As we continue our effort to keep you up-to-date on how money corrupts American government and politics, as well as other news of the day, we’re pleased to publish this daily digest compiled by BillMoyers.com’s John Light.
Not running –> Josh Lederman at the AP: “Vice President Joe Biden declared Wednesday he won’t run for president in 2016, ending a months-long flirtation with a third White House campaign and setting him on a glide path toward the end of his decades-long political career.” But: Nate Cohn writes for the Upshot that, in a way, Biden did step into the primary — and he lost. “For all her struggles with poll numbers and the email investigation this year, Hillary Rodham Clinton has done one thing really well: dissuade mainstream opponents by dominating the invisible primary, the behind-the-scenes competition for elite support that often decides the nomination. …the reality was that he [Biden] would have struggled for the same reason that other traditional, establishment-friendly candidates decided not to run. The support from party operatives, donors and officials wasn’t quite there. The party had already decided, for Mrs. Clinton.”
It’s time –> Hillary Clinton will testify on Benghazi today. But Clinton won’t be the only one in the hot seat: America’s getting pretty skeptical about this whole inquiry. Alex Seitz-Wald at MSNBC: “A poll out Wednesday from Monmouth University found that most Americans – 52% – think the committee is mainly interested in discrediting Clinton. Just 32% said the committee was focused on learning the facts of the the matter.” Joan Walsh at The Nation: “Trey Gowdy Is Very Angry You Think His Partisan Benghazi Committee Is Partisan.”
There appears to be a trend here –> Last month was the warmest September on record. Sound familiar? August was also the warmest August on record. July was not just the warmest July on record, but the warmest month on record, period. June was the warmest June on record. Taken together, the summer was the hottest summer on record. 2015 is on track to be the hottest year on record, and 2014 was the hottest year on record so far. AND: Chris Mooney at The Washington Post: “Sweeping study claims that rising temperatures will sharply cut economic productivity.”
Plot thickens –> Matea Gold and Tom Hamburger at The Washington Post: “A super PAC backing Donald Trump solicited a Trump business acquaintance for a political contribution using contact information obtained from a top aide to the real estate tycoon, according to an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post. … Such groups can accept unlimited donations from individuals and corporations but are not allowed to coordinate directly with campaigns.” The Post had previously reported on a number of other links between the campaign and the PAC.
Resurrecting debtors prison –> Single mother Qumotria Kennedy was arrested and held in a private jail cell because, on her income of $9,000 a year, she couldn’t afford to pay $400 in fees stemming from traffic violations. Now she’s the lead plaintiff is an ACLU-lead suit against Biloxi, MI, its courts, its police department and a private company called Judicial Corrections Services, Inc., alleging “that the agencies collectively conspired to create a modern form of debtors’ prison as a ruse to extract cash from those least able to afford it – the city’s poor.” Ed Pilkington reports for The Guardian.
Related –> Timothy Williams at the NYT: “130 police chiefs, prosecutors and sheriffs — including some of the most prominent law enforcement officials in the country — are adding their clout to the movement to reduce the nation’s incarceration rate. …[T]hey have formed a group to push for alternatives to arrests, reducing the number of criminal laws and ending mandatory minimum prison sentences. Members of the group are scheduled to meet Thursday with President Obama.”
Maine pushes back against Citizens United –> In response to Citizens United, Maine has a ballot initiative strengthening its Clean Elections Fund. The surprising part: The initiative enjoys some bipartisan support, with Republicans divided. Amy Fried, a Republican, writes in support at The Bangor Daily News.
Putin enjoys a “surprise visit” from Assad –> Jonathan Marcus at the BBC: “President Assad’s surprise visit to Moscow represents a sign of growing confidence by the embattled Syrian president. He feels it safe to leave Damascus for the first time since the civil war in Syria erupted. …Having Mr Assad turn up in Moscow shows that there is little doubt that for now at least, President Putin is intent on shoring up Mr Assad’s position.”
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