NEWS AND OPINION:
Stark, unembellished numbers often can prove to be a force in politics. Here is an example released Monday for your consideration, and yes, there are a lot of numbers to take in.
“As of June 30, 2023, the end of the most recent party committee campaign finance filing period, the three committees associated with the Democratic Party had raised a total of $156 million for the 2024 election cycle, while the three committees associated with the Republican Party had raised $134 million,” reported Ballotpedia, a nonprofit research organization.
“The three Democratic committees are the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The three Republican committees are the Republican National Committee (RNC), the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC),” the report said.
“The DNC, DSCC, and DCCC each maintain a lead over their Republican counterparts in total money raised and spent,” it noted.
“Compared to previous cycles, the Democratic committees’ cumulative receipts as of June ($156 million) currently outpace their receipts at this point in the 2020 election cycle ($133 million), but are lower than their receipts at this point in the 2022 election cycle ($204 million). On the Republican side, the three committees have raised $134 million as of last month, which is less than what they raised in both the 2020 ($176 million) and 2022 election cycles ($215 million),” the report advised.
PERSISTENT BIDENOMICS
It is a convenient catch-all term, for sure. Annoying too, but that’s another story. That term is “Bidenomics,” and it was examined with much gusto on June 28 during a speech President Biden gave in Chicago. He credited the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times with its creation.
“I now claim it, but they’re the ones that used it first,” the president said.
The term is still a staple in the news media, however, for better or worse. A few headlines from the last 48 hours:
“I wouldn’t bet the farm on Bidenomics” (The Wall Street Journal); ”Rising prices will torpedo Bidenomics” (The Hill); “Reaganomics, not Bidenomics” (Washington Examiner); “This week in Bidenomics: The most elusive recession ever” (Yahoo Finance); “Kamala Harris single-handedly undos ‘Bidenomics’ push” (Fox News); and “President Biden visits Maine to tour ‘Bidenomics’ success” (The Seacoast Current).
MEANWHILE IN MASSACHUSETTS
There are some serious challenges facing the state of Massachusetts.
Following the trend of sanctuary jurisdictions attracting illegal aliens, Massachusetts has seen a surge in the numbers of ‘new arrivals’ into the state which has led to a housing crisis,” the Federation for American Immigration Reform reports.
“As part of the solution, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey — a Democrat — is now asking Bay State residents to house illegal aliens, mostly Haitians and Central Americans, in their homes to temporarily address the crisis which has been fostered and exacerbated by President Joe Biden’s open-border policies. As a ‘right to shelter state,’ the surge of illegal invaders has overwhelmed Massachusetts’ resources,” the nonprofit organization said in a report released Sunday.
Massachusetts is currently housing over 1,400 families in 40 hotels in 28 cities and towns at taxpayer expense, and the average length of stay is 14 months.
“The last time the state’s shelters served this many people was October 2014. If we look back a little over a year ago in the [former governor’s] administration, that number was 15,” said state Rep. Peter Durant, Worcester Republican.
“Either we have had a massive spike of homelessness, or the vast majority of these people are illegal immigrants. The Office of Housing and Livable Communities estimated the total cost for housing families at hotels would likely be $2.6 million for fiscal year 2023 and $10.7 million for the following year,” Mr. Durant said.
IS DeSANTIS PRO-LIFE?
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, And it is not happy with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the moment.
In a recent interview with Megyn Kelly that aired on YouTube TV, Mr. DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential hopeful, appeared to express “a lack of will to enact national protections for unborn children and said as president he would primarily encourage states to act,” according to a report from the pro-life group Monday.
“A pro-life president has a duty to protect the lives of all Americans. He should be the National Defender of Life. The American people have expressed a clear consensus for protecting babies in the womb at least by the point they can feel pain at 15 weeks, while allowing states to enact stronger protections. The pro-life movement and the American people deserve a president who will boldly advocate this consensus and will work to gather the votes necessary in Congress,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Pro-Life America, in a written statement.
“Gov. DeSantis’s dismissal of this task is unacceptable to pro-life voters. A consensus is already formed. Intensity for it is palpable and measurable. There are many pressing legislative issues for which Congress does not have the votes at the moment, but that is not a reason for a strong leader to back away from the fight. This is where presidential leadership matters most,” Mrs. Dannenfelser said.
POLL DU JOUR
39% of registered Republican voters consider themselves to be “very conservative.”
42% of Republican women and 37% of Republican men agree.
31% Republican voters overall consider themselves to be “somewhat conservative.”
26% of Republican women and 36% of Republican men agree.
23% overall consider themselves to be “moderate.”
23% of Republican women and 23% of Republican men agree.
3% consider themselves to be “somewhat liberal.”
5% of Republican women and 1% of Republican men agree.
1% consider themselves to be “very liberal.”
2% of Republican women and 1% of Republican men agree.
SOURCE: A New York Times/Siena College survey of 932 registered Republican voters conducted July 23-27.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
