Top Political News provided by The Washington Post©

• Nikki Haley joins a growing list of Trump officials who criticize Trump on their way out the door
  "Our opponents are not evil. They’re just our opponents."
• Trump appointee tapped days ago to run Interior Department’s watchdog office resigns amid controversy
  Suzanne Israel Tufts, a senior official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, resigned Friday from the federal government, according to administration officials.
• Trump appointee tapped days ago to run Interior Department’s watchdog office resigns amid controversy over handling of her hiring
  Suzanne Israel Tufts, a senior official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, resigned Friday from the federal government, according to administration officials. While HUD Secretary Ben Carson had announced a week ago that Tufts would take over as acting inspector general at Interior, officials at Interior on Thursday described that news as “100 […]
• Trump stands by praise of lawmaker who assaulted reporter, gets backing from Scalise
  Scalise, the House majority whip, has spoken out against political threats and violence after being shot by a would-be assassin last year.
• Nikki Haley joins a growing list of Trump officials who criticize Trump on their way out the door
  "Our opponents are not evil. They’re just our opponents."
• Why Republicans are never going to be successful playing the race card to win black voters
  The GOP's efforts to win black voters will likely continue to fail.
• We knew Trump wouldn’t condemn a congressman for assaulting a reporter. Now, he celebrates it.
  This comes during a week when the probable killing of another journalist has caused international outrage.
• How closely did Russian troll rhetoric mirror Trump’s? See if you can tell the difference.
  A new indictment alleges that Russian trolls used very Trumpian arguments online.
• Michael Cohen warns about the perils of not voting: six more years of ‘craziness’ from his old boss
  Last week, Cohen changed his political registration back to the Democratic Party after a brief stint as a Republican.
• A grainy video from Guatemala sparks Trump conspiracy theory
  President Trump and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) cherry-picked a video of Honduran migrants to float unfounded conspiracy theories.
• Pro-Trump group tells blacks to support GOP because ‘white Democrats will be lynching black folk’
  Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) condemned a super PAC's ad that was intended to support his reelection campaign in the state's 2nd District.
• In latest unearthed radio recordings, Rep. Jason Lewis mocks women traumatized by unwanted sexual advances
  The Minnesota congressman is facing fresh controversy from his days as a conservative talk-radio host.
• New York man charged with threatening senators over Kavanaugh vote
  Federal prosecutors say Ronald DeRisi, 74, threatened two senators over their support of the Supreme Court nominee, according to a court filing.
• Conservatives mount a whisper campaign smearing Khashoggi in defense of Trump
  A cadre of conservative House lawmakers is fueling false reports depicting the missing Saudi journalist as allied with Middle Eastern terrorists.
• In bid for House speaker, Pelosi plays to women as McCarthy seeks Trump’s nod
  Both lawmakers are moving aggressively to consolidate power and plot their first steps if their party prevails in midterm elections.
• Trump’s GOTV pitch: Democrats are paying immigrants to come vote for Democrats
  If you think that doesn't make much sense, you're right.
• Trump acknowledges Ronny Jackson might not have been qualified to lead VA
  The president’s admission came during a raucous rally in Montana, home of one of the largest shares of military veterans in the United States.
• New Order, ‘Murder’: The Week In One Song
  The Khashoggi killing roils relations with Saudi Arabia.
• Nikki Haley joins a growing list of Trump officials who criticize Trump on their way out the door
  "Our opponents are not evil. They’re just our opponents."
• At Montana rally, Trump praises congressman for assaulting reporter
  Remark on Rep. Greg Gianforte, who pleaded guilty to attacking a Guardian reporter, drew cheers from the crowd.
• This is what Saudi Arabia’s influence network in Washington looks like
  A diagram of companies and individuals that have filed as lobbyists or consultants for Saudi entities.
• At charity dinner, Nikki Haley takes jabs at Trump and other political elites
  Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Jeff Flake were among the targets of the outgoing U.N. ambassador’s jokes.
• Groups work to energize black voters in key midterm contests
  Increased turnout among African Americans, who are the Democratic Party’s most reliable voters, could make the difference in some close races.
• Rhetorical guidelines for comparisons to Trump’s celebration of the assault on a reporter
  A lot of people would like to compare Trump's comments to other scenarios. Here is a checklist to determine whether those comparisons are apt.

Roll Call©

• Both Parties Seek to Energize Base Voters on Health Issues
  Democrats are seeking to energize their core supporters by repeating Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s remark this week that Republicans hope to revive a push to overhaul the 2010 health care law. “McConnell gave us a gift,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer told MSNBC on Friday. “That’s a game-changer when he shows who he is and wants to really hurt people on health care.”
• Jason Lewis Campaign Calls Release of Talk Show Tapes a ‘Hit Job’
  Among those who weren’t surprised that old comments from Minnesota Rep. Jason Lewis’ radio talk show days were published by CNN on Friday? The freshman Republican congressman.
• Russia, China, Iran Aim to Sway Elections, Officials Warn
  The Justice Department on Friday charged a Russian woman with election interference just as top U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies warned that Russia, China, and Iran are running influence campaigns seeking to sway American voters in the 2018 midterms and the 2020 presidential campaigns. “We are concerned about ongoing campaigns by Russia, China and other foreign actors, including Iran, to undermine confidence in democratic institutions and influence public sentiment and government policies,” said the statement issued jointly by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Justice Department, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security. “These activities also may seek to influence voter perceptions and decision making in the 2018 and 2020 U.S. elections.”
• Day After Praising Assault on Reporter, Trump Attacks Democrats As ‘Angry Mob’
  A day after praising a Republican congressman for assaulting a reporter, President Donald Trump posted a video message on Twitter Friday calling Democrats an “angry mob” that is “losing it.” “We should be a unified country,” Trump said. “It will happen someday.”
• Scalise Defends Trump Joking About Gianforte Assaulting a Reporter
  House Majority Whip Steve Scalise has been on TV, Twitter and writing op-eds criticizing Democrats for inciting violence, but on Friday he defended President Donald Trump’s comments about a congressman’s assault on a reporter as simply a joke. Last year Montana Rep. Greg Gianforte body slammed Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs after the reporter tried to ask him questions about his views on a GOP health care plan. 
• New York Man Arrested for Kavanaugh Confirmation Death Threats
  A 74-year-old Long Island man has been arrested on charges of threatening to injure or kill two senators over their support of confirming Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The allegations against Ronald DeRisi are made in a filing in federal court in New York’s Eastern District.
• Ryan Zinke Violated Travel Policy, Interior Watchdog Finds
  An Interior Department watchdog found that Secretary Ryan Zinke violated federal policy when he let his family members travel with him in government vehicles, although he had reimbursed the department. A copy of the department’s inspector general report was sent to Congress and was provided to Roll Call by a congressional aide on Thursday.
• White House Press Group Chides Trump for ‘Body Slam’ Comment
  The White House Correspondents’ Association has formally criticized President Donald Trump for his comments Thursday evening in Montana promoting the physical assault of a reporter by Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte. “All Americans should recoil from the president’s praise for a violent assault on a reporter doing his Constitutionally protected job,” WHCA President Olivier Knox said in a statement issued Friday.
• Poll: Health Care a Top Issue For Midterm Voters
  A majority of individuals rank health care as a “very important” issue in determining who they plan to vote for, according to a new poll that looks at prospective voters nationally as well as in two key battleground states. Thirty percent of those polled nationally selected health care as the “most important” issue, outranking the economy, immigration, and gun policy, according to data from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.
• Report Casts Doubt on ‘Unhinged’ Duncan Hunter Ad
  A report Friday raises new doubts about Rep. Duncan Hunter’s claim that his opponent accepted contributions from an Islamic advocacy group, intensifying criticisms that the congressman has relied on a racist line of attack based on Democratic opponent Ammar Campa-Najjar’s Palestinian heritage in the final stretch of his campaign. An attack ad casts Democrat Campa-Najjar’s contributions from the Council on American-Islamic Relations as part of a “well-orchestrated plan to infiltrate Congress.”
• Lawyer With Ties to Jim Renacci Releases Unnamed Sherrod Brown Accuser’s Statement
  Lawyer Laura Mills released a statement Thursday through Ohio Republican Senate candidate Jim Renacci’s campaign providing more details on a sexual misconduct allegation against Sen. Sherrod Brown stemming from an incident in the late 1980s. The Ohio Democrat has previously called Renacci’s unsubstantiated claims of improper sexual conduct by him “desperate.”
• Mia Love to Challenger: ‘Pull Out’ of Race Over Fundraising Kerfuffle
  Utah Rep. Mia Love urged her Democratic opponent in a race that is virtually tied, per the latest polling, to drop out just 19 days before the midterm elections on Nov. 6. Naturally, her opponent, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams, declined.
• Brat to Inmates: ‘You Think You’re Having a Hard Time...’
  At a listening session with inmates recovering from substance abuse this week, Rep. Dave Brat pivoted the conversation to his own re-election race. “You think you’re having a hard time — I’ve got $5 million worth of negative ads coming at me,” the Virginia Republican said. “How do you think I’m feeling? Nothing’s easy. For anybody.”
• Messing With Texas, Midterm Edition
  Yes, the Texas Senate race between Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke gets a 72-ounce steak’s worth of attention in politics, what with Willie Nelson and President Donald Trump weighing in with their preferences and all.  But regardless of who emerges from that Texas two-step, several other races will go a long way toward determining the House majority, and whether the Lone Star State might be moving toward swing/purple status. 
• Trump Praises Gianforte for Physically Assaulting Reporter
  President Donald Trump on Thursday praised Montana Rep. Greg Gianforte for physically assaulting a reporter on the eve of a special election last year. Addressing a rally in Missoula on his third trip to Montana this year, Trump at first only alluded to the 2017 incident. “Never wrestle him,” he said after calling Gianforte onstage.
• Rosenstein Agrees to Sit for Transcribed Interview With Judiciary, Oversight Leaders
  Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has agreed to sit for a transcribed interview with leaders of the House Judiciary and Oversight committees Oct. 24, the panels’ chairmen announced Thursday evening. The announcement comes just hours after House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, an Oversight subcommittee chairman, called on Rosenstein to resign, citing his unwillingness to cooperate with the panels’ investigation.
• Rep. Mimi Walters’ Lead Within Error Margin in New GOP Poll
  A new internal poll shows California Rep. Mimi Walters with a 50 percent share of the vote, leading Democratic challenger Katie Porter by 4 points.  The incumbent’s 50-46 lead is within the poll’s +/-4.9% margin of error.
• At the Races: 19 Days Left
  Welcome to At the Races! You can keep track of House and Senate races with this weekly newsletter by subscribing here. We want to hear what you think. Email us at attheraces@cqrollcall.com with your questions, tips or candidate sightings. — Simone Pathé, Bridget Bowman and Stephanie Akin
• 5 Takeaways From Heidi Cruz’s Atlantic Interview
  In a candid interview with The Atlantic, Heidi Cruz discussed the ways her life has been shaped by the political pursuits of her husband, Sen. Ted Cruz. The Texas Republican faces a re-election challenge from Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who despite record fundraising totals, has lost momentum in the polls. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Likely Republican.
• Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez Solidifies Lead in New Jersey Race
  New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez appears to be solidifying his lead over businessman and Republican nominee Bob Hugin, according to a new Monmouth University poll that found the Democratic incumbent leading Hugin by 9 points in a standard midterm voter model. Nearly half, 49 percent, of the 527 likely New Jersey voters surveyed for the poll released Thursday favored Menendez, while Hugin captured just 40 percent support.
• EPA Aims to Triple Pace of Deregulation in Coming Year
  The Environmental Protection Agency released a plan for eliminating regulations next year that would likely dwarf its current rule-cutting pace. The agency expects to finalize approximately 30 deregulatory actions and fewer than 10 regulatory actions in fiscal 2019, according to the Trump administration’s Unified Agenda, released Tuesday.
• Analysis: Here’s Why Trump’s Budget Proposal May Cut Deeper Than Advertised
  President Donald Trump’s new push to trim the proposed budgets of all federal agencies next year could prove more draconian than it sounds, amounting to a 25 percent cut for all nondefense programs compared to the current year. Technically, the request is for 5 percent cuts across the Cabinet departments, as Trump laid out at a White House event Wednesday: “We’re going to ask every [Cabinet] secretary to cut 5 percent for next year,” Trump told reporters, presumably referring to fiscal 2020, beginning next October.
• Steven Mnuchin Pulls Out of Saudi Conference, as Pompeo Urges Caution
  Updated 11:55 a.m. | Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has decided, after consultation with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, not to attend a high-profile investors conference in Saudi Arabia, he tweeted Thursday. The announcement came amid bipartisan outrage over the kingdom’s suspected involvement in the disappearance of a dissident journalist.
• Donald Trump Once Wanted to Buy the FBI Headquarters, Now House Dems Are Asking Questions
  Key House Democrats pressed the head of the General Services Administration to provide more information Thursday about President Donald Trump’s role in the proposal to rebuild the FBI headquarters building on its current footprint on Pennsylvania Ave. “As a direct result of President Trump’s clear conflict of interest on this matter, we are now requesting information and documents to determine whether the President is making decisions about the FBI headquarters building based on what is best for the country or what is best for his own financial bottom-line,” wrote the five House members, who are all ranking members of relevant committees or subcommittees.
• Sherrod Brown: ‘Desperate’ Sexual Assault Claims Won’t Work
  Sen. Sherrod Brown summarily dismissed unsubstantiated allegations of sexual assault levied against him by his opponent in the upcoming midterms, Rep. Jim Renacci, labeling the Ohio Republican’s claims “desperate.” “Congressman Renacci’s failed and desperate campaign gets worse every day,” Brown’s campaign said in a statement, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.
• Taylor Swift Endorsement Like ‘Manna From Heaven,’ Says Tennessee Congressman
  Tennessee Rep. Jim Cooper likened Taylor Swift’s surprise endorsement to “manna from heaven” and deemed it “one of the great honors” of his life in an interview with The Associated Press Wednesday. “I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives,” the pop star wrote to her 112 million Instagram followers on Oct. 7, two days before the voter registration deadline in Tennessee. “Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values.”
• Trump — Again — Threatens to Send Military to U.S.-Mexico Border
  President Donald Trump on Thursday dusted off the cobwebs of an old proposal from April to deploy military troops along the southern U.S. border in an effort to stem illegal crossings by immigrants. “I will call up the U.S. Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!” the president threatened, if Mexico does not heed his request to stop what he termed an “onslaught” of people crossing the border into the U.S.
• Ex-HHS Secretary Price Spreads Cash Around in Georgia Races
  Tom Price’s tenure in Washington may have ended, but he’s still spending campaign cash. Price’s congressional campaign committee has disbursed $55,000 to campaigns in recent weeks, with the bulk going to candidates in his native Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
• Ohio Race Was Worth Millions to Outside Groups in August. Now? Not So Much
  The national attention showered on this summer’s special election in Ohio’s 12th District may have moved elsewhere. And the font of spending from outside groups has all but dried up. But the losing Democratic nominee Danny O’Connor has not stopped running.  That’s what Paul Beck, a longtime campaign observer, noticed when an O’Connor canvasser came knocking on the door of his Franklin County home: It was the candidate’s dad. 
• 3 Ways Congress Can Punish Saudi Arabia
  Calls are mounting on Capitol Hill from Republicans and Democrats alike to impose stiff penalties on Saudi Arabia for its suspected murder of a prominent dissident journalist, as new gruesome details were leaked by Turkish intelligence on Wednesday. The growing congressional outrage over the reported torture, beheading and dismemberment two weeks ago of Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is diametrically opposed to the signals coming from President Donald Trump, who has criticized the rush to judge the kingdom. A columnist for The Washington Post, Khashoggi was a resident of Virginia.
• House GOP Incumbents Spent Hundreds of Thousands in Legal Fees to Head Off Crises
  At least six House Republicans combined to spend more than $325,000 in campaign funds in the most recent quarter alone on legal or crisis management fees related to brewing scandals that have wended their way into the court of public opinion — and, in some cases, real courtrooms. New York Rep. Chris Collins, whom federal authorities indicted on Aug. 8 on 10 counts related to insider trading and securities fraud, shelled out $30,980.25 from his campaign account to the D.C.-based law firm BakerHostetler just three days later.
• Steve Bannon Aiming to Boost Chris Collins Re-Election Effort in New York
  Embattled New York Republican Rep. Chris Collins is reportedly going to get a boost from Steve Bannon next week. The controversial political strategist and former top adviser to President Donald Trump is scheduled to headline an Oct. 24 campaign rally at a fire station in Elma in Western New York that may not be specifically for Collins, but is designed to promote GOP candidates on the ballot there.
• Feinstein ‘Absolutely’ Supports Revisiting Kavanaugh Allegations, She Says in Debate
  California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Wednesday she “absolutely” supports reopening an investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh.  Kavanaugh was confirmed to the high court earlier this month following a heated battle over allegations that he sexually assaulted Christine Blasey Ford when they were in high school. House Democrats have said they might launch investigations into Kavanaugh should they take control of the chamber next month. 
• Blumenauer Sends Blunt Marijuana Blueprint to Democratic Leadership
  Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer, one of Congress’s most vocal marijuana proponents, sent Democratic leadership a memo Wednesday outlining steps Congress should take to legalize the Schedule I drug. “Congress is out of step with the American people and the states on cannabis,” Blumenauer wrote in the memo, citing polling showing that 69 percent of registered voters support legalizing marijuana. “We have an opportunity to correct course if Democrats win big in November.”
• Jack Reed Talks Tough on Saudi Arabia Arms Sales
  The U.S. military should stop refueling Saudi Arabian aircraft fighting in Yemen and Congress should not approve any new offensive arms sales to Riyadh, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee told reporters Wednesday. Jack Reed of Rhode Island also told a Defense Writers Group breakfast that a multinational, independent criminal probe should be launched to investigate the disappearance and alleged murder earlier this month of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was last seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
• Democrats Spin McConnell Entitlement Comments Into Political Messaging
  Democrats are spinning comments Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently made on overhauling entitlements to craft a political message that electing Republicans will lead to cuts in safety net programs.  “Sen. McConnell gave the game up in his comment yesterday,” Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said on a press call Wednesday. “It was very clear from what he said that a vote for Republican candidates in this election is a vote to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. That’s what he said.”
• Even Without Democrats, Trump Judicial Nominee Gets Some Tough Questions
  Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee didn’t make the trip back to Capitol Hill to question one of President Donald Trump’s federal appellate picks Wednesday. But that doesn’t mean she got away without some tough questions.
• 2 New Polls Tell Different Stories in Open Michigan Seat
  Two new partisan polls of the open-seat race in Michigan’s 11th District, where Republican Rep. Dave Trott is not seeking re-election, tell slightly different stories about the contest.  Polling conducted for the GOP nominee, businesswoman Lena Epstein, and the National Republican Congressional Committee showed a neck-and-neck race with the Democrat narrowly ahead and more than a quarter of voters still undecided. 
• After Debate, Trump Rips Beto O’Rourke, Endorses Former Rival Ted Cruz
  Less than a week before he heads to the Lone Star State to headline a rally for Sen. Ted Cruz, President Donald Trump is already priming his supporters by attacking Cruz’s opponent.
• Man to Plead Guilty to Sending Threatening Letters to Trump Jr., Stabenow
  A Massachusetts man is expected to plead guilty Wednesday morning in connection to sending threatening letters, some including white powder, to Donald Trump Jr., Sen. Debbie Stabenow and a congressional candidate. Daniel Frisiello planned to admit to sending six letters with white powder, and plead guilty to a total of 19 related charges, the Salem News reported last month.
• Mia Love Claims FEC Cleared Her — Others Say Not So Fast
  Utah Rep. Mia Love does not appear to be out of the woods just yet over a complaint filed with the Federal Election Commission over funds she raised for a GOP primary race she allegedly knew she would not have. That’s despite Love claiming in a statement Monday night that the FEC has cleared her of any wrongdoing after she agreed to re-designate roughly $370,000 in campaign contributions made between the GOP nominating convention in April and the June primary date, when Love did not face a Republican challenger.
• Markwayne Mullin Says He’ll Fight Avenatti
  Republican Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, a former professional mixed martial arts fighter, challenged Democratic lawyer Michael Avenatti to “meet him on the mat.” Avenatti and Donald Trump Jr. have sparred on Twitter in recent weeks over special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia investigation and Avenatti’s rumored presidential ambitions. The rivalry took a surreal turn last week, when Avenatti challenged Trump Jr. to a “three-round mixed martial arts fight” with the proceeds going to charity. 
• Trump Already Facing 2020 Foes on Campaign Trail
  President Donald Trump is getting ready for a swing through the Mountain West for campaign rallies, but he won’t be alone. Many of his potential 2020 rivals are hitting the trail themselves, serving as surrogates for Democratic candidates in 2018. Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. will find himself in Nevada on the same day as one of the president’s “Make America Great Again” spectacles Saturday, though they might as well be on different planets.
• Their Districts Are at Risk. But They Still Vote ‘No’ on Climate Action
  He lives just half a mile away from the beach in Sarasota, Florida, but Len Seligman, a local musician, has barely enjoyed the sun and sand by the waterside recently, discouraged by the stench of dead fish and other marine animals washed ashore, poisoned by toxic algal blooms. “In the last few months, there have only been a few days that it’s been tolerable,” the 63-year-old retired computer researcher said. “You just can’t breathe when the red tide is bad.”
• Saudi Lobbyists in D.C. Caught in Pompeo Pickle
  Washington lobbyists still on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s payroll amid fallout from the presumed death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are awaiting the outcome of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s trip to the region this week before making any further moves. Pompeo met Tuesday in Riyadh with Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the brash young second-in-command of the royal government, and planned to head Wednesday to Turkey where Khashoggi was last seen.
• Republicans With Fundraising Struggles Have Outside Help — For Now
  Scores of Republicans were once again outraised by their Democratic opponents in the recently concluded third quarter. And GOP outside groups now have to decide how to best allocate their finite resources with less than three weeks to go until Election Day.  The two major Republican groups that spend in House races — the National Republican Congressional Committee and the House leadership-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund — have already begun to move money to different races, as have their Democratic counterparts, in an end-of-cycle process known as “triage.”
• NewDemPAC Helps Candidates Navigate Trump, Raise Money
  With 38 endorsed candidates, the political arm of the moderate New Democrat Coalition is hoping to play a significant role helping Democrats win the House majority next month, and in doing so, grow their own business-friendly caucus.  The coalition’s political action committee, founded in 2005, got involved in races earlier than ever before this cycle — at times choosing favorites in competitive primaries. It also hired a political director for the first time and has been able to help raise more than $2 million for candidates from members and donors.
• Lindsey Graham Sees Big Election Night for Senate Republicans
  Sen. Lindsey Graham is very bullish on the chances of Republicans expanding their Senate majority on Election Day in three weeks. “We’re off to the races. Everything is breaking our way,” the South Carolina senator said Tuesday night. 
• Donald Trump Complains Saudis Are ‘Guilty Until Proven Innocent’ on Khashoggi
  President Donald Trump continued to defend the Saudi royal family on Tuesday, comparing the presumption of their responsibility for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to the treatment of Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh during his confirmation process.  
• Pelosi Not Willing to Trade Over Border Wall, Calls It Trump ‘Manhood Issue’
  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday there is nothing she would trade for President Donald Trump’s border wall, setting a hard negotiating stance in advance of an expected December showdown over the issue. “It happens to be like a manhood issue for the president, building a wall, and I’m not interested in that,” the California Democrat said during a discussion at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics. 

McClatchy©

• Mexico promises humanitarian response to caravan, but migrants break barriers anyway.
  The Mexican government assured the Trump administration it would secure its borders while prioritizing the human rights and protections for children and pregnant members of a migrant caravan heading north. … Click to Continue »
• ‘Black folk will be catching hell again.’ Ads seek to scare black voters in Missouri
  A new radio ad seeks to frighten black voters away from Sen. Claire McCaskill’s campaign by suggesting the Democrat supports lynchings. Another ad tells black voters to ask McCaskill “why … Click to Continue »
• Charges against Russian accountant unveil more 2018 Kremlin election meddling
  Federal prosecutors said Friday they thwarted a new attempt by Russia to create phony personae of American political activists and stir up trouble on divisive issues like immigration and gun … Click to Continue »
• Facing tough November, Texas Tea Party now wants to stitch the GOP back together
  Leaders of the conservative Texas tea party movement who have spent years railing against GOP moderates are now urging their supporters to get behind a full slate of Republican candidates … Click to Continue »
• No swamp here: Washington tops all states in anti-corruption ranking
  Washington state may share a name with the nation’s capital, but there’s no big swamp that needs to be drained in the Pacific Northwest — at least, according to a … Click to Continue »
• An outraised challenger could get a boost from what’s below her on the Wake ballot
  Rep. George Holding cruised to re-election in a Trump-won district in 2016. He helped craft the Republicans’ signature accomplishment in the House, a tax cut measure that the GOP credits … Click to Continue »
• Sharice Davids’ failed business still owes investors nearly $20,000 after court case
  More than two years have passed since a South Dakota judge ordered Sharice Davids’ failed coffee company to repay investors nearly $20,000, but those investors have yet to receive a … Click to Continue »
• Does Idaho need to drain the swamp? State lags in national anti-corruption ranking
  Far from the reaches of Washington, D.C., there may be another swamp in need of draining: Boise. Idaho’s anti-corruption rules are the third-worst in the country, according to a new … Click to Continue »
• Mitch McConnell is an easy target. But Dems aren’t using him as a villain.
  Mitch McConnell would seem to be such an easy target. He’s at the center of every political controversy these days, including Brett Kavanaugh’s bitterly contested confirmation. This week he gave … Click to Continue »
• Another former GOP governor of Kansas just endorsed Dem Laura Kelly over Kris Kobach
  A second former Republican governor of Kansas is spurning Kris Kobach’s run for the office in favor of Democrat Laura Kelly’s candidacy. Former Kansas Gov. Mike Hayden, who served from … Click to Continue »
• Trump rallies base with tweets on migrant caravan, threatens southern neighbors
  Steering away from economic issues that resonate with Republican voters, President Donald Trump is seizing on a caravan of migrants that is traveling north through Central America to blame Democrats … Click to Continue »
• After Trump meeting, top S.C. officials can’t say if nuclear project will survive
  South Carolina’s top elected officials came to the White House on Thursday to defend an imperiled nuclear fuel facility in their state, but left without being able to report definitively … Click to Continue »
• These veterans are questioning Amy McGrath’s military record. Here’s what she did.
  Democratic congressional candidate Amy McGrath’s military background has been one of her greatest assets in her campaign to represent Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District. It was a major feature in her … Click to Continue »
• Three secretaries of state are refereeing the election while running in the field
  In three states, the referee for the midterm elections is also on the field as a player. Elected secretaries of state in Georgia and Kansas — who in their official … Click to Continue »
• Labor union launches its biggest-ever digital ad campaign
  A major national union is launching its largest-ever digital advertising campaign less than three weeks before Election Day, hoping to provide a last-minute assist to more than two dozen labor-backed … Click to Continue »
• A midterm ‘Kavanaugh bump’? Why all sides are watching this Washington district
  Following a debate in which neither candidate committed serious goofs, the outcome of Washington state’s 8th Congressional District race — one of the nation’s most competitive — could be decided … Click to Continue »
• Young voters could decide Missouri and Kansas midterms. Will they show up?
  They’re both young, 22. Politically it would seem they share nothing in common. She is a Missouri Democrat — red-haired, a fearless environmentalist and self-described “super liberal” with LBJ, Kennedy, … Click to Continue »
• Democrats mount a Midwestern comeback
  In 2016, the Midwest lifted Donald Trump to his upset in the presidential race. Two years later, many Democrats believe this region will be the site of their greatest success … Click to Continue »
• Trump takes aim at Cuba, holds Havana responsible for Venezuelan crisis
  The White House plan to turn up the pressure on Cuba for its role in what a senior administration official on Wednesday said was its efforts to subvert democracy in … Click to Continue »
• McCaskill demands Hawley’s office investigate hidden-camera videos of her campaign
  U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s campaign is demanding Attorney General Josh Hawley open a fraud investigation into hidden-camera videos released this week by a nonprofit run by conservative activist James O’Keefe. … Click to Continue »
• Should Brian Kemp oversee his own governor’s race?
  Brian Kemp is running for governor of Georgia. But he’s currently the Georgia secretary of state, charged with making sure the gubernatorial election is fair. With a governor’s race that … Click to Continue »
• Kansas Republican and his dad spent $1.2M on his race — mostly against GOP rivals
  Kansas Republican Steve Watkins and his father have given a combined $1.24 million to boost the younger Watkins’ bid for an open seat in the U.S House of Representatives — … Click to Continue »
• More Georgia voter suppression? Atlanta-area county now under fire
  Voting authorities have discarded an unusually large number of absentee ballots in Georgia’s most diverse county as voters prepare to decide whether to elect the first black female governor ever. … Click to Continue »
• Black seniors kicked off bus going to polls because Georgia officials were ‘uncomfortable’
  Dozens of black senior citizens were asked to leave a bus that was taking them to the polls Monday in Jefferson County, GA., the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The bus was … Click to Continue »
• Congressman says ad is an ‘example of broken politics.’ It’s from a group helping him.
  An outside group linked to Republican House leadership is spending $1.4 million to boost Rep. George Holding’s re-election bid in North Carolina. But Holding is dismissing one of the group’s … Click to Continue »
• Why taking back the Senate won’t get much easier for Dems after 2018
  Beyond the Bubble 81 WASHINGTON — Democrats are the underdogs in the battle to control the Senate this year, and if they are unable to limit their losses in the … Click to Continue »
• O’Rourke and Cruz tackle the topic of civility
  Sen. Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke discussed civility during election season during their final debate. … Click to Continue »
• Texas Senate candidates O’Rourke and Cruz talk about life outside of politics during debate
  During their final debate, Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz were asked about how they spent time outside of campaign life. … Click to Continue »
• O’Rourke and Cruz debate climate change
  Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz went back and forth about their differing views on climate change and its impact on Texas businesses. … Click to Continue »
• As Lindsey Graham embraces new fame, he’s ready to hit the campaign trail for GOP
  U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is getting ready to put his renewed popularity with conservative voters to use. After receiving praise from the right for his now-viral, verbal attack on Senate … Click to Continue »

Politico©

• Kasich: ‘A pox on both houses’ for Kavanaugh confirmation process
• Avenatti stars in ‘avenging angel’ role
  For the third time this year, the attorney and 2020 presidential prospect has rolled a grenade into the Trump White House.
• The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics
  Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are hundreds of cartoons that entertain and enrage readers of all political stripes. Here’s an offering of the best of this week’s crop, picked fresh off the Toonosphere. Edited by Matt Wuerker.
• Behind the scenes as the Kavanaugh nomination hit the rocks
• Former Trump aides break their silence on Woodward book
  Rob Porter, Gary Cohn and Chris Christie are accusing the veteran journalist of creating a misleading portrait of the West Wing.
• New sexual misconduct allegations emerge against CBS boss
• Booker heading to Iowa in October
• Obama vs. Trump: The clash everyone's waited for arrives
  But on Friday, at least, the current president barely mustered a response to the blistering critique leveled against him by his predecessor.
• McCain remembered with emotional tributes and implicit rebukes of Trump
  Sen. John McCain's daughter mourns 'the passing of American greatness' at service marking the Arizonan's extraordinary life. But the memorial's tone angers some Trump allies.
• Lanny Davis burns reporters. Should they still give him a megaphone?
  None of the television networks would say whether they would continue to put Davis on air, nor would they articulate the scenarios in which they think doing do would be justified.