memeorandum: Lobbyists exploit massive loophole to wine and dine lawmakers, aides at fancy getaways (Politico)

8:55 AM ET, September 22, 2024

Top Items:

Trump appeals to women in return to North Carolina without Mark Robinson, a top in-state supporter — Donald Trump returned to North Carolina on Saturday, stumping in the southern battleground state with direct appeals to women, claiming he would be a better champion for them than Vice President Kamala Harris …

Discussion: Rolling Stone, USA Today, The Hill, Politico, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, Reuters, Raw Story, UPI, NC Newsline, Vanity Fair and Florida Politics

NBC News:
Vance says allegations against Mark Robinson 'aren't necessarily reality'

Discussion: Washington Examiner, RedState and New York Times

ABC News:
Trump doesn't mention embattled GOP candidate Mark Robinson at North Carolina rally

Discussion: Mediaite, New York Times, Bloomberg, The Hill, Washington Examiner, CBS News, New York Post, Politico and NOTUS

Samantha Waldenberg / CNN:

Harris accepts CNN debate invitation for October 23, again challenging Trump to another showdown — Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday accepted an invitation from CNN to debate former President Donald Trump on October 23, challenging her rival to another engagement on a public stage in the final weeks of the campaign.

Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing / Politico:
Trump says it's ‘too late’ after Harris agrees to Oct. 23 debate on CNN

Caroline Vakil / The Hill:
Trump says ‘too late to do another’ debate after Harris accepts CNN invitation

Discussion: Raw Story and Trending Politics Conservative

Washington Post:
Trump and his campaign enter turbulent phase in final weeks

Discussion: Raw Story and Politico

Sean Woods / Rolling Stone:

Kamala Harris Is the Clear Choice for President — One candidate has spent her career as a dedicated public servant, who believes government exists to serve the people, the other has divided the nation for his own personal gain — Flo Ngala for Rolling Stone — T

Peter Baker / New York Times:
Liz Cheney Suggests a New Political Party May Be Needed

Discussion: Mediaite and The Hill

Politico:

Lobbyists exploit massive loophole to wine and dine lawmakers, aides at fancy getaways — Leading the way is the nonprofit Congressional Institute, which is run by veteran Republican staffers and funded by $3 million in annual dues from private interest groups.

Politico:

How Harris is changing the way Democrats target Latino voters — The vice president is attempting to chart a path away from identity politics. — Kamala Harris doesn't talk often about her Black and South Asian American identity. She's not talking to Latino voters about theirs either.

Fox News:

Kamala Harris plans to skip historic Al Smith dinner despite long-standing tradition — Vice President Kamala Harris will skip the historic Al Smith dinner, eschewing a decades-old campaign tradition in which presidential candidates roast each other. — Harris' campaign told event organizers Harris …

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, Breitbart, New York Post, Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion and Trending Politics Conservative

Maeve Reston / Washington Post:

Barack Obama raises $4 million for Harris at L.A. fundraiser — The former president is adopting an increasingly visible role on the campaign trail for his longtime friend: “I'm pushing, and I hope you are, too,” he tells donors. — Former president Barack Obama headlined his first solo fundraiser …

Joanne Haner / The Hill:

Over 700 high-ranking national security officials endorse Harris — Over 700 high-ranking national security officials have endorsed Democratic candidate Vice President Harris in her run for the White House, with some leaders expressing concerns about former President Trump's “scary authoritarian streak.”

Jason Easley / PoliticusUSA:

Trump Melts Down And Attacks Bill Maher And Stephanie Ruhle As Election Slips Away — More proof that Trump knows that the election is slipping away from him as he went off off on a rant about Bill Maher, Stephanie Ruhle, Bret Stephens, and The New York Times. — Trump posted on Truth Social:

Discussion: Twitchy, TMZ.com, HuffPost, New York Post, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Beast, RedState, IJR, Newsbusters, Raw Story, The Hill and Fox News

Heidi Desch / Daily Inter Lake:

Ballot error shuts down Montana online absentee voting system — When Max Himsl opened his electronic ballot on Friday, he was dismayed to see a candidate missing from the list of options. — Voting absentee electronically while living abroad, Himsl saw that under the options for president …

Gloria Pazmino / CNN:

Feds execute search warrant on new NYPD commissioner just over a week after he was appointed — Federal authorities executed a search warrant at the home of NYPD interim commissioner Thomas Donlon just over a week after he took on the position, he said in a statement Saturday night.

Discussion: HotAir, Associated Press, New York Post, New York Times, Gothamist, New York Daily News, Bloomberg and abc7NY

Democracy Docket:

Wisconsin Town Voting Machine Access Challenge — United States of America v. Town of Thornapple — Lawsuit filed by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) against the Town of Thornapple, the Town of Lawrence, town officials and the state of Wisconsin challenging the towns' decisions to ban …

Discussion: Votebeat

Carol Robinson / al.com:

Mass shooting in Birmingham's 5 Points South leaves 4 dead, dozens injured by gunfire — Gunfire erupted in Birmingham's Five Points South entertainment area Saturday night, leaving four people dead and at least 21 others injured. — Officer Truman Fitzgerald said the shooting happened …

Discussion: Bloomberg.com, New York Times, Hollywood Life, ABC7, abc7NY and Fox News

Dave Lawler / Axios:

Trump holding far fewer rallies than in past runs … - He's a known quantity. … - Rallies are expensive. … - He's older, and more inclined to spend his time at Mar-a-Lago.

Discussion: Washington Post and Alternet.org

Wall Street Journal:

Georgia Voters Are Split Over How to Strengthen Democracy — Charges against Trump in Atlanta, after his claims of fraud in 2020, make issue of ‘democracy’ more salient—but also divisive — LILBURN, Ga.—Americans in this closely divided state have heard perhaps more than others …

Discussion: Alternet.org

Sarah Jones / PoliticusUSA:

Republicans Reeling As Trump Raised Just $44.5 Million in August — In what is being described as a Friday news dump, the Trump campaign waited until the very last minute to file their FEC report about how much they raised in August, because the number isn't great.

Discussion: The Guardian and Washington Post