In August, Senator Angus King, right, endorsed Eliot Cutler, center, an independent running for governor in Maine.Credit Joel Page/Associated Press
In the fast-moving governor’s race in Maine, Senator Angus King, an independent who had backed another independent, Eliot Cutler, for governor, switched his allegiance on Wednesday and endorsed the Democrat, Representative Michael H. Michaud.
Mr. Cutler, who has been trailing in the polls, has been under mounting pressure from Democrats to withdraw to avoid siphoning votes from Mr. Michaud, who is in a tight race with Gov. Paul LePage, the Republican seeking re-election.
At a hastily called news conference on Wednesday, Mr. Cutler said he was staying in the race but essentially released his supporters to “vote their conscience.”
Shortly afterward, Mr. King, who had been Mr. Cutler’s most prominent supporter, announced that he was backing Mr. Michaud.
“After many months considering the issues and getting to know the candidates, it is clear that the voters of Maine are not prepared to elect Eliot in 2014,” Mr. King said in a statement.
The question is whether Mr. King’s switch is too little too late, and how confused Cutler supporters will vote next week. Polls suggest that they won’t necessarily flock to Mr. Michaud.
From left, Representatives Steven Horsford, Lois Capps and Scott Peters.Credit Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press; J. Scott Applewhite, via Associated Press; Lenny Ignelzi, via Associated Press
Increasingly worried about some of its incumbents, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is putting more money behind seven Democrats who find themselves in tougher-than-anticipated contests less than a week before Election Day.
Committee officials say they have placed $360,000 in ads on Las Vegas television on behalf of Representative Steven Horsford, a freshman from Nevada, after Crossroads, a Republican “super PAC,” made a buy of more than $900,000 in an effort to oust him.
Other representatives getting a last-minute infusion of cash are Lois Capps of California, $99,000 in radio ads; Scott Peters of California, $265,000 in broadcast television; John Barrow of Georgia, $77,000 in broadcast television; Brad Schneider of Illinois, $280,000 in Chicago-area cable television; Rick Nolan of Minnesota, $74,000 in Duluth-area broadcast television; and Nick J. Rahall II of West Virginia (considered one of the party’s most endangered incumbents), $257,000 in broadcast television ads.
The Democratic campaign group has pulled its money out of efforts to defeat Republican incumbents or pick up open seats in an attempt to protect its sitting House members and hold losses next week to a minimum.
Senator Harry Reid, facing the potential loss of control of the Senate, is asking Democratic donors to help the party's Senate nominees. Credit Gabriella Demczuk/The New York Times
Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader who is likely facing the loss of control of the Senate, is bringing out the bogymen.
In an email to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee’s 1 million members with the subject “I need these three,” Mr. Reid writes that a Republican-controlled Senate would “hold our government hostage in order to pressure President Obama to swallow right-wing policies.”
He points to the Senate races in Alaska, Colorado and Iowa as “neck and neck” and asks donors to give $3 to the Democratic candidates in those states.
And Mr. Reid brings his point home with a big “or else.”
“Frankly, a Republican House and Senate could go beyond shutting down the government — they could waste months of our lives on impeachment,” he said.
With inaction defining the immigration debate in Washington this year, Latinos’ support for Democrats has softened going into the midterm elections next week, but they still heavily favor Democrats over Republicans, according to a national bilingual poll released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center.
The biggest change was the proportion of Latinos with no party preference, with 35 percent of registered Latino voters saying that neither party was particularly concerned about them. During the 2012 election cycle, that number was 23 percent.
In the poll, 57 percent of Latino voters said they would vote for a Democratic congressional candidate this year, while 28 percent said they would vote for a Republican. In the 2010 midterms, Latinos voted 65 percent for Democrats and 22 percent for Republicans.
Latino voters are impatient for Congress to pass an overhaul of the immigration system, with two-thirds saying they want to see legislation soon, according to the poll. This year the Republican-led House did not take up a bill passed in 2013 by the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. And President Obama twice delayed executive action he had promised on deportations.
Latinos are spreading the blame around a little more evenly this year, with 45 percent of voters saying Republicans are responsible for the failure of legislation, and 34 percent faulting either Mr. Obama or Democrats in Congress.
The White House, meanwhile, does not seem to be suffering terribly from the president’s delays. Only about one-third of Latino voters said they were angry or disappointed with the president over the delays, while 26 percent said they were pleased.
The Pew poll does not have figures on close Senate and governor’s races in Colorado, Florida, Georgia and Massachusetts, states where Latinos could make a difference. But with a record number of Latinos eligible to vote this year — 25.2 million nationwide — the party that succeeds in turning them out to the polls could gain an edge in a tight count.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. taking the stage at the Washington Ideas Forum on Wednesday.Credit Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Approaching the end of his tenure as attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr. may feel he finally has the freedom to speak his mind. For that reason, his answer to a question at a conference on Wednesday perhaps revealed his views on life in Washington.
“Homeland”? “Scandal”? “Veep”? Or “House of Cards”?
During an interview at The Atlantic’s Washington Ideas Forum, Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post asked Mr. Holder which of the Washington-focused television shows gets the city right.
While Mr. Holder admitted to binge-watching “Homeland” in his spare time, he said he thought that “House of Cards,” a Netflix show about a conniving Democratic politician’s ascent to power, was closest to reality.
“There was a pretty bad vice president in ‘House of Cards,’ but I’ll leave it at that,” Mr. Holder said. “And I like Joe Biden, so I’m not talking about him.”
Quinn Bradlee, a son of Benjamin C. Bradlee, the former executive editor of The Washington Post, rested his head on the coffin after he spoke at his father's funeral at Washington National Cathedral on Wednesday.Credit Jabin Botsford/The New York Times
Followers of Gov. Chris Christie on Twitter were greeted with an odd tweet this morning, in the midst of a series of posts on the Hurricane Sandy recovery.
It’s getting personal in the final days of Colorado’s Senate race.
Naral Pro-Choice America is out with a $450,000 ad campaign that some might say is hitting below the belt.
The group is targeting Representative Cory Gardner’s position on birth control pills, calling the Republican an “anti-birth control extremist” and claiming that if he defeats Senator Mark Udall, a Democrat, it would cause a run on condoms as other methods of contraception become more expensive.
The ad was inspired by Mr. Gardner’s previous support for a “personhood amendment,” which would treat embryos as people and ban certain forms of contraception.
Mr. Gardner later reversed his position on the amendment and has been arguing that birth control pills should be available over the counter at drugstores.
Karen Middleton, executive director of Naral Pro-Choice Colorado, said that Mr. Gardner’s position would make birth control more expensive for women.
A spokesman for Mr. Gardner did not immediately respond to a request for a comment about the ad.
Church & Dwight, one of the world’s biggest condom makers, did not respond to questions about the impact that Mr. Gardner might have on its inventory if he is elected.
Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly referred to Church & Dwight as Dwight & Church.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo at a signing for his new book, "All Things Possible," in New York this month.Credit Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Sales of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s memoir fell by more than 43 percent to 535 copies in its second week on shelves.
Mr. Cuomo’s latest book, “All Things Possible: Setbacks and Success in Politics and Life,” sold 945 copies in the week after its Oct. 15 release, according to BookScan, a subscription service that tracks sales at over 80 percent of book vendors in the United States but does not include e-books, which can increase sales by about 15 percent.
At a news conference on Monday, Mr. Cuomo joked that health care workers returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa could pass the time in a 21-day quarantine by reading his book. “Twenty-one days, in your home, with your friends and your family, and you’ll be compensated,” he said. “Read a book, read my book.”
The 528-page memoir, which chronicles Mr. Cuomo’s rise in politics in New York, has received tepid reviews. The book, for which Mr. Cuomo received an advance of more than $700,000, comes as he seeks re-election, and it has suffered amid fiercely negative consumer reviews on Amazon that appear politically motivated.
New books often see a sharp decline in the second week, after the blitz of publicity wears off. Sales of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s memoir “Hard Choices” declined by 43.5 percent to 48,000 copies in the second week on shelves after its June 10 release.
If you ever wondered what the patrician Bush family might have in common with Maine’s up-from-the-streets governor, Paul R. LePage, you can now see for yourself.
Barbara Bush has a new ad out endorsing Mr. LePage.
The laugh comes when Mrs. Bush describes Mr. LePage’s style: “blunt, direct — like me,” she says.
The silver fox has always been outspoken, perhaps most notoriously in 1984, after her husband, George, clashed with Geraldine A. Ferraro in a vice-presidential debate. Mrs. Bush said at the time that Ms. Ferraro was something that “rhymes with witch.”
Gary Hart in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., during his 1984 campaign for president.Credit Amy Sancetta/Associated Press
Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland is eyeing a presidential primary race in 2016 against Hillary Rodham Clinton, and many Democrats consider him a long shot at best should Mrs. Clinton declare.
But Mr. O’Malley said Monday that he was inspired by the insurgent 1984 campaign of Gary Hart against Vice President WalterMondale, and that he saw hope in Mr. Hart’s near miss at securing the nomination.
Mr. O’Malley left college to work on the Hart campaign, and he still talks about it fondly.
Mr. Hart also remembers the young volunteer with affection.
“He combined the choirboy angelic exterior with very, very good political instincts,”
Mr. Hart said.
He recalled Mr. O’Malley’s sleeping in Iowa living rooms and riding around with him in what the campaign called Van Force 1. The candidate and the aide became friends, bonding over Yeats’ poetry and a shared sensibility.
“There is an Irish sadness, a fatalism, and I think Martin has that,” Mr. Hart said.
Mr. Hart said he had also bought Mr. O’Malley his first “legal” beer on his 21st birthday (“Something told me he had a whiff of beer before that,” he joked) and continues to review his speeches.
Mr. O’Malley is keenly aware that Mrs. Clinton is a mountain blocking his path to the nomination. And he is used to being on her right side, literally. In an interview this month in Baltimore, he reminded First Draft that he had stayed with Mrs. Clinton throughout the 2008 primaries and sat right next to her when it all ended.
“I was with her on the night President Obama gave his convention speech,” he said.
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, speaking at the University of South Carolina last month, worked to improve the Republican Party's image among young voters.Credit Richard Shiro/Associated Press
Memo to Democrats: Your days of winning the youth vote may be over. Starting next week.
A new poll from the Institute of Politics at Harvard University contains a surprising finding: Slightly more than half of young Americans who say they will ‘’definitely be voting’’ in the midterm elections would prefer a Republican-controlled Congress.
So-called millennial voters, those age 18 to 29, have been big backers of Democrats since 2004, and helped put President Obama in office. In 2010, the last time Harvard polled young voters before a midterm election, 55 percent of those very likely to vote favored a Democratic Congress, while 43 percent preferred Republican control.
The new survey, released Wednesday, found a preference for Republican control among very likely voters, 51 percent to 47 percent. The institute’s polling director, John Della Volpe, said the findings suggest that the youth vote may now be up for grabs.
“The period of time from 2004 to 2012 where Democrats maintained a significant margin of young voters appears to be over,’’ Mr. Della Volpe said. “The youth vote is now returning back to pre-2004 levels, where it is actually a key swing vote.’’
The survey of 2,029 adults age 18 to 29 was conducted between Sept. 26 and Oct. 9, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Before Republicans get too excited, though, they might look at the overall preferences of young Americans. When those who do not vote are taken into account, 50 percent prefer that Democrats control Congress, while 43 percent prefer that Republicans do.
Democrats continue to enjoy an advantage over Republicans among female voters in the contests for governor in Colorado, Connecticut and Iowa, according to the latest polls from Quinnipiac University. But the gender gap is shrinking in the Iowa Senate race, where Representative Bruce Braley has lost some ground with female voters.
That decline in support among women — down five points from a Quinnipiac poll taken earlier this month — combined with the traditional tendency of men to support the Republican candidate, regardless of the candidate’s sex, has helped Joni Ernst in the Iowa Senate race. She has a four-point advantage over Mr. Braley — 49 percent to 45 percent — an edge that is within the poll’s margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for each candidate.
Ms. Ernst has a 17-point edge among men, and Mr. Braley has a lead of 8 points with women.
In the Iowa governor’s race, Gov. Terry E. Branstad, a Republican, continues to have a strong lead over Jack Hatch, his Democratic challenger. In his bid for a sixth term, Mr. Branstad is supported by 56 percent of likely voters; 37 percent prefer Mr. Hatch. Mr. Branstad leads by 31 points among men, but has only a seven-point advantage with women.
Likely voters in Connecticut are evenly divided between Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and his Republican opponent, Thomas C. Foley, each backed by 43 percent. But men and women have completely opposite views. Mr. Malloy, a Democrat, has an 18-point advantage among women, while Mr. Foley has a 16-point edge among men.
In Colorado, the five-point advantage that the Republican challenger, Bob Beauprez, has over Gov. John W. Hickenlooper is within the poll’s margin of sampling error. Mr. Beauprez is strongly supported by men, backed by 54 percent to 34 percent for Mr. Hickenlooper. Women are divided: 47 percent for Mr. Hickenlooper, and 37 percent for Mr. Beauprez.
The Quinnipiac University polls were conducted Oct. 22 to 27 using landlines and cellphones and included 844 likely voters in Colorado, 838 likely voters in Connecticut and 817 likely voters in Iowa. The margin of sampling error for each survey is plus or minus three percentage points; it is higher for subgroups.
A look at how viral ads have shaped one of this year’s crucial Senate races, between Representative Bruce Braley and his Republican opponent, Joni Ernst.
A supporter hugged President Obama during a rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday.Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times
Good Wednesday morning from Washington. There are six days to go before the election and Democrats’ chances of holding the Senate have risen slightly to 32 percent amid signs that Senator Mark Begich is moving ahead in Alaska. With closing arguments in full force, Hillary RodhamClinton returns to Iowa; there’s a big debate in Louisiana; and Washington is gathering to say goodbye to Ben Bradlee. Meanwhile, President Obama is starting to think about life after Nov. 4.
A rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday night, a trip to Maine on Thursday and weekend appearances in Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Mr. Obama is making every attempt this week to show that all is not lost in the Democrats’ efforts to keep control of Congress and the statehouses they hold.
That’s the campaign’s public face. In private, Mr. Obama and his aides are mapping plans on how to deal with a Congress that has Republican majorities in both houses.
Some administration officials are looking for any advantage they can use to crack the wall of Republican opposition over the next two years. One hope is that Republicans who will be vulnerable two years from now might be open to compromise to help their chances at re-election. (The political map in 2016 looks as challenging for the Republicans as it does this year for Democrats.)
Senior officials tick off possible areas of compromise: trade deals, a corporate tax overhaul and infrastructure spending plan – possibly packaged together – and initiatives in education and research and development.
But will the Republicans give way on anything, especially after any big victory next week? Many are angry that Mr. Obama has gone over their heads by issuing executive orders on issues like tax policy and gay rights. Mr. Obama’s vow to do it again to grant a path to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally isn’t likely to foster bipartisan cooperation, at least right away.
She has never voted or run for office. She has not declared whether she is a Democrat or a Republican. She has not even rolled over or held up her head on her own.
And yet little Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky, the month-old granddaughter of Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, has made a splash during her campaign debut.
Charlotte references have been everywhere as Mrs. Clinton has maintained her breakneck pace on behalf of Democrats ahead of next week’s election.
In Aurora, Colo., for Senator Mark Udall, Mrs. Clinton had barely started speaking when someone in the crowd yelled “Charlotte!”
“Charlotte’s first shout-out!” Mrs. Clinton said. “I can’t wait to tell her.”
It’s not just that Mrs. Clinton is basking in the “grandmother glow,” as she often says, but she has incorporated “Little Charlotte” into the central themes of her stump speech — a preview, perhaps, of a 2016 presidential campaign message.
By then, Charlotte would be old enough to clutch and wave an American flag.
It was an occasion that was both solemn and star-studded, with celebrities from politics and business like President Bill Clinton and Warren Buffett packing the Washington National Cathedral for the funeral of Katharine Graham, the longtime leader of The Washington Post.
Yo-Yo Ma was there with his cello. Ben Bradlee spoke with passion.
“She was a spectacular dame, and I loved her very much,” Mr. Bradlee, by then the newspaper’s former executive editor, said in his rich baritone.
That was in 2001.
Today, the eulogies at the cathedral will be for Mr. Bradlee, who died last week at age 93.
About 2,000 people are expected for the service, which begins at 11 a.m. and is open to the public. The Very Rev. Gary Hall, dean of the National Cathedral, will preach, and Washington Post luminaries past and present are planning to attend.
The National Cathedral Choir is set to perform. Speakers will include Donald E. Graham, Mrs. Graham’s son; the Post journalists Walter Pincus and David Ignatius; and Tom Brokaw, the former NBC News anchor.
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the reporters who broke the Watergate scandal and made Mr. Bradlee famous even among nonjournalists, will also speak. The program will feature a picture of a dashing Mr. Bradlee taken by the celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.
After the service, Mr. Bradlee’s wife, Sally Quinn, and other family members and close friends will gather privately at the Bradlees’ Georgetown home.
As Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey heads to Wisconsin on Friday to campaign for Gov. Scott Walker, the Republican world is beginning to wonder: Are the two men friends or “frenemies”?
There appears to be increasing awkwardness between the two Republican governors, who both see a future president when they gaze into a mirror.
The tension is over money. Mr. Walker’s supporters say the Republican Governors Association hasn’t given him enough to help him put away his Democratic opponent, Mary Burke. Mr. Christie is the group’s chairman, and Mr. Walker would rather have the money than a visit. “We weren’t looking for surrogates,” Politico quoted him as saying.
But the New Jersey governor benefits by being seen as helping a political ally, pushing back against a whisper campaign that Mr. Christie is trying to take out a likely presidential opponent before the race even starts.
The strains came as a surprise to Mr. Christie’s camp. In the cliquish world of governors, he and Mr. Walker are viewed as belonging to the same faction. They often swap text messages, and Mr. Walker reiterated this week that he and Mr. Christie are “good friends.”
Still, the dispute broke into the open this week, with the radio talk-show host Mark Levin saying it was simple: “Chris Christie is sabotaging Scott Walker. Yes, Chris Christie is unbelievable, isn’t he?”
Senator Elizabeth Warren has insisted that she is not running for president, and a slip of the tongue on Tuesday suggests she might mean it.
While singing the praises of Senator Jeanne Shaheen on the television show “The View,” Ms. Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, mistakenly called Ms. Shaheen a Vermonter when she actually represents New Hampshire.
New Hampshire and Vermont are decidedly different states. One of them hosts a very important presidential primary every four years, and voters there might not look too kindly on any candidate who confuses it with Vermont.
In New Orleans, Edwin Edwards is back, and The Times-Picayune looks at the chances that the former Louisiana governor and convicted felon will win a seat in Congress.
