Democrat Senators (candidate) Baldwin, Casey, (Slotkin), Tester and Brown, who all voted to impeach Trump twice, now suck up to him in ads before election

 

Some of the most vulnerable Democratic senators in this election are using the closing stretch to boast about their ties to former President Trump.

Why it matters: Even candidates in presidential battlegrounds are now featuring Trump cameos in campaign ads — as Democrats up and down the ballot run to the middle.

• The trend comes as split-ticket voting declines, making it more likely that a Senate candidate's fate will be tied to their state's presidential results. ...
  

What they're saying: "These Senate Democrats all voted to impeach President Trump twice, so it is surprising that they are now running ads praising his work as President," NRSC communications director Mike Berg told Axios in a statement.

More.

One week after the election, Republican hopes for a decisive majority in the US Senate have evaporated tonight

Previously observed narrow leads for Republicans in Arizona and Montana have reversed.

Jon Tester held on to win in Montana by 15,317 votes, and tonight Arizona has been won by Democrat Kyrsten Sinema by 38,197 votes.

The Mississippi run-off at the end of the month is Republicans' last hope of achieving a majority of 53, assuming a recount in Florida doesn't deprive Rick Scott of his victory.

The Hive is already circulating a story tonight about the Republican in Mississippi being a racist, trying to win that race for the Democrats.

Assuming she and Rick Scott both end up losing would mean Republicans would finish with a majority of just 51, hardly the lead-pipe cinch environment to run the board on court appointments.

In many states Democrats are trying to fool the voters by running against their leaders Pelosi and Schumer

But once in office they'll vote as their leaders require, just as Rahm Emanuel's 2006 "Blue Dog" victors did, including for Obamacare. Not one of these people save for Manchin would or did vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh.

Democrats in tough races throw their party under the bus:

In Missouri, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) has a radio ad declaring she’s “not one of those crazy Democrats.” She’s in a razor-tight race against Josh Hawley, the state’s attorney general.

In Montana, Sen. Jon Tester (D), whose race against Republican Matt Rosendale has tightened considerably, told The Hill that Democrats “botched” the debate over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 

He also criticized Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D) use of DNA results to claim Native American heritage, saying it doesn’t “pass the test.” 

In Tennessee and Arizona, former Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D) are telling voters that they will not back Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) for Senate Democratic Leader. Trump won both of those states in 2016, too.

In West Virginia, Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) broke with his party and backed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation.

In Indiana, Sen. Joe Donnelly (D) has a television ad warning of “socialists” who “want to turn health care over to the government “ and of the “radical left” wanting to eliminate U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. ...

In Nevada, where Clinton won a victory, Rep. Jacky Rosen (D) has an ad touting her clash with House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) to reform the Veterans Affairs Department. 

“Jacky stood up to Nancy Pelosi to reform the VA,” a veteran tells viewers.

Rosen is in a tight race against Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.). 

Real Clear Politics is making sure Jon Tester is getting broad, expansive coverage

Senator Jon Tester of Montana looks increasingly well fed in his government job

Democrats Funded Libertarian In MT Senate Race As They Did In AZ For Rep. Giffords

The m/o in AZ in 2010 was Democrats spending money to portray a libertarian as the true conservative in order to bleed-off votes from the Republican candidate and Iraq War veteran Jesse Kelly and thus re-elect the Democrat, Rep. Gabby Giffords, who went on to get shot by a lunatic with libertarian ideas named Jared Loughner. To add insult to injury, liberals nationwide then went on to blame her shooting on Republicans and the Tea Party.

I reported on this in early January 2011, here, showing a mailer for the libertarian paid for by the Arizona Democrat Party.

Now it turns out the same strategy was used in Montana in 2012 to boost the libertarian candidate as the real conservative, funded by liberal money, in order to bleed-off votes from the Republican Rehberg and re-elect the Democrat Senator Tester.

Propublica has the in-depth story, here.

Everyone thinks the Republicans are the stupid party when in two recent elections it's the libertarians who got played for fools and tools. But the Republicans really are the stupid ones for thinking an alliance with libertarians isn't just possible but natural when far more often than not libertarians view themselves as successful when they prevent Republicans from getting elected, as they themselves say here (h/t Chris).

We know whose side they are on. Libertarians are natural liberals, not conservatives.