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Democrats argued Trump was proposing an open-ended commitment with no exit strategy or ceiling on US troops there.

"Tonight, the President said he knew what he was getting into and had a plan to go forward. Clearly, he did not," House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement."The President's announcement is low on details but raises serious questions."

New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Trump's speech was "terribly lacking" in details, substance and "a vision of what success in Afghanistan looks like."

And Rep. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat and Marine Corps veteran, accused Trump of "repeating the mistakes of previous administrations."

"Tonight, the American people should have heard a detailed, realistic strategy with achievable objectives and measurable benchmarks," Gallego said. "Instead, we got only vague promises and wishful thinking."

In his speech Monday evening, Trump said the US would be victorious in Afghanistan while focusing on defeating the terrorists as opposed to nation-building. He declared his administration would not talk about troop levels in order to keep the enemy in the dark, a frequent refrain during his campaign.

Trump's proposal won praise from one of his biggest foreign policy critics in the Republican Party, Sen. John McCain.

"I believe the President is now moving us well beyond the prior administration's failed strategy of merely postponing defeat," McCain said in a statement. The Obama administration was frequently criticized by Republicans for putting timelines on troop withdrawals.

The Arizona Republican said the US now must keep up with sufficient resources in Afghanistan to succeed there, adding that Trump "must conduct himself as a wartime commander" and arguing the President should speak regularly to the American people about the war.

Ryan said he believed he had heard a new doctrine Monday from Trump of "principled realism."

Sen. Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, who was considered for a top administration post, also praised Trump's speech, saying in a statement that he supported the direction that was laid out, though he noted there were still unanswered questions about the capability of the Afghan government.

"While there are certainly substantial questions about whether Afghanistan has the capacity over time to provide stable governance to its people, this more focused plan provides the U.S. military with the flexibility it needs to help the Afghan military regain momentum," Corker said.

Here is the original post:
Democrats: Trump has no Afghanistan strategy - CNN

This Fox News headline is typical of many in recent weeks: Democrat Fundraising Is Worst in a Decade. A less partisan authority, the Washington Posts David Weigel, had a parallel Twitter take:

Itd be apt to call this state of affairs the Democratic Partys Looming Fundraising Crisis, as another headline did, if Democratic Party meant the same thing as Democratic National Committee. But the DNC and RNC are by no means the principal, or even secondary, factors in midterm-election funding. A more comprehensive assessment in The Hill notes that the playing field is pretty much even if you look beyond the national committees:

The DNCs fundraising woes have not extended to party committees and candidates. On the House side, both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee each raised about $60 million in the first six months of 2017. The Republican grouphas a $12 million advantage in cash on hand.

Republican House candidates have narrowly outraised Democratic House candidates, $145.4 million to $142 million.

Comparing Senate candidates is more difficult, since many more Democratic incumbents than Republicans find themselves in difficult reelection fights. But the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee outraised the National Republican Senatorial Campaign by a slim $700,000 margin.

You could apply that note about the broader turf that Senate Democrats must defend to House Republicans, given the huge 20102014 gains the GOP is defending alongside the historic midterm pattern of the party controlling the White House almost always losing seats, compounded by Trumps poor approval ratings. Similarly, the $36 million to $21 million fundraising advantage of the Republican Governors Association to its Democratic counterpart looks impressive, until you realize the GOP is defending nearly three times as many gubernatorial seats as its rival.

In the end, all these party accounts could be dwarfed by candidates, especially wealthy self-funders. The Illinois governors race could wind up costing an aggregate $300 million. And Democratic candidates for governor of California have out-raised the DGA.

There is a big wild card that is not being reflected in any of these numbers: independent groups that supplement and sometimes eclipse party and candidate expenditures. On the GOP side, that includes the powerful Koch donor network, which can be expected to overcome its lack of enthusiasm for Trump to defend GOP congressional power next year (though theres some talk of a big donor strike if Congress doesnt enact tax cuts or health-care legislation before the midterms). And small-dollar online donations to nonparty funding sources have made a big comeback on the Democratic side during the 2017 special congressional elections.

While the importance of the fundraising numbers for the RNC and DNC has been grossly exaggerated, they do matter, and the turmoil and turnover at the DNC have greatly undermined the organizations finances. For one thing, the DNC is struggling to connect with the nearly 3 million people who gave money to Bernie Sanderss 2016 campaign, which isnt surprising given the widespread belief in their ranks that the DNC helped rig the nominating process for Hillary Clinton last year. There is also an undercurrent of discontent with Democratic small-dollar-fundraising tactics, which tend to rely on negative messages that may not wear well over the long haul.

It is far too early, however, to concede a big Republican money advantage particularly if the GOP continues to stumble in keeping its promises to past donors, large and small. Another possible problem for the GOPs midterm effort is now coming into sight: Team Trumps preparations for 2020. Aside from creating an alternative magnet for donations (especially the massive small-dollar donations that Trump generated late in the 2016 campaign), the president might decide to triangulate against his ineffective congressional allies, which could hit the GOP in places even more sensitive than the wallet.

A high-speed train hit another train parked at the station in Upper Darby.

All ships will have a one-day operational pause this week after the USS John S. McCain collided with an oil tanker.

He thinks asking lawmakers to hold Trump accountable would amount to a partisan hack-fest.

To the extent that its bold, its dangerous; to the extent its new, its vague; to the extent that its a strategy, its Obamas.

He offered few details, saying, Americas enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out.

Luther Strange may need all the money and all the Trump love he can get to catch up with Roy Moore, whos winning over supporters of other candidates.

Sarah Jessica Parkers voice-over is a surprisingly good match for Trumps stoic facial expressions.

Still, House conservatives are threatening to let America default on its debt, unless Democrats agree to massive spending cuts.

Instagram is inundated, and even Donald Trump dons a pair of special glasses.

Trump seems to be the only one who dared to risk staring at the sun without eclipse glasses.

A vernacular translation of the the New York Times report on Rinat Akhmetshin.

New stories on the site recall Bannons threats to go nuclear on the First Daughter.

As Trumps approval rating in the Rust Belt dips, labor leaders work to help Democrats exploit an opening with working-class Trump voters.

More are being taken down every day.

While the DNC is struggling to keep up with the RNC in fundraising, other sources of campaign financing are more balanced, and its very early yet.

He was the last remaining at-large suspect in a terrorist cell.

Pulling down monuments is a start, but the real change happens in schools.

Last-minute tips for the astronomical event of the century.

A new book will profile Trumps mother, grandmother, and three wives.

Excerpt from:
Too Early for Democrats to Freak Out Over Fundraising 'Crisis' - New York Magazine

Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press

Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP

Democrats push new bill to change recall rules, save senator

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California Democrats started a new legislative push Monday to change recall election rules in an effort to protect one of their own after a court put an earlier attempt to slow the recall process on hold.

A measure introduced Monday would help state Sen. Josh Newman of Fullerton, who is facing a recall attempt backed by Republicans over his support for a gas tax increase. If they succeed in replacing Newman with a Republican, Democrats would lose their supermajority that allows them to raise taxes without GOP votes.

Election officials in three counties reported Friday that they've verified enough signatures for the recall to proceed. State law gives Secretary of State Alex Padilla 10 days to certify them.

Republicans are pushing to hold a recall election shortly after the gas tax rises Nov. 1.

The Democratic bill would allow people to remove their name from a recall petition and require the state to estimate the costs of holding a special election. The new procedures were initially tucked into a state budget bill, SB96, in June, but the California Court of Appeal put them on hold last week because the bill touched on multiple unrelated subjects.

Democrats say people were tricked into signing the petition believing they were supporting a referendum on the gas tax. They say those people should have a chance to remove their name.

"It remains in the overwhelming public interest to safeguard the integrity of California's recall process and to ensure that recall petitions are not being signed under false and fraudulent pretenses," said Jonathan Underland, a spokesman for Senate Democrats.

The bill would draw out the recall process, potentially allowing it to coincide with the statewide primary in June when more Democrats are likely to participate.

The bill will get a hearing in the Senate and Assembly budget committees on Tuesday and Wednesday and could be considered by the full chambers on Thursday, before the deadline for Padilla to certify that recall organizers collected sufficient signatures.

"In light of the Court of Appeal's recent order staying the recall procedures in SB96, the secretary is consulting with his attorneys to determine what his current obligations are under the law and how to appropriately proceed," Padilla spokesman Jesse Melgar said.

California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte has urged Padilla, a Democrat, to act quickly.

Read more:
Democrats push new bill to change recall rules, save senator - SFGate

EXCLUSIVE

Scooter Braun will be running for Governor of California ... if some very powerful CA democrats have their way.

We've learned a number of Democratic fundraisers and political operatives in the state have approached Braun, because they believe, as one source put it, the current candidates -- Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are flawed.

Braun, who manages Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Usher and Kanye, has immersed himself in the Democratic political system over the last year ... doing fundraising for Hillary Clinton.

We're told there was something of a groundswell -- Scooter for Governor -- after he gave an emotional speech at Ariana Grande's Manchester concert to raise money for the victims of the terror attack.

No word on whether Scooter is seriously considering a run, or whether he'll change his name if he does ... but there's definitely interest from the Democratic Party.

Follow this link:
Scooter Braun Democrats Push Him To Run for Cali Governor - TMZ.com

It's all a part of this week's "Inside Politics" forecast, where you get tomorrow's headlines today.

With President Trump facing a backlash for his comments on Charlottesville, Democrats see an opening with voters. But energy doesn't necessarily mean momentum for Dems looking towards the midterm election in 2018.

Dems' biggest midterms worry is their messaging, according to Julie Pace, White House Bureau Chief for the Associated Press. Some Democrats are anxious about going all in on Trump's response, she says.

"They see Democrats potentially falling into some of the same traps that they fell into in 2016, where they ran mostly on an anti-Trump message. The party still feels like it's an economic message that needs to resonate with voters," Pace explains.

"The irony, of course, is that Sen. Chuck Schumer and some other Democrats have rolled out an economic blueprint for Democrats, but it's been completely overshadowed this summer by all of the antics surrounding Trump and the White House."

The Democratic National Committee's July fund-raising numbers are in. And compared to the Republicans, they're not good.

The DNC haul was just $3.8 million compared to the RNC's $10.2 million. In total, the Republican National Committee has $47.1 million to the DNC's $6.9 million.

But as CNN's Nia-Malika Henderson reports, some are worried it's DNC Chair Tom Perez who's doing the damage.

"It's easier for parties to rake in the cash when they have a sitting president. But for some progressive Democrats, the paltry numbers are a reflection of Tom Perez and proof that the Democratic establishment just can't get it done," Henderson explains.

"The DNC says it's still early, and the rebuilding of the brand and the party's infrastructure is still ongoing," she adds. "They also say that they think they'll have the resources they need for the rest of the year in 2018."

Trump is back from vacation, but he may not be sticking around the White House for long.

The President will be doing a big, public push for tax reform and it will take him on the road, most likely to the Rust Belt where he first sold his populist economic message.

As Wall Street Journal's Michael Bender tells us, the road trip is set for the end of August.

"I'm told the West Wing has identified a Rust Belt city for a first major event on August 28th," Bender reports. "What they would really like this tour to eventually include is a stop in California in Simi Valley at the Reagan Library, which includes the desk where former President Reagan signed the last major tax reform three decades ago."

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has been fired, but it may not affect White House operations all that much.

Michael Warren from The Weekly Standard has reporting on how Bannon spent his final weeks on the job.

"I'm told that he spent much of his time, particularly in the last several months of his time at White House, sitting on a couch in the office of Reince Priebus, scrolling through his phone. But what was he doing there?" Warren asks.

"He was trying to run sort of an outside media campaign against his enemies on behalf of his agenda -- (against) people like H.R. McMaster, Gary Cohn," adds Warren, speaking of the national security advisor and Trump's chief economic advisor. "I guess we're going to see more of that and it 's going to intensify from outside the White House."

At the beginning of his term in January, many wondered aloud about how candidate Trump would turn into President Trump.

But the so-called presidential pivot hasn't happened, and likely won't happen. And as the LA Times' Jackie Calmes reports, some Republicans have given up on the idea altogether.

"I talked to a couple of very well-known, formerly high-placed Republicans over dinner (about Trump) ... the most senior of the two Republicans looked at me and said, 'He's a classic narcissist ... you cannot get someone like that to change,' " Calmes says. So Trump's own party isn't counting on that pivot.

Originally posted here:
Democrats see an opening with Trump but are worried about messaging - CNN