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Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards told Arkansas Democrats in Little Rock on Saturday night that there's an opportunity for them to flip seats in 2018 -- pointing to his own election in a deeply red state nearly two years ago.

The governor from Arkansas' southern neighbor was the keynote speaker for the Arkansas Democrats' annual fundraiser, which for the first time was called the Clinton Dinner.

The self-described "pro-life, pro-Second Amendment" Democrat reflected throughout his speech on the similarities between the two states, which have seen decades of strong Democratic support wither.

Democrats' ranks in the Arkansas Legislature are at the lowest point since Reconstruction, and they control no constitutional or federal offices.

"I suspect they invited me here because I won the governor's race a little less than two years ago in Louisiana, a state that doesn't look terribly different than Arkansas," Edwards said in an interview earlier Saturday.

In his speech, Edwards said his path to the governor's mansion could serve as a road map for Arkansas Democrats.

And he said Democrats' fortunes in both states lie at the center of the aisle and with independents.

"We cannot hang out at the far left of the political spectrum, because you cannot seize what is available to us from there," Edwards said.

Both states have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Edwards said support for the expansion should be a "huge" talking point for Democrats in 2018, as Republicans in Washington struggle to repeal and replace the law.

He also said diversity is key to the party. On the local and national level, Edwards said, the party can't afford to shun people who "don't stand with 100 percent of the party platform."

It was a possible reference to Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez, who earlier this year said support for the party's position favoring abortion rights is "not negotiable."

The dinner was the first headed by new state Democratic Party Chairman Michael John Gray, who is also a state representative from Augusta.

Like Edwards, Gray served as House minority leader. The two met in Philadelphia last year at the Democratic National Convention.

The Saturday night dinner at the Statehouse Convention Center raised at least $100,000 for the party, according to spokesman Jessica DeLoach, though a final tally was not yet available.

Including a dinner of shrimp and grits, chicken jambalaya, Nashville hot chicken and pork belly with baked beans, tickets for the event cost $100.

About 800 people were in attendance, according to the party.

Earlier in the day, at a meeting of the Democrats' State Committee, House Minority Leader Rep. David Whitaker, D- Fayetteville, laid out a "bold, aggressive agenda," that he said will be the basis for 2018 campaigns.

The platform, according to Whitaker, includes opposing any legislation that would reduce health care coverage in Arkansas and supporting expanded pre-kindergarten programs, criminal justice issues and parole overhauls.

At the earlier meeting, Whitaker called on Democrats to recruit candidates or consider running for office themselves.

As of Saturday, no Democrat had announced plans to challenge Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson next year -- a point alluded to by Edwards.

"Somebody in this room, it's time to go big or go home," he said.

Hutchinson, while critical of the Affordable Care Act, has also held back from supporting the U.S. Senate's replacement plan.

At a meeting of the National Governors Association this month in Rhode Island, Edwards said a talk about President Donald Trump's health care policy from Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price received a dull reception from the governors.

"There was nobody in that room excited about what he was saying," Edwards said.

The new Clinton moniker for this year's dinner was adopted after Democrats held the last Jefferson-Jackson Dinner last year, with former President Bill Clinton serving as the keynote speaker.

The previous name was dropped due to its association with two slave-holding presidents.

Clinton said in a pre-recorded video played at Saturday's dinner that he also has hope for the party in a state where once served as governor.

"I'm old enough to remember battles that looked even longer," Clinton said.

Republicans will have their own annual fundraiser, the Reagan-Rockefeller Dinner, at the Little Rock Marriott next weekend.

The keynote speaker for that event is Fox News host Jeanine Pirro.

Metro on 07/23/2017

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Democrat speaks at annual dinner in Arkansas - Arkansas Online

Motivated to boost Currie to clerk's seat

Passaic County Clerk Kristin Corrado is in line to replace Sen. Kevin O'Toole in the 40th District.(Photo: northjersey.com file photo)

Passaic County Clerk KristinCorrado's victory in the 40th Legislative District Senate primary last monthturned out to be one of the more bitter, intra-Republican Party skirmishes this year.

And her success was fueled with the generous support of a familiar Democratic operation.

Corrado's campaign was financed, in part, by family and allies of U.S. Rep. William Pascrell, the former Paterson mayor and Passaic County kingpin. Pascrell's affiliates -- including his son, lobbyistWilliam Pascrell III -- contributed to the Republican Corrado's cause.

The reasons for Pascrell's involvement are varied, but it reflects the complicated,bipartisan tangle of power and interests that have shaped Passaic County politics for decades.

Bill Pascrell(Photo: Susan Walsh/AP)

For one thing, the ties are personal. Pascrell III is close to Peter Murphy, the powerful operative from Totowa and former Passaic County Republican Party chairman who served as Corrado's chief benefactor in her vanquishing of primary rival Paul DiGaetano of Franklin Lakes, who is also the Bergen County Republican chairman.

Pascrell III also said Murphy is the godfather of his youngest child.

But strategically, Corrado's victory in capturing the Republican nomination could open the Passaic County clerk's seat. Longtime Pascrell ally John Currie, who doubles as both state and Passaic County Democratic Party chairman, is eyeing a run to be her replacement.

Pascrell III acknowledged that elevating Currie to that seat -- which paid Corrado over $111,000 last year -- was a strategic imperative.

"John Currie isvery important to me, to my dad, and our organization,'' Pascrell said.

Passaic County Democratic chairman John Currie is considering a run for county clerk.(Photo: northjersey.com file photo)

A couple of key procedural steps would need to take place in order to position Currie to vie for that seat. Former 40th District Sen. Kevin O'Toole of Cedar Grove,resigned from the Senate seat last month,and it is widely expected that Corrado will be selected to be his replacement.

Republican committees from the four counties with towns in the 40th District Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Morris plan to meet Wednesday in Totowa to select O'Toole's replacement.

State law forbids dual office holding, so Corrado would have to step down immediately if she is sworn in as a senator. It would then be up to Gov. Chris Christieto appoint an interim clerk.

If Corrado is sworn in as a senator before Sept.12, an election for county clerk would then be on the November ballot. If she is sworn in after Sept.12, the county clerk's election would be delayed until November2018.

Corrado's campaign was financed by several longtime allies of the Pascrell organization, including $2,600 from Pascrell III. They includedEd Farmer, the congressman's former chief of staff and chief executive of a grant writing firm, who contributed $1,000 and Keith Furlong, who has handled public relations for Currie and other Passaic democrats, who donated $1,000.

Al Gaburo, the Somerset County Republican chairman and is also partner in Pascrell's Trenton lobbying firm, contributed $5,500.

The Eagleton Institute's Center on the American Governor released last week "From Candidate To Governor-Elect: Recommendations for Gubernatorial Transitions," a colorfuland anecdotal how-to guide for the next New Jersey governor. It's culled from interviews from ex-governors and former officials who oversaw the hectic but crucial transitions.

The report's presentation was adorned with several pull-out quotes, including this intriguing one from former Gov. Thomas H. Kean about the potential useful wisdom aformer governor can impart to anewcomer.

Tom Kean Sr.(Photo: CHRIS PEDOTA / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)

"I think former governors can be very helpful to present governors, if present governors have the humility to reach out,'' he said.

That struck as a possible jab at Christie. Kean mentored Christie as a teen-aged aspiring political mover during Kean's first run for governor in 1976. AndChristie's relations with Kean have been rocky since Christie's ill-fated attempt to dislodge Kean's son, Thomas H. Kean Jr., from the Senate minority leader's post in November 2013.

But Eagleton officials noted that the quote was pulled from an interview Kean gave to Eagleton in May 2011 -- two years before Christie's failed coup attempt. In the interview, Kean was referring to the useful and collegial advice he received from two Democratic predecessors, Brendan T. Byrneand Richard J. Hughes.

It's worth noting that theinterview was also conducted only 15 months after Christie's own rocky transition from former Gov. Jon Corzine'sadministration. In an interview on Friday, Kean said Christie did reach out to him for advice during that time.

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Stile: Republican Corrado's victory aided by Democrat Pascrell - NorthJersey.com

Belleville News-Democrat

Severe thunderstorms leave thousands without power in metro-east Belleville News-Democrat A severe storm passed through the region Saturday night, leaving thousands without power in the metro-east, according to Ameren Illinois. In St. Clair County, 1,809 households didn't have power as of 7:30 a.m., according to Ameren's outage map. and more »

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Severe thunderstorms leave thousands without power in metro-east - Belleville News-Democrat

(1 of ) MIKE SMITH / Las Vegas Sun

PETE GOLIS

PETE GOLIS IS A COLUMNIST FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT. | July 23, 2017, 12:07AM

| Updated 16 hours ago.

Six months into his presidency, people have stopped talking about Donald J. Trump.

Im kidding. Six months into his presidency, people still cant stop talking about Trump. Whether the daily news involves alleged collusion with Russians, various business entanglements, contradictory statements about almost everything or weird handshakes, Trump and his family continue to take up all the air in the room.

Democrats have spent the first six months in a dither, in turns angry and depressed. Of late, however, there are signs that rank-and-file Democrats at least want to move on. The question I hear every day from my Democratic friends is this: What the hell is wrong with the Democratic Party? These Democrats want to know why their side cant produce new ideas and a new generation of leaders.

It is easier in hindsight to recite all the mistakes made by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the people who ran her campaign. Its worth remembering that if you flip 80,000 votes in three states, Clinton is finishing the first six months of her presidency.

Still, anyone not living on an iceberg knows that national Democrats couldnt be bothered with the problems facing white working-class folks in Rust Belt cities and rural towns. Once upon a time, this was where the Democratic Party lived, where the party found its greatest strength. Not anymore.

Trumps not going to help these people, Democrats complain. Hes just blowing smoke. (They dont say blowing smoke, but you get the idea.)

Its true that all the presidents promises cant change the basic laws of economics. Consumers wont be lining up to pay $2,000 for the iPhone assembled by workers earning Ohio wages. In the face of a changing energy market, no one is going to be reopening coal mines in West Virginia. And if union members in Michigan think Trump is going to be their friend, they can look forward to new disappointments.

Trump, however, did reach out to these voters. Focused on the demands of identity politics, Clinton and the Democratic Party managed to recite a long list of aggrieved Americans without mentioning working people except when Clinton described some among them as deplorables.

One would think the Democrat Party now would be committed to re-inventing itself, rewriting the messaging that lost the last election, offering up alternatives to Trumps rush to reverse course on health care, immigration, business regulation, trade, taxes, strategic alliances and more. Until now, however, there has been no evidence of that.

Democrats dont have do anything, the argument goes, because voters can see that Trump is such an objectionable person. You will recognize here the same presumption that lost the 2016 election.

In the litany of complaints from rank-and-file Democrats, Nancy Pelosi, the embodiment of the status quo in politics, remains minority leader in the House. Most Americans couldnt name Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. And people still talk about Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders 79 years old by the time the next presidential election rolls around as a presidential hopeful.

In the latest issue of the Atlantic (Whats Wrong With the Democrats?), Franklin Foer argues that success in the cultural wars created a measure of complacency, as if those wars had been won with little cost. In actuality, the losers seethed. If the Democrats intend to win elections in 2018, 2020 and beyond, they require a hard-headed realism about the country that they have recently lacked about the perils of income stagnation, the difficulties of moving the country to a multicultural future, the prevalence of unreason and ire.

The Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank reported see Fridays Press Democrat that Beltway Democrats are finally wising up. This week, he said, Democratic congressional leaders will roll out a new plan that means to spell out what Democrats believe.

Milbank noted recent polls that show only 37 percent of voters believe Democrats stand for something, and 52 percent believe the party just stands against Trump.

The newest promise A Better Deal: Better Skills, Better Jobs, Better Wages could turn out to be more of the same, just more talk and window dressing. Time will pass before we know whether Washington Democrats self-proclaimed reawakening represents an earnest change of heart, or merely a reflexive response to the latest opinions polls and what is available in plain sight for everyone else. When it comes to identifying the obvious, political insiders in Washington are often the last to know.

A longtime supporter of Democratic candidates told me he now fields requests for donations to the party with a standard response: Ill make a donation just as soon as you show me that the Democratic Party stands for something.

Pete Golis is a columnist for The Press Democrat. Email him at golispd@gmail.com.

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Golis: What in the world happened to the Democratic Party? - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Six months into the political era of Donald J. Trump, what does it mean to be a Democrat?

If the only thing that comes to mind is #Resist, then I fear we have a problem. Yes, resistance and protests are critical to stopping terrible things from happening (#KillTheBill), but Democrats cant just be the party of no. And if we are simply the party of resistance, we will not earn the respect and trust of voters nor will we be worthy of their votes.

While keeping up the pressure on our elected officials, we must also present a vision for our country with the policies and messages to back it up. As a political donor advisor, I have sought answers from Democratic leaders on what it means to be a Democrat and why voters should support our candidates. While I find inspiration in local-level efforts and victories (go New Hampshire, New York, and Oklahoma!), one look at http://www.democrats.org reveals the challenges we face as a party: its outdated, uninspiring, fragmented, and doesnt present a compelling vision for our country.

The reality is that, as Democrats, were not ready for prime time yet.

Yes, we are adjusting to this new political landscape where Republican leaders and right-wing institutions brazenly attack truth and our trust in institutions critical to a functional democracy. And yet, we must do better and work harder than ever before. We owe it to our country and party.

I get that its easier to criticize our friends than to do the tough work of engaging new or disaffected voters. Thats not my point. Circling firing squads are about as useful now as polling from October 2016. Instead, I offer this as a call to action.

So, what does it mean to be a Democrat?

Democrats believe that our best days are ahead of us and to say that our best days are behind us is both offensive and self-fulfilling. America is great because we are creators and innovators and hard-working dreamers.

It also appears that Democrats are the party with a memory. We remember the false promises of failed policies like trickle-down economics. (Have you ever met anything that you want trickled down on you? No, maam. No, thank you.) In contrast, Democrats believe in expanding opportunities and leveling the playing field for all not just the powerful. We know those hard-working dreamers can do more if they have a sturdy safety net and the ladder of opportunity to move up in life.

As the party of memory, Democrats also know what its like to hit a rough patch in life and believe one accident or burst pipe shouldnt leave you without a home or jobless. As someone whose dad died when I was young, I am disgusted by House Speaker Paul Ryans (R) willingness to gut the very social programs that helped his family after his dad died.

In this way, being a Democrat also means being compassionate and empathetic. We dont need to be homeless to understand that we have an obligation to end homelessness. We dont need to have a health scare to get that everyone should have access to quality health care. We dont need to have a family member come out as LGBT to unequivocally oppose discrimination.

As a Christian, I believe the Democratic Party is more Christ-like than the GOP. Furthermore, Democrats value both the role that faith and religion can play in public life, and the importance of freedom of religion including preventing discrimination based on personal beliefs.

We believe in the commonality of our shared experience, while not being afraid of and even seeing the value in diversity and difference. Thats because we believe that collective is better than individual that we can achieve more if were united. We believe that the middle class is the backbone of America, and collective bargaining and labor unions are the ligaments that hold it together.

Democrats are proud that were the most powerful and one of the wealthiest counties in the world which is why we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard. This drives us to passionately and relentlessly fight to improve our government from our education and judicial systems to the way we honor our veterans and our seniors. The answer is to use our collective wisdom to find solutions, not starve government with an every man for himself mentality.

Were the party that not only believes in science and measurable data, but also thinks its pretty screwed up and immoral to choose corporate profits over clean air and water. Democrats want American companies to succeed and think its both un-American and insane to claim youre based in Ireland or the Cayman Islands while lobbying our elected officials to gut regulations that protect our planet and our children.

To be a Democrats is to believe in opportunity, to have empathy, to provide security, to value diversity, and to find strength in our collective wisdom. So, yes, lets keep up the resistance, but lets also find strength in and proudly stand up for what it means to be a Democrat.

If we do this, Democrats will not only win landslide victories in 2017 and 2018, but we will truly be worthy of inspiring people to turn out at the polls for years to come.

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What It Means To Be A Democrat - HuffPost