Subject: ​Correct The Record Tuesday October 21, 2014 Afternoon Roundup
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 14:14:23 -0400
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

*​**Correct The Record Tuesday October 21, 2014 Afternoon Roundup:*

*Tweets:*

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: “The Ultimate Women’s Power Luncheon”
with @HillaryClinton <https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/> and@NancyPelosi
<https://twitter.com/NancyPelosi/> raised $1.4 million for the @dccc
<https://twitter.com/dccc/> time.com/3525866/nancy-…
<http://t.co/A4ovNDoL7f> [10/21/14, 11:21 a.m. EDT
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/524581178343305216>]

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: .@NancyPelosi
<https://twitter.com/NancyPelosi/>, “If @HillaryClinton
<https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/>, mother and grandmother, decides to
run for president she will win." time.com/3525866/nancy-…
<http://t.co/A4ovNDoL7f> [10/21/14, 11:36 a.m. EDT
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/524584947382628353>]

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: .@NancyPelosi
<https://twitter.com/NancyPelosi/>: HRC "will be one of the best prepared
leaders, one of the top presidents in the Oval Office."
time.com/3525866/nancy- <http://t.co/A4ovNDoL7f> [10/21/14, 11:57 a.m. EDT
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/524590236618088449>]

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: “I’m frequently introduced as the
highest ranking woman in U.S. office; I’d like to give up that title” -
@NancyPelosi <https://twitter.com/NancyPelosi/> time.com/3525866/nancy-…
<http://t.co/A4ovNDoL7f> [10/21/14, 12:17 p.m. EDT
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/524595230427725826>]

*Headlines:*

*Huffington Post: Talk, Read and Sing to Kids to Close the Word Gap
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-steyer/talk-read-and-sing-to-kid_b_6005758.html>*

“With a boost from Hillary Clinton last weekend in San Diego, the American
Academy of Pediatricians launched the next phase of its campaign to help
close the "word gap" between children in high- and low-income families.”

*Bloomberg :Clinton-Pelosi Alliance Recasts Presidential Politics
<http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-10-21/clintonpelosi-alliance-recasts-presidential-politics>*

“The Democratic Party's two most powerful women shared a stage in San
Francisco Monday, and for Republicans, it was a glimpse of how tough 2016
could be.”

*Associated Press, via CBS DC: Pelosi: Hillary Clinton ‘Will Win’ If She
Runs For President
<http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/10/21/pelosi-hillary-clinton-will-win-if-she-runs-for-president/>*

“’If Hillary Clinton, mother and grandmother, decides to run for president
she will win, and like I have said before she will be one of the
best-prepared leaders to preside in the Oval Office,’ Pelosi said in her
introduction to Clinton’s speech. ‘That she happens to be a woman is a
bonus and a wonderful, wonderful thing.’”

*TIME: Super PAC Backed by Nancy Pelosi Concedes Likely Democratic Defeat
In 2014
<http://time.com/3528667/democrats-defeat-nancy-pelosi-house-majority/>*

“The Nancy Pelosi-backed super PAC campaigning for House Democrats has
thrown in the towel on the party’s chances to retake the House majority
this year, telling donors in a email fundraising note that it needs their
help for 2016.”

*MSNBC: Warren Democrats: Wealthier, whiter, and often more male
<http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/warren-democrats-wealthier-whiter-and-often-more-male>*

“The poll, released Sunday, shows that 11% of registered Democrats overall
say they’d vote for Warren if the election were today. That’s just behind
Vice President Joe Biden, at 13% — still miles away from Clinton’s 64% —
and pretty typical of most polls.”

*New York Times: De la Renta and the Clintons: A Bond Beyond the Gowns
<http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2014/10/21/?entry=3005&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0>*

“It was an unlikely friendship: A world-renowned European fashion designer
and the first lady of a Southern state where his clothes were not even
sold. But Oscar de la Renta and Hillary Rodham Clinton became fast friends.”

*Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Bill Clinton to campaign next week for Tom Wolf
in Pittsburgh
<http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/7002769-74/wolf-event-clinton#axzz3GnAiOpSD>*

“Former President Bill Clinton is set to headline a campaign event with
Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf on Monday in Pittsburgh.”

*Bloomberg: Gore to Stand In at Udall Fundraiser
<http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-10-21/gore-to-stand-in-at-udall-fundraiser>*

“It's easy to see why the senator is choosing to stay in his home state
rather than attend an event with heavyweight environmental donors and
activists… Former Vice President Al Gore will pinch hit as the headliner at
a California fund-raiser for politically embattled Democratic Senator Mark
Udall tonight as Udall stays home in Colorado, where he is campaigning
today with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.”

*MSNBC: Bill Clinton returns to Kentucky to campaign for Grimes
<http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/bill-clinton-returns-kentucky-alison-lundergan-grimes>*

“National Democrats may have abandoned Alison Lundergan Grimes in her fight
to unseat Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell next month, but Bill Clinton
isn’t giving up hope: The former president is returning to the state Tuesday to
campaign for Grimes for a third time since she won the Democratic primary.”

*Articles:*

*Huffington Post: Talk, Read and Sing to Kids to Close the Word Gap
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-steyer/talk-read-and-sing-to-kid_b_6005758.html>*

By Jim Steyer

October 21, 2014 11:29 a.m. EDT

With a boost from Hillary Clinton last weekend in San Diego, the American
Academy of Pediatricians launched the next phase of its campaign to help
close the "word gap" between children in high- and low-income families.

The Academy has embraced the work of Too Small to Fail -- a joint
initiative from the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation and Next
Generation, a nonprofit that focuses on the threat of diminished prospects
for children and families -- which is an effort to prepare America's
youngest children for success. Too Small to Fail's campaign, Talking Is
Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing, gives parents tools to help close the word gap.

We know that children's brains develop at a dramatic pace during their
earliest years. In fact, 80 percent of brain development happens by the age
of 3. But research has revealed that, by age 4, children in high-income
families have heard about 30 million more words than children in
lower-income families. Hearing fewer words translates directly to learning
fewer words, and, by age 3, children in higher-income families have double
the vocabulary of those living in lower-income families. This disadvantage
-- called the word gap -- sets the stage for future disparities in
education and even job earnings.

Through our campaign, we are encouraging pediatricians to talk to parents
about talking, reading, and singing more often to their young children.
This increased engagement helps build strong and healthy parent-child
relationships, foster early language skills, and close the word gap.

One would expect the AAP and its members to be deeply involved in support
of early childhood development, but this issue has broad appeal. Earlier
this week in San Francisco, Hillary Clinton addressed Dreamforce, the
annual user and developer conference hosted by Salesforce.com, and some of
the 135,000 attendees helped assemble tote bags full of materials for
distribution to local parents.

Next month we will launch a pilot program in Oakland, California, through
which pediatricians will explain the importance of early brain development
and give parents and caregivers the totes assembled at Dreamforce full of
helpful materials to take home and use. The bags will include baby clothing
and blankets with age-appropriate prompts for talking, reading, and
singing. For example, when a parent is changing an infant's diaper, wording
on the baby's onesie will remind him or her to "talk about hands and feet."
The bag also will include a family resource guide and a CD created by
Sesame Street, a book donated by Scholastic, and information on how to
receive regular text reminders from Text4baby about the importance of
talking, reading, and singing to young children. Also, when parents arrive
at Children's Hospital Oakland, they will see creative and family-friendly
signs in the lobby, waiting room, and exam room reminding them to talk,
read, and sing to their children.

Our children deserve the best chance we can give them to succeed. Research
tells us it's simple: Every word counts. In the coming weeks, we will begin
helping Oakland's parents -- and ultimately others around the country -- to
realize their power to make a difference in their children's lives.

*Bloomberg :Clinton-Pelosi Alliance Recasts Presidential Politics
<http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-10-21/clintonpelosi-alliance-recasts-presidential-politics>*

By Jonathan Allen

October 20, 2014 8:12 p.m. EDT

[Subtitle:] Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi, in a new alliance, are
joining forces to raise money for the midterms and take aim at 2016.

The Democratic Party's two most powerful women shared a stage in San
Francisco Monday, and for Republicans, it was a glimpse of how tough 2016
could be.

Hillary Clinton and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi haven't always been
the closest of political friends, but this was the second time in a month
they'd teamed up to raise money for Democrats. Clinton and Pelosi also have
an eye on the upcoming presidential campaign, when a bigger turnout among
women could boost the party's prospects of winning the White House and
gaining ground in the House. The joint appearance was a show of the party's
consolidation behind Clinton's expected White House bid. "She has lifted
our efforts to a whole new level – and added new luster to our campaign for
the House," Pelosi said of Clinton in an emailed statement.

At the San Francisco luncheon fundraiser with women, Pelosi said "the best
action we can take" to grow the economy "is to unleash the power of women."
Clinton told the group that they "can elect Republicans who keep blocking
paycheck fairness or vote for Democrats who will fight for American
families."

The emerging Democratic gender strategy, which Pelosi dubbed #girlpower in
a recent tweet, provides a striking  contrast to Republican field.

The Clinton-Pelosi alliance was only recently forged; in 2008, Pelosi
tacitly backed Barack Obama over Clinton in the 2008 presidential primary.
Now, the party's two most prominent women are united as Clinton needs
Pelosi's Democrats to act as surrogates, fundraisers and heat shields in
2016, and Pelosi's blessing sends a loud message to fellow liberals in the
ranks of donors and activists to fall in line behind Clinton. Both are
hanging their fates in part on the Democratic Party's ability to continue
exploiting its advantage with women voters two years from now as President
Barack Obama's poor ratings have hampered Democratic candidates in the
current election cycle.

From Pelosi's perspective, a Clinton victory in 2016 would preserve the
legacy of her House, which was instrumental in passing banking reforms and
Obamacare. It also would keep the Democrats on offense on policy issues,
even if it might fall short of providing long enough coattails to return
Pelosi to the speaker's office. Pelosi told Bloomberg News last month that
Democrats have been able to successfully appeal to independents on the
basis of advocating for women, an assertion that is backed up by the gender
gap in recent elections. "In these persuadables, equal pay for equal work
goes through the roof, goes through the roof," Pelosi said of Democrats'
edge over Republicans. "It is something the public believes. They believe
that they’re against equal pay for equal work."

Unintended Benefit

Republicans see an unintended benefit for the pairing — a chance to link
both women to President Barack Obama. "Not even this Hail Mary can help
Democrats beat back the American people's disgust with the
Clinton-Pelosi-Obama policies that are weakening us abroad and endangering
us at home," National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Andrea
Bozek said.

Clinton and Pelosi traveled a long road to find their common ground.

The ill will between them grew so toxic in 2008 that aides conspired to
prevent them from running into each other at party headquarters in
Washington, afraid of an icy encounter. Pelosi, then the House speaker,
remained technically neutral during that primary, strengthening Obama by
denying Clinton the support of the nation's top female elected leader. One
of his tactical victories in that contest was getting high-profile women,
including Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, Arizona Governor Janet
Napolitano and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, to endorse him or, like
Pelosi, stay on the sidelines.

More damaging to Clinton, Pelosi said in an ABC News interview that
party-leading "super-delegates" should vote for the victor among "pledged"
delegates — a position Obama had secured by that time — at the Democratic
convention. Some donors to both women let Pelosi know that they were
displeased with her handling of the situation, issuing an implicit threat
to withhold future funding for Pelosi's House Democrats by noting how much
they had given to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the
past.

Donor Scolding

"As Democrats, we have been heartened by the overwhelming response that our
fellow Democrats have shown for our party’s candidates during this primary
season," the donors wrote in a March 2008 letter. "Each caucus and each
primary has seen a record turnout of voters. But this dynamic primary
season is not at an end. Several states and millions of Democratic voters
have not yet had a chance to cast their votes.  We respect those voters and
believe that they, like the voters in the states that have already
participated, have a right to be heard. None of us should make declarative
statements that diminish the importance of their voices and their votes. We
are writing to say we believe your remarks on ABC News This Week on March
16th did just that."

With Clinton's appearance at her second DCCC fundraiser this month—at
Pelosi's request, in Pelosi's backyard and with Pelosi donors in
attendance— the tension between the two camps appears to have evaporated.
Pelosi began encouraging Clinton to run the month after the 2012 election,
telling NBC's Andrea Mitchell "I hope she goes."

As Tim Miller, the executive director of the Republican super-PAC America
Rising, notes, Clinton stands to gain from pitching in at a time when the
party is scrambling to contain expected Republican gains in the House.
"Clearly, House Democrats are in for a long night in November as they are
moving their money towards seats once thought to be safe," Miller said of
Clinton's appearance at the fundraiser. "So, it's both needed and allows
Secretary Clinton to be a good soldier for a losing cause."

Pelosi's office played down past tension, as a spokesman for the minority
leader said she and Clinton have never had anything but a great
relationship. Though Pelosi's call for super-delegates to follow the will
of Democratic Party voters in 2008 was delivered on national television at
an inopportune time for Clinton, it was a position Pelosi had held on the
process of selecting a nominee for many years. Clinton spokesman Nick
Merrill praised Pelosi as a "strong leader" and "tireless advocate for
Democrats and Democratic values. Clinton, he said, is "thrilled to join
forces with her to help Democrats in the midterms."

DCCC Chairman Steve Israel, the immediate beneficiary of the Pelosi-Clinton
fundraiser and an ally to both women over the years, said the
Clinton-Pelosi tandem is helpful for party. "There are few people in this
world who have done more for the Democratic Party than Nancy Pelosi and
Hillary Clinton," the New York congressman said. "These two
barrier-shattering women are united in their goal of electing a Congress
that will fight for the middle class instead of stacking the deck for
special interests."

*Associated Press, via CBS DC: Pelosi: Hillary Clinton ‘Will Win’ If She
Runs For President
<http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/10/21/pelosi-hillary-clinton-will-win-if-she-runs-for-president/>*

[No author mentioned]

October 21, 2014 7:31 a.m. EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Democratic voters not to
be complacent about the November midterm elections, saying Monday that
working women and their families will lose out on a better future if
Republicans gain control of both houses of Congress.

The former secretary of state made the remarks during a sold-out women’s
luncheon in San Francisco that raised $1.4 million for the Democratic
Congressional Campaign Committee.

The fundraiser was hosted by House Democratic leader and former speaker
Nancy Pelosi, who joked that she was ready to give up her own title as the
highest-ranking woman in U.S. politics to elect a female Democrat as
president “and soon,” a crowd-pleasing reference to the possibility of
Clinton running for president in 2016.

“If Hillary Clinton, mother and grandmother, decides to run for president
she will win, and like I have said before she will be one of the
best-prepared leaders to preside in the Oval Office,” Pelosi said in her
introduction to Clinton’s speech. “That she happens to be a woman is a
bonus and a wonderful, wonderful thing.”

After acknowledging several congressional Democrats in the room who are
running for re-election, Clinton told her overwhelmingly female audience
that only Democrats have fought and would continue fighting to raise the
minimum wage and for paid family leave, affordable child care and other
policies that primarily benefit low-income and middle-class women.

“It is not easy serving and every year it seems to get more challenging,
but these candidates and many more across the country have a plan to
jump-start the middle class and once more make it work for everyone,” she
said. “These elections in two weeks and one day come down to a simple
question: who is on your side?”

Clinton reminded the audience of the state the nation’s economy was in when
President Barack Obama took office and Pelosi presided over the House and
accused the Republican Party of trying to rewrite history by blaming
Democrats for the slow recovery.

“It’s truly regrettable that despite all the great work Nancy did and
President Obama, given what was inherited when the president came into
office that we are having to work so hard to elect and re-elect Democrats.
It’s as though the other side wants to pass an air of amnesia over
America,” she said.

Tickets for the luncheon ranged in price from $500 per person to $32,400
per couple and included a performance by singer-songwriter Carole King, who
led the audience in singing her 1967 song,” (You Make Me Feel Like) A
Natural Woman.”

Clinton was scheduled to appear on Monday night at a $32,400-per-person
fundraiser in Los Angeles benefiting the Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee.

The event is hosted by several prominent players in the entertainment
industry, including Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, who backed
Obama in the 2008 president election, and director Steven Spielberg, who
endorsed Clinton six years ago.

*TIME: Super PAC Backed by Nancy Pelosi Concedes Likely Democratic Defeat
In 2014
<http://time.com/3528667/democrats-defeat-nancy-pelosi-house-majority/>*

By Zeke J Miller

October 21, 2014 12:00 p.m. EDT

[Subtitle:] Weeks before election day, Democrats have turned their sights
to the next election cycle, hoping for better results.

The Nancy Pelosi-backed super PAC campaigning for House Democrats has
thrown in the towel on the party’s chances to retake the House majority
this year, telling donors in a email fundraising note that it needs their
help for 2016.

 “I don’t think I will shock anyone by saying that it is an uphill climb to
win a majority in the House this year,” the email, titled “Long-term
planning,” from House Majority PAC states. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t
lay the groundwork for 2016 now.”

Acknowledging that retaking the majority was always a long shot at best for
House Democrats is one thing, but saying it publicly just two weeks before
polls close is another. Pelosi is barred by law from dictating messages to
the super PAC, though it has a history of following her public comments.
She has appeared at events for the group, which is run by her former aides
and focused on her goal of retaking House control.

At a press conference earlier this month, Pelosi said, “I think we’ll do
okay,” when asked about the upcoming election, before shifting focus to
2016. “You know what, their days are numbered,” she said of Republicans. “I
know that in two years there will be a Democratic Congress and a Democratic
president.”

At an event Monday in San Francisco with Hillary Clinton, Pelosi again
focused on 2016, without predicting the outcome of the current election
cycle. “I am frequently introduced as the highest-ranking woman in
political office in our country,” Pelosi said. “I’d like to give up that
title and elect a Democratic woman for President of the United States. And
soon.”

Last week Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Steve Israel
said the party is up for a “tough and unpredictable” election night, saying
there are 32 races within six points—enough to tip the balance. But in
recent weeks the party has had to refocus on shoring up its incumbents, not
targeting potentially vulnerable Republicans.

The House Majority PPAC email was sent in the name of former DNC Chair and
Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. It says the party must keep fighting this year to
maintain any hope of retaking the majority for the next Democratic
president—a thinly-veiled hint to potential White House hopeful Hillary
Clinton.

“Important legislative actions like raising the minimum wage and
immigration reform are virtually dead,” the email continued. “Instead House
Republicans would prefer to waste their time trying to dismantle Obamacare.
That is exactly the fate our next Democratic president’s agenda will suffer
in 2016 if we don’t regain the majority.”

“If we want to have a chance at 2016, we have to hold the line in the House
now,” the email concludes.

In a follow-up email to donors Tuesday morning, House Majority PAC
Executive Director doubled-down. “Did you see Governor Dean’s message,
friend? He’s right. 2014 isn’t about winning the majority — it’s about
laying the groundwork for electing a Democratic majority in 2016 to get our
next Democratic president’s back.”

*MSNBC: Warren Democrats: Wealthier, whiter, and often more male
<http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/warren-democrats-wealthier-whiter-and-often-more-male>*

By Alex Seitz-Wald

October 20, 2014 7:30 p.m. EDT

Elizabeth Warren may be a populist, but her supporters include the elite.

That’s the takeaway from a new ABC News/Washington Post poll of the
emerging Democratic presidential field, which suggests that supporters of
the Massachusetts senator skew whiter, wealthier, more educated, and more
male.

Warren’s populist message has electrified activists and donors who want her
to take on Hillary Clinton in 2016, even though the senator insists she’s
not interested. So while Warren is unlikely to run, the data nonetheless
offer a useful snapshot of the Democratic Party’s self-described “Warren
Wing,” which has become an important force in progressive politics.

The poll, released Sunday, shows that 11% of registered Democrats overall
say they’d vote for Warren if the election were today. That’s just behind
Vice President Joe Biden, at 13% — still miles away from Clinton’s 64% —
and pretty typical of most polls.

More interesting is the demographic breakdown. Warren outperforms among
liberals, but she also does dramatically better with wealthier Democrats,
those with college degrees, whites, and men.

The results are stark. Among those making more than $50,000 a year, 16% say
they would support Warren if the Democratic primary were held today. Just
6% of those who make less than $50,000 say the same.

On racial lines, 16% of whites say they’d vote for Warren, compared to just
4% of nonwhites. Meanwhile, Warren captures 20% of college graduates, and
just 5% of those who lack a degree. And she gets 14% of men, versus 7% of
women.

Despite concerns that Clinton’s wealth might alienate her from working
class voters, the former secretary of state’s support is actually 4
percentage points stronger among lower-income Democrats. She also does
slightly better among nonwhites, those without college degrees, and
especially women.

Biden’s numbers follow a similar pattern as Clinton’s.

And it’s not just this poll. In fact, the pattern is consistent across
every one of the handful of surveys conducted in the past few months for
which demographic breakdowns where available. A McClatchy-Marist poll from
late September found that while Clinton’s support varied only a percentage
point or two across these key demographic lines, Warren’s fluctuated more
dramatically. That survey showed the senator receiving support from 15% of
college graduates, compared to just 3% of those without degrees. She got
10% of respondents who make more than $50,000 a year, but only 5% who make
less than that amount said the same.

The difference on gender was smaller than in the new poll, though men were
more likely to support Warren than women by 3 percentage points. No
breakdown on race was available.

In July, a CNN poll told a similar story. In that survey, Warren whites
were four times more likely to support Warren than non-whites, 6% to 14%.
She also got double the support from people making more than $50,000 a year
(15%) as those who made less than the threshold (7%). And a larger portion
of people who attended college (13%) supported her than those who did not
(7%). The poll indicated that 12% of men said they would support Warren,
compared to 9% of women.

Again, Clinton’s levels hardly budged depending income or education level,
and neither did Biden’s. Just two percentage points separated her share of
support from higher and lower income respondents, and education level made
no difference in her share at all.

A separate ABC News/Washington Post poll from June again confirmed the
pattern: 10% of those who make more than $50,000 supported Warren, compared
to 5% under the threshold. And 11% of college graduates supported the
senator compared 5% without a degree. And slightly more non-whites than
whites lent their support. In that poll, however, women were more likely to
support to Warren than men.

There are few important caveats to the data, which is coming in more than a
year head of the Iowa Caucuses. Most importantly, all early polls tend to
be skewed by name recognition. Candidates who are not yell known do poorly
while famous ones do better, even if that doesn’t reflect the underlying
level of support they may one day receive. It’s possible, for instance,
that whiter, wealthier, and better educated Democrats are simply more
likely to know who Warren is, since they’re might be more likely to consume
political news. Clinton and Biden, meanwhile, are so universally known that
that new consumption bias wouldn’t matter.

But the numbers do makes some intuitive sense. While Warren’s message is
populist, her issues — banking regulation, campaign finance reform,
structural economic inequality — are extremely complex, abstract subjects.
It’s helpful to have a college degree to understand them. She’s
successfully given these issues an emotional resonance for all voters who
feel they’re not getting a fair shake, but it’s conceivable that educated
people (who also tend to be whiter and wealthier) are just more likely to
get fired up by Glass Steagall.

As for women, it’s possible Clinton sucks up all the enthusiasm.

If the numbers hold, however, it also suggests a potential ceiling on
Warren’s support — an ironic turn for a populist agenda.

*New York Times: De la Renta and the Clintons: A Bond Beyond the Gowns
<http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2014/10/21/?entry=3005&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0>*

By Amy Chozick

October 21, 2014 12:02 p.m. EDT

It was an unlikely friendship: A world-renowned European fashion designer
and the first lady of a Southern state where his clothes were not even
sold. But Oscar de la Renta and Hillary Rodham Clinton became fast friends.

At first, he simply dressed Mrs. Clinton, his clothes molding her from a
frumpy and uncertain dresser into a glamorous first lady in a purple lace
gown at Bill Clinton’s 1993 presidential inauguration. But, Mr. de la
Renta, who died on Monday, quickly became part of the extended Clinton
family, attending weddings and birthdays, and regularly hosting the former
first family at his lavish resort in the Dominican Republic.

Mrs. Clinton turned to the designer for gowns to wear to her husband’s 1997
inauguration, and in 2009, after her bruising loss in the Democratic
presidential primary, it was Mr. de la Renta who made the austere ivory
beaded dress she wore to celebrate the inauguration of her former rival,
Barack Obama.

Their friendship extended beyond clothes. Mr. de la Renta advised Vogue’s
editor, Anna Wintour, to put Mrs. Clinton on the cover of the magazine in
December 1998, sitting on a deep red sofa in a velvet gown designed by (who
else?) Mr. de la Renta. The headline of the Christmas issue read “The
Extraordinary Hillary Clinton,” and the cover did wonders to soften the
first lady’s image after her failed attempt at a health care overhaul.

And, more recently, after Mrs. Clinton left the State Department, it was
Mr. de la Renta who told her she needed a haircut. Bangs, he suggested,
would frame her face nicely. The new haircut attracted much attention at
the January inauguration of Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York.

The Clintons had been vacationing at Mr. de la Renta’s beachfront Punta
Cana estate right before Mr. de Blasio’s inauguration. Punta Cana had for
years become a regular retreat for the Clintons.

“We will never forget the joy, adventure and beauty we shared with Oscar,
his beloved wife, Annette, and their family during our many happy times
together, especially those spent in his beloved Dominican Republic,” Bill,
Hillary and Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky said in a joint statement on
Monday.

*Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Bill Clinton to campaign next week for Tom Wolf
in Pittsburgh
<http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/7002769-74/wolf-event-clinton#axzz3GnAiOpSD>*

By Melissa Daniels

October 21, 2014 10:30 a.m. EDT

Former President Bill Clinton is set to headline a campaign event with
Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Tom Wolf on Monday in Pittsburgh.

The event, scheduled for 11 a.m. at the IBEW union hall on the South Side,
is billed as a grassroots event to urge voters to go to the polls Nov. 4.

Wolf, 65, of York County faces incumbent Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, 65,
of Shaler.

Clinton's attendance is the latest in a series of high-profile Democrats to
visit the Keystone State to rally voters on Wolf's behalf.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to attend a rally for Wolf in
Philadelphia this month. Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama have also headlined events in
Philadelphia.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is the Republican Governor's
Association chairman, appeared with Corbett at an event in southeast
Pennsylvania earlier this month. Christie made a campaign stop with Corbett
in Pittsburgh in the summer.

*Bloomberg: Gore to Stand In at Udall Fundraiser
<http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-10-21/gore-to-stand-in-at-udall-fundraiser>*

By Jonathan Allen

Octtober 21, 2014 11:28 a.m. EDT

[Subtitle:] It's easy to see why the senator is choosing to stay in his
home state rather than attend an event with heavyweight environmental
donors and activists.

Former Vice President Al Gore will pinch hit as the headliner at a
California fund-raiser for politically embattled Democratic Senator Mark
Udall tonight as Udall stays home in Colorado, where he is campaigning
today with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Udall, who is locked in a tight re-election battle against Republican
Representative Cory Gardner, won't be attending the Palo Alto event
"because the race is neck and neck," fund-raiser Tracy Sturman wrote in
e-mail obtained by Bloomberg Politics. "We appreciate that Vice President
Gore will be attending as our special guest and surrogate for Mark."

Gardner, winning men by as much as 20 percentage points in recent polling,
has led Udall by between 2 and 6 percentage points overall in a half-dozen
polls taken this month, according to data kept by the website
RealClearPolitics.com. Udall has consistently been the favorite among
women, though by a much smaller margin than Gardner's edge with men. The
arrival of Clinton and first lady Michelle Obama, who plans to visit Denver
and Fort Collins later this week, speaks to Udall's need for strong turnout
among women in the final two weeks of the election.

Facing defeat, it's easy to see why Udall chose to stay in his home state
rather than attending a Palo Alto fund-raising event hosted by heavyweight
environmental donors and activists such as Guy Saperstein, Graham Chisholm
and Nicole Lederer.

Gore, a champion for many on the host committee, may have been an easy get
for the Udall Campaign: Udall's wife, Maggie Fox, once worked as the
president and CEO of Gore's Climate Reality Project. Fox will "provide an
update on the race" after "working on the campaign in the trenches,"
Sturman wrote.

*MSNBC: Bill Clinton returns to Kentucky to campaign for Grimes
<http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/bill-clinton-returns-kentucky-alison-lundergan-grimes>*

By Michele Richinick

October 21, 2014 11:53 a.m. EDT

National Democrats may have abandoned Alison Lundergan Grimes in her fight
to unseat Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell next month, but Bill Clinton
isn’t giving up hope: The former president is returning to the state Tuesday to
campaign for Grimes for a third time since she won the Democratic primary.

After spending more than $2 million for Grimes in Kentucky, the Democratic
Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) last week chose to leave the candidate
on her own as public surveys showed her trailing her Republican competitor.
The decision signaled that national Democrats don’t think Grimes can defeat
McConnell in next month’s midterm elections.

But the lead in the polls has changed hands several times. McConnell beat
Grimes by eight points in a poll last month, after weeks of results that
showed an essentially deadlocked race. A Grimes internal poll from last
week, however, revealed the Democrat outpacing the incumbent by two points.

Clinton’s efforts to stump for the Democratic hopeful reveal his continued
support. He made his first appearance on her behalf in February, ahead of
the state primary that Grimes later won by 37 percentage points. In August,
Clinton visited the state again to address a crowd of supporters. And just
last week, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined her husband in
Louisville, where she warned voters that they will regret taking a victory
for granted.

Unlike President Barack Obama, whose approval ratings in Kentucky
continuously hover near 30%, the former commander-in-chief remains popular
among residents in the mostly conservative state. Thousands of residents
flocked to hear him speak during his past two appearances in the Bluegrass
State. And both Clintons carried Kentucky in their respective presidential
campaigns.

Clinton also made his 2014 campaign advertisement debut in Grimes’ recently
televised spot. Grimes, who has attempted to portray herself as an
independent, has used her association with the Clintons to distance herself
from Obama as McConnell continues to try to tie her to the president.
Grimes recently came under fire for refusing to share with an editorial
board whether or not she voted for Obama in the last presidential election,
despite serving as a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

Grimes is currently the Kentucky secretary of state and the youngest woman
to fill that role in the country.

The Senate race remains extremely tight, just two weeks ahead of the
Nov. 4 election
in arguably the country’s most closely-watched competition this election
cycle. With control of the Senate in jeopardy, the DSCC recently bought ads
in Georgia and South Dakota, two conservative states where Democrats are
competitive but trailing in most polls.