Jared Golden

ObamaCare Repeal by Nancy OhanianRepublican incumbents who have consistently voted to defund Medicare and Medicaid and cut back on Social Security have found those positions are unpopular.

Ted Cruz fancies himself a world champion debater. But somehow the political equivalent of a kindergarten toddler kicked his ass during the 2016 Republican primary season. Now he's up against a young congressman from El Paso, Beto O'Rourke and Beto beat him in every debate they've had so far-- hands down.

When politicians don't have anything to say about issues that will appeal to voters they go negative in the hope that they will disgust voters enough to discourage election day participation. That's what the GOP is doing now. They read the same polls the rest of us do and they know the only way to win is to keep Democrats and independents away from the voting booth next month.

Paul Ryan's Adelson-funded SuperPAC is running the dirtiest and most personal smear campaign in history. The goal is to disgust independent voters and turn them off from voting. Meanwhile, Democrats are trying to stick to issues but are being distracted defending against Ryan's attempt to smear them. Ryan is pounding Randy Bryce especially hard in his own district (which he's retiring from). He knows the key to election is independent voters, who are leaning strongly away from the GOP.

This year, the Republicans will do anything-- and apparently everything-- to avoid talking about issues. (Unless you consider the Ron DeSantis ad above-- yes that is a real ad than ran on television statewide in Florida-- an "issues" ad.) Kara Eastman and Beto O'Rourke had punk rock bands in high school and college. Jared Golden got a tattoo (with his unit fighting on the front lines in Afghanistan). Beto also skateboards and likes women with dyed hair... and eats BBQ-ed tofu... This is all crazy.

Earlier today, we looked at how badly Republicans are expected to do in November. Don't fret; they've earned it. And the sense of likely doom is already starting to spill over into their congressional policy agenda.

It was embarrassing for Congressman Bruce Poliquin (R) when Maine's Republican senior Senator, Susan Collins, decided to stand up to DC party leaders who wanted to destroy MaineCare (the local version of Medicaid). Poliquin voted "yes" and Collins voted "no." It failed and Mainers were grateful that Collins had the balls Poliquin lacks.

Yesterday, the NY Times reported that senior Republican Party leaders are now urging their most imperiled incumbents to speak out about the wrongdoing surrounding Señor Trumpanzee.

Trump rubber stamp Bruce Poliquin wants to take away Mainers' healthcare... and pretend it's the DemocratsThis morning I was on the phone with Mike Siegel, the Blue America-endorsed candidate in a gerrymandered Texas district (TX-10) that goes from north Austin all the way through Weimar, Brenham, Columbus and Prairie View into Cypress and Tomball in the exurbs northwest of Houston. He had just gotten back his new polling and it was the best yet.

My friend John is from Lewiston in Maine's second district, aka- the other Maine district. The first district-- Portland, Augusta, Kennebunkport and the wealthy towns in York and Cumberland counties-- is thriving. But huge, sparely populated, rural ME-02 isn't. The Republican congressman in ME-02, Bruce Poliquin, is a Trump enabler and a Wall Street puppet. He's thriving.