Political Ads Surpass 2006 Levels As Attacks Mount
The Associated Press reports: “Across the country, political ad spending is up and attack ads lead the way. Those who take the high road do so at their peril. As of Thursday, candidates for state and federal office had spent $395 million on ads for the November elections, compared with $286 million at this point in the 2006 midterms. More than half the ads have been negative. Political parties and outside groups have been more negative, going on the attack in nearly 80 percent of their ads while spending $150 million, $41 million ahead of the 2006 pace.”
Report: Netanyahu Proposes Bi-Weekly Meetings With Abbas
Reuters reports: “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proposed meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas every two weeks to improve the prospects of Middle East peace talks, a diplomatic source said on Friday. Netanyahu, set to travel to Washington next week for direct talks, intends ‘to handle the negotiations personally,’ the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said of Netanyahu’s plan: ‘It is premature to talk about this now.'”
Van Hollen To Hit Republicans For ‘Destructive’ Agenda
The Washington Post reports: “In a speech this morning in Washington, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) will offer a rebuttal to House Minority Leader John Boehner’s remarks earlier this week in Ohio — making the case that it is Republicans, not Democrats, who would move the country backwards economically (and otherwise) if put back into power. The speech will hit Republican for pursuing a ‘destructive agenda’ and call out the tea party for moving the GOP to the “extreme right”, according to a committee official briefed on the remarks.”
McCain Hits The Trail — But Not Just for Himself
CQ reports: “Now that Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) has survived his own challenging primary, the four-term incumbent plans to focus more on helping fellow Republicans in tough races. And in a year when the GOP could conceivably win control of Congress, the 2008 presidential nominee is expected to be an active advocate for candidates across the country. ‘He certainly plans on doing everything in his power to ensure that we regain control of the House and Senate,’ McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said. ‘So he’ll be out there campaigning, raising money — something he really looks forward to.'”
Bernanke To Address Economy As Fears Of Double-Dip Recession Rise
The Hill reports: “Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will offer a highly anticipated address Friday amid increased worries the economy is sliding into another recession. Markets and policymakers are bracing for action from Bernanke, who has offered no public remarks since the Federal Reserve signaled it would not ease off on its efforts to stimulate the economy earlier this summer. Experts on the Fed said those looking for dramatic signals from Bernanke are likely to be disappointed.”
Immigration Agency Ends Some Deportations
The New York Times reports: “Immigration enforcement officials have started to cancel the deportations of thousands of immigrants they have detained, a policy they said would pare huge case backlogs in the immigration courts. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said the new approach was part of a broad shift in priorities at the agency, to focus its efforts on catching and deporting immigrants who have been convicted of crimes or pose a national security threat.”
