Subject: RE: Sample release
From: "Paustenbach, Mark" <[email-masked]>
To: "Walker, Eric" <[email-masked]>, "Helmstetter, TJ" <[email-masked]>, CommsApproval_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 May 2016 07:08:30 -0700

Looks good. A few quick comments in yellow.

Mark Paustenbach
National Press Secretary &
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
W: 202.863.8148
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

From: Walker, Eric
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 9:16 AM
To: Helmstetter, TJ; CommsApproval_D
Subject: Re: Sample release

Bumping for approval

On May 9, 2016, at 8:41 PM, Walker, Eric <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:
Minor eds. Plus mark and Luis for signoff

On May 9, 2016, at 8:23 PM, Helmstetter, TJ <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Happystate Democrats Slam Trump-Ryan Tax Plan During Event Held Earlier Today

Earlier today, Happystate Democratic Chairman Ronald McDonald, joined by state Senator Grimace and others, held a press conference to discuss the negative effects that the Trump-Ryan tax plan would have on our state's economy and how it would leave behind harm ordinary hard-working Happystate families residents.

Donald Trump's economic policies have been exposed as reckless and dangerous. has exposed himself as reckless and dangerous on the American economy. His comments over the last few days promise to undermine the role of the United States as a major economic power and potentially threaten the global financial system. But Trump's dangerous ideas are even more reckless worse than the just an extension of than the misguided stances of Paul Ryan and the Republicans in Congress,. Both Ryan and Trump have pushed for tax cuts that overwhelmingly favor those at the top and would force hard-working middle class families to pick up the pieces, while repeatedly threatening  who have pushed tax cuts for those at the topthe rich, cuts for the middle class, and repeatedly threatened the full faith and credit of the to destroy the United States' credit rating. [Best way to describe the consequences? Defer to others.]

"Donald Trump's reckless tax policies and his suggestion that we should play chicken with the country's finances are lifted directly from the same old failed Republican playbook.," said Ronald McDonald, chairman of the Happystate Democratic Party.

"Trump can ignore reality and crown himself the king of debt, but it's clear that his economic ideas, and those of his fellow Republicans are simply bankrupt. The American people and our economy can't afford a disastrous Trump presidency," said state Senator Grimace.

"Donald Trump's plan to give our hard-earned tax money away to the rich to those at the top means there are fewer resources available to make sure our kids can attend quality schools and have safe there's that resources to make sure less money to spend on things we care about like quality schools and safe facilities for our kids parks and playgrounds [not sure if this phraseology is best]," said Birdie, whose children attend elementary school children in XXX and would be harmed by the type of policies the Trump-Ryan education plans plan advocates.

Over 50 anti-Trump demonstrators held signs at the press conference that said "Reject the Trump-Ryan Agrenda." Photos are available here: www.LINK.url<http://www.LINK.url>

The message of the press conference was clear: Donald Trump can't hide from the GOP's obsession with trickle-down economics. Yesterday, Trump tried to dismiss concerns about his reckless tax plan, which would reward those at the top<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKCN0XZ0I3> by slashing the top income tax rate to 25 percent from 39.6 percent, claiming that "the rich" are "probably going to end up paying more.".

In reality, such a move would give<http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/first-read-why-trump-s-flip-flop-taxes-matters-n570431> Trump and those in the "top 0.1% of income earners like himself "an average tax cut of more than $1.3 million (versus $2,700 for those in the middle class)." And just this morning, Trump once again confirmed<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN0Y01J4> that he would, in fact, lower taxes on the wealthiest of Americans. Trump also plans to substantially<https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/tax-reform> reduce the corporate tax rate to 15 percent, going even beyond the reckless plan put forth by Republican Speaker Paul Ryan.

That's not all Trump has in common with Ryan. Paul Ryan also said that Planned Parenthood shouldn't get a "red cent<http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/01/politics/paul-ryan-planned-parenthood/index.html>" in funding. Trump, of course, supported shutting down<http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/donald-trump-government-shutdown-planned-parenthood-120981.html> the government to defund Planned Parenthood.

When it comes to immigration, we all know that Trump would build a wall<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/us/politics/donald-trump-runs-for-president-this-time-for-real-he-says.html> on the Mexican border; Paul Ryan has said that he supports such a wall and has voted for building one "repeatedly<http://www.hughhewitt.com/paul-ryans-way-forward-renewing-american-idea/>." [Should we keep the focus on the economy and hold off on these last two paragraphs?]

###

TJ Helmstetter
Deputy Director of Regional and Specialty Media
Democratic National Committee
202.863.8022 - desk
973.464.9224 - cell
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>