Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was hospitalized yesterday in Las Vegas and “underwent a significant medical procedure after a blockage was found in one of his arteries.” As NBC News’ report added, “Sanders, who is 78, has canceled all of his campaign events ‘until further notice.’”
* Buoyed by African-American support, Joe Biden leads the Democratic presidential field in South Carolina according to the latest Winthrop University poll. The former vice president has 37% support, followed by Elizabeth Warren at 17%. Bernie Sanders is third with 8%, followed by Kamala Harris at 7%.
* Speaking of the Palmetto State, some South Carolina Republicans, including former Rep. Bob Inglis, sued the state Republican Party this week “over its decision to cancel its GOP presidential primary next year.”
* As difficult as this may seem to believe, Andrew Yang, a Democratic presidential candidate running for elected office for the first time, raised $10 million in the third quarter. That’s “more than triple the $2.8 million Yang raised in the second quarter.”
* Kamala Harris, meanwhile, raised $11.6 million between July and September, which is awfully close to the $11.8 million she raised in the second quarter.
* Former Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.), whose 2020 presidential campaign has struggled to gain traction, has reportedly lost four key aides, including his state directors in Iowa and New Hampshire. * Joe Biden’s campaign released a new plan on gun policy today, which includes an assault-weapons ban. Under the blueprint, those Americans who already own assault weapons would be required to either register the weapons or sell them to the government. * Speaking of new 2020 plans, Elizabeth Warren’s campaign unveiled a new proposal this morning that would tax lobbying: “Under her proposal, companies that spend between $500,000 and $1 million a year on lobbying would pay a 35% tax on their expenditures. The rate would increase to 60% for spending of more than $1 million, and to 75% above $5 million.” * And finally, Donald Trump last week told a rather detailed story about CNN building a multi-million-dollar studio in North Carolina’s 9th congressional district, which he said the network intended to keep up “for weeks” if the Democratic candidate won in a recent special election. Like so many of the president’s bizarre anecdotes, the story was completely made up and had no basis in reality.
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
