Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* If you’ve grown weary of the back-to-back presidential primary debates featuring 20 candidates, keep this in mind: only seven Democratic candidates have qualified for the next round of debates. If the final number isn’t higher than 10, there won’t be two debates on successive nights.
* Donald Trump’s next campaign rally will be held tonight in Cincinnati, Ohio. Some have already begun wondering how the president might react if his crowd starts chanting, among other things, “Send her back.”
* Hoping to capitalize on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocking all election-security measures, the Kentucky Democratic Party is reportedly launching an online store featuring “Moscow Mitch” merchandise.
* In the upcoming special election in North Carolina’s 9th congressional district, the latest Republican attack ads try to tie Dan McCready (D) to both Nancy Pelosi and Elizabeth Warren. It wasn’t long ago that Pelosi would’ve been the only one mentioned.
* Speaking of figures the right has been told to find scary, George Soros is reportedly creating a super PAC, called Democracy PAC, as a vehicle for his 2020 contributions. According to Politico, the philanthropist has already put more than $5 million into the political action committee. * In Mississippi’s gubernatorial race, which is just three months away, the latest statewide Mason-Dixon poll shows show Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) leading the Republican field with 41% support, which wouldn’t be enough to avoid a runoff. Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Bill Waller Jr. (R) was second in the poll with 31%. * And Donald Trump Jr. this week suggested Comedy Central host the next round of Democratic presidential primary debates. The cable network responded yesterday, “Nah, last time there was a joke at a debate it became president.”
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
