Category Archives: Democrat

1. POLITICO Playbook: Where Democrats can find some good news - POLITICO  POLITICO
2. Democrats Feared Red October Arrives Before the Midterms  The New York Times
3. Analysis | The growing warning signs for Democrats in 2022  The Washington Post
4. Without an Economic Message, Democrats Will Never Close the Deal  The Nation
5. Democrats should not feel good about the midterms  Mississippi Valley Publishing
6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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POLITICO Playbook: Where Democrats can find some good news - POLITICO - POLITICO

Kill the babies to curb inflation? Democrats are the real abortion extremists  Washington Examiner

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Kill the babies to curb inflation? Democrats are the real abortion extremists - Washington Examiner

One of the first things that most pundits will tell you about Thursdays January 6 committee broadcast the first since August, and probably the last before the November midterms is that the committees subpoena of Donald Trump wont go anywhere.

Sure, there were other notable moments in Thursdays hearing. The committee presented a thorough summary of their findings, seemingly aiming to remind voters ahead of the midterms of the depth of Donald Trumps commitment to his plan to overthrow our democracy in the service of his own ego.

It bolstered its long-established findings with new evidence: we heard, for the first time, testimony from multiple sources who said that Trump acknowledged privately that he knew he had lost the election.

We discovered, for the first time, that both the Secret Service and the FBI had much greater and much earlier knowledge of the plan to attack the Capitol than had previously been acknowledged (a revelation that calls those agencies actions on that day into question).

We saw, for the first time, footage of the Democratic congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer in hiding from the mob, secured in an off-site location while the looters raged and defecated through the Capitol, calling the Department of Justice and governors of the nearby states in an attempt to get some of the police and militarys help to clear the crowd that was not coming from the Trump administration.

All of this was newly specific and remarkable, even if it wasnt exactly new information. But the real event of the hearings was the subpoena vote. The committee leaked the news strategically, just before the broadcast, with the push notifications from various news outlets alighting on phone screens across America, reminding voters to tune in.

The committee made much of their decision to subpoena Trump, performing a roll-call vote on camera (unanimously aye) and emphasizing throughout Wednesdays hearing that he was the primary instigator and designer of the violent and cockamamie attempt to overturn the 2020 election by force.

Just before the climactic vote, the committee played a montage of members of the Trump inner circle John Eastman, the fringe law professor who became Trumps legal guru in a series of failed attempts to undo his election loss; Roger Stone, the Republican operative and self-described dirty trickster with ties to both the Trump administration and the violent far-right militias that led the Capitol violence all taking the fifth in depositions with the committee, and refusing to provide vital information.

The idea of this montage was to justify the subpoena of Trump himself. Look, the committee seemed to be saying to the American people, his friends wont talk, so we need to go after the big guy. But the fifth amendment wasnt just a justification, it was also a prediction: of course, Trump isnt going to talk either.

Its this reality that Trump probably wont testify, that he will issue a series of legal challenges, lies, or, at best, non-answers that shed little light on his actions that day that gets jumped on by members of the political commentariat who like to prove their own seriousness by pointing out all the ways that the Democrats can never accomplish anything. The January 6 panel moves to subpoena Trump, an aggressive move that will likely be futile, was the headline in the New York Times, a phrasing that almost suggested contempt for the attempt to embark on a fact-finding exercise at all. Some people are so determined not to come off as naive that they adopt a withering cynicism, or even a kind of learned helplessness and unfortunately, a lot of those people work in political media, or for the Democratic party.

But the vote to subpoena Trump, and the willingness to embark on the legal and political fights that will ensue, suggests that congressional Democrats may have a little fighting spirit in them yet. After a halting start to the Biden administration, in which it looked, for a while, as if the Democrats agenda would be hamstrung by the intransigence of Senator Joe Manchin, the party has had a remarkable series of wins over the past few months especially, it should be noted, since the supreme courts disastrous reversal of Roe v Wade in June angered women voters across the political spectrum and galvanized enthusiasm in the Democratic base.

With this wind of popular outrage at their backs, the Democrats were able to pass the deceptively named Inflation Reduction Act really an infrastructure and climate bill and to muster support for Bidens student debt relief and mass federal marijuana pardon. But the January 6 committee hearings have been one of the feathers in the Democrats cap, and it is one of the rare achievements that the House Democratic caucus has made not as assistants and handmaids to the administrations agenda, but on their own.

This independence and risk-taking in going after Trump may be a sign of a congressional Democratic party that is shaking off its old habits of learned helplessness and beginning to feel more confident in a political landscape that is less about procedural victories like, say, whether Trump will ever actually sit down for a deposition with the January 6 committee or not and more about public demonstrations of commitment and confidence.

According to a new book, the House committee that took the bold step of issuing a subpoena to Donald Trump, for instance, is very different from the group of House impeachment managers who made the gun-shy and timorous decision not to call witnesses in the January 6 impeachment trial under pressure from a Biden White House that wanted to move on.

The January 6 committee hearings have been, altogether, a much bolder affair than the impeachment, much more cognizant of their audience - the American public - much better at communicating with them, and much more willing to state facts plainly. Maybe Trump will never testify. But subpoenaing him is still the right thing to do. The stakes are high, and when it comes to Donald Trump, the Democrats finally seem to realize that accountability is more important than risk aversion.

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The vote to subpoena Trump shows Democrats have found their fighting spirit - The Guardian US

This is an opinion column.

In a live radio segment, Huntsville radio host Dale Jackson asked me whether I could vote for Hershel Walker in spite of credible reports about his past relationships, personal behavior, and not-so-pro-life decisions. The question made me think. Is the worst Republican still better than a Democrat?

Walker is a hell of a running back, but his lack of character has proven a significant distraction in the Georgia Senate race. He is correct in claiming that Democrats hope to keep the conversation about his personal life instead of inflation, immigration, and fuel prices. On the other hand, its his behavior and choices enabling them to do just that.

More Columns from Cameron Smith:

If a politician hasnt made a series of mistakes and learned from them, theyre not the best candidate to represent my family. I dont need to hold my elected representatives on a moral pedestal, but I shouldnt be constantly excusing poor choices and behavior either. Thankfully, most Republican politicians are within the range of normal. Their representation of Americans around the country is neither scandalous nor bizarre.

Then there are folks like Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar who made a weird anime video of himself killing a Democratic member of Congress. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has argued, Bill Gates wants you to eat this fake meat that grows in a peach tree dish so youll probably get a little zap inside your body thatll say No, dont eat a real cheeseburger, you need to eat the fake burger. Retiring Rep. Louie Ghomert notes, If youre a Republican, you cant even lie to Congress or lie to an FBI agent or theyre coming after you.

These are just a few of the eye-roll-inducing episodes from Republicans that leave conservatives either scratching their heads or explaining.

As a columnist who does a lot of talking, I understand that anyone can rhetorically fumble. Im fairly certain Ghomert understands that lying to Congress and the FBI is a crime. At some point, the cumulative impact of such behaviors and comments removes the common excuse of thats not what he/she meant.

Like Senator Mitch McConnell or not, hes a senator in the range of normal who has come to Walkers defense. The reason is clear: Walker is one more vote in the Republican column who would make McConnell majority leader once again. McConnells approach is pure power politics. If Republicans want to advance any sort of agenda, they need the votes in the Senate. Right now the best option to do that in Georgia is to support Walker.

Power politics rejects the view that the issues we care about might take more than one election to accomplish. Politics is a long-term game filled with people who have short-term memories. Republicans must build governing majorities that can both respond to voters immediate concerns and endure multiple election cycles. To do that, successful candidates need the disposition and capacity to navigate both Washington, D.C. and a media minefield.

Oddly, Jacksons question for me wasnt about whether I could vote for Walkers Democratic opponent. He knows Im not a Democrat. When it comes to Congress, I dont share the Democratic partys view of the government as a social and economic engineering tool. Quite the opposite, I see the governments purpose as maximizing individual liberty in the context of an ordered society. McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy are much more aligned with my views than Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

That doesnt mean Ill always back the Republican candidates on the ballot in November.

Ive been asked a question similar to Jacksons when my vote was actually on the line. Failed Senate candidate Roy Moore didnt earn my vote. It wasnt all the allegations of misconduct that turned me away from his candidacy. Id seen from his judicial career that he didnt respect the rule of law when he didnt agree with the outcome. Friends and politicians pressured me by arguing Americas future rested on Moores electoral success.

It didnt.

Im quite happy with the Supreme Courts makeup in spite of former Senator Doug Joness brief tenure in office. The Affordable Care Act is gutted on a number of fronts. Moores vote wouldnt have made a difference in Americas fiscal trajectory because majorities of both parties borrow and spend with reckless abandon. Now, Sen. Tommy Tuberville is in office, and hes proven to be an effective, level-headed senator for the state.

I dont hold my nose and vote. Virtues such as honesty and humility matter to me. If a candidate like Walker can tell the truth, clear the air, and explain how hes changed, Id consider him. People make mistakes. Some of them are rough. On the other hand, Im not interested in an ongoing clown show excusing boorish behavior because Democrats use it as an electoral tool.

Asking whether the worst Republican is better than the best Democrat isnt a useful hypothetical. Its never actually on the ballot. Im just not voting for a creep who shares my policy views or an excellent candidate who doesnt.

Smith is a recovering political attorney with four boys, two dogs, and an extremely patient wife. He engages media, business, and policy through the Triptych Foundation and Triptych Media. Please direct outrage or agreement to csmith@al.com or @DCameronSmith on Twitter.

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Cameron Smith: Is the worst Republican better than the best Democrat? - AL.com

Thursdays report showing that inflation jumped higher than expected in September and that prices remain at a 40-year high comes at a bad time for Democrats, who are battling to hang onto their Senate majority and are expected to lose control of the House.

Democratic senators had expressed hope throughout this year that inflation would begin to subside before the election, but the last inflation report released before Election Day shows that prices remain stubbornly high.

That has fueled voters dissatisfaction over the direction of the country and weighed down President Bidens approval rating, creating a stiff headwind for Democratic candidates heading into November.

Much of the conversation in Washington in recent weeks has revolved around what impact the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which struck down abortion rights, or negative media coverage of former President Trump would have on the midterm election.

But the fact remains that voters view of the economy and inflation is negative, and thats not likely to change over the next three-and-a-half weeks.

I think its probably going to be a good day for Republicans. I just think the inflation numbers are too bad, said Ross K. Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University, of Election Day, which falls on Nov. 8.

Thats the number that all polls seem to say that voters are paying most attention to, he said of the inflation rate, which reached 8.2 percent last month compared to a year ago.

The consumer price index (CPI) jumped 0.4 percent in September, exceeding Dow Joness estimate of 0.3 percent.

Core CPI, a gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve that excludes volatile food and energy prices, increased by 0.6 percent in September, bringing it 6.6 percent higher than a year ago.

Thursdays report immediately put Democrats on the defensive.

President Biden on Thursday acknowledged that inflation would be a major issue in next months election but insisted that his administration has done everything to solve the problem.

If Republicans win, inflations going to get worse. Its that simple, he told an audience in Los Angeles.

Democrats are working to bring down the cost of things they talk about around the kitchen table, from prescription drugs, to health insurance, to energy bills and so much more, said Biden, adding that voters would get to choose which party to lead the country in the election.

Republicans were quick to use the latest numbers to attack Bidens economic record.

Democrats runaway inflation continues to crush working families with no relief in sight, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in response to Thursdays inflation report.

He accused Democrats of failing to take inflation seriously when they took over the Senate in 2021 and making it worse by passing the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which was designed to further boost an economy that was already strong.

Republicans say the fiscal stimulus bill helped overheat the economy and ramp up inflation.

Democrats have produced staggering 13.5 percent inflation since January 2021. That was shortly before [Senate Majority Leader Charles] Schumer [D-N.Y.] said I do not think the dangers of inflation, at least in the near term, are very real and every Senate Democrat cast the tiebreaking vote for runaway reckless spending, McConnell said.

The Senate is divided 50-50, giving Democrats a razor-thin majority because of Vice President Harriss ability to cast tie-breaking votes.High inflation is bad news for Democrats trying to keep that majority.

An average of nine nationwide polls conducted between Sept. 6 and Oct. 11 showed that only 27 percent of respondents think the nation is moving in the right direction, while 67 percent think the country is on the wrong track, according to a compilation of the data by Real Clear Politics.

Its the biggest spread between percentage of Americans who think the country is moving in the right direction and those that think the opposite that has been measured immediately before any election going back to January of 2009, according to Real Clear Politics.

On Oct. 30, 2010, a few days before the 2010 midterm election, polls showed that 33 percent of Americans thought the country was on the right track and 61 percent thought it was on the wrong track. Republicans picked up six Senate seats and 63 House seats that year.

By comparison, 32 percent of Americans thought the country was on the right track and 61 percent thought it was on the wrong track two days after Election Day 2020, when Democrats ousted President Trump from office and went on win the Senate majority.

Democratic strategists acknowledge that Thursdays inflation report comes at a critical moment.

Steve Jarding, a Democratic strategist and former adviser to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said the right track-wrong track question has been a barometer for gauging voter sentiment, which is why its probably not a real good day for Biden or the Democrats.

Jarding said in any other election year, he would say batten down the hatches because this is going to be a hell of storm thats going to take out a lot of Democrats. But he said there are extenuating circumstances that might help Democrats this November, such as the investigation of Trumps role in instigating the Jan. 6 attack.

He also cited the Supreme Courts decision in June striking down Roe v. Wade as an extraordinary event that could drive more Democrats to the polls.

If I see these numbers, it suggests Democrats are going to get creamed, Jarding said in response to the inflation number and the right track-wrong track spread, but he added that Democrats can take hope in the flaws of Senate Republican candidates such as Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and Herschel Walker in Georgia.

Baker, the political scientist, observed that the inflation report shows what voters are reminded of on a weekly or daily basis when they go to the gas station to fill up their car or the grocery store to fill up their cart.

Its very difficult to dodge it, he said. Americans are reminded of it on a daily basis. My wife yesterday said it cost her five dollars for a box of Reynolds Wrap. Thats absurd.

By contrast, the issue that Democrats want to keep in the spotlight, abortion rights, is beginning to fade from voters minds, Baker said.

If the Dobbs decision had been handed down nine weeks later than it was, it would have had some more effect, he said. People forget. They dont see abortions every day or women going to jail for having abortions in certain states.

What they see every day is [the price of] school-market merchandise that has gone sky high, gasoline prices that have gone through the roof and are going to go back through the roof. Its a depressing thing, he added.

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Inflation report is bad news for Democrats - The Hill

Much of the public appears to be largely in the dark about Democrats signature effort to let Medicare negotiate drug prices, a potentially troubling sign ahead of next months midterm elections.

The inclusion of a provision allowing those negotiations in the Inflation Reduction Act marked the culmination of an at least 20-year push by Democrats and was toutedas a major win over Big Pharma.

Health care has been a winning issue forthe partyin previous midterm elections, and the laws passage was intended to give lawmakers a major political victory to campaign on.

In this historic moment, Democrats sided with the American people and every single Republican in the congress sided with the special interests, President Biden told lawmakers in August when he signed the legislation into law.

Speaking to donors during a Democratic fundraiser on Thursday, Biden again highlightedovercomingthe drug lobby, saying the biggest part of the law was taking on pharma.

You know, we pay the highest drug prices of any nation in the world for the same exact drugs, I might add. Same exact prescription, Biden said. Well, guess what? We got it changed so that, now, no senior on Medicare will have to pay more than $2,000 a year for their drug prices, no matter what the cost of their cancer drugs are, no matter what it is.

But a new Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) poll shows most adults are unaware of the laws key health provisions.

Only 36 percent of Americans said they were aware that theInflation Reduction Actallows Medicare to negotiate drug prices; 29 percent said they knew the law put a cap on insulin prices for people on Medicare and only 29 percent said they knew about a cap on out of pocket prescription drug costs.

Those provisions are popular. Majorities of voters in the same poll said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports policies like Medicare drug negotiation and an out-of-pocket cap on drug spending for people on Medicare.

If Dem candidates want to take advantage of their popularity they have to talk about it on the stump, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman tweeted.

David Mitchell, president and founder of the advocacy group Patients for Affordable Drugs, said he wasnt surprised that a relatively small percentage of the public were aware of the drug pricing parts of the new law, but he also wasnt concerned.

People pay closer and closer attention to the issues the closer we get to Election Day. And so the numbers in terms of awareness will go up in the coming weeks, Mitchell said.

Mitchell noted that the law only passed about six weeks ago, and it takes time to increase public awareness.

Id like the numbers to be higher. Dont get me wrong, but you can only go so fast. Educating people, and making people aware of policy issues like this takes time and effort, Mitchell said.

Outside allies are trying to help spread the message.

Democratically-aligned advocacy group Protect Our Care is running a nationwide bus tour this fall to educate Americans about the legislation and promote the work of lawmakers who helped pass it.

Leslie Dach, Protect Our Cares founder and chairman, said he wanted to avoid the mistakesmade regardingthe Affordable Care Act, wherehe saidDemocrats didnt do enough to counter Republican attacks and let the opposition hijack the narrative.

One of the mistakes we allowed to happen was we talked about the name of the law, not the things [the law did], and the name of the law doesnt matter, Dach said. People would say, you know, I hate Obamacare, but I love the fact that my kids can stay on my insurance till the age 26.

Biden was set to highlight the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act to older Americans during events in California and Oregon over the weekend. His messagingaims to reinforcethe idea that Democrats are tackling issues of importance to the average family.

Americans are squeezed by the cost of living thats been true for years and is a key reason the president ran, the White House said in a fact sheet. Health care costs in particular are driving inflation.

According to the White House, Biden will also highlight how every Republican in Congress voted against the legislation, and that they now want to repeal it.

Yet voters wont see the laws biggest drug benefits until years down the road. A provision capping insulin costs at $35 per month for diabetic Medicare patients takes effect in 2023. A $2,000 cap on annual drug costs for people enrolled in Medicares prescription drug benefit wont begin until 2025.

And the most well-knownhealth provision in the bill,letting Medicare negotiate the costs of select drugs, wont start until 2026. Even then, thenegotiationswillat firstbe limited to just 10 drugs; it will beexpanded to 20 drugs by 2029.

Less than a month to the election, youre going to talk about something youre gonna give me in two years, or three years or four years. And Im hurting right now, said Joel White, a healthcare industry consultant and former House GOP staffer.

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Democrats try to break through on drug pricing message - The Hill

Its been 16 years since a Republican has won in Connecticuts 5th Congressional District, but George Logan has a good shot at breaking the losing streak.

"I believe that Connecticut Republicans have a better message," the former two-term state senator, small business owner and frontman in a Jimi Hendrix tribute band said in an interview with Fox News.

Logan, whos challenging two-term Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes in next month's midterm elections in a House district that covers parts of the western half of Connecticut, argued that "people are tired of the status quo" as he pointed to record inflation fueled by what he called "out-of-control spending from Washington."

MEET THE REPUBLICAN WHO MAY MAKE HSITORY BY FLIPPING A DEEP BLUE SEAT RED

Republican Congressional nominee George Logan marches in a parade in Newtown, Connecticut, on Sept. 5, 2022

Hayes, who made history as the first Black woman and Black Democrat to represent Connecticut in Congress, won both her 2018 election and her 2020 re-election by double digits. But the top nonpartisan political handicappers view the 2022 race as very competitive, rating it "Lean Democrat." And the National Republican Congressional Committee views the seat as a top pick-up opportunity.

National Republicans are spending big bucks to try and flip the seat. The Congressional Leadership Fund, the leading super PAC aligned with House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy, has dished out $3 million in the district to boost Logan, whos also Black.

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Logan took aim at Democrats for what he called their "war on American energy independence." He noted that "gas prices are creeping up again" and that "here in New England, its starting to get cold, and people are looking at their home heating costs, filling up those fuel oil tanks, and people are very concerned."

He charged that Hayes "is out of touch. Shes not out in the community" and argued that "her backing of the Biden-Harris-Pelosi administration down in Washington has only made things worse."

Story continues

"I just stick to those major topics that people are most concerned about, and were just gaining supporters, gaining momentum every single day," he said.

One of those issues is crime.

Logan takes issue with state statistics that indicate crime is low in Connecticut and that its one of the safest states in the country.

"I completely disagree with the data. The data is flawed," Logan claimed. "Crimes are happening. I believe they are being under-reported."

And pointing to the states all-Democratic congressional delegation and a state government controlled by Democrats, Logan argued that "everyone knows here in Connecticut that the current leadership is weak on crime."

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE: THESE DEEP BLUE SEATS COULD FLIP RED IN NOVEMBER

When it comes to the volatile issue of abortion, Logan said he supported the opinion by the Supreme Courts conservative majority to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling and send the fight over legalized abortion back to the states.

"I support a womans right to choose. I think it should be safe, legal and rare," he insisted.

"I am adamantly against late-term abortion," he added, before charging that "my opponent is in favor of abortion with no restrictions."

Asked whether he would support a 15-week abortion ban proposed by Congressional Republicans, Logan answered, "I am opposed to a national ban on abortion. I think it should be left up to the states. I would do what I can to make sure that Connecticuts current laws are not infringed in any way when it comes to womens reproductive rights and a womans right to choose."

Democrats arent buying what Logan is selling.

"Republicans are wasting their time and money on lobbyist George Logan, whose decision to align with MAGA Republicans who want to ban abortion and cut Social Security is toxic in blue-state Connecticut," Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson James Singer charged in a statement to Fox News.

Singer vowed that "Democrats are going to defend this seat, because voters know Rep. Jahana Hayes has been fighting for them in Washington."

As part of that mission, last week Hayes landed a high-profile surrogate, as Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Connecticut to team up with the congresswoman to discuss abortion rights.

Logan, for his part, pushes back against criticism from Democrats that hell follow GOP leadership if he wins in November.

FIGHT FOR THE MAJORITY: HOUSE DEMOCRATS AIMING TO FLIP THESE GOP SEATS BLUE

"I have told folks repeatedly that I am not going to Washington to represent the leadership in any political party, as my opponent has done," he said. "I was known in the legislature for being one who works across the aisle. I will work with Democrats and Republicans to pass bills that will improve the lives of everybody in my district."

Asked whether hell support impeaching President Biden if hes part of a House Republican majority on Capitol Hill come January, Logan said, "Given what I know now and the situation that we have now and what were dealing with, the answer is no. However, if things change, and theres some other type of information that would warrant that, I would consider it. But right now, I have no intentions of supporting any efforts to impeach the President of United States."

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"Im not happy with his policies. Im not happy with the direction hes taking our county. My goal is to go down to Washington to provide some checks and balances to the Biden-Harris administration. But my goal is not to go to Washington to impeach the President of the United States," Logan said.

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Meet the Black Republican whos aiming to flip a Democratic held House seat in heavily blue Connecticut - Yahoo News

Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for governor, speaks during a campaign rally in Phoenix, Ariz., Aug. 14, 2022. (Rebecca Noble/The New York Times)

Its angst season on the left and perhaps nowhere more so than in Arizona, which appears determined to retain its crown as the most politically volatile state in America.

Democrats are openly expressing their alarm that Katie Hobbs, the partys nominee for governor, is fumbling a chance to defeat Kari Lake in one of the most closely watched races of the 2022 campaign.

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Lake, a telegenic former television anchor who rose to prominence as she pantomimed Donald Trumps conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, has taken a hard line against abortion and routinely uses strident language on the stump. The Atlantic recently called her Trumpisms leading lady. She has largely overshadowed Hobbs, whose more subdued personality has driven far fewer headlines.

The immediate object of Democratic hand-wringing this week is a decision by Hobbs, who has served as Arizonas secretary of state since 2019, to decline to debate Lake. Instead, she arranged a one-on-one interview with a local PBS affiliate, a move that prompted the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, a group established by a ballot initiative in 1998, to cancel its planned Q&A with Lake.

Thomas Collins, executive director of the commission, said in an interview that the Hobbs campaign had never seriously negotiated over the format of a debate and that, in any case, the organization was neither willing nor able to accommodate what officials there viewed as an ultimatum from the secretary of states team about policing the content of the event.

He shared an exchange of letters and emails between the commission and Nicole DeMont, Hobbs campaign manager, who wrote in an email that Hobbs was willing and eager to participate in a town-hall-style event but would not join a debate that would only lead to constant interruptions, pointless distractions and childish name-calling.

On Wednesday, Lake repeated her challenge to debate Hobbs and accused Arizona PBS, which did not respond to a request for comment, of cutting a backroom deal with that coward to give her airtime that she does not deserve.

Story continues

Days earlier, Lake tried to ambush Hobbs during a town hall event at which the candidates made separate appearances onstage a stunt that was clearly intended to embarrass the Democrat.

Hobbs has said she was simply reacting to the way Lake conducted herself during a Republican primary debate in June, in which she dodged questions and repeated falsehoods about what happened in 2020. I have no desire to be a part of the spectacle that shes looking to create, because that doesnt do any service to the voters, Hobbs said Sunday on CBS Face the Nation.

Among those second-guessing Hobbs decision this week was Sandra Kennedy, a co-chair of President Joe Bidens 2020 campaign in Arizona. If I were the candidate for governor, I would debate, and I would want the people of Arizona to know what my platform is, Kennedy told NBC News.

Laurie Roberts, a liberal columnist for The Arizona Republic, published a scathing column on Hobbs this week in which she wrote that the Democratic nominees refusal to debate Lake represents a new level of political malpractice.

And David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, criticized Hobbs on his podcast for what he said was a mistake in avoiding debates with Lake. He added, I think its a recognition that Kari Lake is a formidable media personality.

Democrats have also noted that when Hobbs appeared on Face the Nation directly after Lake gave an interview to Major Garrett of CBS News she spent much of the eight-minute interview on the defensive rather than prosecuting a political argument against her opponent. Democrats called it a missed opportunity to highlights Lakes slippery answers about the 2020 election.

One reason for the fraying nerves among Democrats is their widely shared view that the stakes of the governors race in Arizona are existential for the party. Democrats fear that Lake, if elected, would conspire to tilt the state back into the Republican column during the 2024 presidential election and help usher Trump back into power. Her charisma and on-camera skills make her uniquely dangerous, they say.

Hobbs Allies Push Back

Privately, while Democrats acknowledge that anxiety about the governors race is running high, they insist that Hobbs is running about as well as any Democrat could.

They note that the contest is essentially tied in polls even though Arizona is a purple state with a deep reservoir of conservative voting habits. The current Republican governor, Doug Ducey, won reelection by more than 14 percentage points in 2018. (Ducey is stepping down because of term limits.) And they say that Hobbs, unlike Lake, is aiming her pitch primarily at swing voters rather than at her partys base.

According to the Cook Political Reports Partisan Voter Index, which measures the past performance of states and congressional districts across the country, Republicans have a built-in advantage in Arizona of 2 percentage points.

Some Democrats say Hobbs has failed to campaign vigorously enough, in contrast to the seemingly omnipresent Lake. Allies of Hobbs defend her by noting she has been bopping around the state, but in something of an acknowledgment that she could do more, they say she is planning a third statewide tour as Arizonas scorching heat dissipates this fall.

Katie Hobbs has been running an incredibly strong campaign, and the fact that this race is so competitive speaks to that, said Christina Amestoy, a communications aide at the Democratic Governors Association, who dismissed the concerns as angst from the chattering class.

Amestoy noted that Hobbs was drawing support from independents and Republicans as well as from partisan Democrats a recognition, she said, that voters want substance over conspiracy theories.

With the help of the governors group, which has transferred $7 million to the Arizona Democratic Party, Hobbs has spent more than $10 million on television ads since Labor Day. She has leaned heavily on two themes: her support for law enforcement, and a portrayal of Lake as an extremist on abortion.

Several Hobbs ads show Chris Nanos, the grizzled sheriff of Pima County, in uniform. Nanos warns in one spot that Arizona law enforcement officers could be required to arrest doctors and nurses who perform abortions if Lake becomes governor. He says such a move would divert resources from fighting crime and illegal immigration.

Other ads introducing Hobbs to voters have depicted her as a down-to-earth former social worker who drove for Uber as a state lawmaker to help make ends meet, an implied contrast to Lake, whose career as a newscaster made her moderately wealthy.

The State of Play

Democrats are counting on appealing to crossover voters in the suburbs, as they did when Biden won the state in 2020. They have highlighted Lakes comments ripping Republicans who have criticized her as a cavalcade of losers and depicted her attempts to distance herself from previous hard-line remarks on abortion as duplicitous.

Hobbs might benefit, too, from the strength of Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat who is polling comfortably ahead of Blake Masters, the Republican challenger in Arizonas Senate race.

Democrats in Arizona are running a coordinated statewide campaign that allows them, in theory, to reap economies of scale, target their spending and avoid duplicative efforts on traditional campaign activities like door-knocking and turnout operations.

In contrast, Republicans in the state are in the midst of a power struggle between the fading establishment wing of the party, led by Ducey, and the emerging Trump-backed wing, spearheaded by Lake and Mark Finchem, the partys nominee for secretary of state.

In one small illustration of the infighting on the right, the Republican Governors Association has begun funneling its advertising money through the Yuma County Republican Party rather than the official state party, an unusual arrangement that speaks to the level of mutual mistrust between national Republican leaders and Kelli Ward, the chair of the state Republican Party.

That has given Democrats slightly more bang for their advertising dollar, because Republicans were paying higher rates before they made the shift to the Yuma County Republican Party.

Republicans, projecting increased confidence in Lakes eventual victory, reveled in the Democratic shirt-rending over Hobbs a welcome diversion, perhaps, from their own internal squabbles.

In a state where problems with illegal immigration and the economy are top of mind, Democrats were always going to be at a disadvantage because voters dont believe their party can adequately fix the issues, said Jesse Hunt, a spokesperson for the RGA. What Democrats couldnt plan for was Katie Hobbs self-immolation in front of a national audience.

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Democrats Worry They're Being Overshadowed in Arizona's Governor Race - Yahoo News

Democrats on Capitol Hill have suggested transferring US weapons systems in Saudi Arabia to Ukraine and suspending a planned transfer of Patriot missiles to Riyadh in the wake of what they call a turning point in Washingtons relationship with the kingdom.

Ro Khanna, a Democratic congressman from California who is a leading supporter of a weapons freeze, said he believed that at the very least Congress would move to halt the transfer of Patriot missiles to the kingdom, and probably pause other defense initiatives.

Khanna is a longtime critic of Saudi Arabia and was one of the original sponsors of a 2019 measure that received bipartisan support and would have forced the US to end military involvement in Saudi Arabias war in Yemen. That resolution was vetoed by then-president Donald Trump.

In an interview with the Guardian, Khanna said tensions had reached a boiling point that was comparable to US sentiment following the murder of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The break in the relationship followed an announcement last week that Opec+, the oil cartel, had agreed to cut oil production by 2m barrels a day over the strong objections of, and lobbying by, the administration of Joe Biden. The move was seen as both a boost to Vladimir Putin and his war effort in Ukraine, and a stunning betrayal of Saudi Arabias relationship with the US, just weeks after the president had visited Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.

I think President Biden is judicious and pragmatic by temperament but this was a real slap in his face, Khanna said. While lawmakers like him have long advocated for a tougher response to Saudi on human rights grounds, Khanna said the Opec+ move had galvanized members across Congress.

This is a second moment like Khashoggis murder. I believe it is a total miscalculation by the Saudis, he said, adding that there was still time for the kingdom to change course.

Pressed on whether Democrats were likely to move beyond rhetoric, Khanna pointed to recent comments by his colleague Robert Menendez, a Democratic senator who as chairman of the foreign relations committee said he was prepared to halt Saudi weapons sales.

At the very least, the Patriot missiles will be suspended, he said. The fact that Menendez has spoken out means that at a minimum it is going to happen.

Meanwhile, Chris Murphy, an influential Democratic senator from Connecticut, said he believed the US ought to suspend the sale of advanced air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia and repurpose these missiles to Ukraine.

For several years, the US military had deployed Patriot missile defense batteries to Saudi Arabia to help defend oil infrastructure against missile and drone attacks. These advanced air and missile defense systems should be redeployed to bolster the defenses of eastern flank Nato allies like Poland and Romania or transferred to our Ukrainian partners, Murphy said in a statement.

While physically transferring existing weapons systems in Saudi Arabia to Ukraine would not be particularly complicated logistically, experts said it could risk accusations that the Biden administration was escalating its support for Ukraine beyond levels that it considered appropriate, because the systems might require on-the-ground US personnel for support.

William Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute, said at a minimum, any such move to shift weapons would be met by serious debates within the White House and Congress. At the same time, he said, Russias continuing assault on Ukraine meant that political considerations are shifting.

Changes to planned deliveries of Patriot missiles would probably cause consternation in Saudi Arabia, but changes to delivery of spare parts and maintenance could ground large parts of the Saudi air force, he said.

Hartung said he believed the Saudis might be underestimating the impact of the sudden break in relations with Washington, given the relationship appeared to survive the Khashoggi murder. In that case, however, Trump was in the White House and steadfastly loyal to the Saudis. Hartung said he believed it was unlikely that Biden would veto a congressional resolution aimed at the kingdom, as Trump did in 2019.

Its not a done deal, but the political tides are stronger against the Saudis than they have been possibly ever, he said.

The Saudi foreign ministry this week rejected the criticism of its Opec+ decision and insisted the cartel had acted with unanimity and in its own economic interest. It also rejected any assumption that it could be forced into a policy U-turn.

The kingdom stresses that while it strives to preserve the strength of its relations with all friendly countries, it affirms its rejection of any dictates, actions, or efforts to distort its noble objectives to protect the global economy from oil market volatility, it said.

Khanna hit back at that claim.

The reality is that there is no economic case for what they are doing. This was punitive for Americans and it is aiding Putin, he said.

A spokesperson for the national security council said Opecs decision last week to align its energy policy with Russias war and against Americans underscored Bidens earlier call to set a different sort of relationship with Saudi Arabia.

We are reviewing where we are, well be watching closely over the coming weeks and months, consulting with allies, with Congress and decisions will be made in a deliberate way, the spokesperson said.

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Democrats suggest shifting weapons from Saudi Arabia to Ukraine - The Guardian US

Voters responding to a recent statement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not like what the Democratic leader had to say about her party's chances in the midterm elections when she appeared on CBS' "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" earlier this month.

"I believe that we will hold the House, and we will hold the House by winning more seats," Pelosi told liberal host Stephen Colbert during a discussion on Oct. 3 about the upcoming elections.

"We won the 40 seats, then we lost some when Trump was on the ballot. We lost some of the Trump districts, but we held enough seats to hold the House with him on the ballot. He's not on the ballot now. Oh, did I say his name? I didn't mean to," she quipped while referring to the 2018 midterm elections and the 2020 presidential election.

DEM RUNNING IN TIGHT RACE VOWS TO VOTE FOR NANCY PELOSI, BUT THEN AFTER THAT, ITS MY DISTRICT'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during a media availability at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

In a survey that played the video and allowed respondents to track their reaction in real time, 200 participants evenly split between Democrats (blue line), Republicans (red line) and independents (yellow line), had overall negative responses to Pelosi's remarks. Republicans and independents both awarded her an "F" grade, while Democrats only awarded her a "C."

According to pollster and Fox News contributor Lee Carter, who conducted the survey through her company Maslansky + Partners, many respondents felt Pelosi was saying something obvious that anyone would expect to hear from her.

NEW VIDEO SHOWS PELOSI THREATENED TO PUNCH OUT TRUMP ON JAN. 6: IM GOING TO GO TO JAIL'

"Of course she will say they will hold the House," one respondent said.

Carter explained that a large number of the respondents felt Pelosi's comments about former President Donald Trump were "nonsense and completely unnecessary."

Then-President Donald Trump speaks with reporters after disembarking Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on Sept. 26, 2019. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

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Fox News' Power Rankings predict Republicans are likely to win a majority in the House of Representatives.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

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

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WATCH: Voters react to Nancy Pelosi claiming Democrats will win midterm elections without Trump on the ballot - Fox News