Kavanaugh’s future now hangs in the balance

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Kavanaugh’s future now hangs in the balance

Analysis by Stephen Collinson
CNN Newsource

Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser now has a name, and the Republican Party’s bid to swiftly lift him onto the Supreme Court seems to be spinning out of control.

The emergence of California professor Christine Blasey Ford, and her willingness to testify to Congress about the allegations, unleashed a frenetic sequence of events Monday that threatened to unravel the confirmation process of President Donald Trump’s nominee, who had seemed on a smooth glide path to becoming the man to enshrine a conservative majority for a generation.

Democrats demanded that Kavanaugh’s confirmation process should be put on hold pending an investigation. A planned vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday on the nomination now appears to be at risk of slipping.

In a significant development, one of the Republican senators who may hold Kavanaugh’s fate in her hands, Maine’s Susan Collins, called for both the nominee and his accuser to “testify under oath before the Judiciary Committee” in a statement on Twitter.

Ford’s lawyer, Debra Katz, said on CNN’s “New Day” on Monday that her client would be willing to testify in public to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the allegations — which Kavanaugh has strongly denied.

“The answer is yes,” Katz said, adding that so far her client had not been asked by anyone to make an appearance.

Kavanaugh too is willing to share his point of view and answer questions about the allegation, according to two sources close to the process.

The judge confirmed that in a statement, saying he would be willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee “in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation.”

“This is a completely false allegation,” Kavanaugh’s statement said. “I have never done anything like what the accuser describes — to her or to anyone.”

Ford told The Washington Post that she went public about the alleged assault, which she says occurred more than three decades ago while she and Kavanaugh were in high school, because of the magnitude of his appointment.

“Now I feel like my civic responsibility is outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation,” Ford told the paper, ahead of what is likely to be an ordeal characterized by political attacks and fearsome scrutiny of her life, family, mental health and political leanings.

Ford’s gambit looked set to provoke the kind of spectacle triggered by attorney Anita Hill’s harassment claims against Clarence Thomas during his confirmation process in 1991. If so, it will elevate the debate on Kavanaugh from a Washington squabble to a national zeitgeist moment.

Public testimony by Ford would significantly increase pressure on Republican senators who hold the key to Kavanaugh’s nomination to take her story seriously even as some conservatives argue that the allegations, and their emergence after three decades, is proof of a politically inspired plot by Democrats to derail the nomination.

There was no immediate reaction from Trump to the latest developments. But the President’s senior counselor Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News: “This woman should not be ignored and should not be insulted. She should be heard.”

Kavanaugh was at the White House on Monday morning, as prospects mounted that he would again have to appear before the Judiciary Committee.

The showdown will unfold amid the still-unsettled politics of the #MeToo movement, which has transformed the way allegations by women of sexual harassment by now-powerful men, even from decades ago, are viewed by society. But it also takes place at a pivotal moment for the conservative movement, which is within reach of a goal it has pursued for decades of cementing a majority on the Supreme Court at a time of key rulings on issues like abortion, same-sex marriage and the role of religion in American life.

That turbulent backdrop has not, so far, changed the relentless math of the GOP’s Senate majority, but it could significantly increase the political cost to the party of confirming him.

Ford’s move puts a human face on what had previously been more an indirect, impersonal controversy and made it more difficult for Republicans simply to dismiss what, after all, is an accusation of a crime against a pivotal nominee.

Until Sunday, there was a feeling among many Republicans that Kavanaugh had been unfairly targeted, and was the victim of an 11th-hour Democratic bid to destroy his nomination. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein had known about the allegations for weeks but did not bring them up during the confirmation hearings. That feeling was especially acute because Ford had chosen to make her allegations anonymously — although advocates pointed out that the privacy of women who say they have been assaulted must be preserved.

Kavanaugh has categorically and unequivocally denied he did anything wrong, despite Ford’s claims that at a party in the 1980s, he was drunk, forced himself upon her and tried to take off her clothes.

Furthermore, Ford did not appear to report the alleged assault at a house in Washington’s Maryland suburbs at the time. Kavanaugh was never investigated over it and the alleged assault was not uncovered by multiple FBI background checks conducted during his career in politics and as a judge.

Ford says she has lived with the aftereffects of the alleged assault for years and that it caused her trauma and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Her account in the Post offers far more detail than has previously been available, another factor that could influence the politics of the nomination this week.

Kavanaugh, meanwhile, is seeing his entire career and reputation put on the line in a controversy that is certain to draw in his young family and will surely tarnish his image even if he is cleared of wrongdoing and is confirmed to sit on the Supreme Court.

The choice for Republicans

The sudden developments place Republican senators who the White House is relying on to shepherd his nomination with a choice.

Will they stick together in the view that Kavanaugh is being unfairly treated on accusations that date from decades ago? Or will they be forced by political and public pressure to agree to an investigation that could slow his confirmation?

Presidential nominations often unfold according to an intangible logic. Even candidates that look unassailable can be suddenly weakened by sudden disclosures. Once a nominee is wounded, his or her confirmation hopes can quickly splinter as political support fractures, so Kavanaugh can ill afford any roadblocks, even if his prospects look good now.

And any slowed momentum could give time for more problems to emerge and allow his fate to become even more embroiled in the midterm elections, which are only seven weeks away.

Pressure will be especially intense on Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who have been seen as two Republicans who could be wavering on Kavanaugh over the issue of abortion.

If those two senators oppose Kavanaugh and all of the Democrats stick together, his nomination could be defeated.

So far, Collins is not saying whether the allegations, which first emerged in a letter sent in July that reached Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, would sway her vote on the nomination.

“I don’t know enough to create the judgment at this point,” she told CNN on Sunday evening.

Ford’s emergence might also change the political equation for Democrats running for re-election in red states, offering them an excuse to stick with their party despite calls of conservative constituents to support Kavanaugh.

Republican Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley said that it was “disturbing” that such “uncorroborated” allegations had emerged ahead of the committee vote. But there was just a hint of an opening for Democrats.

A spokesman said that the Iowa senator was working to set up calls with Kavanaugh and Ford before Thursday’s vote, and South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham raised the possibility that the committee should hear testimony from Ford.

When asked about delaying the vote, Murkowski told CNN the committee should consider doing so.

“I think that might be something they might have to consider, at least having that discussion,” she said. “This is not something that came up during the hearings. And if there is real substance to this, it demands a response.”

And in another sign of potential trouble for Kavanaugh, two senators who are not running for re-election and are therefore insulated somewhat from the Republican base, Arizona’s Jeff Flake and Tennessee’s Bob Corker, said they need to hear more from Ford.

“I’ve made it clear that I’m not comfortable moving ahead with the vote on Thursday if we have not heard her side of the story or explored this further,” the Arizona senator told the Post.

The Supreme Court’s #MeToo moment

The future trajectory of Kavanaugh’s nomination is especially difficult to predict because of the change in how alleged sexual assaults are now handled in public life, following a long series of scandals that have felled key figures in politics, the media, and Hollywood in recent months.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer played directly into the idea that the #MeToo campaign had changed everything.

“For too long, when woman have made serious allegations of abuse, they have been ignored. That cannot happen in this case,” Schumer said.

At the very least, the decision of Ford to unmask herself offered Democrats a rallying point as they seek to make the Kavanaugh nomination and the fate of the Supreme Court generally a key issue in the midterm elections.

Democratic senators had previously assailed Kavanaugh in his hearing over abortion and past rulings on corporations. They had also condemned the White House for withholding tens of thousands of documents relevant to Kavanaugh’s time as a key aide to President George W. Bush.

But Ford’s emergence now gives Democratic candidates, especially those in suburban House districts where women voters are crucial, a chance to make some GOP lawmakers pay a significant price for the party’s support of Kavanaugh.

The spectacle of white, middle-aged or elderly men on the GOP bench voting to confirm Kavanaugh in the committee could prove a damaging image in districts that could turn on a younger, more diverse electorate.

CNN Polls: Democrats hold the upper hand in Arizona, Tennessee Senate races

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CNN Polls: Democrats hold the upper hand in Arizona, Tennessee Senate races

By Jennifer Agiesta 
CNN Polling Director

Democrats hold an advantage in two states that are critical to the party’s chances of taking control of the US Senate, according to new CNN polls conducted by SSRS. The surveys show Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema and former Gov. Phil Bredesen leading their Republican opponents for open seats Arizona and Tennessee, where sitting Republican senators are retiring.

In Arizona, Sinema tops Republican Rep. Martha McSally by 7 points, 50 percent to 43 percent among likely voters, while in Tennessee, Bredesen holds a 5-point edge over Rep. Marsha Blackburn, 50 percent to 45 percent among likely voters there. Roughly 1 in 6 voters in each state say there’s a chance they’ll change their mind before Election Day.

Likely voters are a subset of registered voters in the poll and include those most likely to turn out based on a combination of self-reported intention to vote, interest in the election and past voting behavior.

Arizona and Tennessee are two of the four states where Democrats are widely seen as having at least some chance of picking up Senate seats in November’s election. The others are Texas — viewed as more of a long-shot – and Nevada — generally viewed as the Democrats’ best chance for a Senate pickup.

In order for the party to have any shot at taking control of the Senate, it’s almost certain that at least one seat from Arizona or Tennessee would need to go Democrats’ way.

Arizona has been a Democratic target for some time on account of its changing demographic profile, though the state hasn’t voted for a Democrat in major statewide elections since Janet Napolitano’s turn as governor in the Bush years.

Tennessee has generally moved away from its more Democratic-friendly past. Those differences are readily apparent in the two states’ impressions of President Donald Trump in the new polls. In Tennessee, likely voters are about evenly split on the president’s performance, 49 percent approve and 48 percent disapprove, far outpacing his nationwide approval rating in the latest CNN polling of 36 percent.

In Arizona, by contrast, Trump fares only slightly better than his national number, with 39 percent of likely voters saying they approve of the way he’s handling his job while 57 percent disapprove.

The Republican incumbents for these seats — Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee — have both been publicly critical of Trump. Approval ratings of the president are closely tied to preferences in the Senate race, according to the poll.

Among those voters who disapprove of Trump’s performance in Arizona, 85 percent back Sinema, while in Tennessee, 92 percent of those who disapprove of the president back Bredesen.

Democrats hope that a ticket topped by Bredesen, the state’s former governor whose positive favorability ratings outstrip the negative by a 2-to-1 margin (52 percent favorable to 24 percent unfavorable among the state’s registered voters), can outweigh the state’s underlying Republican tilt. Blackburn, by contrast, splits public opinion, with 41 percent of registered voters viewing her favorably and 39 percent unfavorably, with 20 percent unsure.

Bredesen’s edge here is driven by cross-party appeal. Although his favorability ratings are underwater among Republicans, 28 percent of them have a favorable view of him, while just 9 percent of Democrats have a positive view of Blackburn.

In Arizona, both Sinema and McSally are viewed more positively than negatively, though more than 2-in-10 likely voters say they have no opinion of each Senate candidate.

Health care tops the list of voters’ most important issues in both states, with 29 percent calling it tops in their Senate vote in Tennessee and 25 percent saying the same in Arizona. The economy follows in Tennessee at 22 percent, immigration lands third at 16 percent. In Arizona, immigration is next on the list at 22percent, with the economy just behind at 20 percent.

Voters who say health care is their top issue are broadly supportive of the Democrat in both contests, breaking for Bredesen over Blackburn by 71 percent to 21 percent, and for Sinema over McSally by 75 percent to 14 percent. Both economy and immigration voters favor the Republican in each state.

Blackburn holds a whopping 50-point lead among immigration voters in Tennessee and a 10-point advantage among economy voters. In Arizona, McSally tops Sinema by 33 points among immigration voters and 24 points among those who call the economy the most important issue in their vote.

In both states, Republicans have the upper hand in the gubernatorial race. Governor Doug Ducey narrowly tops David Garcia in Arizona, 49 percent to 46percent, while Republican Bill Lee leads Karl Dean in the race for Tennessee’s open governor’s seat by 52 percent to 43 percent.

Ducey’s recent appointment of former Senator Jon Kyl to fill the Senate vacancy created by the death of Sen. John McCain earns high marks among Arizonans, 50 percent overall approve of the appointment while just 24 percent disapprove. Approval rises to 60 percent among those most likely to turn out to vote.

The CNN Polls in Arizona and Tennessee were conducted by SSRS Sept. 11-15 among random statewide samples reached on landlines or cellphones by a live interviewer. In Arizona, results for the full sample of 1,001 adults have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points, for the subset of 854 registered voters, it is plus or minus 4.1 and for the 761 likely voters plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

In Tennessee, results for the full sample of 1,000 respondents have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. It is 3.9 for the sample of 852 registered voters and 4.3 for results among the 723 likely voters.

Biden: Obama and I agreed to be silent, but …

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Biden: Obama and I agreed to be silent, but …
Former Vice President Joe Biden says President Donald Trump’s response to the rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, made him break his silence.

Cornerstone Career Connect, TN NAACP partner for Sept. 20 expungement clinic

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Cornerstone Career Connect, TN NAACP partner for Sept. 20 expungement clinic

Centerstone Career Connect, in partnership with the TN NAACP, Justice for All and Howard Gentry —Criminal Court Court Clerk, invites Davidson County residents with and without a criminal record to attend a free legal clinic this Thursday, Sept. 20 from noon until 4 p.m. at Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church.

If applicable, attendees may be able to get assistance with getting their court records expunged. Registration is not required and walk-ins are welcome.

“Adult residents of Davidson County may request their records to be erased at this community event,” a notice for the event stated. “Community partners will be on-site to help attendees with employment, housing, education, healthcare and more.”

Centerstone Career Connect offers free job placement, coaching, training and more for ages 18-24.

Rashida Tlaib may become the first Muslim woman in Congress

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Rashida Tlaib may become the first Muslim woman in Congress

Rashida Tlaib, a Muslim American woman who was born and raised in southwest Detroit, could make US history.

Everyone says Chrissy Teigen’s name wrong

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Everyone says Chrissy Teigen’s name wrong

Model Chrissy Teigen revealed that her name has been widely mispronounced and that she gave up trying to correct people years ago.

The outspoken model took to her Twitter account last night to let everyone know that both fans and the media have been saying her name wrong all these years.


It all started when one fan tweeted, “well we pronounce @chrissyteigen’s name wrong all the time.”

“Word! gave up a long time ago. last name is tie-gen not tee-gen,” she replied.

Source: CNN

Nike’s Colin Kaepernick gamble is already paying off

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Nike’s Colin Kaepernick gamble is already paying off

by David Goldman
CNN Newsource

Nike is getting just the response it wanted from its Colin Kaepernick ads.

Early indications suggest sales are up because of the new “Just Do It” campaign, according to Wedbush analyst Christopher Svezia.

The ads, which debuted last week, feature the quarterback among other athletes. Kaepernick started a movement among NFL players by kneeling during the National Anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice.

The campaign sent a strong message to Nike’s core customers: Millennials and younger men in cities. Two-thirds of the company’s sneaker customers are younger than 35, according to Matt Powell, a sports retail analyst at market research firm NPD Group.

“[Nike] communicated to them in a way that is authentic, culturally relevant, experiential and emotionally engaging,” Svezia wrote in an analyst note Friday.

He said the campaign increased core customers’ loyalty to Nike. It also raised awareness for the brand.

Nike gained 170,000 Instagram followers, and an Instagram post featuring Kaepernick was the second-most-liked post in Nike’s history, behind a post about the World Cup.

Nike’s followers commented on that post twice as much as any other Instagram post from the company — though not all were supportive.

The new followers, likes and consumer demographic led Svezia to believe that the Kaepernick ad campaign was positive for Nike and its sales.

Young people agree. Among people ages 18 to 34, 44% supported Nike’s decision to use Kaepernick, while 32% opposed it, according to an SSRS Omnibus poll provided exclusively to CNN. In the 35-to-44 age bracket, the decision earned support among a majority, 52%, compared with 37% who were against it.

Nike’s (NKE) stock closed at an all-time high Thursday. LeBron James, who has an endorsement deal with Nike, used that as an opportunity to dig at critics, such as President Donald Trump.


“Management knows its American consumer well and the campaign featuring Mr. Kaepernick is a positive for the brand and likely its sales,” Svezia said.

Joe Biden attacks Trump’s use of power during LGBTQ dinner speech

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Joe Biden attacks Trump’s use of power during LGBTQ dinner speech

By Arlette Saenz
CNN Newsource

When Joe Biden addressed the national dinner for the Human Rights Campaign on Saturday night, he found himself at a familiar juncture.

Speaking at the same dinner three years ago, he was grappling with a decision to make a late entrance in the 2016 presidential race mere months after the passing of his son Beau.

The circumstances are different this time around (it’s earlier in the process), but he is still mulling whether a third run for the White House could be the charm as he starts a campaign blitz for Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.

Biden, who ran failed bids in 1988 and 2008, has publicly said he’ll decide about 2020 by January, a time frame that sources close to the former vice president say mirrors his private discussions. But as he travels across the country, including to key presidential battleground states, his longtime network of loyal donors and operatives are watching and waiting for signs that he is inching toward a presidential run.

“He certainly feels the push from people who want him to run, so of course it’s there,” one Biden adviser said. “But in terms of the nuts and bolts of planning his time and thinking of what he’s doing, he’s focused on how he can be of most help to the Democratic Party.”

Biden took direct aim at President Donald Trump on Saturday night, noting that “forces of intolerance remain determined to undermine and roll back the progress you have made.”

“Instead of using the full might of the executive branch to secure justice, dignity, and safety for all, the President uses the White House as a literal, literal bully pulpit, callously exerting his power over those who have little or none,” he said.

Crisscrossing the country

He kicked off his midterm campaign sprint by literally running through a Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh alongside union workers — a group at the heart of his blue-collar, middle-class message.

“I’ve been with these guys my whole life,” Biden said. “These are the guys that brung me to the dance, as the saying goes.”

In the first week of October, Biden will make a three-day swing to California and Nevada to raise money and hold public events, including a likely stop with Democratic Senate candidate Jacky Rosen in Nevada, a source with knowledge of the plans tells CNN. Democrats see a real pickup opportunity in Rosen’s race against incumbent GOP Sen. Dean Heller.

It’s all part of Biden’s push to be one of the most active Democratic surrogates on the trail this fall with the pace of his campaigning picking up in October. His team says he’s squarely focused on getting Democrats elected in 2018 — but nearly everywhere he goes questions about 2020 loom.

A third run for President?

Headlining the dinner for the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights group on Saturday gave Biden, the first vice president to back same-sex marriage, a chance to stay connected to a key portion of the Democratic base. As the former vice president started his speech, a few people in the crowd yelled “Run Joe!” He responded, “Thank you.”

Biden has said that after the midterms he’ll engage in an “altar call” to gauge whether the support exists for a run, and the final verdict about whether he’ll launch a bid will boil down to a family decision.

Biden’s brain trust includes longtime strategist Mike Donilon; former chief of staff and the managing director of the Penn Biden Center Steve Ricchetti; former Sen. Ted Kaufman of Delaware; executive director of the American Possibilities PAC Greg Schultz; and former communications director Kate Bedingfield. His sister, Valerie Biden Owens, who managed each of his campaigns, remains a trusted confidante.

Should he decide to launch a 2020 bid, Biden could tap into a network of supporters, donors and aides that spans decades.

“As far as any candidate that I think has shown an interest, Joe would be by and far the one person that I would get out and support wholeheartedly,” said Bruce Hunter, an Iowa state representative who’s a longtime supporter of Biden’s.

“We are asking and he’s saying, ‘I’m not even going to contemplate that till after the midterms,’ ” said George Tsunis, an Obama bundler who wanted Biden to run in 2016. “I would be very excited for the country if he were to do that. I think he’s very, very capable.”

Midterm plans taking shape

For most of the last year, Biden’s campaign work primarily focused on doling out endorsements and raising money for Democratic candidates, particularly incumbent senators in states that Trump won in 2016. Later this month, he’ll appear at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in Boston.

But his attention in these final weeks before the election will shift to classic Joe Biden retail politicking as his team crafts a robust but flexible schedule to appear with candidates.

“I’m updating my travel in real-time to make sure I’m as effective a voice as I can possibly be for the incredible set of diverse, strong leaders we’ve endorsed,” Biden wrote in a fundraising email from his political action committee American Possibilities.

To date, Biden has publicly endorsed more than 75 Democratic candidates for Senate, House, governor, and other state-level races.

Those earning endorsements range from Obama administration alumni — like Andy Kim in New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District; Gina Ortiz Jones in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District; and Elissa Slotkin in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District — to longtime friends like New York Gov.

Andrew Cuomo, whom Biden praised in a TV ad that blanketed the New York media market ahead of this week’s primary.

Biden’s advisers say they are mapping out plans for the former vice president to hit industrial states in the Midwest as well as Florida to help in Senate and governors’ races. He’ll also be a frequent fixture in Pennsylvania and New Jersey — where a handful of close races could help Democrats win control of the House.

“I think that Vice President Biden resonates deeply throughout the country,” said Valerie Jarrett, who was a top adviser to former President Barack Obama. She added that the Democratic Party is “fortunate to have someone as compelling and popular as Vice President Joe Biden traveling as actively as he is in the midterms.”

But there are two high-profile states Biden won’t set foot in before Nov. 6 — Iowa, where he endorsed state Rep. Abby Finkenauer in the state’s 1st Congressional District, and New Hampshire. His team says any visits to the early presidential caucus and primary states run the risk of shifting attention from the candidates to his presidential ambitions.

A visit to South Carolina, the third nominating contest, is under consideration, but his team argues that’s different due to Biden’s long-term connections to the state — where he has endorsed Democratic gubernatorial nominee James Smith, who is a close friend of the Biden family, including the late Beau Biden.

“Joe Biden’s been coming to South Carolina since the 1980s,” said Dick Harpootlian, a longtime Biden supporter who earned the former vice president’s endorsement in his state Senate race this year. “He’s participated in Democratic primary politics here. When he was vice president, he helped us raise money. He’s almost a local.”

A stop in Georgia, where he endorsed Stacey Abrams, a progressive African-American candidate for governor, is also a potential option.

Aside from the avoiding-Iowa-and-New-Hampshire strategy, Biden’s team is adamant that 2020 will not play a factor as they plan out his trips.

But he is notably eyeing visits to help candidates in Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — all competitive races but also five of the six states Trump flipped from blue to red in 2016 that Democrats are eager to win back.

Navigating Obama and the Democratic field

The one Democratic surrogate who could eclipse Biden for attention during the midterms is Obama, who stepped into the political fray last week as he criticized Trump by name for the first time.

Biden and Obama have maintained a close relationship since leaving office. They speak from time to time, but the contact is not as frequent as their daily check-ins and weekly lunches at the White House, of which Biden so often boasted. In July, they got the gang back together for lunch at a Georgetown bakery that helps veterans and military families.

When Biden debuted his Instagram account, which quickly racked up over a million followers, the former president welcomed him by posting a selfie of the two, writing, “you’ll always be one of the rare exceptions to my no-selfies rule.”

Obama has made few appearances with other candidates mulling 2020 bids. But he has held meetings with several Democrats considering runs to dole out advice about running in the Trump era and how to best set up the party for the future.

He has typically refrained from endorsing in primary races, so it’s unclear if he will wade into the presidential primaries in 2020 to endorse his close friend Biden or any other candidates he’s impressed by. One Democrat close to the former president said there have been no discussions of endorsements at this point.

Before any potential Biden-Trump campaign face-off, Biden would need to tackle a crowded Democratic primary field — where dozens of names have been floated as possible contenders.

The former vice president could find himself competing against progressives like Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts at a time when much of the energy in the Democratic Party comes from the left.

Biden, who would be 77 as the nominating contests get underway, may also be stacked up against a crop of younger, fresh-faced Democrats such as Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California. The current President is three years younger than Biden.

“I think Vice President Biden is one of those candidates who actually can go to any place in America and be well received, whereas others may be less well received,” said Robert Wolf, a Democratic donor and friend of Obama and Biden. “He sits in a great seat — but getting through a Democratic primary I have a feeling will not be easy for anyone.”

Trump vs. Biden

“A dream.”

That’s how Trump recently described a potential run against Biden in 2020.

“President Obama took him out of the garbage heap, and everybody was shocked that he did. I’d love to have it be Biden,” Trump said in an interview with CBS News.

Biden recently launched a sarcastic jab of his own at Trump.

“I’m clearly not as smart as Trump, the smartest man in the world,” he said to laughter at a DC speech. “But I have a relatively high IQ.”

The verbal brawl between the two initially escalated earlier this year, when they started talking about physically fighting each other.

“A guy who ended up becoming our national leader said, ‘I can grab a woman anywhere and she likes it,’ ” Biden said in March referring to Trump’s “Access Hollywood” tape. “They asked me if I’d like to debate this gentleman, and I said no. I said, ‘If we were in high school, I’d take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.’ ” Biden’s comments were similar to ones he had made in 2016.

Trump bit back on Twitter, writing, “Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak, both mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with physical assault. He doesn’t know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying all the way. Don’t threaten people Joe!”

Biden later expressed regret for his comments.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said. I shouldn’t have brought it up again because I don’t want to get down in the mosh pit with this guy,” he told “Pod Save America.” “The idea that I would actually physically get in a contest with a President of the United States or anybody else now is not what I said, and it is not what this was about, but I should have just left it alone.”

According to an Axios report, advisers to the President have said Biden is the Democrat he fears running against the most. A CNN poll of registered voters conducted in January found Biden leading Trump 57% to 40% in a hypothetical match-up.

One Biden adviser said they expect his criticism of the President this fall to be more implicit than explicit. Biden has already previewed some of that messaging as he’s talked about respect, dignity and American values, and he’s frequently lambasted the “phony populism” and “naked nationalism” he thinks the President and the Republican Party promote.

“I think he will speak about his values and his core values of the Democratic Party that represents the best interest of all Americans,” Jarrett said. “I think he will also contrast to what’s happening today, similar to what President Obama — the policies and the rhetoric that we’re hearing today is inconsistent with those values.”

Jeff Bezos: Trump should welcome media scrutiny

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Jeff Bezos: Trump should welcome media scrutiny

by Lydia DePillis
CNN Newsource

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who typically tries to stay out of the political fray, mounted a vigorous defense of press freedom on Thursday evening, saying President Donald Trump should be glad to face media scrutiny.

The remarks came during an hour-long, freewheeling conversation with hedge fund billionaire and philanthropist David Rubenstein at an annual gathering of the Economic Club of Washington, which Rubenstein leads. After discussing the success of the Washington Post, which Bezos bought in 2013, Rubenstein asked how Bezos responds to criticism — some of which comes from Trump’s Twitter feed — of Amazon (AMZN) and the Post.

“I don’t feel the need to defend Amazon,” Bezos said. “But I will say this: I do think it’s a mistake for any elected official to attack media and journalists.”

“There’s no public figure who’s ever liked their headlines. It’s okay. It’s part of the process,” Bezos said. “What the president should say is, ‘This is right, I’m glad I’m being scrutinized.’ That would be so secure and confident.”

Demonizing the media and calling them “the enemies of the people” is dangerous, Bezos said.

“We live in a society where it’s not just the laws of the land that protect us. It’s also social norms that protect us. And every time you attack that, you’re eroding it a little bit around the edges,” he said.

The remarks were met with applause from the well-heeled audience, which was double the club’s typical attendance.

Many were eager to hear any hint of where Bezos had decided to put Amazon’s second headquarters, with multiple locations surrounding the national capital in contention. The dinner was sponsored by a coalition funded by local developers to advocate for more affordable housing in the region. Bezos was in town with his parents, who run the Bezos Family Foundation.

Attendees included Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, the head of the General Services Administration, the Postmaster General and other local dignitaries. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was scheduled to attend, but couldn’t because of the approach of Hurricane Florence. Instead, he sent his economic development director.

Bezos disappointed them all, saying only that he would make a decision on the location of the new headquarters by the end of the year.

Nicki Minaj fires back at Cardi B

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Nicki Minaj fires back at Cardi B

By Lisa Respers France 
CNN Newsource

Nicki Minaj said Monday her recent dust-up with fellow rapper Cardi B was “mortifying and humiliating.”

Minaj addressed the incident during the latest episode of her Beats 1’s “Queen Radio” show.

“You’re angry and you’re sad. This is not funny,” Minaj said of Cardi B. “Get this woman some f***ing help. This woman’s at the highest point in her career and she’s throwing shoes?”

The pair were leaving New York Fashion Week’s annual Harper’s Bazaar Icons party late Friday at the Plaza Hotel in New York City when Cardi B appeared to go after Minaj.

Video from the exclusive invite-only soiree was captured by some attendees and posted on social media.

Cardi B is seen being restrained as she appears to lunge for Minaj before throwing her shoe.

Security alerted officers about a dispute between two people at the Plaza around 11 p.m. Friday, law enforcement sources said. Officers spoke to one of the guests involved, sources said, but the guest declined to make a complaint. No arrests were made.

It’s unclear what caused the quarrel to escalate, but Cardi B took to Instagram afterward and posted a profanity-filled video saying Minaj had criticized her parenting skills.

Cardi B gave birth to he first child, a daughter named Kulture Kiari Cephus, in July with husband rapper Offset.

Minaj disputed during her broadcast that she said anything negative about Cardi B or her child, stating that claim was “all lies.”

“I would never ridicule anyone’s child,” Minaj said. “[It’s] so sad for someone to pin that on somebody. I would never talk about anyone’s child or parenting. These lies are ridiculous.”

Minaj also had a dire warning for her fellow rapper.

“You put your hands on certain people, you gonna die,” she said. “Period.”

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