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WINDHAM COUNTY, Conn. In what had been one of the Northeasts liberal strongholds, Donald TrumpDonald TrumpDem rep to introduce measure requiring White House to disclose pardons Lawmakers push to toughen foreign lobbying rules False advertising: How the Democrats attempt to rewrite history MORE beat Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonOvernight Tech: Trump touts new Wisconsin electronics plant | Lawmakers to unveil email privacy bill | Facebook funds group fighting election hacks Lawmakers push to toughen foreign lobbying rules Budowsky: Lets discuss impeachment MORE by 8 percentage points in the November presidential election.

Now, Republicans hope they have established a beachhead that could lead them back to power, or at least relevance, in a region that has proved politically elusive.

Windham County has supported Democratic presidential candidates since 1992, and Connecticut has been solidly blue since Democrats knocked off three House Republican incumbents in 2006 and 2008. Yet, in a region some locals bitterly call the other Connecticut, there are signs that the sluggish recovery has left some voters open to persuasion.

Theres still a lot of frustration about the fact that they really have not felt the benefits of whatever recovery you want to describe out there, and Trump became, you know, the change candidate, said Rep. Joe Courtney (D), who represents eastern Connecticut in Congress.

In parts of Connecticut, those closer to New York, the median income is approaching $80,000 a year. But in Windham County, in Courtneys district, the median income is below $60,000 annually and up just $22 per household between 2010 and 2015, by far the lowest increase in the state.

Were like Appalachia up here, said Tony Falzarano, the mayor of Putnam, population 9,416.

This is the 13th story in The Hills Changing America series, in which we investigate the demographic and economic trends shaping American politics today. And the Northeast shows those trends can force changes even in the most solidly partisan regions in the nation. Electoral College maps show an almost impenetrable sea of blue east of New York, but under the surface, Republicans have begun clawing back once-Democratic territory.

Around the country, the economic recovery has been good for corporate profits, especially in the financial sector, while at the same time leaving manufacturing communities behind.

As jobs dried up, so did the tax base in many communities once dependent on manufacturers and the property taxes they paid. Local governments have felt a simultaneous shock leveled by a persistent state budget gap that has robbed them of funding. Gov. Dannel Malloys (D) office said in May the state faced a $323 million budget gap going into next year, likely meaning more cuts ahead cuts that will harm small rural communities that rely more on state money than their big-city neighbors.

Twenty years ago, every town out here had a social service director, and maybe an employee, said Richard Ives, a Democratic selectman in the small Connecticut town of Brooklyn. Thats all gone away.

Roy Piper, the Republican first selectman of Canterbury, population 5,089, said state funds to spur economic development through tourism have been reduced almost to zero and added that the cuts have also affected the quality of service.

After years of Democratic consolidation throughout the Northeast, voters are starting to punish the party in power for leaving them behind. President Obama won 56 percent of the vote twice in Windham County; in 2016, Trump took 51 percent.

Its sort of the growth area for the Connecticut Republican effort, said Chris Healy, a former state Republican Party chairman.

The story of the nascent Republican comeback in New England begins after the partys nadir in 2008, when Democrats held every one of the regions U.S. House seats, every Senate seat except for Maines two centrist Republicans and every governorship except Rhode Islands.

Today, Republicans control the governorships of Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. They hold one seat in Congress, Rep. Bruce Poliquins (R-Maine), along with control of both legislative chambers in New Hampshire. Connecticuts state Senate is locked in a tie between 18 Democrats and 18 Republicans.

In the greater New England culture, you see that big shift [toward the GOP], said Colin Woodard, a journalist and author based in Maine. And where do you see it? Its all concentrated in several areas that are, like eastern Connecticut, rural and largely homogenously white.

Since 2008, Republicans have gained between 5 and 9 percentage points in Connecticuts eastern counties, said Ronald Schurin, a political scientist at the University of Connecticut. The same pattern has emerged in the rest of New England: Trump outperformed Mitt Romney in about 40 of the 67 counties in Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Clinton won all but one of New Englands electoral votes, though by a far narrower margin than Obama did in 2012. The only county in the region where Clinton outperformed Obama: Suffolk County, Mass., the heart of liberal Boston.

Across the region, Republican gains were most pronounced in smaller rural counties and those dominated by manufacturing jobs. Trump won eight counties in Maine that Obama carried four years earlier. Trump is the first Republican to carry a county in Rhode Island, Kent County, since Ronald Reagans reelection in 1984. In New Hampshires rural north, Coos County swung toward Republicans by a 26-point margin.

Every county that flipped from Obama to Trump relies heavily on manufacturing jobs to keep its economy humming. All but one, Hillsborough in New Hampshire, lost population over the last five years.

Healy said the same trends that propelled Trump to victory in Rust Belt states are present in eastern Connecticut, where communities moved away from a manufacturing base more toward a service-oriented or a technology- or information-based economy.

Courtneys election was a part of the Democratic wave that washed over New England the last time the country underwent a political revolution, during the 2006 and 2008 midterm elections. In 2006, Courtney beat out Rep. Rob Simmons (R) by just 91 votes.

Courtney has won comfortably ever since. But now, Republicans see an opportunity for a comeback.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has its eye on Courtney and on several other New England Democrats, including Reps. Elizabeth Esty (Conn.), Bill Keating (Mass.) and Ann McLane Kuster (N.H.). Also on the committees political hit list is Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (N.H.), whose district gave Obama 50.2 percent of the vote in 2012 before flipping to Trump last year.

However, Connecticut Democrats dont see voters rushing toward Republicans, especially as Trumps approval rating sags.

I think that Donald Trump is such an unusual, different president and I dont say either of those things in a good way that I have the feeling the landscape in 2018 might not be as friendly to the Republicans as they think its going to be, said Roy Occhiogrosso, a longtime Democratic operative in Connecticut.

In the face of a potentially strong GOP campaign in 2018, Courtney indicated hed be ready.

We had a pretty aggressive field operation during the [last] campaign, he said. But I know this district really well, and, you know, its just a mistake to ever take it for granted.

Reid Wilson contributed.

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Why Donald Trump flipped a Dem county in blue Connecticut - The Hill

"It is much easier to act presidential than what we are doing here tonight, believe me," Trump assured his audience. "With the exception of the late, great Abraham Lincoln, I can be more presidential than any president that's ever held this office."

Well then.

Lincoln has frequently been singled out for praise by Trump and used as a point of reference when he is when pondering the impact of his own presidency.

"Jokingly." Ahem.

It's impossible to fact-check Trump's claims to being more "presidential" than anyone but Lincoln since no sort of grading system of the 44 men who have been president includes such a subjective measure.

In those rankings, which are determined by the collective views of a group of historians, Lincoln has been ranked as the best president in history in each of the three years (2000, 2009, 2017) C-SPAN has conducted the survey. George Washington finished second in 2017 and 2009 and third in 2000. Franklin Delano Roosevelt has been third in the last two C-SPAN survey but was second in 2000.

The highest ranking modern president is Barack Obama who comes in 12th in the 2017 survey. Bill Clinton is 15th -- the same spot he held in 2009 but up 6 spots from his initial ranking in 2000.

The lowest ranked modern president is George W. Bush at 33rd in 2017, up from 36th in 2009. The worst-rated president overall is James Buchanan, who served from 1857 to 1861. (Trump wasn't included in the C-SPAN survey since he only assumed the presidency in January 2017.)

While there is no ranking of the presidents by "presidential-ness" in the C-SPAN survey, there are rankings of each man in 10 specific categories considered essential to presidential success (or failure).

In short: If Trump wants to slide into the second spot behind Lincoln, he's got some work to do. Look out George Washington!

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Donald Trump ranked himself 2nd on a list of most 'presidential' presidents - CNN International

He won't break that streak on Tuesday but he will take a few questions -- as part of a joint presser with the prime minister of Lebanon -- this afternoon at the White House.

There's no shortage of news -- between Trump's bullying of Attorney General Jeff Sessions to the drama over whether Senate Republicans can get the votes to start debate on health care, it's a massive week for the President and his party.

Below are six of the most pressing questions worth asking Trump. (Note: This is by no means a comprehensive list.)

1. Are you going to fire Jeff Sessions? Why or why not?

2. See question #1.

3. Can you rule out the possibility of firing special counsel Bob Mueller?

4. Will you campaign against Republicans who don't vote for the Obamacare replacement bill? What about recruit primary challengers against them?

Trump has overtly threatened one on-the-fence Republican already over health care.

5. Do you agree with your intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the 2016 election to aid you and hurt Hillary Clinton? If not, why not?

6. What specific crime do you believe Hillary Clinton committed in regard to her emails in the 2016 election? And why did you say you wouldn't prosecute her right after the election?

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6 questions Donald Trump should get asked at today's news conference - CNN International

John McCain took the Senate floor this afternoon to a standing ovation from senators from both parties, and whoops from Republicans. The applause from the Democratic side of the chamber didnt last longthe Republican senator quickly voted yes to a motion that is the first step towards repealing Obamacare, the health care law McCains party has been trying to destroy for years.

In the midst of being treated for a form of brain cancer that is nearly always fatal, McCain flew from his home state of Arizona to cast his vote, and in doing so helped set in motion a series of events that experts warn could bring the US healthcare system to a complete collapse. McCains vote split the Senate 50-50, which allowed vice president Mike Pence to come in with a tie-breaker in favor of proceeding.

McCain also handed a much-needed victory to president Donald Trump, a man who once mocked McCains years as a prisoner of war. Beleaguered by a steady drip of information from ongoing investigations into the Russian governments meddling in the 2016 election, under fire for a wildly inappropriate speech to the Boy Scouts of America, and facing criticism for his outlandish threats towards his own attorney general, Trump desperately needs to prove to voters and donors that hes an effective leader.

Trumps efforts lobbying Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare have been sporadic, but he was quick to claim a win after the Senate vote.

Minutes after the tally was in, the obviously delighted president held a press conference at the White House, where he declared the vote a big step, and personally thanked McCain.

Because of his personal service to the nation and his calls for decency in politics, McCain has enjoyed a reputation as the anti-Trump Republican. After Tuesdays Senate vote, he delivered a characteristic red-meat speech exhorting senators to stand up to the president, and decrying the unorthodox, bitterly bipartisan process that created the shell of a bill that he just voted to bring to the Senate floor.

Tuesdays vote was just the latest proof that McCains fiery words are just that. McCain has voted in line with the Trump administrations position 90.7% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight. Thats one of the lowest scores of all Senate Republicans, but still pretty rock-solid support for a president who has picked an inexperienced, unorthodox cabinet determined to destroy the agencies they run, and who continues to push the boundaries of ethical and behavioral norms.

The Republican-led Congress is now expected to maneuver through a series of votes that would eventually lead to a skinny repeal of Obamacare, which rolls back specific requirements (like the one that forces employers to offer health insurance to employees), and could snatch health insurance from 15 million Americans.

After the vote, a crowd of families with severely disabled children who had been protesting the bill gathered outside the Capitol building, where they spoke to Democratic senators who were exhorting them not to give up the fight. Today was a gut punch, Brian Schatz, the senior senator from Hawaii, told the crowd. Still, he said, we are going to win the argument. The American people are on our side.

McCain, however, is not.

Lola Fadulu contributed reporting.

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John McCain just made Donald Trump great again - Quartz

Trump ranged from the current health care bill to stories of a bygone time in New York history to his Electoral College victory in 2016. It was a Trumpian tour de force -- one sure to cheer his supporters but leave the rest of the country wondering what, exactly, he is doing and thinking.

I went through the speech and picked out the 29 oddest, cringiest lines -- no easy task given the sheer strangeness of Trump's speech.

Here they are -- in the rough order Trump said them.

1. "Boy, you have a lot of people here. The press will say it's about 200 people. It looks like about 45,000 people. You set a record today. You set a record."

2. "I said, 'Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?' Right?"

Trump, apparently. He spent the VAST majority of this speech jabbing at his political foes and recounting his 2016 successes.

3. "Today, I said we ought to change it from the word 'swamp' to the word 'cesspool' or, perhaps, to the word 'sewer.'"

Remember: "Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?"

4. "Many of my top advisers in the White House were Scouts. Ten members of my Cabinet were Scouts. Can you believe that? Ten."

5. "Some of you here tonight might even have camped out in this yard when Mike was the governor of Indiana, but the scouting was very, very important."

Your guess is as good as mine.

6. "We're doing a lot with energy."

This was part of Trump's introduction of Boy Scout and Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who was in attendance. Apparently, we are "doing a lot" with energy.

7. "He better get them. Oh, he better -- otherwise, I'll say, 'Tom, you're fired.' I'll get somebody."

8. "As the Scout Law says: 'A Scout is trustworthy, loyal' -- we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that."

Is this about Sessions? Republicans in the Senate on health care? Staffers leaking to reporters? All of the above?

9. "I'm waving to people back there so small I can't even see them. Man, this is a lot of people."

This has to be a record, right?

10. "By the way, what do you think the chances are that this incredible, massive crowd, record-setting is going to be shown on television tonight? One percent or zero?"

As Trump was saying this, CNN was showing shots of the crowd. Also, that crowd was "massive" and "record setting."

11. "By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree?"

"Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?"

12. "I'll tell you a story that's very interesting for me when I was young. There was a man named William Levitt -- Levittowns, you have some here, you have some in different states."

This is my favorite part of the entire Trump speech. He regales a crowd of kids -- most of whom are teenagers -- about life in New York in the post-World War II age. Nothing like knowing your audience!

13. "Oh, you're Boy Scouts, but you know life. You know life. So -- look at you."

???????

14. "He so badly wanted it, he got bored with this life of yachts and sailing and all of the things he did in the south of France and other places."

Same.

15. "And in the end he failed, and he failed badly. Lost all of his money."

Aim for the stars, kids!

16. "I saw him at a cocktail party, and it was very sad because the hottest people in New York were at this party."

Again, Trump is speaking to a crowd of teenagers. And recounting his glory days in New York City high society -- decades before they were even born.

17. "You have to know whether or not you continue to have the momentum, and if you don't have it, that's OK. Because you're going to go on and you're going to learn and you're going to do things that are great."

Momentum is the key. Having it is everything. If you don't have it, though, everything is still going to be great.

18. "I have to tell you our economy is doing great."

For the 80th time: Trump is speaking to tens of thousands of teenagers.

19. "Do we remember that date? Was that a beautiful date? What a date."

He's talking about Election Day 2016. Because of course he is.

20. "But do you remember that incredible night with the maps and the Republicans are red and the Democrats are blue, and that map was so red, it was unbelievable, and they didn't know what to say?"

21. "And you know we have a tremendous disadvantage in the Electoral College -- popular vote is much easier."

"Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?"

22. "I went to Maine four times because it's one vote, and we won. But we won -- one vote. I went there because I kept hearing we're at 269."

He's speaking to teenagers gathered for their annual Jamboree in West Virginia. And he's talking about how Maine splits its two electoral votes by congressional district.

23. "But then Wisconsin came in. Many, many years -- Michigan came in."

"Many, many years."

24. "Wisconsin hadn't been won in many, many years by a Republican. But we go to Wisconsin, and we had tremendous crowds. And I'd leave these massive crowds. I'd say, 'Why are we going to lose this state?'"

Not sure if you've heard but Trump won Wisconsin. He was the first Republican presidential candidate to win the state since Ronald Reagan in 1984.

25. "So I have to tell you what we did, in all fairness, is an unbelievable tribute to you and all of the other millions and millions of people that came out and voted for Make America Great Again."

Most of the people who were in the audience weren't 18 in 2016 and, therefore, did not vote to Make America Great Again.

26. "And by the way, under the Trump administration, you'll be saying 'Merry Christmas' again when you go shopping. Believe me. 'Merry Christmas.'"

Trump gave this speech on July 24.

27. "They've been downplaying that little, beautiful phrase. You're going to be saying 'Merry Christmas' again, folks."

First of all, "they." Second of all, Merry damn Christmas.

28. "I promise you that you will live scouting's adventure every single day of your life, and you will win, win, win and help people in doing so."

So much winning. You will be bored by all of the winning.

29. "I've known so many great people."

The best people. Believe me.

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The 29 most cringe-worthy lines from Donald Trump's hyper-political speech to the Boy Scouts - CNN