Republicans? Love of Guns May Cost Them Votes in the Suburbs

But worse yet for the GOP, fear and anger over lax gun policies could merge with fear and anger over Trump’s violence-inducing rhetoric, and not only persuade suburban voters to go blue, but also boost Democratic turnout to record levels (much like the record midterm turnout last year).It remains possible, as Republicans recognize the new risks, that GOP congressional leaders could agree to a small breach in the wall of opposition to new gun regulation. On the heels of Sunday’s killing of nine people by a gunman in Dayton’s nightclub district, DeWine outlined a series of actions he wants the Legislature to take up to address mental health and gun violence.“We can come together to do these things to save lives,” DeWine said.Even FBI agents are urging Congress to do somethingThe FBI Agents Association on Tuesday demanded members of Congress codify domestic terrorism as a federal crime, warning it poses “a threat to the American people and our democracy.”“Acts of violence intended to intimidate civilian populations or to influence or affect government policy should be prosecuted as domestic terrorism regardless of the ideology behind them,” FBIAA President Brian O’Hare said in a statement.The association “continues to urge Congress to make domestic terrorism a federal crime,” O’Hare added — a designation which “would ensure that FBI Agents and prosecutors have the best tools to fight domestic terrorism.”Hmm, Ivanka might not be the best messenger hereA man very much at odds with Trump’s friendly posture toward PutinCuomo’s popularity dips a year too late for it to matter muchNew York voters are giving a thumbs up to most of what was approved during the legislative session, but are giving a thumbs down to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.A Siena College poll released Tuesday morning found the governor’s favorability rating drop to its lowest ever in the poll, 43 percent to 50 percent. In the poll’s fourth place is Senator Kamala Harris of California at 8 percent, followed by South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 6 percent and Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who had 3 percent.Trump keeps doing and saying pretty racist stuff, but on the other hand unemployment is lowThe absolute least Trump could do for El Paso: settle his billPresident Donald Trump publicly pledged “all the support of the federal government” on Saturday after 22 people were shot to death in an El Paso Walmartthis weekend.But his statements are prompting charges of hypocrisy because the city claims the president’s political campaign owes an outstanding debt from a February campaign rally — specifically, more than half a million dollars.On Monday, an El Paso city official said Trump has yet to pay.According to Laura Cruz-Acosta, communications manager for the El Paso city manager’s office, the president has an outstanding bill of $569,204.63 for police and public safety services associated with a February campaign rally.The Trump administration hasn’t given up on toppling MaduroPresident Trump issued an executive order late Monday placing a full economic embargo on the Venezuelan government of President Nicolás Maduro, and his administration warned Russia and China that if they continue to support him, they may never get back their billions of dollars in loans and investments in Venezuela.The embargo, which follows months of escalating sanctions on government individuals and entities, blocks all property and assets of the government and its officials, and prohibits any transactions with them, including the Venezuelan Central Bank and the state oil company.The action puts Venezuela on par with Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria, the only other countries under a similar full embargo.Obama says what the current president should have Former President Barack Obama said Monday, in his first public statement since a pair of mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, that Americans must “soundly reject language” from any leader who “feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racist sentiments.”The statement , which did not mention President Donald Trump directly, also reminded Americans that “we are not helpless” in the face of the nation’s high frequency of mass shootings compared to other countries.“And until all of us stand up and insist on holding public officials accountable for changing our gun laws, these tragedies will keep happening,” Obama wrote.You can sense the enthusiasmJust what the world needs right now