Commentary: Republican Senators Were Deferential to Biden’s 2020 Cabinet; Now They’re Blocking Trump’s Picks in 2024

President Joe Biden

During President Joe Biden’s honeymoon in early 2021, Senate Republicans routinely deferred to the President’s selection for Cabinet secretaries, no matter how radical they were, how much they disagreed with the President’s policies and no matter how awful the selections turned out to be for national security and the individual liberties of the American people.

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Commentary: McCormick Outlines ‘Playbook’ in Tight Pennsylvania Senate Race

Dave McCormick

With August in the rear-view mirror, Dave McCormick admits he never really made much of “brat summer,” the amorphous Gen Z meme that no one can exactly define but that Vice President Kamala Harris has adopted while in pursuit of younger voters.

A catch-all term for “cool” that is also sort of kitsch, “brat” is one of the vibes that Harris has cultivated amidst a slow policy rollout to capture the imagination of voters and catapult herself in front of former President Donald Trump in the polls.

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Before Running for the Oval Office, Kamala Harris Co-Sponsored a Green New Deal

Kamala Harris

by Nick Pope   Vice President Kamala Harris, seemingly first in line to run as the Democratic nominee for president now that President Joe Biden has dropped out of the 2024 race, may be even more aligned with the environmental left than Biden, her record and past comments indicate. Harris, who is tied to Biden’s $1 trillion-plus climate agenda in her capacity as vice president, has gone beyond Biden’s energy positions in the past a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal introduced in 2019 when she was a senator, and she has also made comments in support of a fracking ban that she subsequently walked back. While she has previously vacillated on some of her more left-wing policy positions, her record suggests that she may be even more progressive on energy policy than Biden if she secures the Democratic nomination and defeats former President Donald Trump in November. The New York Times described Harris on Monday as a politician who has assumed “positions far to the left of Mr. Biden on climate change,” and Politico wrote Sunday that Harris’ climate plans would have “gone even further” than those of Biden by instituting policies like a “climate pollution fee.” While in Congress, Harris was one of the…

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Sheriff Mark Lamb’s Pledge: Putting Arizona First in the Race for Senate

Mark Lamb

Sheriff Mark Lamb, dubbed the “American Sheriff,” to a short break recently from his campaign for U.S. Senate to grant an exclusive interview to The Arizona Sun Times to discuss his vision, legislative objectives, and strategies for transitioning from law enforcement to federal governance. Lamb and former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake are the key contenders in the 2024 Republican primary, aiming to succeed Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who will not seek re-election.

Lamb began by expressing his gratitude for the support and encouragement he has experienced on the campaign trail. “When people see that you are protecting their families, they, in turn, become protective of you.”

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Key Democrats Endorse Gallego After Sinema Retirement

Rep. Ruben Gallego

U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., now has the backing on Gov. Katie Hobbs and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly in his bid for U.S. Senate.

The endorsements come after Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced last week she’s retiring at the end of the year and not seeking re-election. If she decided to run, it would have set up an unusual three-way race between two major parties and an incumbent. Sinema left the Democratic Party in December 2022.

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Vance: ‘Ukraine-First’ Border Package ‘Being Shoved Down the Throat of the U.S. Senate’

JD Vance Ukraine

U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said today that his fellow Republicans “have to” defeat the “Ukraine-first” border package being “shoved down” their throats.

“There’s an Ukraine first package being shoved down the throat of the US Senate,” Vance posted on X. “It doesn’t secure our border, gives away all leverage to achieve real border security, and no one has had time to read through the details. Let’s defeat this package. We have to.”

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Unmasking DeWine: Ohio Journalist Jack Windsor Dissects Shocking Veto and Its Potential Ripple Effect on 2024 Senate Race

Ohio journalist and entrepreneur Jack Windsor joined host Michael Patrick Leahy on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss the connections and divides behind the shocking decision by Governor Mike DeWine to veto measure that would prohibit genital mutilation of children and transgender males competing in girls’ sports. Windsor unveils the deep ties between the Buckeye State governor and the “medical industrial complex,” and how this particular veto – perhaps unbeknownst to DeWine – could influence the 2024 elections in Ohio. The Ohio Press Network journalist then breaks down the hotly contested republican nomination race for U.S. Senate to see who will face long time incumbent Sherrod Brown. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: 12:33 p.m., broadcasting live from our studios in downtown Nashville on Monday, January 1st, 2024. We are broadcasting live. We’re the only talk station talk show in Nashville broadcasting live today. Another hard worker is our very good friend formerly with The Ohio Star now with the Ohio Press Network and the host of his own program in Columbus Ohio, our good friend, Mr. Jack Windsor. Jack, thanks for joining us. Jack Windsor: Michael, it’s great to be with you. Happy New Year. And thanks for allowing…

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NRSC Launches Arizona Ad Campaign, Labels Rep. Gallego, Sen. Sinema ‘Deadbeat Dad’ and ‘Liberal Democrat’

The influential National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) released a new advertisement targeting Arizona voters on Monday that labels Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) a “deadbeat dad” and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) a “liberal Democrat.” The ad is the latest indication the political action committee will support Lake, should she secure the Republican nomination.

In a 30-second ad, the narrator bemoaned “Rotten Ruben Gallego” for being “a spokesman for a crooked bank that targeting immigrants,” referencing a March report exposing a bank he founded that was meant to cater to illegal immigrants. Federal regulators eventually determined the bank’s founder illegally sold shares.

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YoungkinWatch: Sen. Tim Kaine Reportedly Claims Governor May Mount Senate Bid in Fundraising Email

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) reportedly warned donors that Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) could launch a campaign for his U.S. Senate seat in 2024 in a fundraising email on Friday. Youngkin is term limited, and cannot seek another term as the commonwealth’s governor.

In a fundraising email, Kaine reportedly stressed the importance of maintaining the Democrats’ current Senate majority, citing the decision of Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) to retire, before addressing “speculation” about Youngkin’s future political ambitions, according to The Washington Examiner.

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Kyrsten Sinema Lays Out Unorthodox ‘Path to Victory’ in Swing-State Arizona

Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona argued her “path to victory” to reclaim her Senate seat in 2024 would be to garner more support from Republicans than Democrats and win the majority of independent voters, according to a donor memo reported by NBC News on Monday.

Sinema has yet to launch a reelection bid, but could face Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego and former Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake, who is inching toward a campaign, in a general election next year. The senator’s memo argues that if she runs for another term, Sinema could secure the seat with  60 percent to 70 percent support from independents, as well as 25 percent to 35 percent of Republicans and 10 percent to 20 percent of Democrats, according to NBC News.

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Commentary: Will a Three-Way Race in Arizona Deliver the U.S. Senate to Republicans?

Of all the low-hanging senatorial fruit in 2024 — see red states with blue senators in West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio, to name three — if not the ripest for conservative pickup, then at least the juiciest might be the three-way contest that is liable to heat up in the Arizona desert.

There, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat-turned-independent incumbent, if she decides to defend her seat, will face an extreme progressive challenger on the left and, possibly, one of the Trumpiest of Trumpists on the right, Kari Lake, who may find herself in a primary battle with a slightly lesser Trumpist in Blake Masters, who lost the other Senate seat in 2022 to Mark Kelly.

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Gulbransen on Gloria Johnson Senate Bid: You Don’t Tug on Superman’s Cape, You Don’t Mess with Marsha Blackburn When You’re a Marxist

Official guest host of The Tennessee Star Report and executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition Tennessee Aaron Gulbransen joined Michael Patrick Leahy in-studio Tuesday to discuss the purported U.S. Senate candidacy of the far-left Democrat State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville).

Gulbransen took the opportunity to remind listeners of Johnson’s liberal bona fides and Marsha Blackburn’s ferocity on the campaign trail.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose Jumps Into Race to Unseat Dem Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2024

Frank LaRose

Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a run for Senate on Monday to unseat Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2024, according to a campaign launch video.

LaRose enters a growing GOP primary field where he will face businessman Bernie Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan, who both unsuccessfully ran for Senate during the 2022 midterms. The secretary of state touched on issues he feels plague the country, like parental rights in education, the border crisis and inflation, when announcing his run for Senate, according to a Twitter video.

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Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego Raises $3.1 Million in Race for Sinema’s Senate Seat

Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) claims to have raised $3.1 million from mostly small-dollar donors funding his campaign for U.S. Senate, where he hopes to overcome Republican opposition and ultimately unseat Senator Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-I).

Gallego’s campaign sent campaign finance data to 12 News on Thursday, revealing a $3.1 million fundraising haul in the second quarter of 2023. Though less than the $3.7 million Gallego raised in the first quarter, immediately after announcing his campaign, the latest reporting means his campaign has raised nearly $7 million this year.

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GOP Targets Three Vulnerable Democrats in Quest to Win Senate, House Control Too Early to Predict

Republicans would need to win three of the 2024 toss-up Senate races to retake control of the chamber but appear to be facing a more uphill battle to keep control of the House.

Thirty-three of 100 Senate seats are up for grabs next year. Right now, Democrats have a 51-49 majority, which includes 48 party members and three independents who caucus with them.

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J6 Unmasked: Security Footage Confirms Senate Door Opened, Allowing 300 to Enter Capitol Freely

A door on the West side of the U.S. Capitol was left open and mostly unguarded for key moments during the Jan. 6 riot, allowing more than 300 people to enter the building unimpeded even as officers fought valiantly to keep protesters out of other sections of the official home of Congress, according to police security footage obtained by Just the News. The footage — which confirms concerns first raised by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., two years ago — shows an episode in a narrow hallway in the middle of the Capitol that began around 2:30p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021 right after the first breaches were reported elsewhere in the landmark building.

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Experts Weigh In on Potential Three-Way Senate Race in Arizona

Arizona’s 2024 U.S. Senate election is expected to be highly contentious and competitive as the campaign will likely feature a three-way race in the general election, experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who has yet to announce a reelection bid, currently holds the seat in question; Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego has already launched a Senate run and former Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is weighing a bid. Arizona political strategists told the DCNF that there are various factors and scenarios at play that make this potential race highly contentious, and likely a tossup.

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Arizona’s Lamb Talks Immigration, Fentanyl and Sinema on Campaign Trail for U.S. Senate

Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb hopes his law enforcement acumen in a border state will make him stand out in a potentially crowded race for the GOP ticket in Arizona’s next U.S. Senate primary.

Lamb has been on the campaign trail as the first Republican Senate candidate in Arizona to declare candidacy for the 2024 election. He spoke with The Center Square on Friday to discuss the border and state of the race.

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Ohio Republican Files to Challenge Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2024

Ohio Republican businessman Bernie Moreno has filed to run for Senate in 2024 and will challenge Democratic incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown.

“Today, Bernie filed paperwork with the FEC [Federal Election Commission] as he continues to explore a run for U.S. Senate,” a source told NBC News. “Over the past few weeks, Bernie has talked with voters, business leaders, conservative activists and donors throughout the state and has received overwhelming encouragement to run.”

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McConnell Released from Physical Therapy After Concussion, Broken Rib

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky left an inpatient rehab facility Saturday following physical therapy, CNN reported.

McConnell, the senate minority leader, was hospitalized Mar. 9 after he tripped and fell during an event at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., suffering a concussion and a fractured rib. He will work from home on the advice of medical professionals, according to CNN.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Suffers Concussion in Fall, to Remain Hospitalized for ‘Few Days’

by Madeleine Hubbard    Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to remain hospitalized “for a few days” after he fell in Washington, D.C., during a private hotel dinner, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Republican said Thursday. “This evening, Leader McConnell tripped at a local hotel during a private dinner,” spokesman David Popp told news outlets after the fall Wednesday. “He has been admitted to the hospital where he is receiving treatment.” McConnell fell at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, formerly known as the Trump International Hotel, in Washington, D.C. He is being treated for a concussion, Popp said. McConnell, 81, tripped and fell at his home in Kentucky in 2019 and underwent surgery for a shoulder fracture.  Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell suffered a concussion after a fall at a local hotel and remains hospitalized “for a few days of observation and treatment,” a spokesman said Thursday. The Kentucky senator, 81, was at a Wednesday evening dinner for the Senate Leadership Fund, a campaign committee aligned with him, when he tripped and was admitted to the hospital, his office said. The dinner was at the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, formerly the Trump International Hotel, Washington D.C. Spokesman David Popp said McConnell is being treated for a…

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Former Georgia U.S. Senator Loeffler: Grassroots Can Be the GOP Ticket to Success in Elections

Former Georgia U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Republican, says that if the GOP can’t out raise the Democrats during campaign season, their best bet is to win on the ground.

“If we can’t win the funding game, we can win on the ground,” Loeffler says on the John Solomon Reports podcast airing Monday. “That’s why it’s so vital that we organize. We have to become activists and organizers.”

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Commentary: 2024 Is Going to Be Close

If the November midterms proved one thing, it’s that Republicans have a less-than-breezy path to a majority in Washington, D.C.

Most of the attention on the 2024 election will center around the race for president. But don’t forget to watch the down ballot congressional races because the control of Congress really matters.

Both chambers are narrowly divided and control for both is up for grabs.

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Democrat Rep. Gallego Formally Announces 2024 Bid for Sinema’s Arizona Senate Seat

Arizona Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego on Monday launched his 2024 Senate campaign, possibly setting up a challenge against incumbent independent Sen. Krysten Sinema.

The announcement and the date was expected, with Gallego in recent weeks and months becoming increasingly critical of Sinema and her politics – including her failure to support Senate Democrats’ effort to end the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster that blocked passage of several of the party’s signature spending bills, then switching her party affiliation to independent.

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Shock: Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema Leaving Democratic Party, Could Impact Senate Control

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has announced that she will leave the Democratic Party and officially register as an independent and in an Op-Ed in the Arizona Republic.

“I’ve registered as an Arizona independent. I know some people might be a little bit surprised by this, but actually, I think it makes a lot of sense,” Sinema told CNN’s Jake Tapper during an interview Thursday with in her Senate office.

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U.S. Senate to Vote on ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ as Several Groups Question its Constitutionality

Several groups argue the Respect for Marriage Act (ROMA) currently before the U.S. Senate is unconstitutional, and if enacted, will eventually be struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The bill, HR 8404, was introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-NY, on July 18 and passed by a vote of 267-157 the next day. The U.S. Senate took it up on November 14.

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Herschel Walker Leads Georgia Senate Race in Final Poll

Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker

by Arjun Singh   Republican candidate and former football star Herschel Walker is leading incumbent Democratic Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock in the final round of polling before Election Day. Walker leads Warnock by 3.2 points, with the support of 49.7% of respondents, in a Trafalgar poll released Monday. That poll, taken between Nov. 4 and Nov. 6, surveyed 1,103 respondents and had a 2.9% margin of error. If no candidate in Georgia wins more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will enter a runoff election for the seat. The race between Walker and Warnock has been close, with Walker maintaining a steady lead in recent weeks, at an average of 0.5% per RealClearPolitics, a statistical tie. It's a great day in Georgia! If you want a leader who is tough on crime, puts parents in charge of their kids' education, and knows the value of a dollar, send @HerschelWalker to the Senate! Let's get out the vote! #GASen 🇺🇸♥️ pic.twitter.com/NnYRVZTLBn — Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) November 6, 2022 The race between Walker and Warnock has been closely watched as Republicans seek to retake a seat they lost in 2020 when Warnock, a novice politician and pastor, defeated appointed Republican Sen.…

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Ohio Democratic Senatorial Candidate Changes Stance on Confronting Inflation

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Representative Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) has shown support for regulations that would prevent inflation while simultaneously favoring larger spending bills.

This year Ryan voted against preventing regulations that would cause inflation and a gas tax hike.

However, in late 2021 he favored a larger spending bill (“Build Back Better”) over a slimmed-down plan favored by moderate Democratic senators. Ryan said that Democrats should not minimize the extent of inflation but rather emphasize “Build Back Better” as a way to address it.

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