MORNING MESSAGE
Texas
populist Jim Hightower will present the Democratic Party platform committee with
a Bernie Sanders-sponsored amendment to the draft platform when it meets in
Orlando this Friday and Saturday. It will read: "It is the policy of the
Democratic Party that the Trans-Pacific Partnership should not get a vote in the
lame duck session of Congress and beyond." ... The vote in Orlando will be a
big, defining vote. Who speaks for the party? A lame-duck president pushing a
trade deal that is opposed by both the presumptive nominee and her leading
opponent, or the future nominee and the vast majority of Democratic primary
voters and activists?
ENDORSEMENT TUESDAY?
AP
reports Sanders, Clinton in talks about endorsement next week: “A Democrat
familiar with the plans said Wednesday if the two sides continue to make
progress, Clinton and Sanders would appear at the joint event Tuesday in New
Hampshire.”
Shift
in Clinton’s college affordability plan precursor to endorsement. Politico:
“By leaking the plan, Clinton made a significant concession to Sanders on one of
the driving issues of his campaign … Clinton’s new proposal, the product of
weeks of negotiations between the campaigns, outlines a plan to provide free
college for families earning $125,000 or less at in-state public colleges and
universities … [She has] been willing to discuss further strengthening rules on
Wall Street banks — though she remains opposed to the re-institution of the
lapsed Glass-Steagall … One hurdle that remains — the draft of the platform
slated for final approval…”
“I
think at the end of the day, there is going to be a coming together,”
Sanders tells MSNBC.
TRUMP IN DC
Trump
meets with House and Senate GOP caucuses today. The Hill: “Several GOP
senators facing tough races said they would likely skip the Trump meeting,
offering a plethora of excuses … Those who will attend have a laundry list of
items they hope Trump will address.”
“Majority
of GOP senators to attend Trump convention” reports The Hill: “…32 Senate
Republicans plan to attend the convention in Cleveland later this month, while
15 will skip it … Only two senators facing competitive races in the fall will
attend: Rob Portman (Ohio) and Richard Burr (N.C.) …”
“
Not Rubio. W. Post: “… Rubio will not attend the Republican National Convention this month, reversing previous plans … In a statement explaining his decision, Rubio spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas cited a need to campaign at home as the main reason. She made no mention of Trump.”
“
Not Rubio. W. Post: “… Rubio will not attend the Republican National Convention this month, reversing previous plans … In a statement explaining his decision, Rubio spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas cited a need to campaign at home as the main reason. She made no mention of Trump.”
Ted
Cruz may crash. Politico: “Delegates from Colorado and Maine have begun
collecting signatures to place Cruz’s name into nomination … It remains unclear,
however, whether Cruz would accept a speaking role if his allies were to succeed
in securing one for him.”
VEEPSTAKES WATCH
Mother
Jones’ Patrick Caldwell makes the pragmatic case for VP Tim Kaine: ”
Supporters of Bernie Sanders have slammed Kaine for lacking ‘progressive
backbone’ … To those who accuse him of insufficient progressivism, he might
respond that he is, as Clinton has called herself, ‘a progressive who gets
things done.'”
Infrastructure
shutdown in NJ. NYT: “Hundreds of projects to replace bridges, resurface
roads and renovate transit stations across New Jersey will grind to a halt by
Friday night, after state lawmakers failed to reach a deal last week on raising
the gas tax. Gov. Chris Christie’s administration on Wednesday released a list
of projects that will be shut down, saying they would be postponed for at least
seven days.”
GOP DIVIDED ON GUNS, SENTENCING REFORM
House
flinches from gun vote. NYT: “House Republican leaders on Wednesday backed
away from plans to vote on a gun measure that already faced broad Democratic
opposition after their own conservative members said they would also reject it …
conservatives demonstrated once more their ability and willingness to derail
even their own majority-party’s legislation.”
Republicans
split over criminal sentencing reform. The Hill: “One obvious way [Sen.
Mitch] McConnell could help [Sen. Chuck] Grassley — and reward his allegiance in
the court fight — would be to push bipartisan legislation reforming criminal
sentencing through the Senate before Election Day. Passage of the bill, for
which Grassley is the lead sponsor, would be a huge win … The problem is that
doing so would require McConnell to face down two outspoken conservatives, Sens.
Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas).”
Progressive
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