Former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) delivered a foreign policy broadside against Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) on Wednesday, accusing her of failing to stand up to President Obama or speak out while the threats facing the nation have long been clear. And he’s unlikely to be the last Republican to ramp up his foreign policy focus as the GOP looks to retake Senate control.
{mosads}”They seem only more confused on a daily basis as things unravel,” he said at Saint Anselm College. “It’s as if the Obama administration is maxed out, worn down, devoid of ideas, and now, guess what? All the bills are coming due. This is what foreign policy looks like without clarity and conviction.”
Terror politics have been creeping back on the campaign trail the last few weeks as Republican seek to exploit the public’s dissatisfaction with Obama’s foreign policy. But Brown’s comments are the most direct and amplified — and are one of the stronger indications yet that the issue is likely to be more a “September surprise” than a blip on the campaign radar. Look for more Republicans to amplify their foreign policy criticism in the coming weeks — especially those who have military backgrounds, like Alaska Senate nominee Dan Sullivan (R) and Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).
SENATE SHOWDOWN
AK-SEN (BEGICH): The National Rifle Association won’t endorse in Alaska’s hard-fought Senate race. Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) has a lifetime A- rating from the group, while Republican Dan Sullivan has an A-q (qualified, because he doesn’t have a voting record).
KY-SEN (MCCONNELL): After more than a dozen consecutive polls have shown Democratic nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes lagging behind Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R), some Kentucky Democrats are warning that Grimes might need a strategy shake-up. Last week, the state’s largest newspaper wondered whether she needed a “campaign reset.”
LA-SEN (LANDRIEU): Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) has come out against keg stands, after his opponent in the Senate race, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D), was photographed helping with one on Saturday. He also nabbed the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Business.
BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE
NY/CA/IL: Republicans are gearing up to pick up House seats in deep-blue California, Illinois and New York this election cycle.
GA-12 (BARROW): Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) says he “doesn’t vote 85 percent of the time with anyone” in a new ad — but in a 2012 fundraiser he said “I have supported the president and the Democratic leadership, 85 percent of the time.”
CA-21 (VALADAO): Vice President Biden is heading out to help former Senate chief of staff Amanda Renteria (D) with a get-out-the-vote rally in her race against Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.).
NE-2 (TERRY): The National Republican Congressional Committee is going on the air for Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.), a sign it’s legitimately worried about his reelection chances in the Republican-leaning district.
LA-5 (MCALLISTER): House hopeful and “Duck Dynasty” kin Zach Dasher trolled Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) on Twitter before he was a congressional candidate against “kissing congressman” Vance McAllister (R-La.).
VA-10 (OPEN): Democrat John Foust and Republican Barbara Comstock traded blows in their second debate, accusing each other of showing an inability to work across party lines to get things done.
AD WATCH
AR-SEN (PRYOR): The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee hits Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for voting against the farm bill in a new spot.
The Koch-backed Freedom Partners has a new ad featuring veterans attacking Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) over the Department of Veterans Affairs.
CO-SEN (UDALL): Rep. Cory Gardner (R) calls Sen. Mark Udall (D) “a real nice guy,” but says he’ll “never change the Senate” because “he is the Senate,” pointing to the Udall family’s political ties.
IA-SEN (OPEN): The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee accuses Joni Ernst of signing “a pledge to protect the special interests” in a new ad. Americans for Prosperity says Rep. Bruce Braley (D) “supports massive spending bills” and “voted to protect trial lawyers” in a new ad.
NH-SEN (SHAHEEN): Ending Spending hits Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) for not holding “a traditional town hall meeting for two years” with a one-week, $700,000-buy.
LA-SEN (LANDRIEU): The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s new ad hits Rep. Bill Cassidy (D) on Medicare.
SD-SEN (OPEN): Democrat Rick Weiland’s new ad charges Republican Mike Rounds wants to give tax cuts to millionaires, to the detriment of Medicare and educational programs.
NJ-3 (OPEN): Republican Tom MacArthur’s newest ad calls him a “self-made businessman” and features MacArthur emphasizing bipartisanship.
NY-19 (GIBSON): Rep. Chris Gibson (R) touts his military service, work on infrastructure investment and the farm bill and ties to the district.
LA-5 (MCALLISTER): Phil Robertson, the patriarch in the popular “Duck Dynasty” reality television show, endorses his nephew Zach Dasher in a new radio ad from the Republican’s campaign.
CO-6 (COFFMAN): Democrat Andrew Romanoff touts his work preventing cuts to education funding as Colorado Speaker.
MA-6 (OPEN): Democrat Seth Moulton says he opposes sending troops to Iraq in a new ad.
PA-6 (OPEN), NY-18 (MALONEY), NY-19 (GIBSON), NY-21 (OPEN), VA-10 (OPEN): The U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched ads in five districts, touting Republican Ryan Costello in Pennsylvania’s 6th District and Republican Elise Stefanik in New York’s 21st District, hitting Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), Rep. Chris Gibson’s (R-N.Y.) Democratic challenger, Sean Eldridge, and Democrat John Foust in Virginia’s 10th District.
AZ-1 (KIRKPATRICK), WV-3 (RAHALL): Americans for Prosperity hits Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) and Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) on ObamaCare.
POLL POSITION
AR-SEN (PRYOR): Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) leads Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) 45 percent to 43 percent in a new live-caller Suffolk University/USA Today poll.
VA-SEN (WARNER): Sen. Mark Warner (D) leads Republican Ed Gillespie 46 percent to 27 percent in a new poll from Roanoke College.
GA-SEN (OPEN): Republican David Perdue and Democrat Michelle Nunn are effectively tied in a new SurveyUSA poll, with Perdue taking 46 percent to Nunn’s 45 percent support.
2016 RUMBLINGS
PAUL: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is heading back to Iowa, The Hill first reported, making a late October swing through the state to help GOP candidates. He’s also returning to South Carolina next week, and will stop by North Carolina to help state Speaker Thom Tillis (R) in his race against Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.).
CLINTON: Press are being closely monitored and have limited freedom of movement at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative.
The Republican National Committee attacks Hillary Clinton in a new video for having ties to Goldman Sachs.
WEBB: Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb (D) is heading to New Hampshire next month to stump for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) as he contemplates a presidential run.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“It’s not something to celebrate.”
—Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), knocking Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) for helping out with a keg stand this weekend