Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Under the Hyde Amendment, federal funding for abortion has been illegal for many years, though many leading Democratic presidential contenders want to change the law. Former Vice President Joe Biden (D), at least for now, supports leaving the status quo in place, and as a result, he’s under fire from his rivals.
* New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), another White House candidate, wrote on Twitter yesterday, “[W]hen it comes to supporting American women on issues like repealing the Hyde Amendment, [Biden] is Dr. Jekyll.” I’m guessing the mayor meant Mr. Hyde?
* Speaking of Biden, his campaign was caught this week including others’ work without citation in his new climate plan, but Politico reports that other Democratic candidates have run into the same problem.
* To the delight of the NRSC, Michigan businessman John James (R) announced on Fox News this morning that he’ll run for the Senate again next year. James, an Iraq war veteran, lost by about six points to Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) last fall.
* Quinnipiac published a surprising poll out of Texas yesterday, which showed Donald Trump trailing Biden in a hypothetical match-up by four points. The president led the other top Democratic candidates, but not by much. * Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) yesterday unveiled a plan “to legalize marijuana and expunge all nonviolent criminal charges associated with it.” * Another White House candidate, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) yesterday proposed incorporating climate activism into U.S. foreign policy in direct ways, including using anti-corruption laws to target climate deniers. * And in Iowa, businesswoman Theresa Greenfield (D) kicked off her U.S. Senate campaign this week, hoping to take on incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst (R) next year. Though Greenfield has some primary rivals, Democratic leaders recruited her for this race, and this morning, the DSCC officially endorsed her.
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
