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Despite the daily drip about Russia and the Trump administration, national Democrats who hope to exploit Republicans vulnerabilities in 2018 are focusing theirmessaging squarely on health care before theJuly 4 recess.

Just minutes after former FBIDirector James B. Comey concluded his testimony Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee in which he said the president lied to the America people the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee blasted out a release.

The subject? Nevada Sen. Dean Hellers reported support for phasing out Medicaid expansion.

The Senate Democrats campaign arm issued no public statements about the Comey hearing.

Democrats are careful to say that just because Russia isnt a major campaign issue todaydoesnt mean it couldnt be a year from now. The 2018 cycle is still young, as is the unraveling of detailsabout Russias involvement in last years election.

But for now, many Democratic strategists and lawmakers say, the ins and outs of Russias meddling in U.S. politics is not the most pressing issue for voters.

Literally, I have gotten zero questions about Russia. Zero, Rep. Cheri Bustos said Thursday as she was leaving the Capitol after the last votes of the week.

The Illinois Democrat was describingthe interactions she has had so far this year at her Supermarket Saturday events, where she swings through grocery stores to chat with constituents in the aisles.

One of three co-chairs of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, Bustos is the only Midwestern member in House Democratic leadership.Trump narrowly carriedher district last fall.

Things that Washington, D.C., is obsessed about, in some cases, are barely even a blip in a rural area like mine, shesaid.

Health care is the issue her constituents have raised the most, Bustossaid. People with pre-existing conditions are freaking out, she said.

The Democratic super PAC Priorities USA released a messaging guidance memolate last month with a similar conclusion. Nearly half of the presidential-year voters surveyed expressed concern about Republicans supporting the GOP health care bill; only 35 percent had concerns about Republicans opposing an independent investigation into the Kremlin and Trump.

Its not to say Russia is not relevant, its just not as pertinent to peoples lives, a longtime Democratic strategist said.

New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who conducted an internal review of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees 2016 election efforts, said he doesnt like to veer too far from the bread-and-butter issues that worry families in his district.

Its hard to compete with somebodys mortgage, or their retirement or the cost of their kids college, Maloney said as he exited the Capitol ahead of the weekend break.

We should not assume that ordinary Americans understand this and care about this as much as people in Washington, he said of Russia. Maloney said that while his constituents take the Russian election interference seriously, theyre also wary of Washington.

They are understandably suspicious about how politics can get played in this town. And they see that as being at odds with whats important at their own families kitchen tables, Maloney said.

A distraction is how Bustos characterizes the Washington frenzy over Russia.Part of her job as DPCC co-chairwoman is helping the party craft its message, especially in rural and swing areas of the country like hers.

I just say, This is distracting members of Congress from what we need to be focusing on, Bustos said, rattling off a list of other priorities such asa farm and infrastructure bill that she wants Congress to get done.

Maloney cautioned that its too soon to tell whether Russia will emerge as a more salient campaign issue. The facts may be so serious that they cannot be ignored, he said.

That uncertainty over whats going on with Russia is one reason some Democrats are finding it more helpful to talk abouthealth care.

Right now, the story is that something very troubling is happening in Washington, D.C. The middle and end of this story we just dont know yet, said a Democratic strategist who works on Senate campaigns.

The troubling aspects of the GOP health care plan, at least from the Democrats perspective, are much more clear-cut. And for a party largely ondefense in Senate races next year in states that Trump won (and where he remains popular), Democrats see health care as a strong offensive message, especially against their top two targets, Heller and Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake.

Earlier this year, the DSCC released non-skippable YouTube ads attacking the GOP health care plan for hurting older Americans and those with pre-existing conditions. Majority Forward, a nonprofit allied with Senate Majority PAC, also made health care the subject of its ads in Arizona and Nevada released earlier this year.

But Russia continues to dominate the news cycle.

At some level this is all a gift to Republicans because it takes focus off of this disastrous health care bill, Connecticut Sen. Christopher S. Murphy said Thursday.

So itll be up to Democratic groups to find ways to communicate their health care message to voters this summer.

Its important to let people know that as these investigations are going on, Trump and the Republicans are trying to pull the health care rug out from under the Americans, said Maryland Sen.Chris Van Hollen, the DSCC chairman.We need at least bifocals here.

The party can and should keep its eye on both things, said Jesse Ferguson, a veteran of the DCCC and Hillary Clintons campaign.

Its a false choice between talking about health care and talking about Russia, Ferguson said. In fact, he said, the two messages even amplify each other.

Democratic campaigns arent ignoring Russia completely, and with the liberal base motivated on the issue Indivisible and MoveOn.org both called for impeachment proceedings immediately after the Comey hearing they cant afford to.

The DCCC called on Republicans to support a bipartisan, independent committee to investigate Russias interference in our democracy after the Comey testimony. A smattering of Democratic House challengers released similar statements.

Russia is more salient in some districts than others. In its Thursday statement, the DCCCtook a shot at California GOP Rep. Devin Nunes, whose conduct in the Russian investigation has earned him a spot on the committees target list in 2018. Increased attention on Russia has also helped put the district of another California Republican, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher,on the map.

American Bridge, a liberal super PAC, is the rare Democratic outside group that has invested in paid communications on Russiathis year.

But its also beenvocal about health care. Its partnering with House Majority PAC on its Congressional Accountability Projectthis summer.

Make no mistake, pocketbook issues like health care ought to be front and center in Democratic messaging, American Bridge President Jessica Mackler said in an emailed statement. But Democrats can also walk and chew gum at the same time.

The Trump administrations Russia scandal must be investigated and Republicans who refuse to do their job and demand an independent investigation should be held accountable. We can do both, Mackler added.

Democrats see the Russia developments taking a toll on the presidents popularity and boosting their party inthe generic congressional ballot (with a longtime Democratic strategist pointing to the nearly 8-point edge his party has in FiveThirtyEights generic ballot tracker as a good sign for 2018).

In the end, the Trump administration, and their contortions and their lying about what happened, is feeding the perception they cant be trusted, Ferguson said. That perception makes it impossible for them to sell their health care agenda to the American people, he added.

Bridget Bowman contributed to this report.

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Democrats Stick to Health Care Message Amid Russian Intrigue - Roll Call

Three years and a Donald Trump presidential campaign later, the senator is less constrained about dropping so-called "f-bombs" in private or in public. Speaking to the Personal Democracy Forum last week, Gillibrand used the word twice. Last month in a New York Magazine interview, the senator dropped three f-bombs. She's not alone. Earlier this year, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez, in a speech in which children were not just present but actually on stage, attacked President Trump as someone who "doesn't give a s*** about healthcare," while also saying "your g**damn right," Trump is a liar. Beto O'Rourke, the Texas Democratic Congressman challenging Sen. Ted Cruz accused Cruz of "sure as s*** not serving" his constituents. And Kamala Harris, the California Democratic senator, reportedly also used the f-word at a public event in San Francisco.

If this language is something of a new normal among Democratic politicians, their reactions represent a new normal, as well. In the past, politicians typically apologized for such language.

In part, that may be because past instances were mistakes, where a politician said the wrong thing while speaking passionately on an issue or opponent.

In today's Trump-changed political environment, this language is no mistake; it is intentional, calculated "spontaneity" designed to draw headlines and demonstrate outrage to similarly minded activists and donors -- using some of Trump's methodology to show their strong resistance to him.

After the titillating "sugar rush" these Democrats get from the sensationalism of using naughty words, there does not appear to be any substance behind it aside from projecting some sort of "authenticity" for speaking in the same way voters angry at Washington do. Democratic politicians using this language not only run the risk of distracting from their anti-Trump message, but may wind up looking like they're trying too hard, a phoniness voters can spot a mile away.

These were key messages Democrats used to ingrain into voters' minds that Trump was too callous and profane to serve as president.

Now? More and more Democrats appear to be in a non-stop limbo contest of words, knowing the lower they go, the more headlines and clicks they can get.

If anything, the number of Democrats following the example of their party leaders and potential 2020 candidates using this, and possibly other Trump tactics, will only increase.

That Trump's campaign and presidency has forever altered the Republican Party is seen as a given. Less discussed is how the Trump-era has already affected how Democrats campaign and how they are trying to use Trump's own tactics against him.

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F-bombs could backfire on Democrats (opinion) - CNN.com - CNN

House Judiciary Committee Democrats asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday to confirm various comments former FBI Director James Comey made in a recent Senate hearing about incidents related to President Trump and Russia.

In a letter to Sessions, Ranking Member John Conyers and his Democratic colleagues stated Comey's "compelling testimony" about Trump's possible attempts to influence the Russian probe deserve further scrutiny.

"Given that you have now cancelled your scheduled appearance before the House and Senate appropriations committee a second time, and for the express purpose of avoiding questions about the Russia investigation the need for your public response is more pressing than ever," the committee wrote.

The Democrats asked Sessions about possible improper conduct by Trump, the extent of his disclosing meetings with Russian officials and if he has complied with his terms of recusal in the investigation.

The group is also concerned over Comey's claim that Trump asked Sessions to leave the Oval Office during a meeting of the three men on Feb. 14, as well as whether Trump asked Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Mike Flynn.

Sessions was asked about Comey's reference to a potential additional meeting between himself and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak last year.

On Thursday, Comey testified he was "aware of facts that [he] can't discuss in an open setting that would make [Sessions'] continued engagement in a Russia-related investigation problematic."

The Judiciary Committee Democrats asked for responses by June 26. The request comes on the heels of Sessions' scheduled testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.

More:
House Judiciary Democrats ask Sessions to confirm or deny Comey's story - Washington Examiner

New York Times

Democrats in Split-Screen: The Base Wants It All. The Party Wants to Win. New York Times The growing tension between the party's ascendant militant wing, and Democrats in conservative-leaning terrain, where the party must compete to win power in Congress, was on vivid, split-screen display over the weekend: in Chicago, where Senator Bernie ... Inspired by Sanders, activists push Democrats to the left or out of the wayWashington Post Sanders to faithful: Take down Trump, take over Democratic PartyCNN Bernie Sanders lambasts 'absolute failure' of Democratic party's strategyThe Guardian all 29 news articles »

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Democrats in Split-Screen: The Base Wants It All. The Party Wants to Win. - New York Times

John Kellys sterling reputation as a Marine general with an appreciation for nuance led many Democrats to back his nomination as Homeland Security secretary in the hopes that he would rein in President Donald Trumps hardline immigration and security policies.

Instead, Kelly has moved to impose those policies with military rigor. He has pursued an aggressive deportation campaign; defended Trumps effort to ban visitors from several Muslim-majority countries; and hinted that he might separate migrant parents from their children at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Story Continued Below

Kelly has joked with Trump about using violence against reporters and defended Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner amid allegations that he tried to set up a secret backchannel to the Russian government.

Today, its tough to find anyone on the left willing to defend Kelly. He has alienated potential allies on Capitol Hill, including Democrats who voted to confirm him, and is endangering his reputation as a nonpartisan figure in a presidential administration that has relatively few.

I think Secretary Kelly has drank the Kool-Aid, said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) who was among the Democrats who voted to confirm Kelly in January. Hes not the person who I thought I was voting for.

Kelly, a blunt-spoken Boston native, is the former commander of U.S. Southern Command. That gave him a close-up view of border security issues in the Southern Hemisphere, including problems with drug trafficking and illegal immigration. The Senate confirmed him 88-11.

One reason so many Democrats supported Kelly, 67, was because he indicated he would not target people enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, a 2012 program put into effect by President Barack Obama to give work permits to young undocumented immigrants and protect them from deportation.

The program has not been canceled by the president, but there have been several reports of DACA recipients being detained or deported, undermining Kelly's standing among Democrats and pro-immigration activists.

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The secretary has repeatedly declared that his agency is targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds for removal from the United States. But he has moved away from an Obama administration policy that prioritized deporting those with serious criminal records and offered relief to lower-level offenders.

In the first three months of the Trump administration, arrests of non-criminal immigrants rose by 157 percent over the same period a year earlier, according to data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Last month, Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who also voted to confirm Kelly, pounded him for deporting a Honduran mother and her five-year-old son. The mother, who had no criminal record, had fled gang violence and would be in danger if sent back to Honduras, Casey said.

Kelly said the mother and child had tried but failed to obtain permission to stay in the United States, and that under existing statutes, they were due for removal. He further added that most asylum seekers at the border simply parrot well-worn phrases to get a shot at staying in the United States, and that the woman had done just that.

Casey said this past week that he has been talking with Kelly to schedule a private meeting, so the senator can ask him about the administrations policy on how they decide to deport an immigrant and when they use discretion.

Look, weve had some arguments, the secretary and I, Casey said. I want to try to do whatever I can to work with him, but I think we probably have some basic differences.

Kelly declined to comment for this story.

Kellys defenders argue that he is taking stern stances now to prevent problems later. By hinting in March that he might separate undocumented parents from their children at the U.S.-Mexico border, he may have dissuaded many would-be migrants from ever showing up at the boundary line. After floating the idea in early March, Kelly told lawmakers weeks later that, with some exceptions, he would not impose it.

Hes been given a mission and, like any military person, will accomplish the mission as long as its not illegal, said a retired military officer who served with Kelly. I would hardly call him cruel. I saw how he interacted with his kids -- stern, but no doubt he loved them.

Another retired military officer said Kelly, who lost a son to combat in Afghanistan, takes extremely seriously his duty to protect the United States, to the point where he may make some decisions that seem unfair. Kelly himself recently said that if more Americans knew the things he knew, theyd never leave the house.

Hes a very approachable guy, but hes got a job to do, the retired officer said. People have got to step back and see it through his eyes.

Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, also defended Kelly, particularly his pledge to respond to oversight requests from anyone in Congress, even as the rest of the administration stonewalls Democrats.

He has said personally to me that if I hit a wall, call him, and he will try to fix it and get me the information that he has acknowledged that we need and deserve, McCaskill said.

The secretary has said if Democrats dont like his enforcement of immigration laws, they should change those laws or shut up. That bluntness has further infuriated Democrats, who note they have been trying for years to reform immigration laws but have been stymied by Republicans.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), one of Kellys fiercest critics on Capitol Hill, rattled off at least a half-dozen concerns she has with the secretary, mostly spanning his handling of immigration policy and transparency at the Department of Homeland Security.

The role, the mission of the agency is a very important one, which I support 1,000 percent, said Harris, who opposed Kellys confirmation. But when it comes to transparency and a clear guidance around what the [immigration] enforcement priorities will be at the agency, I have real questions and real concerns.

I would like to think he would be a moderating force because of his comments on DACA, said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who also voted against confirming Kelly. He has an understanding of why people want to come to this country, so I would think hopefully that would be part of his thinking.

Kelly has tried to split the difference on some of the more high-profile Trump promises. On the presidents call for a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, for instance, Kelly has said the barrier is unlikely to run from sea to shining sea and that a security plan for the area could involve a mix of a wall, fences, drones and other technology.

But Kelly has surprised observers by standing up for Trump on some especially contentious issues, even when he doesnt necessarily have to.

He has repeatedly defended Trumps executive order banning visitors from Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen, although multiple courts have halted the order over concerns that it illegally discriminates against Muslims due to their religion. Kelly alleged to senators Tuesday that the court rulings are hurting counter-terrorism efforts.

Kelly also has said he sees no issue with Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and White House adviser, trying to establish a secret way to communicate with the Russian government, despite ongoing federal probes into whether Trump aides colluded with the Kremlin in trying to influence the 2016 presidential election.

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He told senators during a hearing Tuesday that he assumes Kushner is a great American. But several Senate Democrats take issue with Kellys defense of the controversial White House adviser.

Im concerned that he seems to be treating it as typical established backchannel communications, said Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), who voted to confirm Kelly. I think some of the concerns many of us have is that Mr. Kushner seemed to desire great secrecy about this, even from the administration that was then in power.

And last month, during the U.S. Coast Guard Academys commencement ceremony, the Homeland Security secretary jokingly told Trump to use a ceremonial saber he was given on the press.

Activists say Kellys actions and statements suggest he is not familiar with the intricacies of U.S. immigration law, and that as a result he may be willing to go along with hardline interpretations of the law offered by other members of Trumps Cabinet, such as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has long championed a crackdown on illegal and sometimes legal immigration. They also say that Kelly has more discretion than he likes to admit in how he enforces the law, such as prioritizing whom to deport.

He came in with a reputation of listening to all sides of an issue, but to date he has not reached out to the immigrant community in a significant way, said Kevin Appleby, a senior director with the Center for Migration Studies. He is increasingly surrounded by ideologues who limit his flexibility to solve problems.

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Democrats begin to turn on DHS chief - Politico