CNN can confirm @newsobserver’s #ncsen reporting: Democrat Cal Cunningham says he sent romantic texts to a woman who isn’t his wife. His full statement below:
We all remember how it started: Rep. Jeff Van Drew switched parties, pledging his “undying support” to POTUS. Now he faces his first election as a Trump Republican, in one of the hottest House races in the country. I went to NJ to see how that’s going. cnn.com/2020/10/28/pol…
About that profession of “undying support”: Van Drew says it wasn’t what he meant. "I think voters understand that when you're in the Oval Office and you're having a very exciting day and you're making a little piece of history, that sometimes we all say things."
Van Drew: “I think the words didn't explain as well what I exactly felt. It's not undying support that, whatever you say I'm going to do, or undying support, I agree with whatever you say. It was undying support for the presidency, for the idea of the greatness of America”
With President Trump briefly visiting California today, after ignoring the devastating fires out west for weeks, I’ve been reflecting on why presidential visits matter in moments of crisis and disaster. A few thoughts rooted in personal experience🧵
I lived in San Diego during the 2003 Cedar Fire. At the time it was the largest wildfire in the state’s history. (Now it’s No. 6 — a stark reminder of just how devastating these past few fire seasons have been, particularly this year.)
The fire started on a Saturday, when a lost hunter lit a signal fire in East County. The next morning I woke to the smell of smoke, and from an upstairs balcony I could see it — billowing up from my own community, so close that I ran inside in a panic and began to pack.
The Justice Dept sued Donald Trump, his father and their company in 1973 for discriminating against prospective Black tenants and violating the Fair Housing Act.
Around that time, Cory Booker’s family was struggling to buy a house in suburban NJ, facing similar discrimination.
Booker’s parents were only able to buy a home in Harrington Park, & integrate their neighborhood, bc a volunteer lawyer set up a sting with a white couple. It enabled Cory Booker to attend high-ranking public schools; today he points to this as a major turning point in his life.
Would Donald Trump have allowed Cory Booker’s family to rent in one of his buildings? Probably not.*
And in 50 years, it seems not much has changed of the president’s thinking and worldview.
At a polling place today we spoke with @Croke4Illinois, a first-time candidate in a state leg race, and one of many candidates trying to adapt to this pretty unimaginable election. "It's crazy," she said.
She thought deciding to run while 8 months pregnant would be one of the wildest things about this process. "And now we have a national pandemic, so you can’t really plan for these things," she said.
Today Croke was campaigning outside of a Chicago polling place wearing gloves and holding a sign — not passing out campaign literature, she said, to be on the safe side. She said she thinks turnout will be normal if people return their mail ballots.
Election judges in Cook County IL were promised hand sanitizer and wipes at every polling place. But that hasn't happened — and we're now four hours into voting. We spoke with one election judge, Kim Inman, who says she hasn’t received sanitizer or wipes at her location. (1/2)
(2/2) More from Kim: "I’m in suburban Chicago. We are trying to keep people spread out, but there’s a steady stream of voters. Light turnout, but still. 50 people ...so far. We have only half the number of judges originally assigned. They dropped off due to sickness or fear."
(3/2 - sorry, bonus tweet)
Kim also tells us that poll workers did not receive this guidance that was tweeted out yesterday by the county clerk. So if election judges didn’t see the tweet, they’re out of luck.
Former MO Gov. Greitens tells CNN he feels "vindicated" after the state Ethics Commission cites his campaign for reporting violations but clears him of wrongdoing ... this was the last big investigation hanging over his head, went on for nearly 18 months cnn.com/2020/02/13/pol…
This after criminal charges against him were dropped, the lead investigator on that case was indicted, and the St. Louis circuit attorney is being investigated by a special prosecutor ... things look very different from when Greitens stepped down in 2018 cnn.com/2020/02/13/pol…