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Another prominent Democrat has come forward to voice concerns about allegations ex-Attorney General Loretta Lynch may have sought to keep a lid on last years Hillary Clintons email probe, with California Rep. Adam Schiff saying hes queasy at the thought.

Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, aired his concerns in an interview Sunday and said he wants to hear from Lynch personally.

I'd like to hear what Loretta Lynch's explanation for that is, either by having her come to the Hill or by having her speak publicly, he said.

The call significantly ups the pressure on Lynch, as the push to scrutinize her conduct in last years Clinton email investigation becomes more bipartisan.

LYNCH SHOULD TESTIFY, GRAHAM SAYS

The renewed attention stems from fired FBI Director James Comeys testimony earlier this month that Lynch had instructed him to describe the probe as a matter not an investigation. Comey said this confused him and cited that directive, along with Lynchs unusual tarmac meeting with former President Bill Clinton while the investigation was ongoing, in his decision to announce the FBIs findings on his own.

Comeys handling of the case later would be cited by the Trump administration in the decision to fire him, though speculation remains widespread over to what extent the probe of Russia meddling and possible collusion with the Trump campaign may have played.

Yet even as Democrats focus heavily on the Russia allegations, a handful of high-powered lawmakers like Schiff now want to hear from Lynch. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told CNN earlier this month that Comeys charges gave her a queasy feeling.

Schiff said Sunday he agrees.

It does give me a queasy feeling as well, he told CNNs State of the Union. There may be a perfectly accurate explanation by Loretta Lynch about why she thought 'matter' was the appropriate term rather than 'investigation.' So I wouldn't assume James Comey's characterization is the last word on it even although though I'm sure it's accurate.

Asked if he would have Lynch come to the House intelligence panel, he said hes not sure thats part of the Russia probe.

But I would like to hear what her explanation for that was. But I certainly wouldn't want that to distract us from what we need to do to get to the bottom of the Russia allegations, he said.

The comments come after a bipartisan letter was sent last week to Lynch and others regarding allegations of political interference in the Clinton case.

The inquiry was prompted, in part, by a series of media reports raising questions about whether Lynch tried to stifle the investigation into former Secretary of State Clintons use of a private email server.

The reports come amidst numerous allegations of political inference in controversial and high-profile investigations spanning the current and previous administrations, Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley's office said in a statement.

Grassley, R-Iowa; Feinstein; Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., penned the letter.

The reports they cited were based on hacked documents whose authenticity has not been confirmed.This includes an AprilNew York Times articleabout a batch of hacked files obtained by the FBI, including one reportedly authored by a Democratic operative who voiced confidence Lynch would keep the Clinton probe from going too far.

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Another Dem 'queasy' over claim of Loretta Lynch meddling in Clinton case - Fox News

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Ire for Democrat Who Pulled Plug on California's Single-Payer Bill Common Dreams Advocates of the single-payer healthcare proposal which has been steadily advancing through the California legislature were voicing outrage and disappointment on Saturday after Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a Democrat, announced he was pulling ... and more »

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Ire for Democrat Who Pulled Plug on California's Single-Payer Bill - Common Dreams

Democratic gubernatorial nominees Phil Murphy of New Jersey and Ralph Northam of Virginia are looking strong in 2017 general election campaigns. Photo: US Department of State; Commonwealth of Virginia

The frustrating pattern of near-misses for Democrats in 2017 special congressional elections was distorted and exaggerated by the Tweeter-in-Chief, who crowed:

I guess this means he thinks the special election in the 34th District of California, a virtually all-Democratic affair won by Democrat Jimmy Gomez, produced a GOP winner too. That election did end a full two weeks ago, so maybe the president has just forgotten it.

In any event, many Democrats are undoubtedly wondering when the impressive anti-Trump passions of 2017 will produce a win in a nationally significant and competitive contest. The two remaining scheduled special elections this year are not very promising for the Donkey Party. The first, in November (assuming a battle over control of the special election between the governor and legislature is resolved) is in dark-red Utah, in the district of Representative Jason Chaffetz (who is resigning at the end of this month), the 16th-most Republican House district in the country according to the Cook Political Report. There are 15 Republicans, as compared to four Democrats, who are running for the Chaffetz seat at this point.

In December (after primaries in August and party runoffs in September), Alabama will hold a special election to formally choose a successor to Attorney General Jeff Sessions (Republican Luther Strange at least temporarily holds the seat he was appointed to by disgraced former governor Robert Bentley, who resigned shortly after filling the seat). There is a lot of intrigue around the crowded GOP primary for this seat, and potentially some divisive intra-Republican activity, but no one at this point is giving any Democrat a chance. Perhaps that could change if the infamous Ten Commandments judge, Roy Moore, wins the GOP nomination. But Moore has won statewide as recently as 2012, which is something no Alabama Democrat can say. Democrats havent held a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama in 20 years, since Howell Heflin was replaced by Jeff Sessions.

So more than likely Democrats looking for a boost going into the midterm-election year of 2018 will rely on their solid prospects in the two states holding regular gubernatorial elections in November, New Jersey and Virginia.

The Garden State contest looks like a very solid bet to break the Democratic losing streak. This remains a fundamentally Democratic state; Hillary Clinton handily defeated Donald Trump 5541 there in 2016, and the state legislature has been under Democratic control since 2004. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy (a former ambassador to Germany and one of the remarkably large cast of former Goldman Sachs officials in politics these days) has money to burn and is fresh from an easy June 6 primary win over a large field. Republican Kim Guadagno won her primary pretty easily as well, but as lieutenant governor she is laboring in the large and dark shadow of Chris Christie.

According to a post-primary Quinnipiac poll, Christies job-approval rating has dropped to an astounding 15 percent, the worst Quinnipiac has found in any state for any governor in the last 20 years. (Not that he cares.) Unsurprisingly, the same poll showed Murphy leading Guadagno by better than a two-to-one margin (55 percent to 26). The best news for the Republican is that half of voters dont know enough about her to have an opinion of her though it is unclear where Guadagno will get the money or the credibility to convince them shes what the state needs.

In Virginia, the Gillespie/Northam campaign has just begun, but a new Quinnipiac poll shows Northam leading 47 percent to 39. Aside from a united party and the support of reasonably popular incumbent governor, Terry McAuliffe, Northam has history on his side: Nine of the last ten Virginia gubernatorial races were lost by the candidate from the party controlling the White House (McAuliffe, in fact, was the one exception). Things could change, but Donald Trump does not seem like the kind of president who will help his party buck that trend in a state he lost last year.

So Democrats who are wondering why they cannot have good things may only have to wait for a little less than five months for some validation.

The Trump administration doesnt seem to be taking the threat of future Russian election interference very seriously.

Were about to find out what Mattiss Pentagon will do with mostly unchecked authority to conduct a war.

Should Democrats in places like Georgia keep trying to rebuild white support? Or should they focus on minority mobilization? The debate goes on.

A new report suggests Obama knew about Putins intervention in the 2016 election and its aims, but didnt move aggressively until it was too late.

The emergence of a new game plan, from persuasion to motivation.

Look, I dont know who you are, wiseass, Biden reportedly said.

One surprised music critic reviews Mystified.

The Justice Departments handling of the Clinton email investigation is at the center of the senators questions.

Dean Heller of Nevada said he could not support legislation as written. Now things get dicey for Mitch McConnell.

Turns out, the former FBI director was attending an event for a nonprofit that works with abused children.

D.C. might still be revolving around legislative gridlock and investigations. But the electoral landscape would be very different.

A U.S. representative said he couldnt back the resolution which condemned violence against women because it supported safe abortion.

Obamacares popularity seems to be peaking just as Republicans get closer to taking it down in legislation that is not popular at all.

The Saudi-led coalition wants the tiny Gulf state to cut off ties with Iran and close Al Jazeera, ultimatums Qatar isnt likely to meet.

Change is slow. Thats why we have to keep working.

She met with a handful of Republican senators this week, but they couldnt agree on a plan.

The president also admitted that his tape bluff was an attempt to intimidate Comeys testimony.

A quick break from the off-camera briefings.

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The Democrats' Losing Streak Will Likely End in November - New York Magazine

A Nebraska Democratic official has been removed Thursday from his chairman post after recordingsemerged in which he said he was glad that House Majority Whip Steve Scalise(R-La.) was shot and that he wished he had died.

In the recording, Phil Montag, who was the volunteerco-chairman of the Nebraska Democratic Partys technology committee, criticized Scaliseby saying his whole job is to convince Republicans to (expletive) kick people off (expletive) health care.

Im glad he got shot. I wish he was (expletive)dead.

The recordingwas posted on YouTube and other sites.

[Johnny Depp apologizes for joking about assassinating Donald Trump: I was only trying to amuse]

The comments surfaced just more than a week afterJames T. Hodgkinson opened fireon a congressional baseball team in Virginiawhere Scalise and four others were wounded. The gunman was shot and killed by police.

Montag could not be immediately reached for comment, but hetold the Omaha World-Herald that his statementsweretaken out of context from a30-minute to hour-long conversation.

I do not and did not wish for his death, Montag said to the World-Herald via email.

I am hopeful that the entirety of the original, unedited recording will emerge so we can get to the truth of the matter.

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) spoke about visiting Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) at the hospital, confirming he is "doing well." (Reuters)

Scaliseis still in the hospital and nowin fair condition, according to a post on his official Twitter account.

Scalisesoffice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb told The Washington Postthat she learned about the recording Thursday from the World-Herald, and that she immediately emailedMontag to tell him he was being removed from his position.

Ive been in politics and community organizations for the past 20 years, Kleeb said. Ive seen political rhetoric get heated, especially during the George W. Bush times, but we have reached a completely different level in our country now, and it is terrifying, and it is scary, and it just has to end.

The committee advised the party on new technologiessuch as new text-to vote tools, Kleeb said.

In the recording, Montag was speaking withNebraska Democratic Party Black Caucus chair Chelsey Gentry-Tipton, whohas been embroiled in her own controversial comments about Scalise.

She had written in a Facebook post about the shooting that Watching the congressman crying on live tv abt the trauma they experienced. Y is this so funny tho?

The Nebraska Republican Party calledMontag and Gentry-Tiptons comments completely reprehensible and disappointing, according to the Associated Press. It also posted a message to Facebook saying, this is not a partisan matter and this type of toxic rhetoric must be condemned at every level.

ICYMI: The Nebraska Republican Party Calls on Brad Ashford to join other Democratic Party Leaders and Denounce Toxic Rhetoric #NE02

Posted by Nebraska Republican Party onFriday, June 23, 2017

The controversy in Nebraska comesas politicians from both sides of the aisle have called for a more civil tone in the political conversation, and artistic productions and celebrity comments have faced criticism for what somesay is the promotion ofviolence.

Recently, conservatives have criticized a production of Shakespeares Julius Caesar in New Yorks Central Park, wheretitle character, who resembles President Trump, is assassinated. On Friday, actorJohnny Depp apologized for making remarks about assassinating the president.

I apologize for the bad joke I attempted last night in poor taste about President Trump. It did not come out as intended, and I intended no malice. I was only trying to amuse, not to harm anyone, he said in a statement to People.

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'I'm glad he got shot': Nebraska Democrat caught on tape criticizing Rep. Steve Scalise - Washington Post

Randy Ludlow The Columbus Dispatch @RandyLudlow

The same thing that makes Mike DeWine the favorite to win the Republican gubernatorial nomination could come back to haunt him.

At least, that's the opinion of David Pepper, who became Ohio Democratic Party chairman after losing to DeWine in the 2014 attorney general race.

DeWine has signaled he finally will announce his candidacy on Sunday at his family's annual ice cream social at their home near Cedarville.

Since he has held elective office nearly nonstop since 1977, including stints as U.S. senator and lieutenant governor, DeWine "is the best-known name in the field, clearly the favorite in that primary," Pepper said Friday.

But, that same experience will prove a liability come the statewide races in 2018, which Pepper portrays as a "change election."

"Mike DeWine does not represent change in any way. He represents the status quo as much as any official could," the chairman said. "He is the worst-suited candidate to promise a change in direction when he has been on the scene so long."

Ohioans are thirsting for a change of power in Columbus amid below-average job growth, a "stagnant economy," a lethal opioid crisis and six-plus years of Republican leadership at all levels, Pepper said. "The overall model the Republicans have brought to Columbus is just not working ... it's the context for what 2018 will be about."

The Democrat candidates -- Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley, State Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Youngstown, former U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton of Barberton and former state Rep. Connie Pillich of Montgomery -- will talk change and promote their names. They need not spend time and money tearing down the other since they are not generally well known statewide, Pepper said. "It's going to be obvious who the change is."

For the Republicans, Secretary of State Jon Husted, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci of Wadsworth will have to spend some of their resources attempting to take down DeWine as the front-runner, he said. "It's ramping up to what could be a nasty primary."

The Democratic candidates will stage a series of regional forums/debates this fall to better introduce themselves to Ohioans, Pepper said.

"There still could be more (candidates) ... I just don't know, honestly. We have four good candidates so as a party, we are not our there recruiting anyone. But, I wouldn't be shocked," he said.

The names of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director and former AG Rich Cordray, former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, former Cincinnati mayor and shock-TV host Jerry Springer and former state Sen. Nina Turner (a Bernie Sanders disciple) remain on some Democrats' shopping lists.

rludlow@dispatch.com

@RandyLudlow

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Democrat chairman takes aim at DeWine as 'status quo' - The Columbus Dispatch