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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks at a rally, Tuesday, June 6, 2017 in New York. Cuomo and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., are hoping to increase the number of congressional seats held by the Democratic Party. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) ORG XMIT: NYMA302(Photo: Mary Altaffer, AP)

WASHINGTON Democrats launched a coordinated campaign to unseat House Republicans from New York on Tuesday, hoping the Empire State will play a major role in helping them win back control of the House.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and members of the state congressional delegation kicked off the New York Fights Back campaign at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City to target six Republican seats. Democrats need a net gain of 24seats to win back the House majority.

We say to these Congress people, we promise you, if you violate your office, you defraud the voters, you hurt the people of this state, we will remove you from office, Cuomo said.

Cuomo specifically named Reps. John Faso of Kinderhook and Chris Collins of Clarence and their colleagues, saying he is charging them with violating their oath of office to represent New Yorkers interests.

These are not moderate responsible officials, he said. These are political pawns to the ultra-conservative puppet masters in Washington.

Pelosi said New York will be on the front lines of Democrats fight to restore sanity to Washington.

The Empire State is one of our most important battlegrounds for Democrats to take back the House of Representatives for the American people, she said. There are 8 Republican seats we can and must win in November 2018. Defeating them in 2018 means laying the foundation for victory right now.

Elected officials were joined at the rally by more than 2,000 activists and labor union allies along with actors Steve Buscemi and John Leguizamo, according to organizers.

State Democrats are targeting the six Republicans who they see as most vulnerable and who voted for the American Health Care Act, the GOP plan to replace Obamacare. An independent estimate says the plan would put 23 million at risk of losing their health care. That includes about 3 million New Yorkers, Cuomo said.

They plan to invest heavily in field organizing, digital media andvoter registrationin races against Faso, Collins and Republican Reps. Lee Zeldin of Shirley, Elise Stefanik of Willsboro, Claudia Tenney of New Hartford andTom Reed of Corning. They launched NYFightBack.org on Tuesday as an information hub and organizing tool to mobilize voters against those six.

GOP Reps. John Katko of Camillus and Dan Donovan of Staten Island voted against the AHCA, but Democrats believe that may not matter in a wave election. A number of Democrats who voted against Obamacare still lost their seats in 2010.

Already, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the partys campaign arm in the House, announced plans to target all of New Yorks House Republicans, except for Rep. Peter King of Seaford.

"It comes as no surprise that Andrew Cuomo is lashing out so hysterically to deflect from his failed record," said Chris Martin, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm for House Republicans. "Under Cuomos liberal tax-and-spend agenda, New York remains one of the unfriendliest states for businesses in the country and Democratic House candidates will be forced to explain that fact to voters.

The NRCCplans to devote resources to the re-election campaigns for Faso, Katko and Tenney. They are three of just20 Republicans currently named to the NRCCs nationwidePatriot program for vulnerable incumbents, which provides support for campaign organizing and fundraising.

Democrats are particularly interested in New York because it has a high number of Republican House members in what is traditionally a Democratic state (for presidential elections), said Nathan L. Gonzales, editor of Inside Elections, a non-partisan political newsletter.

Among the state'sRepublican House members, the most vulnerable member is Faso, who was likely aided in 2016 by President Trump beating Democratic expectations in that district, he said.

Trump is now viewed favorably by 33% of Upstate voters while 63% view him unfavorably, according to a May 15-18 poll by Siena College Research Institute. The poll showed only 30% of Upstate voters support the AHCA and 60% oppose it.

Though he lost his home state of New York, Trump fared well in districts upstate. But there's no downside for Democrats saying they're targeting races in June during the off year, he said.

"Democrats are feeling emboldened right now," he said. "They feel like they can compete anywhere and they're trying to get as many credible challengers in place now in case each seat develops into a real opportunity next year."

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Democrats launch campaign to oust NY Republicans - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

BOONE, Iowa One honeymoon is not yet over.

Another is just beginning.

These are heady times for Republicans in Iowa, with their party in complete lawmaking control at both the federal and state levels.

Their GOP's new president, Donald Trump, has delivered a conservative justice to the U.S. Supreme Court and rescinded some of the regulations implemented under the previous, Democratic administration.

Their newly structured Iowa Statehouse delivered significant changes to state laws regarding abortion and public employee collective bargaining. And their new governor, Kim Reynolds, has taken the reins from her predecessor and gets a running start at next years election.

Thousands of Iowa Republicans gathered at big-ticket fundraisers on consecutive days this past weekend. Conversations with dozens of the attendees revealed they are optimistic about their new governor and GOP majority in the Iowa Legislature, and they remain ardently supportive of Trump.

The Republican Party is in a very good place, Martin Graber, who lives in Fort Madison and chairs the Lee County Republicans, said at one of the events.

About 1,300 people attended a black-tie-optional celebration of Reynolds recent swearing-in on Friday evening at a hotel ballroom in Des Moines East Village. The next afternoon, under a blazing sun at the Central Iowa Expo near Boone, another thousand-plus showed up at GOP U.S. Sen. Joni Ernsts third annual Roast and Ride fundraiser, which included a visit from Vice President Mike Pence.

At both events, Iowa Republicans stated unwavering support for the party.

Although large crowds flooded the Iowa Capitol at times during this years session to express dissatisfaction with some of those Republican-led changes particularly regarding collective bargaining Republican voters at the weekend events said they remain supportive of the partys agenda.

Trumps young tenure has at times been rocky and his approval rating in national public opinion polls is low, but Iowa Republicans remain in the presidents corner.

If you go back and look at what he promised he was going to do, hes doing that, in my opinion. Hes being obviously hampered just a little bit by some of the establishment in Washington, said Graber, who attended the Roast and Ride wearing a red, white and blue shirt. When its all said and done, I think he will deal with the American people and get done what needs to get done.

The support for Trump and Pence was palpable at the Roast and Ride. Pence, a motorcycle rider, did not participate on the 49-mile ride, the proceeds from which benefited a veterans charity, but he did hop on a Harley to make a short ride and entrance to the event stage.

Trump-Pence T-shirts were everywhere, and interviews with many attendees yielded few cross words for the administration.

Trumps approval rating average to start the week was nearly 15 points under water: His average approval rating in major public opinion polls was 39.7 percent and his disapproval rating 54.4 percent.

But at those events in Iowa over the weekend, Trumps popularity remained as high as Saturdays scorching temperatures.

When I heard (Pence) was coming, thats when I bought my ticket, said Cathy Clark of Grimes, wearing her Trump-Pence T-shirt. I want to see them keep moving forward, if we can, with some of the things that Trump wants to do. I just love it. ... Im really impressed with what theyre doing.

Clark said immigration policy was a key motivator in her 2016 vote for Trump, and she hopes the federal courts clear the way for Trump to implement his executive order restricting travel from several Muslim-majority countries. Trump says the travel ban is needed to prevent terrorists from entering the U.S.; opponents say it equates to a religious ban.

I would like to see the courts decide that its OK to keep those people out of those five countries, Clark said. Im glad that theyre sending people back. Why do we want murderers and rapists here? Why? I dont understand that, why people are so upset about that. I want to keep my grandkids safe and my son and my kids.

Clark said she also would like to see Trump and the Republican Congress tackle tax reform.

My biggest thing is that they take hordes of money out of my check every month, she said. And I would just, I would love to see a 15 percent tax or something that theyre not just gouging some people.

But before the federal government can cut taxes, it must repeal the health care policies implemented under Democratic President Barack Obama, said Rod Ballard of Grimes.

It must have been sweet music to Ballards ears, then, when moments later, Pence spent a good chunk of his address encouraging the GOP Congress to complete a health care reform bill and send it to the president.

The governments got no damn business being in the health insurance business, Ballard said. Were not saying take the safety net away, which is what the left-wing media wants people that are uneducated people to believe.

Trump has not yet been able to deliver on the travel ban, health care reform or the wall along the southern border to curtail illegal immigrants from Mexico, but that is more Congress fault both Democrats and Republicans than Trumps, people at the Roast and Ride said.

Hes running into problems with the Democrats being obstructionists. I guess they dont have the country at heart. I guess they really dont care about us. Thats why we voted the way we did. Thats why Trumps where hes at, to drain the swamp, said Leonard Wallace of Des Moines. He just needs to clean house and drain the swamp.

Wallace said he still supports the agenda Trump laid out on the campaign trail.

Everything on the laundry list that President Trump said, thats why we voted for him, he said. "Theres so much that needs to be done, and he had the list. So lets go for it."

Even Trumps budget, which has been criticized for its dramatic spending reductions, was met with approval at the Roast and Ride.

Wearing his red Make America Great Again hat, Charles Betz, a self-described Libertarian from Tama, said because his biggest concern is the national debt, he approves of Trumps budget proposal. In fact, Betz said he was surprised to see spending increases in any department; military spending received a boost under Trumps proposal.

The budget thing that came out last week was some pretty drastic cuts, Betz said. But my biggest issue the last few years has been our obscene debt, $20 trillion. Somebodys got to do something, and I think its going to have to be something drastic. So Im in support of (Trumps budget) even though some of them are pretty extreme.

Republican state lawmakers did not have the same trouble as their congressional counterparts. This years session of the Iowa Legislature produced significant conservative reforms, some of which were met with public backlash that manifested itself at Capitol protests and intense public forums.

But Republicans at the pair of fundraisers said they approve of the GOP-led changes.

And they were unblinking in their confidence in Reynolds, the new governor who served as former Gov. Terry Branstads lieutenant since 2011.

I think shes going to do a great job, said Dan Shields of Johnston. I really am very confident. No qualms whatsoever about her capabilities.

Trump was scheduled to hold a rally on Thursday in Cedar Rapids, but that event was postponed. Trumps campaign team said the president will return to Iowa at a date to be determined in mid-June.

When he does, if this past weekend is an indicator, Trump can expect a welcoming crowd.

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Giddy ol' party: Iowa Republicans happy with state GOP, still support Trump - Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

As the president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), Im spending a good amount of time working to build strategic, government alliances that extend beyond our traditional Democratic support. If youre wondering why, all you need to do is look at a map of where Americas Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are located.

The fact of the matter is that a majority of TMCFs 47 member-schools are clustered in southern and midwestern states completely controlled by Republicans. By that, I mean states where the governor, both U.S. senators, both chambers of the legislature and most of the U.S. House members are Republican.

The next largest group of our member-schools occupies states that are under at least a majority of GOP control. Only a small number of our member-schools three to be exact are in states and the District of Columbia that are completely controlled by Democrats.

If those statistics dont jump out at you, maybe these facts will. Many of our institutions of higher learning are in desperate need of not just operating dollars, but serious capital infusions to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Earlier this year, for instance, Grambling State University President Rick Gallot announced that his school will need to abandon the campus library an unprecedented decision for a university seeking to expand its national imprint in research and training for its students. Gallots announcement came almost exactly one year after Louisianas state auditor reported nearly $111 million in deferred maintenance at another Louisiana public HBCU campus, Southern University in Baton Rouge.

The people who currently hold the purse strings both nationally and on a state level are, in most cases, Republicans. Yet, some will still suggest that we not even talk to those elected leaders, because of their party affiliation.

When the media released photos of our meeting at the White House with President Trump, some derided it as just a photo-op. Tell that to the administrators who were wondering how theyd possibly fill the gap in funding should their already strained budgets face sudden, drastic cuts.

Were simply not able to pick and choose whom we engage with. We saw firsthand a couple months ago how positive strategic engagement paid off when I worked with our member-school presidents and chancellors to ensure that their federal budget dollars would not be cut in President Trumps first budget proposal.

Working with the White House, through open communication and lots of effort, HBCU leaders and I were able to deliver flat funding for HBCUs in the upcoming fiscal year budget. Flat funding is a big win, considering President Trump proposed a 13.9 percent overall funding decrease in federal education dollars this year.

But thats not the end of it. With so many capital needs, we must ensure Washington doesnt cut the vital capital financing program that provides about $20 million a year to support more than $280 million in capital financing for our schools.

The need to work across the aisle extends beyond just elected officials. In January, TMCF announced a $25.6 million gift from the Charles Koch Foundation and Koch Industries. This generous gift was a direct result of proactive outreach I initiated with Mr. Koch, a man often associated with support of conservative and libertarian causes. What I found by having a dialogue with him is that we share a deep concern about the impact of over-incarceration and lack of educational opportunities that disproportionately impact fragile communities. Together in January, we launched a new, HBCU-based research institution, known as the Center for Advancing Opportunity, that is studying barriers to opportunity in those communities.

In reaching across the aisle, we should never forsake our historic alliances. But for the sake of the young people our HBCUs seek to educate, we must also realize the need to grow new and different alliances.

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. is the president and CEO of Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the largest organization exclusively representing the Black college community. Prior to joining TMCF, he spent many years as a successful corporate executive and attorney. Follow him on Twitter at @JohnnyCTaylorJr.

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HBCU leaders must engage Democrats and Republicans - The Philadelphia Tribune

New York Times

Governor Struggles to Lead as Texas Republicans Splinter Into Factions New York Times By almost any measure, Mr. Abbott, 59, has been a staunchly conservative voice in Texas politics. But now he is struggling to steer the state through one of its most tumultuous political moments in decades, as Republican factions engage in open warfare. and more »

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Governor Struggles to Lead as Texas Republicans Splinter Into Factions - New York Times

There's a belief prevalent among Republicans that no matter how bad President Trump's antics become, flyover country voters won't mind. A new story by the Kansas City Star adds fuel to that fable, reporting conversations with half-a-dozen outside-the-Beltway voters who could care less about Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey.

And while it's true that the president's most diehard supporters will take his word over his critics, that shouldn't offer Republicans much electoral comfort. Anyone who doubts that must explain the last presidential election and the last 25 years of politics.

Not long ago, the Democrat faithful were playing a constant game of whack-a-mole with Hillary Clinton controversies. They didn't care about the private email server, shady Clinton Foundation donors, or the Benghazi attacks. Each was blindly dismissed and they did much to curb the enthusiasm of the overwhelming 84 percent of liberals who backed Clinton.

But it didn't matter. Clinton lost.

Of course keeping the support of a party's base is important, but it's not everything. The last three presidents each enjoyed overwhelming support of their party before losing control of Congress. Consider Obama, whose 80 percent approval rating among Democrats couldn't save him from midterm shellackings in 2010 and 2014.

When Comey testifies in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, Republicans will be tempted to run to the welcoming arms of the base. That's both understandable and delusional. Trump's supporters might dismiss controversy as unfounded, like Clinton's fan did before, but the White House cannot.

Whether or not the Russia hysteria has merit, Trump's presidency is undeniably suffering as a result. Six months in, Republicans don't have a single significant legislative victory to their name. Obamacare repeal and tax reform have taken a back seat as Trump screeches about unfair "witch-hunts."

As that hysteria unfolds, lawmakers are becoming increasingly nervous as the midterm elections approach. There's a legitimate fear that Republicans will have little to run on, except promises. If recent history is a guide, Trump could face the electoral rebukes both his Democrat and Republican predecessors experienced. If Republicans lose Congress, they'll find little comfort in the continued support of Trump's base.

Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.

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Ahead of Comey testimony, Republicans shouldn't take too much stock in the support of Trump's base - Washington Examiner