All That Glitters Isn't Gold
THE CLICHÉ EDITION
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Cliché: Laugh out loud funny!
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The Wall Street Journal ed board sides with Mitch McConnell over Donald Trump in calling out Trump-backed Senate candidates now in need of McConnell cash infusions to save their general election prospects.
Cliché: McConnell is going to double down.
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Per the Associated Press:
The new congressional districts have caused Democratic consternation, especially a new Manhattan-area seat that has turned two incumbents into rivals. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who has represented New York City’s Upper East Side for three decades, is facing Rep. Jerry Nadler, who has represented the Upper West Side for just as long.
Maloney, 76, and Nadler, 75, each chair powerful committees.
Cliché: Both Maloney and Nadler are fighting for their political lives.
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In the Sunshine State, the Democratic battle to be the gubernatorial nominee to try to slow down Ron DeSantis can be summarized like this, per the AP:
State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, who was once governor himself as a Republican, are vying for the Democratic nomination to compete against DeSantis in November. Fried, the only statewide-elected Democrat, has sought to portray Crist as a Democrat in name only. She’s highlighted Crist’s former anti-abortion stance and his appointment of conservative state Supreme Court justices. Crist has dismissed Fried’s criticisms as last-ditch efforts to counter his stouter fundraising and high-profile endorsements.
Cliché: Tuesday will all come down to turnout.
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The Washington Post and the Associated Press have dueling essential reading pieces on the state of the 2024 Republican presidential nomination fight, with the former suggesting things are wide open even if Trump runs and the latter suggesting less so, but the AP wins because of this paragraph:
In 2003, Democrat John Kerry memorably ordered a strawberry smoothie, notable for an event known for its celebration of meat and deep-fried foods. In 2007, Republican Fred Thompson was mocked for sporting Gucci loafers, which stood out among the more common flip-flops and cowboy boots of attendees.
Cliché: All politics is local.
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The New York Times breaks this news:
A new conservative nonprofit group scored a $1.6 billion windfall last year via a little-known donor — an extraordinary sum that could give Republicans and their causes a huge financial boost ahead of the midterms, and for years to come.
The source of the money was Barre Seid, an electronics manufacturing mogul, and the donation is among the largest — if not the largest — single contributions ever made to a politically focused nonprofit. The beneficiary is a new political group controlled by Leonard A. Leo, an activist who has used his connections to Republican donors and politicians to help engineer the conservative dominance of the Supreme Court and to finance battles over abortion rights, voting rules and climate change policy.
This windfall will help cement Mr. Leo’s status as a kingmaker in conservative big money politics. It could also give conservatives an advantage in a type of difficult-to-trace spending that shapes elections and political fights.
Cliché: This could be a real game changer.
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At some point, it appears that Gotham City Mayor Eric Adams is going to go too far, with the New York Times capturing the latest manifestation:
Before he took office, Eric Adams vowed to boost New York City’s nightlife as both the mayor and a very active participant, visiting venues from Staten Island to Queens, showing up personally to restore the vibrancy of an industry crushed by Covid.
Mr. Adams has indeed become a fixture out after dark, visiting destinations around the city. But a curious and unmistakable pattern has also emerged: Again and again he returns to the same upscale Manhattan restaurant. There, he slips behind a frosted glass partition to a private table where he holds court, while the restaurant stays open until he leaves — sometimes well after its official closing time.
The restaurant, Osteria La Baia, is run by Mr. Adams’s close friends, Robert and Zhan Petrosyants — twin brothers whose businesses Mr. Adams has supported despite the brothers’ past felony convictions, outstanding tax debts and a trail of legal troubles.
In June alone, Mr. Adams visited La Baia on at least 14 evenings, according to New York Times reporters who observed his nighttime outings — of which there were at least 22 that month.
At La Baia, where entrees range in price from about $30 to over $60, Times reporters never observed him paying for his meals. In response to questions from The Times, a spokesman said the mayor personally pays the bill to the restaurant monthly. But the spokesman declined to provide receipts, and the restaurant’s operators did not respond to emails seeking any documents that would support the mayor’s claim.
If the mayor has failed to pay for his meals, he could have violated the city’s ethics rules, watchdogs said. Public servants are explicitly barred from accepting gifts worth $50 or more from city vendors — a rule that would not apply to La Baia and the Petrosyants brothers. But the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board advises public officials not to accept any valuable gifts that are given to them because of their positions.
Cliché: Only time will tell.
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Here is the presidential schedule for this week:
Cliché: This is based on multiple sources familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive matters.
