When he entered the race to succeed Langevin, Magaziner didnt live in the 2nd Congressional District which, legally, is not required but pledged to move there. This month, just before the deadline to register to vote in the primary, he and his family relocated to a rental in the Edgewood section of Cranston. The house that they own on theEast Side of Providencehas been listed for rent.

Critics contend that a candidate with deeper roots in the district would fare better in the general election. In response, Magaziner tends to cite his work helping to finance infrastructure projects in West Warwick and Westerly. As treasurer, he says, hes spent real time in every part of the district.

He also notes that he was living in the 2nd District when he was first elected, so its not that Im moving there for the first time. (Certain pockets of Providence, including parts of downtown, are in the district.)

I have the deepest experience of working in communities all across the district to solve problems and get things done, he said. And I think that will allow me to be the most effective representative for the community in Congress.

The heat index is already at 100 degrees by the time David Segal begins canvassing a neighborhood of split-level ranches near Aqueduct Road in Cranston.

Its a Sunday afternoon, so it seems safe to assume that everyone has decamped for the beach. But at the first house, the door swings open. The homeowners, both trained social workers, nod appreciatively as Segal somewhat apologetically runs through his biography and explains that hes spent the last decade pushing back on corporate special interests.

More: Former state Rep. David Segal joins crowded field for RI's Second Congressional District

If you know The American Prospect, its a progressive publication, they just profiled me, he says. Maybe there was a little bit of exaggeration, but they called me the singular figure at the center of the most important cross-partisan coalitions over the last 10 years.

Sold, the couple ask what they can do to help. Segal promises to drop off a yard sign.

All right, just need to do that 20,000 more times, he says as he and state Rep. Brandon Potter walk to the next house. Then he corrects his math: There were two voters, so the exchange only needs to be repeated 10,000 times.

Segal, a lanky 42-year-old who livesin Providence's West End, doesnt have a typical politicians demeanor. Instead of speaking in sound bites, he frequently interrupts himself to add more nuance. And he often seems embarrassed to bring up his own accomplishments.

His populist pitch appeals to supporters of U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. (Warren has endorsed him; so has Our Revolution, the organization that Sanders founded.) But his concerns about Big Tech and corporate monopolies allow him to find common ground with conservatives, and he describes himself as someone with a history of working across ideological divides.

More: Poll shows McKee, Gorbea in 'statistical dead heat,' ahead of Democratic primary for governor

More: Three Democrats make the case for becoming RI's lieutenant governor

Segal grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., with doctors as parents. He arrived at Columbia University with a conservative worldview, and worked on John McCains 2000 presidential campaign before embracing the progressive movement that had coalesced around the Green Party. After graduation, he moved to Providence.

A couple of my best friends were here, and I wanted to figure out what to do with my life, he explains. It seemed like a good place to do it.

It didnt take him long to find a direction. At 22, still new to the city, Segal became the first Green Party candidate to win election in Rhode Island. He spent four yearson the Providence City Council championing causes like police oversight, renewable energy and a living wage, and went on to serve in the state House of Representatives for two terms as a Democrat.

At the General Assembly, Segal was part of a relatively small group of progressives. He notes that he sponsored a bill to codify abortion rights back in 2007 more than a decade before it finally passed. A major accomplishment, he says, was leading a coalition that prevented tens of millions of dollars in aid for communities from being cut at the height of the financial crisis.

More: Takeaway from latest RI treasurer poll: Candidates neck-and-neck but most voters undecided

In 2010, he ran for an open seat in Rhode Islands 1st Congressional District. At the time, The Journal observed that Segal was known as a kind of willing monkey wrench who threw himself into the workings of established political machines when he found it necessary.

Segal lost to David Cicilline, whom he now praises as an extraordinary leader on antitrust issues. He went on to co-found a grassroots group named Demand Progress with Aaron Swartz, an advocate for internet freedom who had worked on his congressional campaign.

The organization was just getting off the ground when Swartz was arrested. Federal prosecutors alleged that he had illegally downloaded millions of articles from academic publishing site JSTOR a charge that members of Congress would later describe as ridiculous" and "trumped up.

In 2013, facing the likelihood of prison time, Swartz committed suicide. His death sparked a massive outcry.

It was just extraordinary to see how many people hed touched, Segal said. I dont know how much he realized that the whole world would come to appreciate what he stood for, and recognize overwhelmingly that what was happening to him was unjust.

Segal remained at the helm of Demand Progress, though hes on leave for the final stretch of his campaign. The organization has a base of more than 1 million people, he said, and mobilizes them to contact elected officials about topics ranging from surveillance to the war in Yemen.

He argues that keeping the 2nd Congressional District from falling into Republican hands requires more than half measures. The district fundamentally has an anti-establishment bent to it, he said.

I think people rightly are concerned that the way government has been operating for decades clearly has not worked in our favor, he said.

Political Scene: What schools do the children of candidates attend?

Before taking a seat, Sarah Morgenthau pours black coffee into a Votes for Women mug. The suffragist slogan matches the theme of her campaign that its time for Rhode Island to send a Democratic woman to Congress.

I look into womens eyes and in 10 seconds, we get it, says Morgenthau, 59. We know we have that ability to get things done, and theres just a different way of looking at things.

More: Rhode Island congressional field swells with ex-Commerce official Sarah Morgenthau

The district was represented by a Republican woman, Claudine Schneider, in the 1980s. But no Democratic women have held the seat. Ruth Morgenthau, Sarahs late mother, ran in 1988 and lost.

Morgenthaus family legacy is also a theme of her campaign. Her mother fled the Nazis and went on to become an expert in world hunger who served as an adviser to Presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Carter. Her grandfather, Henry MorgenthauJr., was treasury secretary under Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Her great-grandfather served as Woodrow Wilsons ambassador to Turkey, and was responsible for the public outcry about the Armenian genocide, she said. And her uncle was Robert Morgenthau, the longtime district attorney for Manhattan.

Morgenthaus parents, who had been living in Cambridge, built the Saunderstown house on 17 acres of land in the 1980s. Located south of Rome Point, it now belongs to Morgenthau and her husband,Carlton Wessel. A barn on the property serves as her campaign headquarters.

From the back deck, you can cut across a meadow and follow a tree-lined path down to the beach, where two paddleboards and the Hobie Cat are waiting. The small sailboat recently ran away, Morgenthau says, but a neighbor who happened to be out on their own boat quickly spotted it, jumped on board, and piloted it back to shore.

Until recently, Morgenthau wasnt living here year-round. She grew up in Boston and New York, spent years working in Washington, and registered to vote in North Kingstown shortly before launching her campaign this February. At the time, she said that the last time she'd voted in Rhode Island was probably her mother's 1988 campaign.

More: With McKee in COVID quarantine, challengers go on the attack during early childhood forum

Morgenthau often notes that she and her husband were married in their Saunderstown backyard. This has been home for us for 40 years, she says. Its been a constant in our lives.

But questions about her ties to Rhode Island have dogged her campaign.

During an April interview with WPRI, Morgenthau admitted shed never lived in the state for a full year, and that her children hadnt attended school here. In June, the station reported that she was still claiming a homestead tax exemption in Washington, D.C. (Morgenthaus campaign said she would correct that.)

And earlier this year, when The Journal called up candidates to see how theyd do on a pop quiz about the district, one of Morgenthaus answers matched a Wikipedia entry almost word for word.

I dont think folks are really interested in a trivia quiz, she said recently, when asked about the episode. I think folks are focused right now on having the right congresswoman at this really critical moment in our history to go to Washington. I have been so excited about the enthusiasm and the conversations that were all having together to make sure that we get the federal resources for this great state.

Sure, but its fair to ask how well candidates know the district that they seek to represent. So The Journal put her on the spot again this time, in person. One question: What road is Allies Donuts on?

We go there all the time, Morgenthau answered. I think its on Post Road, but most of the time my husband or my brother-in-law or my daughter goes.

Incorrect: Allies is on Quaker Lane, or Route 2.

More: Should taxpayers pay to build a soccer stadium in Pawtucket? What a new poll says

Lately, Morgenthaubeen making the case that her years in Washington are an asset, giving her experience that other candidates lack. We are losing seniority with Jim Langevin, and things could not be more urgent, she said.

After attending Barnard College and Columbia Law School and helping manage her mothers congressional campaign Morgenthau clerked for a federal judge in New Jersey, then worked as an attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission.

She worked on Barack Obamas 2008 presidential campaign, and was later made a director of the Peace Corps. In that role, she helped evacuate volunteers from Crimea and Haiti, she said. She then spent two years at the Department of Homeland Security, heading the private sector office and the Homeland Security Advisory Council.

She left when Trump took office and went to work at Nardello LLC, which describes itself as a global investigations firm. In 2017, then-Governor Raimondo named her to Rhode Islands Homeland Security Advisory Board.

Known as a skilled fundraiser, Morgenthau served as a surrogate for Joe Bidens presidential campaign.In September 2021, she became deputy assistant secretary for national travel and tourism in the Commerce Department, under Raimondo.

Her rsum, coupled with the fact that shes a woman, offers the strongest contrast to Fung, she says.

Anybody who knows me knows that I have the experience, that I will go to Washington and I will fight like heck, she said. But its hard in Washington. Its divisive, its overly partisan. We need a congresswoman who has those relationships, who has the experience working on the issues so that we can deliver for folks here.

Joy Fox has just arrived at Bagel Express in Pawtuxet Village when she overhears two women talking about the congressional race.

Stopping to introduce herself, she quickly discovers that she knows one womans niece from elementary school. Over the next hour, as she sits for an interview, she spots her aunt and uncle on their morning walk, trades greetings with a family friend (Hows Kirsten doing?), and pauses to chat with an acquaintance who happens to be the brother of Cranston's mayor.

More: Joy Fox, former top aide to Rep. Jim Langevin and Gov. Gina Raimondo, enters congressional race

The constant interruptions arent exactly surprising: Fox, 44, grew up less than half a mile from here. She now lives only a short distance down the road, in Warwicks Gaspee neighborhood. Even when she was working for Langevin, she lived in Rhode Island full-time, and commuted to Washington, D.C., for important events like the State of the Union.

Now, her local roots are a central theme of her campaign.

My opponents could be running for Congress anywhere, if you listen to how they position themselves and talk about these issues, she says. And I am running in the 2ndDistrict where I grew up, where my family is, where I will always be.

Like the other candidates, Fox cites gun violence, climate changeand the erosion of abortion rights as major concerns. But shes just as likely to bring up a hyperlocal issue like the decrepit state of Cranston'sBudlong Pool. A strong focus on constituent services, she says, is critical for people to feel like the government is working for them.

Fox, 44, grew up in the Edgewood section of Cranston. Her grandfather was the founder of the P.J. Fox Paper Co., which sold toilet paper, among other things, and counted the PawSox and Rhode Island Hospital as two of its biggest clients.

Here is the original post:

Which Democrat will prevail in RI's 2nd Congressional District race? - The Providence Journal

It also offers a window into how Healey could wield her name and political capital. A victory in November would not only make her Massachusetts top elected state official but give her a claim to be the state partys de facto leader.

Healeys delivered her most high-profile endorsement this month, backing Andrea Campbell in the three-way primary for the office Healey is vacating. Its her only endorsement in a contested statewide Democratic race ahead of the Sept. 6 primary.

She has also looked down-ballot, endorsing an incumbent-heavy slate 11 are elected officials facing primary challenges, many in the Legislature as well as five other candidates vying for open seats in the state House, Senate, and a pair of district attorney offices.

The candidates share little, if any, ideological thread, and some appear to reflect a measure of political loyalty, something Healey has hewed to during her rise through the party. They include progressive stalwarts and moderate, as well as conservative, members of the House Democratic caucus, including several who voted to uphold a veto of a 2020 bill that codified abortion rights into law.

Nearly every sitting lawmaker shes backing also holds some type of leadership post. That includes the fifth-ranking Democrat in either chamber: Representative Sarah K. Peake of Provincetown, who is facing her first primary challenge in 16 years, and Senator Joan B. Lovely of Salem, who has never faced another Democratic opponent since winning her seat in 2012.

Representative William M. Straus, a Mattapoisett Democrat and another Healey-backed candidate facing his first primary challenge in a decade, is the Houses longtime chairman of the transportation committee, which has openly scrutinized the Baker administrations handling of the MBTA.

I think its incredibly refreshing, Doug Rubin, a Democratic strategist, said of Healey spreading her support. The easy path would have been to not get engaged in these races, to stay focused on your race. That says a lot about her personally and how shes going to perform as governor.

Not among her endorsements, however, is anyone who is challenging an incumbent, notable given Healeys own history of bucking the political establishment.

As a first-time candidate in 2014, she topped a well-known Democrat who had the backing of then-Governor Deval Patrick, among others. Healey later broke with most party leaders to back Representative Ayanna Pressley in her 2018 upset of Michael Capuano, endorsing Pressley after the then-city councilor had done the same for her four years earlier.

Shes picking people based on some relationship, and shes probably trying not to get too far out there with her picks, said one Democratic strategist who has worked with Healey and others shes endorsed. But this is showing a Maura Healey who is probably more institutional, more [focused on], Lets get things done, than being a progressive purist.

Healeys campaign did not make her available for an interview. In a statement, the South End Democrat said she is backing candidates she believes understand the needs of their districts and will be strong partners in our work to make Massachusetts a better, more affordable place to live and work.

We need strong, experienced leaders in government who are ready to collaborate and hit the ground running on day one to deliver for people, Healey said.

Her decision to insert herself into the party contests, however, has surprised, if frustrated, some of the challengers who say they, too, have backed Healey in the past.

Among those she is supporting is Representative Paul J. Donato, a Medford Democrat who has held the seat since 2001 but is facing his second challenge in as many cycles from Nichole Mossalam of Malden. She has criticized Donato for his vote in 2016 against a bill that allows people to use the restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity, as well as his vote in 2020 to uphold Governor Charlie Bakers veto of the so-called Roe Act that expanded access to abortion.

In endorsing Donato, who also has the support of Senator Edward J. Markey, Healey called him a very long and early supporter of mine.

Mossalam said she respects Healey and supports her gubernatorial bid. But she said Healey never reached out to talk to her before endorsing Donato, and argued her decision is not in tune with the local voters and our local issues.

I believe shes doing a disservice to our community, Mossalam said.

Since state Senator Sonia Chang-Daz ended her campaign in June, Healey has been afforded a clear path to the nomination, and many believe, the governors office itself. She led each of her potential Republican opponents, Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty, by more than 30 points in a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll last month.

As the calendar has inched toward the Sept. 6 primary, she has focused on helping those in other races, most notably the tightening attorney generals race between Campbell, labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan, and former assistant attorney general Quentin Palfrey.

Healey and Campbells campaign schedules have become nearly intertwined since Healey announced her endorsement in a radio interview this month, with the two appearing together in Mattapan, Gloucester, and Springfield, among other places.

Campbells campaign tucked the endorsement, and Healeys photo, into a recent television spot. Even outside groups have featured the endorsement prominently. Campaign mailers sent by the Environmental League of Massachusetts super PAC this month tout its support of not only Campbell and Healey, but Healeys support of Campbell.

The endorsement has also put Healey at odds with other state party heavyweights, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Michelle Wu, who are backing Liss-Riordan.

This is a big swing, using some of her political capital to sway voters when shes popular, said Erin OBrien, a political science professor at UMass Boston. This is a place where shes exercising her true preference. Shed rather work with Andrea Campbell.

Shes given time and aid elsewhere, too. Healey on Sunday campaigned in Lawrence with Pavel Payano, a city councilor vying in a three-way primary in a newly reshaped state Senate district. On Twitter, her campaign has amplified her endorsement of Manny Cruz, a Salem school committee member running in another three-way race for an open House seat. And Representative Tommy Vitolo, a Brookline Democrat locked into a lively primary with former Select Board member Raul Fernandez, said hes canvassed the district with Healey volunteers.

She wants to make sure all the voices are heard, said state Representative Chris Markey, a Healey-backed Dartmouth Democrat. Markey has veered from Healey on several issues, having voting against a measure to allow undocumented residents to apply for drivers licenses and a sweeping policing bill in 2020.

In endorsing him, she said hes brought a thoughtful, balanced approach to governing. They also have a personal connection Markey said he has dear friends from college who are friends with her.

Shes going to be the governor. Shes going to win. And she knows she has to work with both sides, Markey said.

Cameron Costa, a 21-year-old New Bedford Democrat challenging Markey, meanwhile has the support of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Teachers Association two influential labor groups that also endorsed Healey.

Its that classic thing, Costa said of Healey endorsing his incumbent opponent. When you fight against the establishment, the establishment fights back.

Matt Stout can be reached at matt.stout@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mattpstout.

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With clear path in Democratic primary, Healey takes on another role: Helping allies survive theirs - The Boston Globe

Democrats are aware that the search of former President Donald Trumps home by the FBI hurt the Party politically. This Aug. 17 headline from The New York Times, referencing the Inflation Reduction Act, says it all: President Takes a Bow, but Spotlight Stays on His Predecessor.

Yet, even with this knowledge, 88 percent of Democrats want Trump charged for fomenting the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Slightly over half of Democrats think he will be.

Undoubtedly, Democrats are also hoping that state criminal investigations into financial improprieties and election interference will lead to prosecutions.

And now there is concrete evidence from the search of his home that Trump broke the law by possessing top secret documents. Since no one is above the law, surely now there must be a criminal case.

Well, the politically good news for Democrats is that no criminal prosecution is likely in any of these areas. There is no indication that the Justice Department is preparing a treason case against Trump, the evidence of election interference in Georgia is ambiguoushe was complaining about illegal voting, after allfinancial cases are notoriously difficult to bring and the classified documents charge is actually legally dubious.

Donald Trump is not going to jail, which improves the chances that Democrats will retain majority control of Congress and the presidency.

To see the problem with a criminal case based on possession of classified documents, it is helpful to remember why the FBI recommended that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton not be prosecuted for accessing classified materials on her personal, non-secured, email account.

On July 5, 2016, then-FBI Director James Comey shook up the presidential campaign by his announcement that the FBI had discovered on Clintons email server 110 emails in 52 email chains that contained classified information. Eight of those chains contained information that was Top Secret at the time they were sent.

Comey described these results as potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information.

Nevertheless, Comey recommended to the Justice Department that no criminal charges be brought.

The reason Comey gave was that regardless of what federal law technically provided, all previous prosecutions for mishandling or removing classified information involved some combination of: clearly intentional and willful mishandling of classified information; or vast quantities of materials exposed in such a way as to support an inference of intentional misconduct; or indications of disloyalty to the United States; or efforts to obstruct justice.

Comey concluded, We do not see those things here.

Taking these points one at a time and applying them to Trumps actions should lead to the same conclusion of no prosecution.

In terms of intent, it appears that Trump attempted to, and probably believed that he had, declassified some or all of the material he retained. Presidents often do this, informally communicating secret information in order to reassure allies or deter enemies. Trumps failure to follow accepted procedures is not unprecedented. His bungled attempt to declassify suggests he had no wrongful intent.

Even more important, in Trumps case there is only minimal indication of any exposure of secrets. Unlike an unprotected email account that could be hacked by anyone, the documents Trump retained were mostly physically locked up. While wrongful access by others undoubtedly occurred, it was easily monitored.

Clearly, a Trump attorney was inaccurate in telling the Justice Department that all classified documents had been returned to the government after earlier requests.

But it is not easy to make a case of obstruction of justice out of that. The government knew that a great deal of material remained in Trumps possession and also knew of Trumps belief that classified material had been declassified. The Trump team may well have believed that their account was truthful or may have simply been mistaken.

Can the U.S. slide into authoritarianism? Yes. But we can avoid it if we try | Opinion

But if no criminal charges are likely to be filed, why was a search warrant sought and a search conducted? An affidavit in support of a search warrant must allege probable cause that evidence of a crime will be found.

As was true in the case of Clinton, there is a potential crime when classified material is possessed by an individual in circumstances in which that possession is unauthorized by law. So, the warrant was certainly properly sought by the government and granted by a federal judge.

However, the use of a search warrant does not mean that the Justice Department had decided to prosecute. It only means that prosecution would be possible if classified material were found.

In Trumps case, there is every indication that the government concluded after months of fruitless negotiations, that Trump would not voluntarily return everything that should be turned over. The search was the most expeditious way of determining what Trump retained and of gaining possession of what the government believed should not be in private hands. The search was a practical expedient.

That is not a bad faith search. No final decision about prosecution could be made until after the search revealed the facts.

Everyone knows that prosecuting a former president would set a risky precedent in terms of democracy. If you want to see the potential harm, just look at the crisis in Pakistan. The reason we dont prosecute losing candidates is that it turns politics into war in which any action is justified in order to avoid going to prison.

For Americas best lawyers, Trump is radioactive | Dick Polman

This doesnt mean such a prosecution could never be justified. Trump really did try to overturn a lawful election. Maybe that prosecution would be worth it if the matter could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Trump may have engaged in financial wrongs. Maybe prosecution for such non-political crimes could also be warranted if the conduct could be linked to him personally.

But this is not true of a potential prosecution for mishandling secret government material. Here, the precedents do not support criminal charges. Going after Trump for retaining documents would rightly be labeled a political prosecution. It would harm Democrats. But it would also wound the nation.

The Justice Department has probably already concluded the same.

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Trump isn't going to jail. And that's good news from Democrats | Bruce Ledewitz - Pennsylvania Capital-Star