* With the Democratic presidential debate season just a few months away, the DNC announced yesterday that Fox News will not be among the networks hosting the party-sanctioned events.
* On a related note, Donald Trump, closely allied with Fox News, said via Twitter that he might try to block independent networks in the general-election debates. (I’m not at all sure what he thinks that would mean in practical terms.)
* Barack Obama published a Facebook piece yesterday on the Democratic presidential primaries, noting, among other things, “As this contest heats up, I’m hopeful that all our candidates and their supporters will honor the difference between a healthy competition among allies and the deployment of misinformation and baseless attacks that we’ve seen too much of in our politics. Such slash-and-burn tactics will not just divide Democrats and make it potentially harder to win in November. They also are corrosive to our democracy and will add to a cynicism that prevents us from tackling big problems.”
* In related news, Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) campaign said yesterday that the senator will not air “personal attack ads” against his Democratic rivals, though voters may see ads highlighting policy “differences.”
* With Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) poised to vote for a resolution blocking Donald Trump’s emergency declaration, there’s suddenly some grumbling about a possible primary challenge to the incumbent senator next year. * With House Democrats poised to pass their expansive voting-rights overhaul, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters yesterday he will not allow the upper chamber to consider the legislation. Asked why, the GOP leader said with a grin, “Because I get to decide what we vote on.” * And New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), who was in Iowa two weeks ago, is reportedly set to visit South Carolina this weekend, reinforcing speculation that the mayor is eyeing a 2020 presidential race.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
