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Montana Sen. Jon Testerhad some hard words for fellow Democratsas he prepares for what is expected to be a tough re-election race in 2018.

Last election cycle, we were supposed to win a majority in the Senate, we were supposed to win a lot of seats in the House and Hillary Clinton was supposed to win the presidency. None of that happened, Testertold a gathering of Montana Democrats.

Tester said he saw some hope in grassroots efforts that have risen in typically Republican areas in reaction to DonaldTrumps presidency, which he hoped would help recruitlocal candidates and feed on-the-ground organizing efforts.

There are little groups of folks that we never thought there were any Democrats in and all of the sudden 20 people are showing up, Tester told the group. Get those people organized, get them to work, get them to write letters to the editor.

Tough races are familiar to Tester, who won in 2012 by just a few percentage points, and first won election in 2006 by just a few thousand votes. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the Senate raceTilts Democrat.

Montana Democrats were disappointed at the ballot just months ago, when Republican Greg Gianforte defeated progressive Rob Quist. Though the race was initially expected to be an easy GOP victory, Quist surged late in the election with some help from Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Tester said he hopes that Democrats will try and contest the Montana Legislature again. Democrats last held a majority in both houses in 2005.

Dont think that for one minute if we continue to do the things weve done in the past were going to win, hesaid. We have to do more than that. We have to go farther than that.

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Tester Tells Montana Democrats Don't Take Anything for Granted - Roll Call

Things could go well for the Democrats in next year's midterm elections if they don't Bern out.

President Trump is woefully unpopular, feuding with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans. The GOP can't manage to repeal Obamacare or do much of anything. Voters say they'd like Democrats to run Congress.

But here come the Bernie Bros and sisters to the Republicans' rescue: They're sowing division in the Democratic Party and attempting to enact a purge of the ideologically impure just the sort of thing that made the Republican Party the ungovernable mess it is today.

Bernie Sanders's advisers are promoting a "litmus test" under which Democrats who don't swear to implement single-payer health care would be booted from the party in primaries. Sanders pollster Ben Tulchin penned an op-ed with a colleague under the headline "Universal health care is the new litmus test for Democrats." Nina Turner, head of the Sanders group Our Revolution, told Politico this last week that "there's something wrong with" Democrats who won't "unequivocally" embrace "Medicare-for-all."

That notion not just taking a stand but excommunicating all who disagree is what Republicans have done to themselves with guns and taxes, and it would seriously diminish Democrats' hopes of retaking the House next year.

At the same time, Our Revolution has stepped up its attack on the Democratic Party. Turner this week sent an email to supporters complaining that she and others attempted to deliver a petition to Democratic National Committee headquarters but "were shut out." In a follow-up interview with BuzzFeed, Turner expressed particular outrage that the DNC offered her ... donuts. "They tried to seduce us with donuts," she said, calling the gesture "pompous" and "arrogant" and "insulting."

It's not just about breakfast confections. The Bernie crowd has begun accusing freshman Sen. Kamala D. Harris (Calif.), a rising Democratic star, of being beholden to corporate money. Also in California, Kimberly Ellis, who ran for state Democratic chairman with the support of Sanders and lost in a close race to a former Hillary Clinton delegate, is refusing to concede and threatening to sue. Ellis told the New York Times that the "Democratic Party is in many ways right now where the Republican Party was when the tea party took over."

And that's a good thing? Republican fratricide, instigated by tea-party purity police, made Trump possible and left the GOP unable to govern. This is what Sanders' people would emulate.

Fortunately, Sanders seems to have lost clout. Candidates backed by Our Revolution have lost 31 races in 2017 and won 16, and the wins include "Portland Community College Director, Zone 5" and "South Fulton (Ga.) City Council 6."

Candidates endorsed by Sanders have struggled in high-profile races. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) lost the DNC chairman race (he was appointed deputy chairman). Sanders-backed Tom Perriello lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Virginia, and a Sanders campaign official was blown out in a California congressional primary. Neither did the Sanders magic get the job done for Democrats in special congressional elections in Kansas, Georgia or Montana, and his candidate lost the Omaha mayoral race.

Yet the attempt by the Sanders movement to impose a health-care litmus test on Democratic candidates shows their destructive potential within the party. Support for single-payer health coverage has been growing, and it would become a real possibility if Republicans sabotage Obamacare but don't help the tens of millions who would lose insurance.

But to force Democrats to take some kind of single-payer purity oath would set back the cause. Democrats need to pick up 24 seats to take control of the House, yet there are only 23 Republicans in districts won by Clinton and only eight of those were won by President Barack Obama in 2012. There are a dozen Democrats in districts Trump won. In such swing districts, it would be suicidal to pledge support for something Republicans will brand as socialism.

A Pew Research Center poll in June found that while a majority of Democrats (52 percent) favor single-payer health care, only 33 percent of the public does overall. A Kaiser Health Tracking poll in June had better results: 53 percent of the public favored single-payer coverage. But Kaiser found that opinions were "malleable."

If recent trends continue, and particularly if Republicans undermine Obamacare without an adequate replacement, the time for single-payer will come, and soon. But the litmus test distracts Democrats from protecting Obamacare, diminishes their chances of retaking the House and chops up the party over something that has zero chance of becoming law under Trump.

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Dana Milbank: Democrats mustn't Bern out - Lincoln Journal Star

A new ad from President Donald Trump's campaign that decries Democrats, the media and career politicians as his "opponents" and "enemies" and some are criticizing it for what they say is tone-deaf timing.

The targeted ad ran just a day after the president called for unity following what he said was violence and bigotry "on many sides" when a deadly white supremacist rally broke out in Charlottesville, Va. , over the removal of a Confederate monument.

The ad accuses Democrats and the media of "standing in the way" of Trump's policies, which are portrayed as widely supported Americans. But while Trump has maintained much of his base support, he has also had consistently low approval rating throughout his presidency. Last week, his approval rating hit 37%, according to Gallup.

The ad specifically points to achievements like job creation, military power and a record-high Dow industrial average.

However, some people on social media have questioned the timing of such an ad that uses stronger language against Democrats and the media than Trump used against white supremacists and neo-Nazis on Saturday.

As white supremacists carried flags with swastikas and waved Confederate flags in Charlottesville on Saturday, a man drove a car directly into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring at least 19 others. Additionally, a Virginia State Police helicopter crashed while assisting law enforcement efforts during the rally, killing two troopers.

While many Republican and Democratic politicians called the violence incited by the white supremacists domestic terrorism and denounced Nazism, Trump spoke out against what he saw as "this display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides." Politicians on both sides of the aisle urged Trump to make a more direct statement targeting white supremacy and Nazism.

As presidents typically fill the role of uplifting a nation with unifying remarks after tragedy strikes, Trump's comments on the violent rally were especially scrutinized since some of the white supremacists who attended wore red "Make America Great Again" hats and claimed to be promoting Trump's agenda.

In light of the criticism, the White House released an additional statement Sunday. "The President said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry and hatred and of course that includes white Supremacists, KKK, neo-nazi and all extremist groups," a White House spokesperson said. "He called for national unity and bringing all Americans together."

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President Trump Calls Democrats and the Media His 'Enemies' in New Campaign Ad - TIME

As energy ramps up for midterm elections, most GOP seats still considered safe.

WASHINGTON When retired fighter pilot Amy McGrath launched her congressional campaign against Kentucky Republican Andy Barr on Aug. 1, the reaction was, at least for a political novice, pretty seismic.Within a few days, she had received more than 1.2 million views on YouTube.

MSNBC put her on TV. NPR interviewed her.

Not bad for a political newcomer.

But as Democrats try to recruit strong candidates in advance of the 2018 midterm elections, its hard to know whether the enthusiasm like that generated over McGrath will translate into victory.

On paper, it looks good for Democrats: First-term presidentstraditionally have fared poorly during the midterms, and President Donald Trump had a 61 percent disapproval rating as of Aug. 1, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.

The reality for Democrats, however,is tougher than it looks.

Years of gerrymandering and a brand that even Democrats admit has struggled to maintain its traditional working-class base have caused Democrats to lose ground in recent elections.

According to the Cook Political Report, only 10 races are true toss-ups: seats in California, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Colorado, among others. No Ohio seat is listed.

The same reports, though,also finds two GOP-held Ohio seatshave the potential to become competitive: The 1st Congressional District in southwest Ohio,held by Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati; and the 16th Congressional District in Northeast Ohio, held by Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth, who is running for governor and who will not seek re-election.

In Chabots district, rumors of Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune and Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld running have been steady and persistent. No Democrat has filedpetitions to run in that district, according to the Hamilton County Board of Elections. They have until February to do so.

Its one of the most urban districts in Ohio thats held by a Republican, said David Wasserman, House editor of the Cook Political Report. And it was Trumps smallest margin in the state of any seat held by a Republican. Were waiting to see who gets in.

In Renaccis district, state Rep. Christina Hagan, R-Alliance; state Rep. Tom Patton, R-Strongsville; and Darrell Hartman of Akron arerunning asRepublicans, while Aaron Godfrey of North Olmsted is running as a Democrat. Also considering a run: former NFL wide receiver and OSU football standout Anthony Gonzalez, GOP sources confirmed.

Not named on Cooks list is a congressional challenger who outraised his opponent last quarter: Ken Harbaugh, a Democrat,is challenging four-term Republican Rep. Bob Gibbs of Lakeville.

Harbaugh has money $141,924 in the bank as of June 30 and an interesting story, but he is quicker to talk about solving problems than party affiliation.

While Wasserman acknowledges Harbaughs strength, he says victory would be incredibly tough for any Democrat in that district, whereTrump wonby nearly 30 points. Rural Ohio, he said, is Trump country, and the Democratic brand is in the gutter in places like this.

If Ken Harbaugh is anywhere near Bob Gibbs in the polls come this time next year, then Democrats will already be on their way to a House majority, Wasserman said. At this point, that looks unlikely given the polarization of the electorate.

That district is really hard, though in a wave-style year wild things can happen, said Kyle Kondik of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. I just wonder if that part of the state has moved even further out of reach of Democrats.

Ask Harbaugh about the Trump effect, and hell say he gets it. His own parents voted for Trump. He said people are more focused on results than party affiliations.

People are sick and tired of zero solutions coming out of Washington, and they want to send someone who can get things done, who cares less about party than problem-solving, he said. When I lost an engine (flying) off of North Korea, party politics didnt enter into the next series of decisions we had to make. I didnt turn to my co-pilot and say, Are you Republican or Democrat? We got the plane down.

Also not on Cooks list of tossups: The Kentucky seat Barr holds the oneMcGrath hopes to win.

But McGrath doesnt even have the primary locked up, he said. Lexington Mayor Jim Gray has been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for the seat, and "its possible McGrath may not even be the nominee.

Any Democrat who wins that primary will face a tough battle.Barr won in 2016 with 61 percent of the vote.

These are districts that are a no mans land for Democrats,Wasserman said.

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Can Democrats' enthusiasm translate into victory? - Canton Repository

House Democrats want to use the looming battle over government spending and raising the debt limit as leverage to shore up ObamaCare.

The minority party believes Republicans will need their votes on the critical fiscal issues, and they think they can secure concessions on healthcare.

We could make some kind of provisions part of our negotiations on spending in September, Rep. John YarmuthJohn YarmuthCBO survives two House amendments targeting funding Meadows: CBO should downsize, aggregate think tank reports House committee advances budget resolution MORE (D-Ky.), the ranking member of the Budget Committee, told The Hill as Congress was leaving town.

Im sure well discuss that, he said.

The government would shut down onOct. 1without a new spending measure. Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinSenate panel might not take up budget until October Koch-backed group releases ads thanking lawmakers who support tax reform Treasury sanctions eight Venezuelan officials MORE has set aSept. 29 deadline for raising the nations borrowing limit, a date that suggests the two measures could be tied together for simplicity.

Mnuchin also says it should be a clean hike, meaning the administration does not support linking spending cuts to the debt limit bill despite demands from Republicans.

This raises the likelihood of Democratic votes being needed to carry the legislation. In the Senate, Democratic votes will also be necessary to prevent or overcome a filibuster.

Rep. Peter WelchPeter WelchGroup pushes FDA to act on soy milk labeling petition Dems pivot to offering ObamaCare improvements Both sides of the aisle agree telemedicine is the future MORE (D-Vt.) said hes also open to the idea of tying ObamaCare fixes to the fiscal bills.

Well make any effort we can, he said.

Conservatives in the House are unlikely to back a clean debt limit hike and will want to cut government spending, not continue it.

They are also unlikely to agree to the kinds of ObamaCare fixes desired by Democrats.

Still, its possible Democrats could find help from a handful of Republicans.

Rep. Tom Reed (N.Y.), the Republican co-chairman of the bipartisan Problem SolversCaucus, is weighing several possible vehicles to move ObamaCare reforms when Congress returns, according to his office.Reed had voted in favor of repeal earlier in the year, but more recently backed a series of ACA reforms.

Rep. Reed feels strongly that at this point, all options must be considered in order to make responsible solutions a reality for the American people, Nora Retana, Reeds strategic director, said in an email.

The strategy puts moderate Republicans in the awkward position of seeking ways around their leadership to stabilize a law theyve long promised to repeal.

But it also poses some political drawbacks for the Democrats, who have relished watching GOP leaders flounder in their repeal effort and think the Republicans will bear the blame for any problems dogging ObamaCare while they control both Congress the White House. Indeed, Democratic leaders, eying big gains at the polls in 2018, have discouraged members from offering ACA fixes throughout most of the year.

That strategy is eroding, however, as rank-and-file Democrats who were facing mounting pressure at home to offer solutions have started doing just that. The Problem Solvers group, which features 23 Democrats and 20 Republicans, has launched acomprehensive plan, proposing a series of reforms designed largely to stabilize ObamaCares insurance markets.

Democratic leaders have stopped short of endorsing that package. But leaving Washington for the long August recess, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) vowed that Democrats will support at least one element of the plan the creation of a stability fund to help states reduce premium costs for those with pre-existing conditions if Republicans will come to the table.

House Democrats are prepared to support these vital measures and exchange ideas on how we go forward in other respects, Pelosi wrote in a July 28 letter to Speaker Paul RyanPaul RyanTrump sparks debate over war resolution for North Korea Senator: Brain tumor, late night may have influenced McCain's health vote Dems slam GOP lawmakers for not holding town halls MORE (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellMitch McConnellEXCLUSIVE: Trump allies rally around Sen. Flake's primary challenger GOP senators rally to McConnell's defense amid Trump attacks Flake voices support for McConnell amid Trump attacks MORE (R-Ky.).

Any GOP support for fixing ObamaCare is sure to bring a harsh backlash from conservative lawmakers, activists and President Trump, who continues to needle the Republicans for their failure to send him a repeal bill. Ryan, who had ushered a repeal bill through the House earlier in the year, also has shown no appetite for the approach.

We were sent to Washington to fulfill the pledges we made to our constituents, he said in a statement as Congress left for the recess.

Members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus are eying a plan to force a vote on full repeal when Congress returns to Washington.

Democrats say its too early to predict how the healthcare debate will evolve in September events that will likely influence how they use their leverage in the spending debate. Many are hoping that bipartisan talks in the Senate discussions supported by McConnell will force Ryans hand in the House.

Paul Ryans always been in search of a unicorn, Yarmuth said of the Speakers focus on repeal.

The Democrats had been largely successful in securing their priorities as part of the omnibus package earlier in the year. And absent some bipartisan breakthrough on ObamaCare, they're keeping open the option of seeking ACA provisions in a spending package next month.

I dont think thats a bad idea at all, said a Democratic leadership aide.

Ryans office did not respond to a request for commentFriday.

In a twist, Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), among the sharpest critics of ObamaCare, is weighing legislation to stabilize it. In talks with Rep.Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.), Meadows is eying aproposal to guarantee the payment of federal payments, known as cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), to insurance companies that reduce out-of-pocket costs for low-income patients payments Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold. The package may alsoempower states to waive certain insurance rules required under ObamaCare a change championed by conservatives.

Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus, meanwhile, arent waiting for House leaders to make a move, and Reed is in talks with Senate lawmakers, who have been more open to the bipartisan approach.

While Rep. Reed continues to work closely with Ryan and other GOP leaders, he is also talking with several senators who are equally committed to getting health care done and welcome practical solutions to the impending crisis, Retana said.

Meetings are being scheduled now, promising that September will be a very busy month.

On that, at least, there is no disagreement.

Peter Sullivan contributed to this story.

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Democrats see ObamaCare leverage in spending fights - The Hill