A Tale of Two Ryans

Yesterday I noted that Republicans now dominate many old blue collar manufacturing districts that used to tilt decisively Democratic as recently as Bill Clinton's time. And one of the Democrats who has made some noises about how the neglect of the working class in the heartland has been a mistake for Democrats is Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, who unsuccessfully challenged Nancy Pelosi for the leadership of the House Democratic caucus after the last election.

Illinois congressional members selected to hash out farm bill

Three members of Illinois' Congressional delegation will be behind closed doors when lawmakers hash out the reconciliation of the farm bill that passed the House with the version approved by the Senate. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a farm bill, and the Senate passed a similar but different one.

Georgia Dems nominate Lucy McBath, gun control activist spurred to…

Lucia "Lucy" McBath was a longtime flight attendant who became a powerful spokesperson for actions to stop gun violence after her 17-year-old son was murdered. Tuesday night, she won the Democratic nomination for Georgia's 6th Congressional District in a run-off.

Nick Wadhams:

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo will find one of his rare appearances on Capitol Hill rough going today as he seeks to soothe the ire of senators exasperated by President Donald Trump's strategy on everything from Russia and NATO to North Korea. As bipartisan fury over Trump's summit with Vladimir Putin last week reverberates in Washington, Pompeo will hear from senators demanding to know what happened during the president's one-on-one meeting with the Russian president, what Trump meant when he called the European Union a "foe" and whether the U.S. is being duped again by North Korea.

Gun control activist Lucy McBath wins Democratic nomination in Georgia House race, CNN projects

Gun control activist Lucy McBath, whose son was shot and killed in 2012, will win the Democratic nomination in Georgi... Gun control activist Lucy McBath, whose son was shot and killed in 2012, will win the Democratic nomination in Georgia's 6th Congressional District, CNN projects. McBath, who defeated businessman Kevin Abel in a runoff election, will now face Republican Rep. Karen Handel in November in a race that could show whether gun control is an effective issue for Democrats in wealthy suburban districts.

Sacha Baron Cohen

Georgia state lawmaker Jason Spencer has announced his resignation from public office, after repeatedly shouting the n-word, dropping his trousers and putting on an offensive Asian accent on Sacha Baron Cohen 's new show Who is America? . In the scene, which you can watch below, Baron Cohen poses as an Israeli anti-terrorism expert named Captain Erran Morad, leading Spencer to believe he was shooting a martial arts lesson.

House Republicans seek more tax cuts as elections near

House Republicans have launched an effort to expand the massive tax law they muscled through Congress last year, aiming to make permanent the individual tax cuts and small-business income deductions now set to expire in 2026. The pre-midterm elections push, which clicked into gear Tuesday, is portrayed as championing the middle class and small businesses.

GOP, Dems focus on messages as summer recess, elections near

One House bill, backed mostly by Republicans, would repeal a tax imposed on some medical devices to help pay for President Barack Obama's health care law, a statute they despise. With another, still a bare-bones outline, the GOP would make last year's $1.5 trillion tax cut permanent and expand reductions for families, homeschooling and businesses.

In Georgia, governor nominees show polar opposite parties Source: AP

Georgia Republicans tapped Brian Kemp to face Democrat Stacey Abrams in the Georgia governor's race, setting a November matchup that will test history and highlight the widening gulf between two major parties moving further apart in style and substance in the era of President Donald Trump. Kemp, a two-term secretary of state, trounced longtime Lt.

Democrats’ newest star meets with lawmakers at Capitol Source: AP

The Democratic party's newest star, New York City congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, visited the Capitol Tuesday to meet with lawmakers who may soon be colleagues. The 28-year-old former bartender, who defeated one of the most powerful House Democrats last month, had lunch with California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and met with several members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Connecticut town official takes a knee during Pledge and an outcry ensues

Selectwoman Melissa Schlag's decision to take a knee to protest the president during the Pledge of Allegiance last week has sparked an uproar in this small town and launched a spirited debate on social media about rules of protesting in the Age of Trump. Schlag said she acted in response to President Donald Trump's defense of Vladimir Putin after the U.S. intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered with the 2016 election.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez meets with lawmakers

In this June 27, 2018 photo provided by Ocasio2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, celebrates her Democratic congressional primary victory over 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley at a pool hall in the Bronx borough of New York. less In this June 27, 2018 photo provided by Ocasio2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, celebrates her Democratic congressional primary victory over 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley at a pool hall in the Bronx borough of ... more In this July 12, 2018, file photo, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, stands next to Zephyr Teachout, after endorsing her candidacy for Attorney General during a news conference in New York.

Trump-backed candidate Kemp wins Georgia GOP governor runoff

With a damning secret recording of his opponent and a late Trump-Pence endorsement, Secretary of State Brian Kemp on Tuesday won a bruising Republican runoff in the race for Georgia governor. A self-described "unapologetic conservative" whose campaign ran an eyebrow-raising ad that said he could use his own pickup to "round up criminal illegals," Kemp rode a national wave of voter contempt for the establishment in favor of bare-knuckled outsider politics.

McCaskill wants tighter rules on duck boats after accident

Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill announced Tuesday that she wants to enshrine into law federal recommendations to improve duck boat safety such as getting rid of canopies that can trap passengers if the vehicles sink, a move that comes after a deadly accident in Missouri. McCaskill said during a speech on the Senate floor that she is drafting legislation following the sinking of a sightseeing boat last week on Table Rock Lake near Branson that killed 17 people.

Has Keith Ellison Repented of His Call for Censorship?

It's good to see that Rep. Keith Ellison's shocking letter to Amazon, calling for blatant censorship, has been removed from his website . But has he publicly renounced his letter, both in spirit and in substance? If not, then Ellison's missive represents just one more example of the radical left's attempt to suppress and silence opposing views.