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Presented by Meta: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun | | | |  A new round of media attention on Herschel Walker could be welcome news for Democrats. | Jessica McGowan/Getty Images | THE NEVER-ENDING STORY — A second woman plans to come forward today to allege that Georgia Senate GOP nominee HERSCHEL WALKER paid for her to have an abortion — and drove her to the clinic. The woman will anonymously provide proof of their relationship at a news conference this afternoon, attorney GLORIA ALLRED announced. More from The Daily Beast A new round of media attention on Walker could be welcome news for Pennsylvania Democrat JOHN FETTERMAN, whose performance at Tuesday night’s debate continued to be questioned this morning. — MAGA Inc. goes there: DONALD TRUMP’s super PAC put $870,000 into a new ad buy today attacking Fetterman on his health and readiness, Fox News’ Jessica Chasmar scooped . President JOE BIDEN “is stumbling around, and Fetterman just isn’t right,” the narrator says. “Call me an ableist,” a MAGA Inc. official tells Chasmar (anonymously). “John Fetterman is not able to perform the job of senator.” — Up for debate: After Fetterman’s campaign said the debate was marred by “delayed captions filled with errors,” Nexstar Media Group responded today that they “went to extraordinary lengths” to accommodate the Democrat’s technical needs. They also said Fetterman used only one of two opportunities for full rehearsals with the captioning equipment. Some Pennsylvania Dems, meanwhile, grumble to The Hill’s Al Weaver that he shouldn’t have debated at all. — But Dems have their viral moment, too: Fetterman’s campaign went up with a new ad this morning slamming MEHMET OZ for saying Tuesday that “local political leaders” should have a say in women’s abortion decisions. (They rewind the tape twice, just to make sure you got it.) “Oz is too extreme for Pennsylvania,” the narrator says. — Knowing Fetterman: WaPo’s Beth Reinhard and Colby Itkowitz dive deep into his tenure as mayor of Braddock. Spurning his own city council, Fetterman tapped his nonprofit Braddock Redux as a “shadow government” to transform the city. The approach won him popular acclaim and three reelections. But some disliked him for “circumventing public debate and input from the town’s democratically elected representatives,” the Post writes. “Instead of trying to reform what he saw as a broken government, Fetterman worked around it.” The racial dynamics rubbed some critics the wrong way, and now “some of his signature projects are struggling to sustain funding.” THE VIEW FROM 1600 PENN — Pennsylvania, along with the Nevada and Wisconsin Senate races, is increasingly worrying White House officials as the midterms landscape darkens for Dems, Jonathan Lemire reports . And they’re frustrated by KATIE HOBBS’ low-key approach in the Arizona gubernatorial race. — Notable 2024 repercussions: “If a GOP-led House turns up the heat on HUNTER BIDEN , it could weigh heavily in the president’s decision to run for a second term, those close to him believe. … And if the GOP were to take both houses of Congress, that could also be viewed as repudiation of the Biden presidency and could factor into his thinking.” — How the White House is messaging the final weeks: Despite all the strangeness of 2022, some of Biden’s closing economic pitch sounds straight out of the decades-old Democratic playbook. As we’ve covered, he’s blasting Republicans for threatening cuts to Social Security and Medicare next year — and warning they could tank the economy with a debt ceiling standoff ( more on the narrative shift from WaPo’s Toluse Olorunnipa today). At the White House this morning, Biden also deployed a classic dichotomy: the trickle-down “view from Park Avenue” vs. the struggle in Scranton. Announcing actions to tackle “junk fees” and outlaw surprise overdraft fees with CFPB Director ROHIT CHOPRA, Biden said his administration would save Americans more than $1 billion annually in unfair fees. Going off script at the end, Biden laid out his attempt to reassure struggling Americans: “One of the things that I think frustrates the American people is they know the world’s in a bit of disarray. They know that [VLADIMIR] PUTIN’s war has imposed an awful lot of strains on Europe and the rest of the world and the United States — everything from blocking grain shipments to oil. And they want to know: What are we doing? And there’s a lot going on that we’re doing. And it adds up.” Good Wednesday afternoon, and thanks for reading Playbook PM. What’s the October surprise you think could still upend the midterms? Drop me a line at eokun@politico.com .
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| BIG PICTURE REALITY CHECK — Republicans will likely surge next month thanks to inflation, but their actual plans to tackle inflation wouldn’t help, economists tell NYT’s Jim Tankersley and Emily Cochrane . In the short term, their tax cut proposals “could actually make price pressures worse by pumping more money into the economy.” But voters don’t seem to care much, the NYT notes. DEMOCRACY WATCH — Election-related lawsuits are on the rise, as courtrooms are increasingly the final arbiters of how people vote and how results are tallied, WaPo’s Patrick Marley reports from Madison, Wis. Experts say courts can “clarify vague laws or policies and resolve key questions before ballots are cast, but many also contend that the barrage of lawsuits increases the chances of last-minute rulings that can spur voter confusion.” IT’S SIMPLE — “Fundamentals Favor Republicans,” by The Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter EVERYONE’S A CELEBRITY NOW — It’s not just CHRISTINA PUSHAW: A new generation of campaign aides and spokespeople is turning into online stars in their own right, amassing tens or hundreds of thousands of followers, NYT’s Michael Bender reports from Minden, Nev. There, he finds COURTNEY HOLLAND, comms director for GOP Senate nominee ADAM LAXALT, working the crowd (in person and online) like a social media influencer even as she often eschews the mainstream press. It’s a combination of Trump-era pugnacity/media hostility and Obama-era content creation. BATTLE FOR THE SENATE TRUMP GIVES REPUBLICANS A HAND — MAGA Inc.’s late entrance into the midterms has now spent nearly $12 million on five Senate races, per AdImpact Politics — a good sight more than some Republicans had feared a couple of months ago. BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE THE MAGIC NUMBER — The latest ratings update from Kyle Kondik at Sabato’s Crystal Ball now officially designates 218 seats as at least leaning Republican — and that’s the whole ballgame, unless Democrats can claw back some victories in red territory. Reps. MIKE GARCIA (R-Calif.) and YVETTE HERRELL (R-N.M.) moved out of the tossup column, along with the seats being vacated by Reps. JOHN KATKO (R-N.Y.) and KURT SCHRADER (D-Ore.). HERE COMES BLOOMBERG — MIKE BLOOMBERG is giving $10 million to the House Majority PAC to try to help Democrats staunch the bleeding, Chris Cadelago, Ally Mutnick and Sarah Ferris report . Though Bloomberg’s been quieter this year, his late donation will mostly be party leaders’ to use as they see fit. He’s also backed New Jersey Reps. JOSH GOTTHEIMER and MIKIE SHERRILL, who are less endangered. NOT LOUISIANA, PARIS, FRANCE, NEW YORK OR ROME — From Gary, Ind., AP’s Will Weissert profiles Republican JENNIFER-RUTH GREEN in her bid to take down Democratic Rep. FRANK MRVAN. Green, who would help diversify the House GOP ranks, ran as a Trump acolyte in the primary. Now she avoids mentioning her party on campaign materials and talks about protecting Social Security and Medicare. Though the area is fairly blue, Dems worry that an upset could be brewing. BATTLE FOR THE STATES SUN SHINING ON THE GOP — In Miami-Dade County, the Miami Herald’s Bianca Padró Ocasio and Ana Ceballos find “mounting evidence” that Republicans’ ground game could flip the county to Gov. RON DeSANTIS — and position the party for success with Latinos long after November. The GOP is hosting civics clinics for newer immigrants who can’t even vote yet, swamping the radio airwaves, holding meetings large and small, and more. The all-out effort is helping drive the liberal county right, making inroads with swing communities well beyond the GOP’s Cuban base and even swaying Democrats.
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | HOT POLLS — Data for Progress: The pollster has new Senate and gubernatorial surveys in five key states, mostly with good news for Republicans. For Senate, BLAKE MASTERS is tied with Sen. MARK KELLY in Arizona (!), Sen. MARCO RUBIO is up 7 in Florida, Sen. RON JOHNSON is up 5 in Wisconsin, ADAM LAXALT is up 1 in Nevada, and Sen. MAGGIE HASSAN is up 6 in New Hampshire. In the governor’s races, KARI LAKE is up 4 in Arizona, Gov. RON DeSANTIS is up 12 in Florida, TIM MICHELS is up 1 in Wisconsin, STEVE LOMBARDO is up 1 in Nevada, and Gov. CHRIS SUNUNU is up 13 in New Hampshire. — More swing-state surveys: Sen. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-Ga.) leads Walker 49% to 44%, per Monmouth . … The University of North Florida finds even more stunning numbers for a state that famously used to be decided by a point or less: DeSantis leads Rep. CHARLIE CRIST 55% to 41%, and Rubio leads Rep. VAL DEMINGS 54% to 43%. — South Dakota: Despite some rumblings that GOP Gov. KRISTI NOEM could face a tough race, a new Emerson/The Hill survey indicates she’ll do just fine: Noem leads JAMIE SMITH 56% to 37%. HOT ADS
Via Steve Shepard — New York: Facing a tougher-than-expected race, Democratic Gov. KATHY HOCHUL’s latest ad says GOP nominee LEE ZELDIN “defended Donald Trump more than any other Republican in America” following b-roll of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. — Pennsylvania: Looking to head off confusion in the race to replace Democratic Rep. MIKE DOYLE in Pittsburgh, Democrat SUMMER LEE’s latest ad provides an “election alert,” adding that the MIKE DOYLE on the ballot is actually her Republican opponent, who shares the same name as the retiring incumbent. — Arkansas: GOP gubernatorial nominee SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS casts Democrat CHRIS JONES’ race against her as “an ally of the radical left” versus “a leader who will defend our freedom” in her closing-argument ad . — Michigan: Republican TUDOR DIXON calls GRETCHEN WHITMER “the most radical governor in the country” in her latest ad , saying the Democrat “indoctrinates our children” and “supports criminals over law enforcement.”
| | | | A message from Meta:   | | | BEYOND THE BELTWAY POLITICAL VIOLENCE WATCH — “3 men convicted of providing aid to terrorists in Whitmer kidnapping plot,” The Detroit News: “The men face up to 22 years in prison, 20 for the charge of providing material support and an additional two for a felony weapons charge.” ANOTHER BIG VERDICT — “Darrell Brooks found guilty in Waukesha Christmas Parade attacks,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “[T]he six counts of first-degree intentional homicide … carry mandatory life in prison terms.” THE ECONOMY ALARM BELLS — The dreaded inverted yield curve is here, at least by one measure, signaling an impending recession may be growing likelier, NYT’s Joe Rennison reports . JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH THE INVESTIGATIONS — MARK MEADOWS can’t avoid testifying before the Fulton County, Ga., special grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election, a South Carolina judge ruled today. Meadows’ lawyer said he intends to appeal. More from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution MONEY TALKS — After suspending contributions to members of Congress who tried to subvert the election on Jan. 6, 2021, Amazon has now put several of them back in its good graces, Popular Information’s Judd Legum reports . The company donated last month to nine House Republicans who objected to the certification of the results. “It’s been more than 21 months,” Amazon said by way of explanation.
| | | | JOIN WOMEN RULE THURSDAY FOR A TALK WITH DEPARTING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS: A historic wave of retirements is hitting Congress, including several prominent Democratic women such as Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, House Democrats’ former campaign chief. What is driving their departures? Join POLITICO on Oct. 27 for “The Exit Interview,” a virtual event that will feature a conversation with departing members where they'll explain why they decided to leave office and what challenges face their parties ahead. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | CONGRESS IMPEACHMENT DREAMING — The Atlantic’s Barton Gellman has a big new piece predicting the future of American politics if Republicans recapture the House: impeachments of Biden and a slew of other top administration officials. KEVIN McCARTHY world says they’ll try to channel the base’s anger into congressional investigations instead. But it’s clear where the energy of the GOP electorate lies. Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) or other hard-liners will file the articles, and they may be difficult to ignore. “Gradually, and then suddenly, impeachment will become as much a litmus test for Republican House members as the Big Lie. McCarthy—‘my Kevin,’ as Trump styles him—will not hold back that tide. In the end, he will not even try.” THE PANDEMIC WINTER IS COMING — The new pandemic plans the White House rolled out this week arose out of officials’ fears that a winter surge could kill 30,000 to 70,000 people whose deaths would be preventable with vaccines and treatments, WaPo’s Dan Diamond reports . But the “fall playbook” is largely composed of old strategies, and with booster uptake low, experts say many deaths are coming. Still, the U.S. seems to be much better equipped for this winter than the last two. PLAYBOOKERS IN MEMORIAM — “Mike Davis: 1946–2022,” by The Nation’s Jon Wiener: “A brilliant radical reporter with a novelist’s eye and a historian’s memory.” MEDIA MOVE — Greg Overzat is now coordinating booking producer for NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He previously was senior editorial producer for CNN+. TRANSITIONS — Michael Evans has rejoined K&L Gates’ D.C. office as partner. He previously was chief majority counsel and deputy staff director for the Senate Finance Committee. … Deni Kamper is now deputy comms director for Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). She previously was press secretary for the House Oversight Dems.
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