MORNING MESSAGE
As
for the GOP, how did it wind up in a civil war? ... Republican House members,
safely ensconced in right-leaning white districts, have become increasingly
extremist ... GOP Senate members face a more diverse electorate. ... What should
Democrats do? Should she win the presidency, there is the very real risk that
Hillary Clinton and her party will view it as a mandate to govern from the
political “center” – that is to say, from the consensus viewpoint of elites from
both parties. That would be a mistake.
TRUMP VICTIMS SPEAK OUT
Trump
bombarded with sexual assault allegations. The Atlantic: “…five women have
come forward to say that Trump sexually assaulted them, including a People
magazine reporter who published a first-person account of an alleged assault. In
a story published early Wednesday evening, The New York Times reported the
stories of two women who say that Trump assaulted them, one in the 1970s and one
in 2005.”
Some
Republicans scurry back to Trump. NYT: “They said that if Mr. Trump would
not make way for his running mate, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, to lead the party
after the release of a recording on Friday showing Mr. Trump bragging about
groping women, they had little choice but to vote for their embattled nominee.
But the collective about-face owed less to his refusal to exit a race in which
ballots are already being cast than to the fury his supporters unleashed at the
defectors at rallies and on social media.”
DEMS PREPARE ECON AGENDA
NYT’s
Thomas Edsall asks “Can the Democrats Resurrect the Middle Class?”: “With
the likelihood of major gains on Election Day rising, the most important task
facing Democrats is the development of a coherent economic agenda that addresses
issues that were central in both the Republican and Democratic primaries. There
are preliminary signs that Democrats and their allies are willing to put
together just such an agenda … including some that would be risky for Democrats,
particularly those that call for the redistribution of resources from the
party’s upscale wing to downscale voters.”
The
Nation’s Robert Borosage reminds “Inequality Is Still the Defining Issue of Our
Time”: “…Jason Furman, chair of the Council on Economic Advisors, argues
that Obama ‘narrowed the inequality gap’ more than any president in 50 years …
[But d]on’t take down the barricades. Inequality remains extreme and continues
to widen. And the populist uprisings that have roiled American politics have
clear opportunities to tackle the core problem after the election.”
STUMPF DUMPED
Stumpf
out at Wells Fargo. CNN: “…Stumpf made the decision to retire, which was
welcomed by the board … he agreed to forfeit much of his 2016 salary, including
his bonus and $41 million in stock awards … Tim Sloan, Wells Fargo’s president,
will take over as chief executive … activist group Public Citizen urged the
Department of Justice to continue probing the Wells Fargo scandal …”
NYT’s
James Stewart celebrates accountability: “Why did Mr. Stumpf’s head roll
when so many other chief executives emerged from other scandals and the
financial crisis unscathed? Unlike, say, the London Whale scandal that engulfed
JPMorgan Chase, the misconduct at Wells Fargo couldn’t be ascribed to one or a
few ‘rogue’ actors … the buck should stop with the chief executive — a simple
truth that many boards often ignore.”
BREAKFAST SIDES
“U.S.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Hit New 25-Year Low” reports WSJ: “U.S. carbon
dioxide emissions fell to a new 25-year low during the first six months of 2016,
helped in large part by power plants switching from coal to natural gas and
renewable sources of electricity … Revamped federal standards have reduced
energy consumption for everything from lightbulbs and refrigerators to
industrial motors. State-level carbon-reduction goals are also pushing companies
to make products that consume less energy, especially when in standby mode … The
U.S. Congress recently extended federal tax incentives that encourage the
development of wind and solar power, so experts predict continued gains in
renewable output for the next few years.”
The
New Yorker’s Sierra Crane-Murdoch declares Standing Rock as “New Moment for
Native-American Rights”: “When people compare Standing Rock with Wounded
Knee, they note that, at the height of the 1973 occupation, there were several
hundred protesters; now there are several thousand, owing in part to social
media. But there is another important distinction, which is that the movement
has largely committed itself to nonviolence.”
Wind
farm proposal in Searsburg divides Vermont. NYT: “Critics of commercial wind
power consider themselves every bit as environmentally conscious as the governor
[who supports. They say he is doing more harm than good by promoting
developments on the state’s ridgelines, among Vermont’s most important assets …
increasing flood risks and scarring the landscape … They also complain about
noise, lower property values and blighted views … [Gov. Peter Shumlin says] they
have to go on ridgelines because that is where the wind is. The state’s
environmental groups are with him.”
Protests
flare in Portland, OR over new police rules. Oregonian: “Tumult ensued on
the steps of Portland City Hall as police pepper-sprayed and arrested protesters
in the aftermath of an unruly demonstration Wednesday over a newly approved
contract for rank-and-file officers … The contract … ends a contentious rule
that let officers wait 48 hours to speak with internal investigators after using
deadly force … But that hasn’t satisfied opponents, who also wanted expanded
civilian oversight powers.”
Progressive
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