Think it'd be best for TX Dems to do something on this. Spoke to them already, and they said they'll be sending a release tomorrow. We can FWD from us.
On May 5, 2016, at 7:35 PM, Dillon, Lauren
> wrote:
+
On May 5, 2016, at 7:24 PM, Roberts, Kelly
> wrote:
We should re-up some of these, especially unfit to be commander-in-chief
1st on CNN trump former opponent Rick Perry tells me he will support @realDonaldTrump & do everything he can to help. More on @OutFrontCNN
Original Tweet:
RICK PERRY SAID DONALD TRUMP’S RHETORIC WAS “DAMAGING TO OUR PARTY, AND MOST IMPORTANT, DAMAGING TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”
Perry: “What Mr. Trump Is Offering Is Not Conservatism, It Is Trump-Ism – A Toxic Mix Of Demagoguery And Nonsense.” “Gov. Rick Perry today released the following statement regarding Donald Trump’s ongoing comments about Governor Perry and border security: ‘Donald Trump continues to demonstrate his fundamental misunderstanding of border security. Make no mistake – border security is a federal responsibility, but when I met with President Obama last year and it became clear he would not act, I told him if he would not secure the border, Texas would. Rather than thanking Texas for stepping into a gap it shouldn’t have to fill, Mr. Trump has made clear that he believes the states should fend for themselves on border security. Not only is this wrong, it perpetuates the same failed policies that have left our southern border porous and vulnerable. I have a message for my fellow Republicans and the independents who will be voting in the primary process: what Mr. Trump is offering is not conservatism, it is Trump-ism – a toxic mix of demagoguery and nonsense.” [Perry for President, 7/16/15
]
Perry Said Donald Trump’s Rhetoric Was “Damaging To Our Party, And Most Important, Damaging To The United States Of America.” “And I’ve been honest about our party’s shortcomings — including my own — in engaging all Americans in our conversations about the future of this nation. But we can’t do that if we’re pitting black against white against brown; rich against poor; women against men. Playing identity politics takes a page right out of the Democrats’ playbook, and we Republicans are better than that.That’s why rhetoric such as the kind employed by Donald Trump is damaging — it’s damaging to our party, and most important, damaging to the United States of America. I believe strongly that Mr. Trump’s philosophy is not conservatism, but rather a toxic mix of demagoguery and nonsense.” [Rick Perry, National Review, 7/20/15
]
Perry: Trump Does Not “Represent The Republican Party That I Represent.” “PERRY: ... competent -- well, listen, he doesn't reflect the Republican Party from my position. I mean, when he said what he said about immigrants in this country and used very inflammatory language, when he said what he said about veterans in this country and people who have gotten captured -- I don't know about anybody else. I'll speak for myself. He didn't represent the Republican Party that I represent.” [Hannity, Fox News, 7/20/15]
RICK PERRY HAS CALLED DONALD TRUMP “UNFIT TO BE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
Perry Had “No Confidence” That Donald Trump Could Adeptly Lead The Armed Forces. “As a veteran and the son of a veteran, I find Mr. Trump’s brand of vitriol particularly offensive, and I have no confidence that he could adeptly lead our nation’s armed forces. His comments over the weekend should completely and immediately disqualify him from seeking our nation’s highest office.” [Rick Perry, National Review, 7/20/15
]
Perry: Donald Trump’s Comments On Veterans “Make Him Unfit To Be Commander-In-Chief.” “Donald Trump should apologize immediately for attacking Senator McCain and all veterans who have protected and served our country. As a veteran and an American, I respect Sen. McCain because he volunteered to serve his country. I cannot say the same of Mr. Trump. His comments have reached a new low in American politics. His attack on veterans make him unfit to be Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, and he should immediately withdraw from the race for President.” [Perry for President, Press Release, 7/18/15
]
Perry Said Trump’s Comments About John McCain’s War Record Were Past Offensive To “Those Of Us Who Have Worn The Uniform Of This Country.” “PERRY: But I want to go back to this issue about saying that John McCain is not a war hero and that he doesn't like to be around people who were captured. That is offensive. I mean, it's past offensive, Sean, to those of us who have worn the uniform of this country. Sam Johnson, who I served in the Texas legislature with, spent over seven years in that POW camp. To offend those individuals -- but to offend their families and to offend those that went through this period of time, it's just -- from my perspective, Donald Trump does not have the character, nor does he have the temperament to be the commander-in-chief of our military forces. I'm just stunned.” [Hannity, Fox News, 7/20/15]
Perry: Donald Trump’s “Absurdity Reached A New Low” When He Insulted Sen. John McCain. “Mr. Trump’s absurdity reached a new low over the weekend, when he spit in the eye of every American prisoner of war, particularly Senator John McCain. But frankly, we should expect no better from a man who couldn’t be bothered to answer the call to serve his nation when it needed him most.” [Rick Perry, National Review, 7/20/15
]


The integration with HFA has moved pretty quickly on the research side. Juggling requests from two comms shops is definitely a challenge but we're excited about the work.
Additionally, we are working to integrate our media monitoring operations.
Maybe we can talk sometime soon about any potential issues you and I could see arising?
Thanks!


Begin forwarded message:
From: American Bridge Press
>
Date: May 19, 2016 at 8:58:49 PM EDT
To:
>
Subject: Donald Trump in 2006: I 'sort of hope' real estate market tanks
Reply-To: American Bridge Press
>
CNN: Donald Trump in 2006: I 'sort of hope' real estate market tanks
Two years before the housing market collapsed in 2008 and millions of Americans lost their homes, Donald Trump said he was hoping for a crash.
"I sort of hope that happens because then people like me would go in and buy," Trump said in a 2006 audiobook from Trump University, answering a question about "gloomy predictions that the real estate market is heading for a spectacular crash."
The U.S. housing bubble burst two years later, triggering the stock market crash of 2008 that plunged the U.S. economy into a deep recession, leaving millions of Americans unemployed.
Trump was speaking with Jon Ward, a marketing consultant who "masterminded all the initial education programs for Trump University," according to his website. The audiobook is available on iTunes.
"If there is a bubble burst, as they call it, you know you can make a lot of money," Trump said in the 2006 audio book, "How to Build a Fortune." "If you're in a good cash position -- which I'm in a good cash position today -- then people like me would go in and buy like crazy."
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
Few, including Trump, predicted the 2008 crash or the magnitude of the recession that would ensue.
"I'm not a believer that the interest market -- that the real estate market is going to take a big hit," Trump said in the same interview.
But Trump's comments in the audio book, a project of his Trump University -- which is currently facing three lawsuits representing thousands of former students -- underscore the challenges the billionaire and presumptive Republican nominee will increasingly face in the general election as comments from his life before politics return to haunt him.
Trump has come under fire for a slew of remarks he made before entering the presidential fray last year, from misogynistic comments about women to statements on certain issues that undercut his current policy positions.
But in beating back such criticism, Trump has sought to convince voters that, despite his multiple flirtations with running for president over the last two decades, he never planned to run for president, "Don't forget, I was never going to run for office," he has said.
Trump, who has staked his candidacy on his wealth and business acumen, has also been unabashed about prioritizing his business interests above all else -- even when it has involved helping politicians with policy positions antithetical to his own.
He defended his hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to Democrats by saying that he "got along with everybody" in order to boost his business.
Trump has also defended the bankruptcies several of his businesses have undergone, saying he has "taken advantage of the laws of this country," even as thousands of his employees lost their jobs as a result.
And he has also defended manufacturing much of his merchandise abroad, including in countries like China.
But as he launched his presidential bid last June, Trump flipped the script and struck a decisively populist tone --pledging take on very same self-interested maneuvers of businesses that he also employed -- and vowed to compel U.S. businesses to manufacture in the U.S. and slammed the influence of special interests in Washington.
This email was sent to ericmwalker@gmail.com
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American Bridge 21st Century · 455 Massachusetts Ave NW Ste. 280 · Suite 280 · Washington, DC 20001 · USA


Will This Be The Most Do-Nothing Year Of A Staunchly Unproductive Congress?
A budget, appropriations bills and legislation on Puerto Rico have all been at a standstill.
04/29/2016 02:01 pm ET
WASHINGTON - If you ask Republicans what's the most significant piece of legislation they've passed this year, you're unlikely to get a quick, definitive response.
"I'd have to give it some thought," Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) said Friday.
"I'd have to go back and look," Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) said earlier this week.
"We're changing America," Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) said with a laugh, in response to a question about Congress filling its days by renaming post offices and designating the bison as the national mammal.
Congress is so bad at passing laws, they couldn't even get that bison bill right. The Senate passed the bill in December, but because of a factual error - the Senate called Nov. 1, 2014, the second annual National Bison Day when it was the third - the House passed a brand-new bill on Tuesday, meaning this important legislation still requires further action before it goes to the president's desk.
On Thursday, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) listed a number of legislative accomplishments - a highway bill, an education bill, a customs laws rewrite - but none of those accomplishments were actually accomplished this year.
"Honestly, the big basics, the big issues, that's what this divided government will not produce," Ryan said, seeming to blame the inaction on President Barack Obama.
But a Democrat in the White House doesn't explain Congress' internal dysfunction.
Lawmakers left town Friday not having acted on legislation to help Puerto Rico, not having done a budget and not completed action on a single appropriations bill.
To date, 31 pieces of legislation
have been written into law this year, and hardly any of them would qualify as major. And with the House scheduled to be in session for just 66 more days this year
and the Senate - whose schedule is a bit more informal
- slated for a similar number, 2016 could be a historically unproductive year for Congress.
On Friday, Ryan called House Republicans together, kicked out the staff and had what aides and members called a "family discussion" on the budget and appropriations.
As Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) told The Huffington Post, Ryan was actively trying to bring the conference together to do a budget.
"In the old days, with Boehner, it would have been just a stonewall there. There would have been no dialogue," Yoho said. "Paul is like, 'We've got to fix this. We're on the same team.'"
Republicans emerged from that conference meeting with some renewed hope that they could get the votes for a budget when they return on May 10. Either way, however, it's pretty clear that Republicans will move forward with some appropriations bills when they come back.
Without a budget, the House has had to wait on bringing spending bills to the floor. But after May 15, the House is allowed to bring up appropriations legislation even if they haven't finished a budget - and from the discussion on Friday, it was clear to lawmakers that Ryan intends to do just that.
The Senate is currently working on an energy and water appropriations bill, but Republicans were unable to end debate
on the bill after a controversial Iran amendment was proposed. The bill still stands a chance of getting through when senators return - but it also could be the start of the appropriations process breaking down this year.
As for legislation to restructure Puerto Rico's debt, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) told HuffPost he was confident Congress would act before a large debt payment comes due on July 1. Bishop said the remaining issues with the bill were small and that negotiators were working through minor language issues.
"Like, do you put the words 'consideration with,' or do you not put 'consideration with' in the bill," Bishop said.
Pressed on whether that meant the Treasury Department had signed off on the legislation - which is key if Democrats are going to support the measure - Bishop clarified that, no, it hadn't yet. And pressed on whether conservatives had signed off on the bill - which could be key to getting enough Republicans - Bishop clarified that, no, they hadn't either.
Legislating ain't easy.


DAILY VIDEO UPDATE – 5/6/16
MARSHA BLACKBURN
Interview: 5/6/2016: WHBQ (FOX) - Memphis, TN reported that Rep. Marsha Blackburn says she is flattered to be considered a Vice Presidential choice but does not believe she will be the pick. [Watch
]
5/5/2016: WATE (ABC) - Knoxville, TN reported that Rep. Marsha Blackburn is urging Republicans to unify behind Donald Trump. [Watch
]
CHRIS CHRISTIE
Commentary: 5/5/2016: WNBC-NY (NBC) - New York, NY reported that Gov. Chris Christie will meet with Speaker Paul Ryan to try and persuade him to support Donald Trump. [Watch
]
BOB CORKER
Interview: 5/5/2016: WDEF (CBS) - Chattanooga, TN spoke with Sen. Bob Corker, who said it has been his plan to support the Republican nominee and looks forward to hearing about more specific plans for the future. The report said Corker dismissed talk of joining the ticket as a running mate. [Watch
]
RICK SCOTT
Interview: 5/6/2016: WBBH (NBC) - Fort Myers, FL reported that Gov. Rick Scott touted new jobs in South Florida today. Scott said he is going to finish his job as Governor before running for another office. [Watch
]
5/6/2016: Central Florida News 13 - Orlando, FL reported on Gov. Rick Scott’s use of taxpayer funds to issue radio ads criticizing California’s minimum wage increase. [Watch
]
TIM SCOTT
Commentary: 5/6/2016: WBTW (CBS) - Myrtle Beach, SC reported that a spokeswoman for Sen. Tim Scott said Scott will do what he can to help Donald Trump, but is mostly focused on his own re-election. [Watch
]
DONALD TRUMP
Commentary: 5/5/2016: Central Florida News 13 - Orlando, FL reported on the backlash to Donald Trump’s Cinco de Mayo tweet. [Watch
]
5/5/2016: WBNS-CBO (CBS) - Columbus, OH reported that the Republican Party is in crisis and that Republican donors are reluctant to donate to Donald Trump. [Watch
]
5/6/2016; KOIN-POR (CBS) - Portland, OR reported on Donald Trump campaigning in Oregon tonight. [Watch
]
5/6/2016: KTVL (CBS) - Medford, OR reported on Donald Trump campaigning in Oregon tonight. [Watch
]
5/6/2016: Bay News 9 - Tampa Bay, FL reported on Rep. Paul Ryan saying he is not ready to support Donald Trump and who Trump’s team is considering for Vice President. [Watch
]
5/6/2016: WPLG (ABC) - Miami, FL reported on resistance to Donald Trump within the Party that he now leads as the presumptive nominee. [Watch
]
Tracking: DONALD TRUMP: 05/06/2016, 10:00 PM: Rally Lane Event Center 796 W 13th Ave, Eugene, OR [OPB] [Tracker scheduled]
DONALD TRUMP: 05/06/2016, 5:00 PM: Rally in Omaha Werner Enterprises Hangar 3619 Doolittle Plaza, Omaha, NE [Trump Campaign] [Tracked]
DONALD TRUMP: 05/07/2016, Rally Spokane, WA [seattletimes.com] [Tracker scheduled]
DONALD TRUMP: 05/07/2016, Rally Near Vancouver, WA [seattletimes.com] [Tracker scheduled]


Hi Team: I booked a weekly segment on “The Morning Briefing” of SIRIUSXM’s POTUS Channel. It will occur every Wednesday at 8:20AM EST and will run 7-8 minutes. We can shape this segment to be what we want it to be. Some options to consider:
*   Push oppo…craft a weekly hit job that Research and Comms agree on. This will require a process that makes sense…like agreeing on an oppo point in the Friday week ahead; locking in consensus with show producers on Monday morning; pulling the research on Monday afternoon; synthesizing toplines and briefing on Tuesday; and amplifting the segment on Weds (factivist, social?).
*   Reward/empower state parties…perhaps by booking a different state party talker every week to lend their local perspective on a national topic that relates to the general. This will require less process on our end as it will be up to State Party teams to deliver our TPs via a local perspectives.
*   Assign the segment to a specific DNC talker. SIRIUS feels that this option works best to curate an audience through a familiar voice they associate with our DNC brand. Given the ongoing nature of the POTUS Radio team’s commitment, if we go this way, we should assign the segment to someone who will never have another booking obligation in the 8:20AM EST slot. This, in effect, would be their show, their audience to build like Donna does on CNN.
Happy to discuss at tomorrow’s Week Ahead, but those are my thoughts. I’m negotiating similar segment cycles with SIRIUS’s “Urban” (topic: voting rights) and “Progress” (audiences: gay, afam), and will continue to expand as I connect with the rest of their producers next week.
To wit — Think of this as an opportunity to build the election’s finest broadcast messaging specialists around inter-departmental briefing processes that make sense. Here to help!
Pablo
Pablo Manriquez
Democratic National Committee
Phone: 202.572.5488
Email: pablo@dnc.org
web: democrats.org
Twitter: @Pablo_DNC


Tucker Carlson just had a good line “it’s understandable to be appalled by Trump"
From: TJ Helmstetter
>
Date: Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 9:55 PM
To: TJ Helmstetter
>, Comm_D
>
Subject: Re: Video request: Fox News
Megyn kelly just said “you can’t win the presidency when 72% of women oppose you” - we should clip this and put on twitter right now
From: TJ Helmstetter
>
Date: Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 9:50 PM
To: Comm_D
>
Subject: Video request: Fox News
Donald Trump Jr was just on


I've standardized the brief. Ryan will send to you mark to update.
On May 2, 2016, at 12:00 PM, "hrtsleeve@gmail.com
"
> wrote:
Thanks but can you please put together a full briefing that has who I'm meeting with for the OTR, topics I can expect, the talking points attached and what we normally include in these briefings? I need the same for all press briefings.
DWS
On May 2, 2016, at 11:42 AM, Paustenbach, Mark
> wrote:
Apologies, I sent the wrong ones. See here.


On the record, the suggestion there’s anything unusual about our joint victory funds has no basis in the law or reality, as recognized by numerous independent experts that have looked at this. Their claims are wrong. Period.
The fact is both campaigns signed on to similar agreements. While only one campaign is currently using their joint victory fund we encourage both of our campaigns to identify opportunities to support the national and state Democratic parties now so that we can continue to build the infrastructure to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot in November.
On background,
take a look at what the Election Law Blog posted: “it is hard to see what provision of the law” is at issue. As the blog points out, “legally” the criticism of the fund “seems weak.”
Also on background, their math is wrong. While money has obviously been spent for fundraising costs (which is absolutely necessary in order to raise the 60 million dollars they keep referencing) there are millions of dollars still sitting in HVF that are allocated to the DNC and the state parties, and that will therefore be transferred to the DNC and the state parties. They have not yet been distributed because the point of the party portion of HVF is to raise money to fund the general election.
The math is also wrong on the Politico story for the same reason. Their claim that state parties only get to keep 1 percent of all the money being raised is incorrect and comparing apples and oranges. They reference the total amount of money that has been raised, but of that, many millions have been raised for state parties and just haven’t been distributed to them yet (nor has it gone to the DNC or anywhere else). Because this is money for the general election, and coordinated campaigns are just now starting to be built at state parties, it is perfectly understandable that not all of that money that will eventually go to state parties would have been distributed yet.
Happy to discuss at greater length.
[SigDems]
Luis Miranda, Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8148 – MirandaL@dnc.org
- @MiraLuisDC
From: Kumar, Anita
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2016 6:02 PM
To: Paustenbach, Mark
Cc: Miranda, Luis
Subject: Re: joint victory fund
It's been out since 7 am. Sanders is asking for a correction.

On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 5:57 PM, Paustenbach, Mark
> wrote:
Thanks, Anita, for reaching out. When are you writing for?
Mark Paustenbach
National Press Secretary &
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
W: 202.863.8148
paustenbachm@dnc.org
From: Kumar, Anita [mailto:akumar@mcclatchydc.com
]
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2016 5:36 PM
To: Miranda, Luis; Paustenbach, Mark
Subject: joint victory fund
Sanders campaigns says:
"In fact we can see from her FEC-tracked disbursements exactly where the remaining money has gone. It has gone straight to advertisements and direct mail campaigns for Hillary. The money can't eventually go to the DNC and state parties because it has already been spent."
[Image removed by sender.]
--
Anita Kumar
White House Correspondent
McClatchy Newspapers
202-383-6017
(office)
202-304-9868
(cell)
akumar@mcclatchydc.com
Twitter: @anitakumar01
--
Anita Kumar
White House Correspondent
McClatchy Newspapers
202-383-6017 (office)
202-304-9868 (cell)
akumar@mcclatchydc.com
Twitter: @anitakumar01


Two items:
We had JFA' s with Kerry in 2004.
Funds are going to the DNC now to build tools for the fall, etc., but there will be a point when funds will stay in the states to fund coordinated campaigns.
From: Miranda, Luis
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2016 3:12 PM
To: Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Brad Marshall; Lindsey Reynolds; Dacey, Amy; Tracie Pough
Cc: Kate Houghton; Paustenbach, Mark; Banfill, Ryan; Graham Wilson
Subject: Money Laundering DRAFT Response
Here's a draft quote and background points to use in pushing back on the Sanders claim that we're using the HVF for "money laundering." Thoughts?
Quote:
"The suggestion there's anything unusual about our joint victory funds has no basis in the law or reality. Independent experts like the Election Law Blog
have noted that from a legal perspective, the criticisms are 'weak,' and both campaigns signed on to similar agreements. While only one campaign is currently using their joint victory fund, we encourage both of our campaigns to identify opportunities to support the national and state Democratic parties now so that we can continue to build the infrastructure to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot in November." - DNC Communications Director
On Background:
*         The money raised by the joint victory funds, even when the money goes to the DNC, still helps state parties. The funds help strengthen, for example, our national voter file and communications, research and digital support for state parties and down ballot candidates. That includes training across a variety of areas, for example, and access to media monitoring and rapid response support. This is helping the Party right NOW build the infrastructure we need for the general election.
*         Rick Hasen, an influential academic on campaign finance, posted an analysis on the Election Law Blog that addressed this issue. Hasen states in the article that "it is hard to see what provision of the law" is at issue. As the blog points out, "legally" the criticism of the fund "seems weak."
*         We welcome any effort by our candidates to help raise money for the DNC and state parties.
*         Similar agreements were set up with both the Clinton campaign and the Sanders campaign early in the cycle, precisely because of the urgency to build a strong national infrastructure now that will help elect Democrats up and down the ballot in November. The Sanders campaign has not used theirs.
*         These arrangements are not new or unusual. Similar joint fundraising committees were established with our Democratic candidate in both 2008 and 2012. And again, both campaigns have signed on and have the option of using joint victory funds.
*         And let's be clear, neither the DNC nor state parties are subsidizing fundraising through these committees for either campaign. For whatever each campaign raises under the agreement that then goes to their campaign, that campaign pays a directly proportional amount for the cost of that fundraising.
[SigDems]
Luis Miranda, Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8148 - MirandaL@dnc.org
- @MiraLuisDC


Hi all,
We are pulling down the 1pm meeting today.
Thanks,
Colby Moore
Executive Assistant to the National Political Director
Democratic National Committee
O: (202) 488-5044
C: (704) 430-7163
MooreC@dnc.org
[footer-d (2)]


Doing a social version as well?
From: Dillon, Lauren
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 5:04 PM
To: Christopher, Rebecca; Video-Vetting_d
Subject: RE: New video: Trump taxes
Looks good to me
From: Christopher, Rebecca
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 4:36 PM
To: Video-Vetting_d
Subject: New video: Trump taxes
Hi everyone,
Attached is a script for the video we're making for Comms to release tomorrow AM - it goes through Trump's evolution on the subject of releasing his taxes returns and ends with calling on him to release 'em. Let me know if this looks good or if you have any flags and thank you thank you!


Yes, one of us will be there. We assume we don't need to register press, is ASDC doing the advising and press registration, etc?
[SigDems]
Luis Miranda, Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8148 - MirandaL@dnc.org
- @MiraLuisDC
From: Wartel, Jonae
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 4:32 PM
To: Miranda, Luis
Cc: Walker, Eric; Palermo, Rachel
Subject: Philly meeting Press?
Hi Luis-
Checking in. Will there be any press staff traveling to Philly with the Chair?
Thanks,
Jonae
Jonae Wartel
Executive Director
Association of State Democratic Chairs
E: wartelj@dnc.org
C: 770.653.9789
O: 202.479.5104
T: JonaeASDC
[ASDC Logo]


What about vp/cabinet speculation? He's not picking until convention and there are some senators open to him, none have said absolutely not to endorsing him right, so like a let's make a deal gimmick would be fun
On May 6, 2016, at 9:53 AM, Paustenbach, Mark
> wrote:
Assume Trump will also be meeting with other Members of Congress.
We should tee something up now; please reply with suggestions.
May be another chance to highlight Senators who want Trump to pick the next SCOTUS nominee.
Mark Paustenbach
National Press Secretary &
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202.863.8148
paustenbachm@dnc.org
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Lykins, Tyler"
>
Date: May 6, 2016 at 8:32:25 AM EDT
To: Comm_D
>
Subject: Event: Reince says Trump and Ryan to meet next week
Unsure if this went around
RNC head says Trump, Ryan to meet next week
Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus said Thursday that presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan would meet next week in an effort to clear the air after Ryan said he was "just not ready" to back Trump in the general election this fall.
"I think it's going to work out," Priebus told Fox News' Sean Hannity. "In some cases people are not going to be instantly on board, and I now that can be frustrating for some people. But i think everyone has to ... allow a little bit of the steam to get out and get everybody settled down. And I think this is going to come together."
Priebus spoke hours after Ryan confirmed CNN that he was "just not ready" to support or endorse Trump. The Wisconsin Republican suggested that he wants the real estate mogul to do more to unify the party first, but added that he hoped to support Trump.
Trump fired back in a statement, saying, "I am not ready to support Speaker Ryan's agenda."
"Perhaps in the future we can work together and come to an agreement about what is best for the American people," the statement continued. "They have been treated so badly for so long that it is about time for politicians to put them first!"
Preibus told Hannity he had spoken to both Trump and Ryan Thursday and said both men were "committed to sitting down and actually talking this out."
Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton’s campaign also has been eager to point out any rifts in the party, and quickly blasted out a message claiming Ryan had joined the “growing list of conservatives rebuking Trump."
Also Thursday, the Associated Press reported that Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner will not endorse Trump in the general election and will not attend the convention. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who is expected to face a tough re-election fight against Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, has said he is also skipping the convention.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican chief executive in a traditionally Democratic state, declined again Thursday to endorse a GOP candidate, despite the departures this week of Ted Cruz and John Kasich that left Trump the last man standing.
"I said I was not going to get involved, and I would not endorse any candidate and that I was going to stay focused on Maryland," Hogan told reporters, according to The Washington Post. "And I’m not going to take any more stupid questions about Donald Trump."
By contrast, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who endorsed Cruz ahead of this week's primary, has said he will back Trump, telling TV station WTHI "I look forward to supporting our presumptive nominee. I think Donald Trump will do very well in the Hoosier State."
Fox News confirmed Thursday that 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney – a vocal Trump critic -- has no plans to attend the convention, while former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush both have confirmed they will not attend either. A source close to former Senator and 1996 Republican nominee Bob Dole said he would “briefly” attend the convention but primarily to attend a lunch hosted by his law firm.
"This was a very contentious primary," Priebus said. "I think it's going to take a little bit of time, but I think for the most part this is going to come together. Maybe not 100 percent, but i think we're going to get very close to that and i think people will fall in line."


Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Democratic Party of New Mexico Press Liaison
>
Date: May 21, 2016 at 8:36:43 AM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: DPNM Releases Statement Ahead of New Mexico GOP State Convention
[Inline image 1]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05/21/2016
Contact: Felicia Salazar
Phone: (505)
750-2585
DPNM Releases Statement Ahead of New Mexico GOP State Convention
Albuquerque, N.M. – The Democratic Party of New Mexico (DPNM) released the following statement ahead of the New Mexico GOP State Convention:
“The New Mexico GOP severely mismanaged the logistics for news outlets for their state convention, which is an indication that their organization does not value the importance the press plays in our election process. On top of that, the fact that the New Mexico GOP endorsed Donald Trump for president, and their highest ranking Republican official, Governor Susana Martinez, has refused to endorse Trump, exemplifies chaos in the Republican Party, in our state, and across the country.
“Make no mistake, the New Mexico GOP will work to elect Trump as the next United States President, which shows a vehement disregard for the interests of our communities. As we move forward in this election, we can expect to see Republican candidates up and down the ballot taking on Trump’s harmful positions toward Hispanic communities, women, and our international allies.”
[
Over the past two weeks the New Mexico GOP has made headlines for restricting press access to their convention—initially announcing a $100 fee for reporters and then retracting the fee after backlash from New Mexico’s press community. And just this week, New Mexico GOP announced that press would not be allowed at their event and later retracted the statement after Sandia Pueblo approved press coverage on their property.
###


Sadie,
I would love to speak with you further, and to include her campaign in our press outreach. Are you available this afternoon to talk?
Best,
Deshundra
From: Sadie Weiner
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2016 11:06 AM
To: Miranda, Luis; Jefferson, Deshundra
Subject: RE: Updated Voting Rights Plan
Thanks, Luis. This all sounds good. The most important thing from my perspective is that Ann Kirkpatrick gets included in press on this. If there are reporters writing, please let me know so we can pitch them an interview with Ann for their story to help raise the profile of her race.
From: Miranda, Luis
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2016 5:03 PM
To: Sadie Weiner
>; Jefferson, Deshundra
>
Subject: FW: Updated Voting Rights Plan
Importance: High
Hi Sadie, we're fleshing out the next stage of our Arizona lawsuit earned media plan and want to get on the same page with you. See our draft below. What do you guys have on tap? Shall we merge them? Deshundra Jefferson, copied here, is coordinating for us.
[SigDems]
Luis Miranda, Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8148 - MirandaL@dnc.org
- @MiraLuisDC
From: Jefferson, Deshundra
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2016 12:20 PM
To: Miranda, Luis
Subject: Updated Voting Rights Plan
Importance: High
Arizona Lawsuit - Communications Plan
Launch - Thursday April 14, 2016
Working with the DSCC, we placed a story in The Washington Post announcing the lawsuit on April 14, and published a Medium post from DNC CEO Amy Dacey on why we were filing suit. The initial roll out generated well over 100 earned media mentions. Among our most prominent placements: CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Politico, AP, Reuters, The Guardian, and The Nation.
National Surrogates: Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Graham Wilson and/or Bob Bauer, Donna Brazile, Barbara Arnwine, Pratt Wiley, Luis Miranda. We also need a strong, national Hispanic surrogate.
Arizona Surrogates: Rep. Ruben Gallego, Rep. Raul Grijalva, and Arizona Democratic Party Executive Director Sheila Healy. Reverend Benjamin Thomas, Sr., Chairman of the Arizona Commission of African-American Affairs and Cloves Campbell, the Executive Director of the Arizona Commission of African-American Affairs are possible surrogates.
Native American Surrogates: Stephen Lewis (Gila River), President Russell Begaye (Navajo), Lisa Blackhorse (AZ Native American Caucus), Peterson Za (Navajo), Delia Carlyle (Ak-Chin), Chairman Terry Rambler (San Carlos)
Week of April 25
The DGA may decide to sign on to the lawsuit; if so, we will issue a press release and pitch to the story to national and Arizona reporters
Place the Chair's op-ed in The Arizona Republic
Work with Donna Brazile on writing an op-ed for CNN.com
Pitch an investigate piece on the modern fight for voting rights to Ebony, the largest African-American magazine
Week of May 2
Contact The Arizona Republic to set up an editorial board meeting with Sheila Healy
Contact USA Today and The Washington Post (which owns The Arizona Republic) to set up editorial board meetings
Week of May 9
Editorial board meetings with USA Today and The Washington Post
Set up legal briefings with key allies and reporters who cover voting rights: Jesse Wegman from The New York Times, Patrick Caldwell from Mother Jones, Ari Berman from The Nation, Michael Waldman from the Brennan Center, Tierney Sneed from TPM, Alice Ollstein from ThinkProgress
Draft op-eds for Native American leaders
Draft an op-ed for the Arizona Informant
Week of May 16
It's been roughly a month since the lawsuit was filed, and we should issue a release with a "countdown" to the election calling on the Courts to move forward with the lawsuit given how close we are to the November election.
Submit an op-ed to Univision.com from our national Hispanic surrogate calling for an immediate need to move the case forward
Book Rep. Raul Grijalva on Univision 33 (local Phoenix affiliate) and Telemundo 39 (also local Pheonix affiliate) to discuss the status of the lawsuit.
Book an interview for Barbara Arnwine with MSNBC's Al Sharpton
Book radio interviews for Barbara Arnwine with Roland Martin
Place an op-ed in The Arizona Informant on behalf of our local African-American surrogates
Place op-eds in local Native American media outlets: Indian Country Today, and Navajo Times
Book radio interviews for our Native American surrogates on KTNN Radio
Do a Thursday or Friday press round-up with all of our hits
Week of May 23
Continue efforts from the previous weeks with more radio and TV bookings.
Book Rep. Raul Grijalva on Spanish-language public affairs shows, such as Horizonte with José Cárdenas (PBS).
Book an interview for Barbara Arnwine with NewsOne's Roland Martin
Book radio interviews for Barbara Arnwine with Tavis Smiley and Tom Joyner
Place op-eds in local Native American media outlets: Navajo Hopi Observer, Ak-Chin O'odham Newspaper
Week of May 30
Possible op-ed tying the right to vote to the Independence Day holiday. The theme should be citizenship, and how our most fundamental right is under attack.
Week of June 6
Set up a second round of legal briefings with key allies and reporters who cover voting rights: Jesse Wegman from The New York Times, Patrick Caldwell from Mother Jones, Ari Berman from The Nation, Michael Waldman from the Brennan Center, Tierney Sneed from TPM, Alice Ollstein from ThinkProgress
Draft op-eds for La Opinion and Prensa Hispana de Phoenix
Week of June 13
It's been roughly two months since the lawsuit has been filed, and depending on the status of the case we should do another "countdown" release.
Book our top Spanish-language surrogates for an one-one-one interview with Jorge Ramos on "Noticiero Univision" and/or "Al Punto." José Díaz-Balart and María Celeste Arrarás are Telemundo's top anchors, and we should book one-on-one interviews with either one of them.
Submit a joint op-ed from Reps. Ruben Gallego and Raul Grijalva in local/regional press (La Opinion and Prensa Hispana de Phoenix) calling on the court to take immediate steps to move the case forward.
Book Sheila Healy from the Arizona Democratic Party for English language press, such as Arizona Horizon (PBS).
Book Rep. Raul Grijalva on La Onda AM 1190 - a radio station that lots of working class folks listen to. AZ Dems have already been on this station, and have a good working relationship with them.
Do a Thursday or Friday press round-up with all of our hits
[SigDems]
Deshundra Jefferson, Southern Regional Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
JeffersonD@dnc.org
| (202) 863-8112


"I haven't quite recovered — it's early in the morning — from her shouting that message," Trump said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" when asked about Clinton bringing up his comments on the "woman card." "And I know a lot of people would say you can't say that about a woman, because of course a woman doesn't shout. But the way she shouted that message was not — that's the way she said it, and I guess I'll have to get used to a lot of that over the next four or five months."
Mark Paustenbach
National Press Secretary &
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202.863.8148
paustenbachm@dnc.org


DAILY VIDEO UPDATE – 5/4/16
HIGHLIGHTS
05/04/2016: Bay News 9 - Tampa Bay, FL discussed with Republican strategist Chris Ingraham the suspension of Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich’s campaign and Donald Trump’s emergence as the presumptive nominee. Ingraham said Trump’s passed statements will be used against him in the general election and he will need to “endear himself” to communities of Americans he has insulted. Ingraham also said Trump would lose in an election about policy and process but would win in an election about personality. [Watch
]
5/4/2016: WGRZ (NBC) – Buffalo, NY spoke with Carl Paladino about Donald Trump’s win in Indiana and Sen. Ted Cruz dropping out of the race. Paladino said that America wants change and “they need a strong man to effectuate that change.” [Watch
]
CHRIS CHRISTIE
Commentary: 5/3/2016: WPIX (CW) – New York, NY reported on a federal lawsuit being brought against New Jersey’s largest school district claiming that the school district deliberately exposed children to harmful levels of lead. Gov. Chris Christie was named a defendant in the suit. [Watch
]
5/3/2016: WFMZ (MeTV) – Philadelphia, PA reported on Gov. Chris Christie’s plan that will require all of the state’s public schools to test their water for lead starting next year. [Watch
]
TED CRUZ
Commentary: 5/3/2016: WBZ (CBS) – Boston, MA discussed Donald Trump’s accusation that Rafael Cruz was involved with the JFK assassination. [Watch
]
5/3/2016: KWQC (NBC) - Davenport, IA reported that Sen. Ted Cruz suspended his campaign after losing Indiana to Donald Trump. While turning around to hug his father he accidently hit his wife Heidi twice and this video has gone viral. [Watch
]
Tracking: TED CRUZ: 05/03/2016, 7:00 PM: Election Night Watch Party Crowne Plaza Hotel - Downtown Union Station (Grand Ballroom) 123 W Louisiana St, Indianapolis, IN [FOX59] [Tracked]
JOHN KASICH
Commentary: 5/4/2016: WHO (NBC) - Des Moines, IA reported that Gov. John Kasich is suspending his campaign. [Watch
]
RICK SCOTT
Commentary: 05/04/2016: WPEC (CBS) - West Palm Beach, FL reported that Gov. Rick Scott is being floated as a potential running mate for Donald Trump, even though he has one of the lowest approval ratings of any governor in the country. [Watch
]
DONALD TRUMP
Commentary: 5/3/2016: WBZ (CBS) – Boston, MA discussed Donald Trump’s accusation that Rafael Cruz was involved with the JFK assassination. [Watch
]
5/3/2016: KMGH (ABC) - Denver, CO reported that Donald Trump has officially knocked Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich out of the race and has his sights set on the White House. [Watch
]
5/4/2016: WGRZ (NBC) – Buffalo, NY spoke with Carl Paladino about Donald Trump’s win in Indiana and Sen. Ted Cruz dropping out of the race. Paladino said that America wants change and “they need a strong man to effectuate that change.” [Watch
]
05/04/2016: Bay News 9 - Tampa Bay, FL discussed with Republican strategist Chris Ingraham the suspension of Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. John Kasich’s campaign and Donald Trump’s emergence as the presumptive nominee. Ingraham said Trump’s passed statements will be used against him in the general election and he will need to “endear himself” to communities of Americans he has insulted. Ingraham also said Trump would lose in an election about policy and process but would win in an election about personality. [Watch
]
05/04/2016: WZTV (FOX) - Nashville, TN interviewed Donald Trump surrogate Scottie Hughes, who said Trump will likely start taking advantage of the continuing Democratic primary by focusing attention on the general election earlier than the Democratic nominee. Hughes also said Tennessee Republicans will start getting in line behind Trump. [Watch
]
05/04/2016: WBRZ (ABC) - Baton Rouge, LA reported that Baton Rouge did not put in a bid to bring the Miss Universe pageant back to the city this year after Donald Trump’s controversial comments and association with the event caused major sponsors to pull out and cost the city money. [Watch
]
5/4/2016: KVIA (ABC) - El Paso, TX reported on Donald Trump being the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party. [Watch
]
Tracking: DONALD TRUMP: 05/03/2016, Election Night Event Trump Tower 725 5th Ave, New York, NY [@katieglueck] [Not tracked]
DONALD TRUMP: 05/05/2016, 7:00 PM: Donald J. Trump for President Rally Charleston Civic Center 200 Civic Center Drive, Charleston, WV [Trump's Website]
DONALD TRUMP: 05/06/2016, 10:00 PM: Rally Lane Event Center 796 W 13th Ave, Eugene, OR [OPB]


From: Melissa Miller  On Behalf Of Melissa Miller
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 4:22 PM
To: Wei, Shu-Yen
Subject: RELEASE: Kelly Ayotte’s Supreme Court Obstruction Stretches into Third Month
View this email in your browser
[Image removed by sender.]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2016
Contact: mmiller@nhdp.org
RELEASE: Kelly Ayotte’s Supreme Court Obstruction Stretches into Third Month
Concord, N.H. -- Today is the two month anniversary of Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court, meaning that Kelly Ayotte’s obstruction of the Supreme Court confirmation process has now stretched into its third month. That means for two months, Kelly Ayotte has stood on the side of her party bosses and special interest backers and against the wishes of the people of New Hampshire and doing her Constitutional Duty.
Granite Staters have made it clear that they disagree with Ayotte's partisan blockade. They’ve written letters
, held protests
, and answered poll
calls with one message: #DoYourJob.
You can follow along with her obstruction in real time at
“Kelly Ayotte is still standing firmly on the side of her party bosses against the wishes of the people of New Hampshire and her constitutional duty two full months after Merrick Garland’s nomination and has shown no sign of relenting anytime soon,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley. “Granite Staters deserve a Senator who will put people before politics and actually do her job.”
###
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Paid for by the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
www.nhdp.org.


>>"We're in this race to California, and we're proud of the campaign we ran."
#ixzz46lyOeSdn
Mark Paustenbach
National Press Secretary &
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202.863.8148
paustenbachm@dnc.org


Edits below
From: Wei, Shu-Yen
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2016 7:06 PM
To: Walker, Eric; Miranda, Luis; Paustenbach, Mark; Miranda, Luis; Walsh, Tom
Cc: Helmstetter, TJ
Subject: RE: For Comms Approval: Weinberg statement on Christie as Transition Chair
Adding tom
From: Wei, Shu-Yen
Sent: Monday, May 09, 2016 6:03 PM
To: Walker, Eric; Miranda, Luis; Paustenbach, Mark; Miranda, Luis
Cc: Helmstetter, TJ
Subject: For Comms Approval: Weinberg statement on Christie as Transition Chair
Ok, new plan, Sen. Weinberg was uncomfortable with calling on Christie to resign this time, so new statement.
For Immediate Release
May 9, 2016
Senate Majority Leader Weinberg Issues Statement on Governor Christie's Elevated Role in the Donald Trump Campaign
Trenton- Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg released the following statement in response to the announcement that Governor Christie would serve as transition chair in a hypothetical Trump administration:
"Despite suspending his failed presidential campaign, it appears that our governor will continue to travel around the country at the expense of New Jersey taxpayers focused on anything and everything but the job he was actually elected to do. I am calling on Governor Christie to disclose how much his travel will cost our state. Not only is he currently drawing a taxpayer salary for a job he does not do, he has the audacity to make us to foot the bill for his self-serving political agenda."
###


Outgoing call to Malasky, Mitch (Other)
Duration: 33 Seconds
Microsoft Lync


Pablo, please handle.
[SigDems]
Luis Miranda, Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8148 – MirandaL@dnc.org
- @MiraLuisDC
From: Price, Jenna
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2016 9:59 AM
To: DNC Press; Miranda, Luis; Paustenbach, Mark
Subject: RE: Univision request on voter registration
Bumping this again. The reporter called again and her deadline is today. Thanks!
From: DNC Press
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2016 10:59 AM
To: Miranda, Luis; Paustenbach, Mark
Subject: FW: Univision request on voter registration
FYI-
From: Milli Legrain
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2016 10:58 AM
To: DNC Press
Subject: Univision request on voter registration
Hello,
I´m a freelancer for the Hispanic media group Univisión.
I´m doing a piece on increased voter registration among Hispanics since June 2015 when Trump announced his candidacy.
Could you share the DNC´s figures on voter registration as of today and going back to June 2010 so that I can make a comparison with the previous election cycle? Do you have specific data on Hispanics?
Ideally I would need this by the end of the day.
Thanks so much for your help.
Milli Legrain
Freelance Journalist
Washington D.C
202 531 6449


For Immediate Release
May 20, 2016
Contact: DNC Press - 202-863-8148
Excerpts from DNC Chair Rep. Wasserman Schultz at the ASDC Meeting in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Today, DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz addressed a meeting of the Association of State Democratic Chairs. Below you will find excerpts as prepared for delivery:
"I'm excited to join you all here in Philadelphia, the home of our upcoming convention where we will show the world a Democratic Party ready for one of the most important General Elections of our time. I'm proud of the work that each and every one of you is doing in your states, managing what is never an easy delegate selection process, but one that will bring the values and diversity of our party and our country to this city in just 66 days!
...
"When Democrats from all across this great country come to the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, we will be energized, united and focused on making sure that we continue to build upon the progress we've made under President Obama by electing a Democrat as the 45th President of the United States of America.
"And that's really what this is all about. Making sure that together we launch our nominee into the White House with the support of a Democratic House and Senate and State Houses across the country so that we can continue to: Build a strong and safe future for our children and grandchildren, grow our economy and create good paying jobs; and move our country forward for all Americans, not just the wealthy and well connected!
...
"In just the last week, the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump has backpedaled away from his own pledge to release his tax returns, vowed to slash taxes for those at the top like himself, and seemingly lied about pretending to be his own publicist. He refused to address his well-documented history of misogyny and insulted one of our country's most important allies, Great Britain. His campaign called their selection of a white supremacist delegate a 'database error.'
"I don't know about you, but it didn't exactly put me at ease either, when Trump suggested we could always resolve debt by printing more money, and he legitimized a despotic North Korean dictator. Every day there's a new example of his knee-jerk recklessness, lack of judgment and unstable temperament.
"But we cannot gloss over the genuine concern that too many Americans are still feeling about their own pocketbooks and our place in the world. Donald Trump is promoting anxiety as a way to ease people's concern. We need to listen to them because our candidates have the most thoughtful solutions. That's why your work is so crucial. That's why, at the DNC, we're doing everything we can to support you and help you bring people into the general election energized, understanding what's at stake, and championing the values and priorities that make our party and our country great.
...
"Nearly 23 million people have participated in our primaries and both campaigns have worked so hard to advance ideas that will improve the lives of Americans. Supporters of both Clinton and Sanders deserve respect for the work they have put into their campaigns. That is a stark contrast with the divisive policies that have come from the Republicans. I will always stand up for party activists because they bring us energy and ideas. I will always stand up for the leaders of this party because they volunteer their precious time to guide our progressive future. We are Democrats and we welcome everyone in. More importantly, our agenda, unlike Republicans, is inclusive and welcomes everyone!
...
"Because of Democratic leadership: 20 million Americans have health insurance who didn't before. We've seen 74 straight months of private sector job growth creating over 14 million new jobs and we all remember the Great Recession, when we were losing 800,000 jobs a month when George W Bush left office. Well, we are not going back by allowing a Trump presidency.
...
"By working together as Democrats, we can accomplish great things for honest, hard-working people from every walk of life. Our record shows we can set and pass an agenda that promotes economic growth, fairness and opportunity. Yes, fellow Democrats: America's future is bright. When we stick together, anything is possible.  I'm excited for the future of our party, and I'm proud of your work that I know will carry us forward into a brighter future. On to victory!"
###


I think we should do a release.
From: Dillon, Lauren
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 10:53 AM
To: RR2
Subject: FLAG: Trump's Muslim Ban
Thoughts on responding? There are some clips in here that we could tweet. Do a release?
From: Roberts, Kelly
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 9:43 AM
To: Dillon, Lauren
Subject: Trump's Muslim Ban
Just days ago he was talking about how he would stand by it
TRUMP SAID WE HAD "NO CHOICE" BUT TO BAN MUSLIMS FROM ENTERING THE COUNTRY
Donald Trump Called For A "Total And Complete Shutdown Of Muslims Entering The United States," Citing Polls That Showed "Great Hatred Towards Americans By Large Segments Of The Muslim Populations." "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on. According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim populations. Most recently, a poll from the Center for Security Policy released data showing '25% of those polled agreed that violence against Americans here in the United States is justified as a part of the global jihad' and 51% of those polled, 'agreed that Muslims in America should have the choice of being governed according to Shariah.' Shariah authorizes such atrocities as murder against non-believers who won't convert beheadings and more unthinkable acts that pose great harm to Americans, especially women." [Donald J. Trump Statement on Preventing Muslim Immigration, Press Release, Donald J. Trump For President, 12/7/15
]
*         Donald Trump Called For The United States To Bar All Muslims From Entering The U.S. Until The Nation's Leaders Could "Figure Out What's Going On." "Donald J. Trump called on Monday for the United States to bar all Muslims from entering the country until the nation's leaders can "figure out what is going on" after the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino, Calif., an extraordinary escalation of rhetoric aimed at voters' fears about members of the Islamic faith. A prohibition of Muslims - an unprecedented proposal by a leading American presidential candidate, and an idea more typically associated with hate groups - reflects a progression of mistrust that is rooted in ideology as much as politics." [New York Times, 12/7/15
]
Donald Trump Said He Did Not Care If His Call To Ban All Muslims From Entering The United States Was Politically Incorrect; "We Have No Choice. We Have. No. Choice." "The billionaire developer and reality television star released a statement Monday calling for 'a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.' Later Monday, Trump, 69, read the statement out loud at a rally in Charleston, S.C., where an enthusiastic crowd greeted him with cheers and chants of 'Trump! Trump!' and 'U.S.A.! U.S.A.!' 'We have no choice. We have. No. Choice,' Trump said, with a shake of his head. His statement may be politically incorrect, he said, 'but I don't care!'" [Washington Post, 12/8/15
]
TRUMP REPEATEDLY SAID HE WOULD STAND BY HIS PROPOSED MUSLIM BAN, EVEN IF IT HURT HIM IN THE GENERAL
Trump Said He Would Continue To Support His Proposed Muslim Ban, Even If It Hurt Him In The General Election. QUESTION: "Do you still believe Muslims should be banned from entering the country until we figure out what's going on, as you've said." TRUMP: "We have to be very vigilant. We have find out what's going on. We have major, major problems. Nobody wants to talk about it. We have a president that won't mention radical Islamic terrorism. He won't mention it, even though it's obvious terrible things are happening. We have to be extremely careful, vigilant. Yes, we have to find out what the hell is going on." QUESTION: "So that proposal stands for the general election, assuming you make it that far, you'll raise that as another issue?" TRUMP: "I don't know if it hurts me or not. I don't know if it hurts me. I don't care it hurts me. I'm doing the right thing when I do this. Whether it's Muslim or anything else, I have to do the right thing. That's the way I've been guided." [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 5/4/16]
*         Trump Claimed Muslim Migrants "Are Destroying Europe" And Said He Was "Not Going To Let That Happen To The United States." TRUMP: "I don't know if it hurts me or not. I don't know if it hurts me. I don't care it hurts me. I'm doing the right thing when I do this. Whether it's Muslim or anything else, I have to do the right thing. That's the way I've been guided. When Joe said it's a little bit surprising, and I did see last night this is the first time in the history of our country where this has happened, where really a civilian in the truest sense got the nomination of a major party. I've been guided by common sense, by what's right. You see what's happening. And we have to be careful. We're allowing thousands of people to come into our country, thousands and thousands of people being placed all over the country that frankly nobody knows who they are. They don't have documentation in many cases-- In most cases. We don't know what we're doing. Let's see what happens. This could be a very serious problem for the future. If you look at what's happening all over Europe, with the migration. Look at what's happening. It's terrible what they have done to some of these countries,  they are going to destroy -- they are destroying Europe. I'm not going to let that happen to the United States." [Morning Joe, MSNBC, 5/4/16]
Trump On Whether He Stood Behind His Proposal To Ban Muslims: "I Do. We Have To Be Vigilant. We Have To Be Strong." LESTER HOLT: "You're-you're speaking to the whole country now. You`ve said a lot of things we've talked about. There`s things that shocked people that outraged people with about a temporary ban on Muslim, immigration to your characterizations of Mexican immigrants. Those things worked for you. They resonated, they worked, they got you to where you are today. But as you try to appeal to the entire country, do you stand by them? Do you stand, for example, by the idea of a-- of a ban against foreign Muslims coming here?" DONALD TRUMP: "I do. We have to be vigilant. We have to be strong. We have to see what`s going on. There`s a big problem in the world. You look at what`s happening with immigration in Europe, you look at Germany. It`s crime-riddled right now." [NBC Nightly News, NBC, 5/4/16]
TRUMP PLANNED ON HAVING HIS BAN ON MUSLIMS IN PLACE WITHIN HIS FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE
Trump Planned To Have His Immigration Ban On Muslims In Place Within His First 100 Days As President. "Donald J. Trump is now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, but he is also keenly aware that many in his own party - and many Americans, frankly - are scared and anxious about the idea of him in the Oval Office. Even he is not sure how a deeply divided nation would adjust to the first 100 days of a Trump presidency. What he does know, however, is what he wants to do in those early months...And by the end of his first 100 days as the nation's 45th leader, the wall with Mexico would be designed, the immigration ban on Muslims would be in place, the audit of the Federal Reserve would be underway and plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act would be in motion." [New York Times, 5/4/16
]
JUST A FEW DAYS AGO TRUMP REITERATED HIS PLANS FOR A BAN AND TALKED ABOUT THE LONDON MAYOR BEING A POSSIBLE EXCEPTION
HEADLINE: "Donald Trump Says Sadiq Khan, New London Mayor, Could Be Exception to His Muslim Ban" [New York Times, 5/9/16
]
HEADLINE: "Trump: 'I Assume' Muslim London Mayor 'Denies That There's Islamic Terrorism'" [Buzzfeed, 5/11/16
]


Just in case you missed this from David -

Bernie Sanders, the Zombie Candidate
David Wade
When he first decided to run for president, Bernie Sanders had a goal in mind: to start a political revolution by getting big money out of politics.
If he wants to do it—if Sanders wants to build a lasting movement to fight money’s outsize influence—he has to close one door to open another. The transition from contender to gracious supporter of the nominee isn’t easy for any presidential candidate, but he needs to make it, and soon.
Story Continued Below
We already know Sanders isn’t going to win the Democratic Party’s nomination; Hillary Clinton has amassed more than 92 percentof the delegates needed to secure the nomination, and she’ll easily pick up the rest. So right now, Sanders’ campaign is the walking dead: a zombie. And having worked for John Kerry during the slugfest of the 2004 primaries, I’ve seen up close how much damage this sort of prolonged "zombie" candidacy can inflict on the eventual nominee—and what’s ultimately at stake for the country.
I don’t claim that the dragged-out primary made the difference in November 2004; the race came down to the wire, and big forces—including post-9/11 anxiety and “
Swift Boat” smears
—loomed large. But in presidential campaigns, the one resource that’s never renewable is time. Zombie candidates can’t win the nomination, but they squander vast amounts of time and slowly chip away at the prohibitive front-runner. Some of the damage is obvious—the endless series of public dents in the candidate’s reputation; some are subtle, noticeable in ways that perhaps only political operatives can appreciate.
It’s an article of faith in politics that competitive primaries create stronger nominees, and I witnessed this firsthand as well. Kerry grew immensely as a candidate in the course of being tested by rivals from Dick Gephardt to Howard Dean; ditto for Barack Obama in 2008. Healthy competition is a good thing. But continuing to contest a primary after your path to victory disappears is not healthy; it actively hinders your would-be partisan ally.
Before spring began in 2004, it was clear that the process had produced a nominee. But deep into primary season, after a winning streak that knocked out most of our opponents, the campaigns of Dean, Wesley Clark and John Edwards lingered on. Even as they were on life support, their organizations took needlessly hard shots at Kerry at the same time Republicans were inundating the presumptive Democratic nominee with a daily barrage of attacks.
By February 15, 2004, 16 statewide caucuses and primaries had completed, and Edwards had carried only his birth state, South Carolina. That evening, Edwards used a debate in Wisconsin to hammer Kerry on trade and spending. When Kerry, who had won 14 of the first 16 contests, started to talk about taking on President George W. Bush in the general election, Edwards pounced. “Not so fast, John Kerry,” he said. “We got a whole group of primaries coming up, and I, for one, intend to fight.” Just north of one week later, Bush gleefully made his first public speech attacking Kerry and kicked off the general election with biting television ads—all while our campaign was hunkered down fighting in Super Tuesday states that we knew wouldn’t be competitive in the general election.
On Super Tuesday, we won nine of the 10 states—and spent plenty of money to do it. But that’s what you have to do when doomed primary opponents don’t accept reality. All the while, the Bush campaign publicized the Democratic attacks on Kerry; they were overjoyed to receive a liberal version of in-kind contributions to the Republican National Committee.
There was something surreal about knowing that doomed campaigns of fellow Democrats were aggressively peddling opposition research, and that candidates whose fates had been sealed were still publicly labeling
their party’s soon-to-be nominee as “the handmaiden of special interests.” We were forced to respond. We were forced to spend limited money on the airwaves, buying time to run ads that would be long forgotten by November—all while an incumbent Republican president stockpiled resources. We were less than four years removed from watching Ralph Nader and disaffected liberals throw an election to Bush, yet these flailing campaigns seemed incapable of resisting the danger of repeating that mistake by damaging their own standard-bearer. Political campaigns can do many things, but they cannot recover lost time.The friendly-fire attacks compounded the difficulty of responding effectively to the parallel attacks made by Republicans. It postponed the work of unifying the Democratic Party and absorbing our rivals’ best operatives into our apparatus. It wasted campaign funds that could’ve been put to better use in the general election. And it stalled our ability to shift the campaign’s schedule and resources into an effort that could win the presidency, instead of one that would merely follow a nominating calendar.
In 2004, continued competition after the match was essentially over didn’t improve our campaign or candidate. It hurt the Democratic Party. Kerry would’ve benefited from a decent interval to recharge his batteries, reset for the fall, and focus the campaign entirely on the Republican attack machine.
Today, with Donald Trump all but guaranteed to be the Republican nominee, the general election electorate is beginning to tune in. At a time when voters could be comparing Trump and Secretary Clinton, the presumptive nominees, they’re instead seeing Clinton take shrapnel not just from the Republicans, but from Sanders.
Sanders has a stake in this. I hope he sees it. Sanders needs to think long and hard about the big cost of criticizing the now-prohibitive Democratic front-runner. He didn’t set out to become Trump’s best ghostwriter for the general election, but that is the role continued attacks on Clinton risk earning him.
Make no mistake: Clinton is a crisper candidate than she was a year ago, a credit to her sparring partner from Vermont. She has upped her game. But at this point, it would be better for the Democratic Party if Clinton could focus on the asymmetric political warfare to come from Trump—which she could do right now if she didn’t have to maintain a second front battling a pesky primary opponent who cannot win.
Without math or momentum on his side, isn’t it better for Sanders to finish the campaign as a happy warrior and build a long-term movement for campaign finance reform? Or would he rather be remembered for damaging the Democratic standard-bearer when we have to crush Trump and win back the Senate in November? The best path for Sanders is also the best path for his newly adopted political party.
Sanders has already changed the political conversation in 2016. Whether wage inequality, middle-class pain, or the distorting role of money in politics, he has made a mark. But if the last wheezes of Sanders’ 2016 efforts echo those of Jerry Brown’s campaign in 1992—i.e., attacking a Clinton personally instead of advocating core issues with a positive agenda—the issues that Sanders cares about will suffer.
What’s the alternative for Sanders? If he is serious about creating lasting political change—and I believe he is—he should start a national movement to drive money out of politics. Sanders could harness his enormous grass-roots fundraising network and the cash it has stockpiled—and can replenish repeatedly—to elect candidates from the White House to the Congress to the state and local levels who are committed to repealing Citizens United.
He could target Senate Republicans in states like New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, inspiring voters there to “feel the Bern” and defeat the incumbents. He could hold those new senators accountable and enlist them in his quest to rid big money from the political system.
He could help Hillary Clinton win big and sweep in a Democratic majority in the Senate. He could become a powerful committee chairman. He could return to the next Senate as one of its most influential players.
And for an Independent socialist from Vermont who started this campaign as an asterisk, that’s a political revolution in itself.
David Wade was a senior communications strategist on John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign and the 2008 Obama-Biden campaign.
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Your meeting was forwarded
Palermo, Rachel
has forwarded your meeting request to additional recipients.
Meeting
Meet Annie Groer for CW Softball
Meeting Time
Thursday, April 28, 2016 7:00 AM-8:00 AM.
Recipients
Kate Houghton
All times listed are in the following time zone: (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
________________________________
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Sent via the Samsung GALAXY S®4, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
-------- Original message --------
From: "Walker, Eric"
Date: 05/11/2016 6:30 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: "McCabe, Sam"
, Andrew Brown
, "Miranda, Luis"
Subject: RE: @Microsoft - Campaign Cutting Edge: Voter Persuasion Modeling, May 18
Okay great – would like to see that list if/when you have it.
Let me know if you need any talking points.
I would hammer home this point from Trump and put the RNC guy on the spot:
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump, GOP nomination virtually in hand, is planning a general election campaign that banks heavily on his personal appeal and trademark rallies while spurning the kind of sophisticated data operation that was a centerpiece of Barack Obama's winning White House runs.
"I've always felt it was overrated," Trump said in an interview Tuesday. "Obama got the votes much more so than his data processing machine. And I think the same is true with me."

From: McCabe, Sam
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 4:41 PM
To: Andrew Brown; Miranda, Luis; Walker, Eric
Subject: Re: @Microsoft - Campaign Cutting Edge: Voter Persuasion Modeling, May 18
They should send me a list of press, so I’ll follow up.
Should we setup a time to talk early next week?
From: Andrew Brown
>
Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 2:28 PM
To: Sam McCabe
>, "Miranda, Luis"
>, "Walker, Eric"
>
Subject: Re: @Microsoft - Campaign Cutting Edge: Voter Persuasion Modeling, May 18
Eric, flagging this event again next week.  Sam we be on the panel, and it is open press.
Sent from my iPhone
On May 11, 2016, at 1:19 PM, McCabe, Sam
> wrote:
From: "Meaghan Larson (CELA)"
>
Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 11:10 AM
To: "Meaghan Larson (CELA)"
>
Subject: @Microsoft - Campaign Cutting Edge: Voter Persuasion Modeling, May 18
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Campaign Cutting Edge: Voter Persuasion Modeling
Join us for the first of a series of academic panel discussions on state of the art of campaign data and technology.
Turning out voters is the name of the game in modern elections. And modeling voter turnout can be make-or-break in today’s data-driven campaign world. Campaigns aggregate data from public data sources, information provided by voters to pollsters and canvassers, and commercially-available datasets to create data profiles of voters. Within the realm of voter data modeling lies a holy grail of sorts – can a campaign model how persuadable voters are? Voter persuasion models (VPMs) can be potentially crucial given the razor-thin margins in battleground contests, but they are notoriously difficult to do well. Are VPMs improving with every election cycle? What are the strengths and weaknesses of VPMs, and how important will they be in the 2016 cycle? Finally, how can campaigns best put the results of VPMs into effect through canvassing, ads, events, and other methods of voter contact?
Please join us Wednesday, May 18th as academics and the foremost experts in the field discuss these questions and many more.  This conversation is hosted in partnership with George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management (GWU GSPM).
Wednesday, May 18th • 8:30 am – 10:00 am• Light refreshments provided.
A PANEL DISCUSSION FEATURING:
Dan’l Lewin
– Welcome
Corporate Vice President, Technology and Civic Engagement, Microsoft
Dr. Michael Cornfield
– Moderator
Associate Professor, GW's Graduate School of Political Management
Research Director, Global Center for Political Engagement
The George Washington University
Scott Tranter
Partner, 0ptimus
Jesse Kamzol
Chief Data Officer, RNC
Sam McCabe
Director of Data Services, DNC
Dan Porter
Co-Founder & Chief Analytics Officer, BlueLabs
Chris Wilson, PRC
Director of Research and Analytics for Cruz for President, WPA Opinion Research
CLICK HERE TO RSVP
Follow the discussion on Twitter:#VPMTech
Event Location: Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center 901 K Street, NW, 11th Floor,
Washington, DC 20001
This event has been planned to comply with the requirements of the Legislative and Executive Branch gift rules. Executive Branch personnel wishing to attend should consult with their designated Agency Ethics Office.
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DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz
DNC State of the Union Reception
5.5.16 Kimmel Center - 6 p.m.
6 min remarks
Intro
Thank you Governor Rendell! We're so lucky to have a true Pennsylvania legend serving so graciously as the Philadelphia Host Committee Chair.
Let me start by thanking everyone on the Executive Committee, all our community leaders and members of the Host Committee for your tireless work and commitment to our Party.
I know you lead busy lives, but we can't pull off a successful convention without you.
Let me also thank our CEO, the unparalleled Reverend, Leah Daughtry for her tireless work. We are so fortunate to have a lifelong Democrat of Leah's passion and expertise steering the ship;
And of course I need to thank the honorable Mayor Jim Kenney, as well as all the wonderful people of Philadelphia who he represents.
We are enormously grateful that you're hosting and warmly welcoming all the Democrats bringing their enthusiasm, energy, and passion as we arrive in greater and greater numbers over the next few months.
And I know Mayor Kenney appreciates all the commerce we'll be bringing with us as conference goers visit Philly's great restaurants, hotels and small businesses.
Gearing up
We're just 80 days away from our Convention, and we've been making all the right moves to ensure we'll be one hundred percent prepared at kickoff time.
We are on time, on budget and ready to run a beautiful convention.
But as proud as I am of what we're doing, I have to mention how proud I am of who is doing it.
Each day, as our numbers grow, we're making sure that our diversity does too.
As Democrats, we believe our diversity is our great strength.
That shows in the ranks of the DNC, where last year thirty-six percent of our employees were people of color. And we've awarded at least 35 percent of our contracts to companies owned by women, veterans, minorities, people with disabilities and members of the LGBT community.
And when the nation looks at our convention, they'll see a portrait of America.
Our Party Affairs and Delegate Selection team has worked tirelessly to ensure that every state party has an accessible and inclusive process for anyone to run to become a delegate. Whether it's a school teacher in Orlando, a plumber in Cleveland, or a high school student in Denver, our convention delegates will reflect the diversity our Party.
Dangerous Donald
But before anyone casts a vote to nominate the next Democratic president of the United States, let me give you a little update from the DNC.
Today, and every day until Election Day, we are laser focused on take down holding Dangerous Donald Trump accountable - and winning seats up and down the ballot in every race across the country.
With every other candidate out of the race, Trump is the Republican Party.
We are not going to let anyone forget hold him accountable for everything he has said and everything he has done. And we are going to hold the GOP accountable for everything they're doing -- to obstruct, divide, and drag our country backwards.
The facts are simple:
Dangerous Donald is unfit to be president. He only looks out for himself. He lacks the temperament and judgment to be commander in chief. And every aspect of his presidency would harm our country and damage our standing in the world.
Even as a candidate, Dangerous Donald has damaged America's relationships across the globe. In the White House, he would undeniably make America less safe.
He has no foreign policy experience - but don't worry about that - he said he'll rely on his "good brain," instead of listening to experts. Dangerous.
He has a decades-long record of denigrating women. Seven out of ten women disapprove of his candidacy.
He exploits racial anxieties and cultural fears to the point where his rallies have sparked violence against people of color, protestors, and the media. And recent reports found that bullying at schools is on the rise as a result of his hateful rhetoric. He's making our communities less safe and he hasn't even gotten into office.
And while he tries to paint a picture of his wealth and business success, his record is riddled with embarrassing failures and cheap schemes that are designed to turn a quick a buck at the expense of his workers or everyday Americans.
I'll spare you all the details, but trust me - that's the short version of what the American people are going to be hearing about Dangerous Donald over the coming months.
You know, there's a reason why we saw Republicans across the country this week tweeting photos of their burning voter registration cards this week.
Advantage, Democrats
Well, we have a message for anyone disillusioned and disaffected by this year's unprecedentedly nasty and divisive Republican primary - we have a message for anyone disgusted by Donald: You have a home in the Democratic Party.
We have the best candidates, the best ideas, and a fantastic record of social and economic progress under President Obama to run on - 73 consecutive months of private sector job growth and 20 million Americans who have health insurance who didn't before.
In poll after poll, Democratic voters are reporting that our primary and our candidates have energized our party.
In Nevada, voter registration among Democrats is beating Republicans two-to-one.
So no matter what challenges lie ahead in the planning and execution of our convention, let me just say, clearly and unequivocally - I am really, really glad we are not planning the Republican convention.
And I am absolutely optimistic about the future of the Democratic Party.
Conclusion
Finally, I'll just say, this convention is about so much more than the spectacle of big political speeches under red-white-and-blue balloons and confetti, although I think we might have some of that in store...
This is about the direction of our nation.
This is about the power of the people to come together and choose the best leader for the job.
And no matter which of our candidates they choose, they'll be fighting every day for all Americans.
We're fighting to level the playing field, raise wages, ensure equal pay, end discrimination, expand voting rights, make our country and our communities more secure and fighting to give hardworking Americans everywhere a fair shot.
When it comes time to nominate our choices for President and Vice President, with your help, we will unify, fight together as Democrats.
And friends, when the convention ends, we will go roaring into the general election with all the passion, grit and energy it takes to elect Democrats from the top of the ticket down.
So thank you for all your work, thank you for your commitment to our party, and enjoy the rest of the evening. Thank you.


Thanks Aly.  Bernie folks are also taking out DNC members in state conventions.  May be a lot of new faces.
Raul Alvillar
National Political Director
Democratic National Committee
Tele. 202.863.8000
From: Kate Houghton
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2016 2:51 PM
To: Chalupa, Ali
Cc: Dacey, Amy; Alvillar, Raul; Lindsey Reynolds; Davis, Marilyn; Miranda, Luis
Subject: Re: Brand New Congress Launch -
Just a reminder that he’s a part of Tim Canova’s campaign team.

On Apr 25, 2016, at 2:45 PM, Chalupa, Ali
> wrote:
Just saw that Zack Exley posted this on FB this afternoon with the following message below (looks like a soft launch). As you're all probably aware, Zack is one of the most effective national volunteer organizers in the country and made a huge impact on Bernie's campaign to mobilize his base.  Here's the post:
[
Brand New Congress
3 hrs
·
Hi Folks! Some of us Bernie volunteers and former staff have been talking about a campaign that would be big enough and worthwhile enough to keep the revolution going once Bernie is in office. We believe the way to achieve this is to elect a Brand New Congress in 2018. We’re going to recruit non-politicians who truly represent their communities, with proven track records of service and integrity, to replace all of Congress in one unified campaign behind Bernie’s platform--except of course the people who already support it. We’ll use the same tools and momentum that we’ve built with Bernie, while keeping power in the hands of the grassroots from start to finish! Please sign up to get involved or just get updates on our progress:  #BrandNewCongress
#FeelTheBern
#Bernie2016


Last week.
But we have to address the Bernie bs
Sent via the Samsung GALAXY S®4, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone
-------- Original message --------
From: "Paustenbach, Mark"
Date: 05/01/2016 9:39 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: "Miranda, Luis"
Subject: anything we want to add to our latest tp's for her media hits tomorrow and tues? thx
4.27.16 TALKING POINTS
Topline Message:
Yesterday Americans in five states went to the polls, with Democrats voting with enthusiasm for the candidate they like most – and Republicans holding their noses and casting their votes for the candidate they dislike least.
·         In Pennsylvania, exit polling showed that 71 percent of Democratic voters felt their primary had energized the party while 58 percent of Republican voters said their primary had divided the party. That’s what we saw in New York, where just 39% of Republicans thought their campaign has energized their party while in Wisconsin 4 out of 10 Republican primary voters said they fear what a Trump presidency would do to our country. And roughly a third would rather stay home, vote for a third party, or vote for a Democrat than support either Trump or Cruz.
·         That’s stunning, but it tells you that Democrats are heading into November in a far stronger position than Republicans.
For years, GOP leaders have pushed a cynical and feckless political strategy that exploits unfounded fears of immigrants, minorities, the poor, the LGBT community and more, all for political gain. They have sold hardworking Americans the empty promise of trickle-down prosperity, while strangling America’s middle class with backwards economic policies that only enrich those already at the top. Donald Trump’s impending nomination after Tuesday’s results is the ultimate, sad culmination of the success of that strategy. Trump is the modern Republican Party.
It’s clear that when we get through our conventions, Democrats will emerge united having nominated the next president, while the GOP will have to wallow in the chaotic mess of their own making.
Trump Promises to Be Trump, Cruz and Kasich Prove GOP = Broken Government
·         It’s hard to pick what’s been a stranger story the past week --  Trump empowering his new advisor to calm the RNC by saying he would change his ways but then changing his mind, or Ted Cruz and John Kasich devising a pact and having it fall apart almost right away.
·         When Donald Trump said in his remarks last night that he’s not “playing a part” and that he’s “not changing,” that his “thought process is the same,” believe him.
·         He’ll continue to be the divisive, offensive Republican candidate who lacks the judgment and temperament to lead.
·         And when Cruz and Kasich proved they can’t even coordinate with each other, well it’s a reminder that the Republican vision of smaller government is broken government. Hardly surprising given that Ted Cruz’s biggest accomplishment was shutting down the government and costing the economy $24 billion.
Chaos in Cleveland vs Our Next President in Philadelphia
We’re less than 100 days from the July conventions, and it’s clear that Democrats will emerge united, while Republicans are embroiled in drama better suited for a reality show than a contest for the presidency.
Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are dedicated to supporting the eventual Democratic nominee.
·         Just yesterday, Senator Sanders said at a town hall on MSNBC that he will do everything in his power to make sure no Republican gets into the White House in November.
·         And Secretary Clinton has been clear about her commitment to unifying the party and the need to build on the progress we’ve made under Democratic leadership over the last 7 years.
·         Because the Party’s platform is a statement of our values, the DNC is committed to an open, inclusive and representative process. Both of our campaigns will be represented on the Platform Drafting Committee, and just as we did in 2008 and 2012, the public will have opportunities to participate.
Democrats know that we’re stronger when more voices are heard, and when we stand together to move our country forward, we’ll see that in Philadelphia at our convention.
Compare that to the Republicans.
·         This week, the increasingly desperate Cruz and Kasich campaigns forged an unusual alliance to stop Trump, but it barely lasted as long as the announcement that it was happening.
·         A majority of Trump supporters said they would abandon the Republican Party if he loses the nomination and runs as a third-party candidate.
·         Even Republican leaders are afraid of going near their radioactive convention. You’ve already seen Republican candidates in tight races, like Senator Kirk in Illinois and John McCain – the GOP nominee eight years ago – say they will not attend their own convention in Cleveland. But don’t let them fool you, they’re not any better than the top of their ticket.
Joint Fundraising Committees
·         We welcome any effort by our candidates to help raise money for the DNC and state parties, which is why stood up similar agreements for joint victory funds with both the Clinton campaign and the Sanders campaign early in the cycle.
·         The DNC is the only entity that will be able to closely coordinate with our eventual nominee, and we took these important steps because of the urgency to build a strong national infrastructure NOW that will help elect Democrats up and down the ballot in November.
·         It’s important to note, the funds that the DNC and state parties get through the joint victory funds help strengthen, for example, our national voter file and communications, research and digital support for state parties and down ballot candidates. That includes training across a variety of areas, for example, and access to media monitoring and rapid response support. This is helping us build infrastructure for the general election.
·         These arrangements are not new or unusual. Similar joint fundraising committees were established with our Democratic candidate in both 2008 and 2012. And again, both campaigns have signed on and have the option of using joint victory funds.
·         And let’s be clear, neither the DNC nor state parties are subsidizing fundraising through these committees for either campaign. For whatever each campaign raises under the agreement that then goes to their campaign, that campaign pays a directly proportional amount for the cost of that fundraising.
Contested Convention / Arizona Lawsuit
·         We’re going to be united at our convention, and we’re confident in our process, which was in place well before we knew who would run this cycle and which has been fair to all of our candidates.
·         We’ve cautioned our candidates to maintain a tone that helps us build toward the general election, recognizing that as we funnel down the home stretch of any campaign the intensity level will rise.
·         Ultimately, Secretary Clinton and Senator Sanders are drawing sharp differences with one another, but their differences remain focused on how to best move America forward.
·         They’re focused on how to make sure our government reflects the values of the American people, that we have an economy and a democracy that are inclusive, and that we respect everyone in America.
·         If you want to talk about a rigged process, we’re doing that too. The Democratic National Committee and our Senatorial Campaign Committee are suing officials in Arizona whose decisions led to voters having to wait for hours to vote during their March primaries, and many to be disenfranchised as a result. We want to make sure that doesn’t happen in November.
·         If you want to talk about rigging elections, that’s the real example, and it’s a serious problem and we’re glad both our candidates have expressed interest addressing attempts to make it harder for the American people to vote.
·         In Maricopa County, officials reduced the number of polling locations to just 1 for every 21,000 people. That’s seven times what it was in other parts of the state, and it shows you the magnitude of the efforts to make it harder to vote that Republicans are championing all across the country.
·         And it’s not just Arizona, you had a member of Congress from Wisconsin, Glenn Grothman, who flat out said that they expected they could now win Wisconsin because of the Voter ID law. It was his Kevin McCarthy moment, and the type of rigging of the system we’re not going to put up with.
·         When voters go to the polls in November, they can be certain that the Democratic nominee will have the temperament and judgment to serve as commander in chief, and that's not something you can say about the Republican candidates.
Clinton’s Speeches and Sanders’ Taxes
·         Our job at the Party isn’t to handicap our own primary, we’re not going to referee.
·         There are real differences, but they’re with the Republicans, and while you have to expect that the candidates are going to draw sharp differences, they’re also highlighting what a much better option voters have with Democrats.
·         Just look at the issue of taxes as millions of Americans filed last week, but most of them didn’t get to take advantage of special loopholes or get special breaks. Yet every single Republican plan for the economy is based on tax cuts for those at the very top of the income scale. It’s exactly the economic policy that the Bush Administration had as they drove us toward the great recession.
·         So ultimately those are the differences that will matter most in November.
GOP Frontrunner Trump is Reckless and Dangerous
·         The Economy: Trump’s unfounded predictions
of recession and warnings against investing in the stock market are reckless, and economists have already predicted his policies could start an international trade war and cause a global recession.
·         Foreign Policy: Trump’s threat to pull back from our most important military alliances
in NATO sends a dangerous message, which is particularly troubling in light of his past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
·         Nuclear Proliferation: Trump has refused to say he wouldn’t use nuclear weapons on European territory, then suggested South Korea
and Japan should either develop nuclear weapons or pay the United States for protection against North Korea.
·         On abortion: Trump has taken multiple positions on abortion - from a dangerous and offensive call to punish women who get an abortion, to saying he would allow states to restrict women’s rights, to saying abortion laws are set but he would eliminate them with judicial appointments.
Cruz
·         The vast majority of his Republican colleagues can barely muster a straight face to say anything nice or positive about him!
·         Lindsey Graham crassly talked about how no one in the Senate would object if he was killed on the Senate floor, and said that endorsing him over Trump was the equivalent of choosing to get poisoned over being shot.
·         Senator Jim Risch of Idaho – TWICE – gave one of the most passive, non-endorsement endorsements I’ve ever seen.
·         It’s going to be very difficult for Senators and Congress members to run alongside a presidential nominee they really don’t like!
The GOP’s Problem with Women Voters
Trump is viewed unfavorably by 7 out of 10 women, but both of his primary opponents would also alienate women voters with their policies as the nominee.
·         Kasich said that he wants to see Roe v. Wade repealed
, and when asked what kind of punishment that would lead to, he evaded the question by saying that it should be left to the states.
·         Cruz said that even if a woman has been brutally raped, she should be forced to carry the pregnancy caused by her attacker to term.
·         In the past, the Republican candidates have opposed equal pay, family leave, and voted against the Violence Against Women Act.
Earlier this month we marked Equal Pay Day, the day in 2016 when women’s earnings have caught up with men’s earnings from 2015. On average we earn 79 cents to their dollar, and it’s worse for women of color. All of the Republican presidential candidates would stand against protections that ensure greater equality in the workplace.
·         John Kasich has consistently belittled women and said that we don’t need workplace protections, just a ‘change of heart’ among major employers.
·         Ted Cruz voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act three times and ridiculed the legislation as a ‘show vote.’
·         Donald Trump stated that women would have pay equity if we did ‘as good a job’ as men.
Republicans to Blame for Trump and His Down Ballot Impact
It’s fitting that Donald Trump is the standard-bearer of a party that has relied on divisive politics and scapegoating for electoral gain for so long. Since 2004 they’ve used gay marriage as a wedge issue, demonized immigrants and stoked fears about border security. They’ve given birthers like Trump a pass, and fueled the Tea Party with lies about a total government takeover of healthcare and the economy. Then while in office, the only thing Republicans have done in Washington over the last seven years is obstruct. Trump IS the Republican Party.
Advantage, Democrats
Despite all the media attention that Republican frontrunner Trump gets with his say-anything strategy, Democrats are winning where it matters.
·         Senator Clinton has earned more than 10 million votes – Over a million more than Donald Trump – while Senator Sanders has  earned more than 8 million votes (well ahead of Ted Cruz and John Kasich), while also garnering more than seven million individual campaign contributions from low dollar donors. If there is an enthusiasm gap, it clearly favors Democrats.
·         Overall fundraising shows a Democratic edge, with Democrats raising a total of $72.1 million in February and 67.5 million in March, eclipsing Republicans’ fundraising, which amounted to less than $12 million for Cruz, $6
million for Trump, and just $3.4 million for Kasich in February.
·         And while Trump continues to claim that he is self-funding his campaign, his latest report with the FEC
shows that he has loaned his campaign $24 million throughout this election cycle, while he raising just $34 million from outside contributors and loans for the entire cycle.
·         Democrats will have the strongest candidate in November. Period. And we are poised to take back the Senate and make serious gains in the House.
Broad Contrast and Infrastructure
·         We have been building an infrastructure and operation that will work regardless of who the Republicans nominate. We see the numbers of course; it’s clear Trump is far ahead of his competitors, and we’re ready for him if he makes it through what is shaping up to be a train wreck of a convention.
·         But we don’t think taking on Trump is fundamentally different from any of the others.
·         At least with Trump, he’s not shy about exposing what the Republican brand has truly become. Ted Cruz and John Kasich are every bit as extreme as their party’s front-runner, they just hide it a bit better.
·         They promise the same extreme agenda on women’s rights, they deny the threat of climate change, and they oppose fixing a broken immigration system with a path to  citizenship.
·         They all want to drag America back to the failed economic policies of the last Republican president who left office losing 800,000 jobs a month and having plunged our country into the Great Recession.
·         And they’ve all been just as offensive in their rhetoric, using language that alienates our allies, helps ISIS recruit terrorists, and makes America less safe.
·         So if it is Trump, we’re ready. Maybe it’s Cruz, but it’s hard to see how that comes together in the end. But regardless we’re building a ground game and an infrastructure that’s ready to challenge him on every single position he’s taking on the campaign trail, and that holds him accountable for what those positions would actually mean for the American people.