Hello readers and welcome back to On Politics. Zach Schermele here, USA TODAY's congressional correspondent. It's Wednesday. Will it be the day Graham Platner finally calls it quits? We'll see.
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Remember: Senate control is at stake (not to mention my dinner plans tonight). Let's dive in.
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In the clearest sign yet of Platner eyeing an exit from the Maine Senate race after a sexual assault allegation, his campaign told me it has contacted the Maine Democratic Party to inquire about the process surrounding a candidate swap. Platner's team wanted to "try and understand what this process would look like," per a campaign statement.
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Pine Tree State Democrats didn't take the outreach kindly, as I reported today. Devon Murphy-Anderson, the executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, posted a video statement last night saying the campaign repeatedly reached out to the organization "in an attempt to put their thumb on the scale" about who might replace him should he withdraw from the race. The statewide party may consider a range of options if Platner drops out , from a caucus to an internal election, a pop-up convention or more informal internal deliberations, according to political experts.
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"We have repeatedly reiterated to Graham Platner's team that they have no role in determining our next Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, nor in determining what this process looks like," Murphy-Anderson said.
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Platner, seen here on June 7 in Portland, Maine, is losing more and more support by the day. It's likely just a matter of time before he officially drops out (he's facing a deadline of this coming Monday). But state Democrats will only have until July 27 to replace him.
Brian Snyder, REUTERS
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The campaign defended Platner, saying while he "wouldn't want to be a part of the process, he would want to make sure the voters and volunteers make this decision – not the political establishment."
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Ceasefire officially vanishes |
President Trump said today after the latest round of tit-for-tat strikes between the U.S. and Iran that he considers the ceasefire between the two nations over. He also threatened to ramp up his bombing campaign, throwing the status of a preliminary accord and the broader peace process into uncertain territory.
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I'll be interested to see how congressional Republicans react to this. Cue another wave of war powers votes.
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Beshear urges transparency from McConnell |
In a letter sent this morning to Mitch McConnell's office, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, requested the longtime Senate leader "fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of (his) health." He said McConnell's constituents in the Bluegrass State have grown "increasingly concerned about the current state of (his) health and wellbeing, and ability to hold office in the United States Senate." It's still unclear whether McConnell will return to the Capitol next week to vote when the Senate is back in session.
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Zachary Schermele is the congressional correspondent for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com.
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Maine Democrats accused Platner of trying to put his "thumb of the scale" of the replacement process as he mulls a campaign exit.
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The woman's brother said the photo was "basically like hounds surrounding her." One expert said the First Amendment protected everyone involved.
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A federal judge ruled a Trump subpoena of poll worker information in Georgia is "unreasonable and must be quashed" in 2020 election conspiracy.
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