Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Joe Biden told CBS’s James Corden yesterday that he’s in the process of assembling a panel to advise him on his running mate, and the group will get to work next week. In the same interview, asked about possibly serving only one term, the former vice president said, “If one were to say that ‘I’m only going to serve four years,’ you’re immediately a lame-duck president, and everything changes.”
* On a related note, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell spoke with Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) about speculation she’s in the running for the Democratic ticket. The congresswoman, whose profile received a boost after she served as impeachment manager, said diplomatically, “I would consider it an honor, if asked, to serve my country alongside Vice President Biden.”
* Wisconsin Republicans may oppose efforts to make voting in the state easier, but city officials in Milwaukee this week approved a plan to send absentee-ballot applications to each of the city’s 300,000 registered voters.
* Donald Trump can’t hold campaign rallies during a pandemic, but Politico reports today that the president has “privately urged aides over the past week to start adding official events back to his schedule, including photo ops and site visits that would allow him to ditch Washington for a few hours.”
* The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates said this week it’s proceeding “according to schedule” with plans for four events in the fall: three for the major-party presidential candidates and one for the vice-presidential contenders. The first event is scheduled for Sept. 29 in Indiana, though the commission added that it “will continue to monitor and assess developments regarding public health and safety as debate planning proceeds.” * In New Jersey, where incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy (D) will seek a second term next year, the latest Monmouth poll shows the governor with an impressive 71% approval rating. The same results found that 79% of Garden State residents approve of Murphy’s handling of the coronavirus crisis. * Following a series of one-on-one conversations in recent weeks, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) has thrown his support behind Biden’s presidential candidacy. Of the former Democratic presidential candidates who haven’t yet endorsed Biden, the shrinking list includes Colorado’s John Hickenlooper, Montana’s Steve Bullock, and New York City’s Bill de Blasio.
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."
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