3 new polls have Biden on top

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DRIVING THE DAY
HAPPY SUNDAY. A HANDFUL OF NEW BIG POLLS this morning, 37 DAYS out from Election Day:
— WAPO/ABC: JOE BIDEN is leading DONALD TRUMP 53-43 among registered voters, and 54-44 among likely voters. WaPos Dan Balz and Emily Guskin with more
ABCS @rickklein: Clinton won political moderates by 12 points. Biden leads among them by 47 Clinton won independent women by four points. Biden leads among them by 57 points.
— NYT/SIENA: BIDEN leads TRUMP 49-41. NYTs Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns with more
— NBC NEWS/MARIST: MICHIGAN: BIDEN 52, TRUMP 44 WISCONSIN: BIDEN54, TRUMP 44.
BIDEN, as you see above, is above 50 in both states.
— CBS: GEORGIA: TRUMP 47, BIDEN 46 NORTH CAROLINA: BIDEN 48, TRUMP 46.
SUPREME COURT: CONFIRMATION HEARING SCHEDULE: Opening statements on Monday, Oct. 12 Questioning begins on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Senate Judiciary Chairman LINDSEY GRAHAM told MARIA BARTIROMO on SUNDAY MORNING FUTURES on FOX NEWS theyll report out the nomination Oct. 22 — 12 DAYS before Election Day, setting up a floor vote less than two weeks before the election.
— BTW: GRAHAM again said on Fox News he needed money for his campaign.
— BARTIROMO said JOHN DURHAM will not put out his report before Election Day.
HOW BARRETT IS PLAYING Arizona Republic:McSally, Ducey hail Supreme Court pick San Jose Mercury News:Trump taps former aide to Scalia for high court Denver Post:Barrett clerked for Scalia: Conservatives hope nominee will follow in legal icons path Star Tribune:Trump taps Barrett to seal GOP court Columbus Dispatch:Barrett could cap court makeover
NATIONAL FRONTS: WAPO: Barrett nomination to get swift Senate action N.Y. DAILY NEWS: DON: SHES JUST RIGHT NYT(banner): TRUMP PICK FOR COURT OPENS DASH TO VOTE
WHAT SWING STATES ARE READING MIAMI HERALD: The battle for Florida: Latino men back Trump more than women do ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: Why suburban Atlanta women are top election focusDETROIT FREE PRESS: Mich. farmers mostly on Team Trump, say he has their back
STAR TRIBUNE: Biden keeps steady lead in Minnesota DAYTON DAILY NEWS: Road to the White House includes southwest OhioTHE EXPRESS-TIMES(Easton, Pa.): Election bellwether is turning redder: A new shade of purple: GOP narrowing voter gap in Northampton County
LAST NIGHTS RALLY PATRIOT-NEWS(Harrisburg, Pa.): Trump goes on the attack
WHAT SCHUMER IS SAYING BURGESS EVERETT: Schumer to Democrats: Focus on health care to beat Barrett: In a letter to his colleagues late Saturday, the Senate minority leader laid out how Senate Democrats will try to build opposition to Barretts nomination to the Supreme Court. The New Yorker said that if Barrett is confirmed, it spells the end of Obamacare, which is slated to come before the Supreme Court after Election Day.
All the data show that with COVID raging, the number one priority for the American people is health care its affordability, accessibility and quality, Schumer said in the Dear Colleague note to other Democratic senators, obtained by POLITICO. We must focus like a laser on health care because Judge Barretts record is so clear on this issue.
— SNEAK PEEK: Senate Dems ready tactics to muck up Supreme Court confirmation,by Andrew Desiderio
NOAH FELDMAN for BLOOMBERG: Amy Coney Barrett Deserves to Be on the Supreme Court: I disagree with much of her judicial philosophy and expect to disagree with many, maybe even most of her future votes and opinions. Yet despite this disagreement, I know her to be a brilliant and conscientious lawyer who will analyze and decide cases in good faith, applying the jurisprudential principles to which she is committed. Those are the basic criteria for being a good justice. Barrett meets and exceeds them.
I got to know Barrett more than 20 years ago when we clerked at the Supreme Court during the 1998-99 term. Of the thirty-some clerks that year, all of whom had graduated at the top of their law school classes and done prestigious appellate clerkships before coming to work at the court, Barrett stood out. Measured subjectively and unscientifically by pure legal acumen, she was one of the two strongest lawyers. The other was Jenny Martinez, now dean of the Stanford Law School.
In a world where merit counts, Barrett and Martinez would both be recognized as worthy of serving on the Supreme Court. If a Democratic president with the support of a Democratic Senate asked me to recommend a current law professor for the bench, Martinez would be on my short list. But a Republican is president, and the Senate is Republican. Elections have consequences, and so do justices decisions about when or whether to retire. Trump is almost certainly going to get his pick confirmed.
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THE DATA REPUBLICANS ARE LOOKING AT: N2 AMERICA is a group thats been surveying suburban voters across the country weekly — LIESL HICKEY, the former ED of the NRCC, is involved with it, and Public Opinion Strategies is the pollster.
— KEY FINDING about the Supreme Court vacancy: Most suburban voters believe the seat should be filled now. Even some who oppose filling the seat couch their own opinion noting it is within the law for Republicans to fill the seat. While some voters share comments that would seem to echo their partisan leanings, most suburban voters believe the open Supreme Court slot should be filled as soon as possible. Full memo
SUNDAY BEST
NANCY PELOSI spoke about the status of her COVID RELIEF TALKS with Treasury Secretary STEVEN MNUCHIN with JAKE TAPPER on CNNS STATE OF THE UNION:TAPPER: What is the status of your negotiations with Mnuchin? And, theoretically, would you be willing now to go below $2.2 trillion in order to get a deal? And if you dont get a deal, will you offer that as legislation?
PELOSI: This — look, I have been willing to come below $3.4 trillion. We have come all the way down. So, I dont know why the press decides that its equivalent for me to come down further, while theyre not going up any further.
So, we are having our conversations. And when I have a conversation with the administration, it is in good faith. I trust Secretary Mnuchin to represent something that can reach a solution. And I believe we can come to an agreement.
However, at some point, the public is going to have to see why 2.2 or now 2.4, perhaps, trillion dollars is necessary, because — because the presidents denial of the virus and just resistance to doing anything to crush it has made matters worse in so many ways for restaurants, for small stages around the country, for, again, more money needed for PPP, more money for the airlines and the rest. So, we may need more money than that. And we will reveal what that is in a short period of time.
TAPPER: And if you dont get a deal, you will offer it as legislation, as a lot of your members… PELOSI: That is definitely a possibility. TAPPER: Definitely a possibility.
PELOSI: But I’m hoping for a deal. Id rather have a deal which puts money in peoples pockets than to have a rhetorical argument. But if they do not want to go to that place, if theyre not going to meet the needs of the American people, if theyre not ready to do what is necessary to crush, to crush the virus, to honor our heroes, our health care workers, our teachers, our transportation, sanitation, first responders, police and fire, if they dont want to recognize that these people are risking their lives to save lives, and now they will lose their jobs, to the tune of millions of people and then go on unemployment insurance, is that smart? I don’t think so.
— HOW TO READ THIS: PELOSI is again stressing that $2.4 trillion is her number, which she has said privately and publicly.
CHUCK TODD asked SEN. ROY BLUNT (R-Mo.) on NBCS MEET THE PRESS if it was his hope the Affordable Care Act will be ruled unconstitutional if BARRETT is confirmed: No, thats not my hope. My hope is that on any case she deals with, she looks at the facts of the case, applies it to the Constitution and the law and then makes a decision — and I dont know how you can predict any of that in advance.
TODD: Do you want to see the Affordable Care Act ruled unconstitutional, and totally thrown out? BLUNT: Well if it is thrown out, it will be months from the time the court hears it. Well have time to think about that argument and to do something about it. I think a lot of the Affordable Care Act is now baked into the system.
LABOR SECRETARY EUGENE SCALIA — whose father was ANTONIN — on BARRETTS views on the Affordable Care Act on FOX NEWS SUNDAY to BRIT HUME, sitting in for CHRIS WALLACE, who is moderating Tuesday nights debate: She made a comment about the Affordable Care Act decision a number of years ago before she was a judge. It was a comment that a number of people made at the time. Its not a question that will be before the court in the case thats coming up and theres absolutely zero reason to believe that judge Barrett is somebody who does not have the views about the importance of health care.
JENTLESON! GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS had SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-Ill.) on ABCS THIS WEEK: STEPHANOPOULOS: But what I — I read a piece by Adam Jentleson, whos a top staffer for Harry Reid, earlier this week. He suggested Democrats could gum up works in the Senate. They could systematically deny unanimous consent to meet. They could have a series of quorum calls. Thats not good enough?
DURBIN: I know Adam. I like Adam and respect him, but hes wrong. We can slow it down perhaps a matter of hours, maybe days at the most, but we cant stop the outcome.
SNEAK PEEK THE PRESIDENTS WEEK AHEAD: Tuesday: TRUMP will travel to Cleveland for the presidential debate Wednesday: THE PRESIDENT will head to Shorewood, Minn., for a fundraising reception, and Duluth, Minn., for a rally. Thursday: THE PRESIDENT will have a roundtable with supporters at Bedminster, and then will speak at the Alfred E. Smith Dinner in the Bronx.
Good Sunday morning. Yom Kippur begins tonight at sundown. An easy and meaningful fast to those observing.
ON TUESDAYS DEBATE THE PRESIDENT last night, when asked if he will be on the attack at the debates: I have no idea. I have no idea how he’s going to be. He’s always different when he comes out because he’s on a different medication, I guess. But he’s always very different when he comes out. So I have no idea what’s coming out.
— TO WIT: NYTS ANNIE KARNI and MAGGIE HABERMAN: By Lowering the Debate Bar for Biden, Has Trump Set a Trap for Himself?
BIDENTRAIN TOUR! BLOOMBERG, by JUSTIN SINK and TYLER PAGER: After the debate, Biden is looking to match some of Trumps frequency of campaign appearances, embarking on a train tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania, marking his first multi-day swing since March, according to a person familiar with the candidates travel plans.
ABOUT A TIED-UP ELECTION TRUMP LAST NIGHT IN MIDDLETOWN, PA.: And I don’t want to end up in the Supreme Court and I don’t want to go back to Congress either, even though we have an advantage if we go back to Congress — does everyone understand that? I think it’s 26 to 22 or something because it’s counted one vote per state, so we actually have an advantage, oh they’re going to be thrilled to hear that.
— ITS 26-24, sir. If no one gets a majority in the Electoral College, each state delegation gets a vote.
ANITA KUMAR: Trump has spent a year building a legal network to fight the election: Dozens of lawyers from three major law firms have been hired. Thousands of volunteer attorneys and poll watchers across the country have been recruited. Republicans are preparing pre-written legal pleadings that can be hurried to the courthouse the day after the election, as wrangling begins over close results and a crush of mail-in ballots. Attorneys from non-battleground states, including California, New York and Illinois, are being dispatched to more competitive areas and trained on local election laws.
A 20-person team of lawyers oversees the strategy, which is mainly focused on the election process in the 17 key states the Trump campaign is targeting, like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
TOM RIDGE in the Philadelphia Inquirer: I was a Republican governor of Pa. Im voting for Joe Biden.
THE BATTLE FOR CONGRESS NYTS CARL HULSE in Loma, Colo.:In Colorado, Fiery Political Novice Aims for a Seat in the House: In the most recent sign of the races increasing competitiveness, national Democrats reserved more than $600,000 in airtime in the contest between Ms. Boebert, who bills herself as the answer to creeping socialism and promises to shake up Washington, and Ms. Mitsch Bush, who is offering herself as a pragmatic legislative veteran eager to get to the nuts and bolts of addressing pressing state issues rather than make national waves.
You cant be going to Congress thinking you are going to be a big celebrity, said Ms. Mitsch Bush, 70, who lives in Steamboat Springs and whose well-funded advertising campaign portrays Ms. Boebert as too extreme for the district. You need to roll up your sleeves. You need to calmly lead.
[Lauren] Boebert seems more like a rebooted version of the Tea Party movement, with her frequent references to constitutional conservatism and her low regard for government programs, with combative Sarah Palin-esque flourishes thrown in.
BOSTON GLOBE: Once considered a strong favorite in Maine, Collins faces toughest challenge, by Brian MacQuarrie and Hanna Krueger in Skowhegan, Maine
THE PRESIDENTS SUNDAY: TRUMP and First Lady MELANIA TRUMP will host a reception in honor of Gold Star Families at 6 p.m.
TRUMP arrived at his golf course shortly after 10 a.m.
— BIDEN will speak about the Supreme Court at 12:15 p.m. in Wilmington, Del.
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PLAYBOOK READS
PHOTO DU JOUR: President Donald Trump walks with Judge Amy Coney Barrett to a news conference to announce his nominee to the Supreme Court in the Rose Garden on Saturday, Sept. 26. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo
NEW SUSAN GLASSER and PETER BAKER: The Private Trump Angst of a Republican Icon:James Baker thinks Trump is nuts, but he voted for him onceand may soon do so again.
ZACH WARMBRODT: No forgiveness: Small businesses still on hook for rescue loans: When the government pledged to give small businesses billions of dollars in rescue loans during the pandemic, it was an offer almost too good to refuse: The loans could be forgiven if employers only maintained payroll.
In little more than four months, the Paycheck Protection Program doled out $525 billion in loans to 5.2 million borrowers, which economists estimate saved millions of jobs. But to date, none of the loans have been forgiven.
Lenders that helped the government deliver the money are warning that the effort is running into new delays and complications that could leave struggling employers on the hook with unanticipated debt.
Banks say the process for converting the government-backed loans into grants has been frustrating because of a lack of communication from the Small Business Administration and the Treasury Department, which have run the effort since Congress created it in March. Banks, which loaned their own money with the expectation that it would be repaid by the government, have been submitting applications for loan forgiveness to the SBA since Aug. 10.
But the lenders say the agency has been silent on whether any of the applications will be accepted. The SBA said Thursday it has received 96,000 forgiveness applications representing fewer than 2 percent of the total loans but has not approved or denied any of them.
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AP/SEOUL: North Korea accuses South of intrusion to find dead official: North Korea accused South Korea of sending ships across the disputed sea boundary to find the body of a South Korean official recently killed by North Korean troops, warning Sunday the intrusion could escalate tensions. South Korea denied the accusation.
We urge the South side to immediately halt the intrusion across the military demarcation line in the West Sea that may lead to escalation of tensions, the official Korean Central News Agency said. It arouses our due vigilance as it may lead to another awful incident.
NYT: Sudan Is Focus of U.S. Efforts to Improve Ties With Israel, by Ronen Bergman and Declan Walsh: American efforts to persuade more Arab countries to normalize relations with Israel before the November election are focused on Sudan, where negotiations have stalled over the amount of a financial incentive promised to Sudan in exchange for recognizing Israel, officials said Saturday.
But the campaigns most important target, Saudi Arabia, they said, was unlikely to recognize Israel this year.
REALITY CHECK? Last week’s U.N. General Assembly had experts wondering whether the feud between China and the United States is coming at the expense of the global influence of each world superpower. Join the conversation and gain expert insight from informed and influential voices in government, business, law, and tech. China Watcher is as much of a platform as it is a newsletter. Subscribe today.
PLAYBOOKERS
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at [email protected].
TRANSITION — Sara Lynn Colley is now comms and operations manager in the CFOs office at DHS. She most recently was deputy White House liaison at the Defense Department.
BIRTHDAYS: CMS Administrator Seema Verma … Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) is 54 (h/t Hilary Rosen) Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.) is 66 Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) is 68 Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America Jeff Birnbaum, president of BGR Public Relations, is 64 Jeffrey M. Lacker is 65 Jenny Burke, TSA press secretary WaPos Tony Romm Juleanna Glover (h/t Niki Christoff) Lucy McCalmont Carl Woog, director of comms at WhatsApp (h/ts Ben Chang) Megan Grant, VP for strategic comms at the Glover Park Group Josh Mandel is 43 Brian Killheffer is 39 Christina DiPasquale LaVerne Alexander Kristin Sosanie POLITICOs Meridith McGraw, Steven Overly, Amanda Pietroski, Nick Tedesco and Molly Fruits Jon McClure … Will Bredderman APs Pablo Gorondi League of Conservation Voters Sara Chieffo Laura Whitefield Marty Franks Alison Weiss Peebles Squire Francisco Urena John Liipfert (h/ts Erik Smith and Tim Burger)
Geoff Burgan, Arizona comms director for the Biden campaign Marcus Sebastian Mason,senior partner at the Madison Group, is 5-0 (h/t Robb Watters) Dan Raviv Brendan Dunn,partner at Akin Gump Allie Owen Christian Hertenstein of Definers Public Affairs Ed Niles Kristin DiNicolantonio, director of stakeholder comms at the American Cleaning Institute (h/t Brian Sansoni) René Carbone Bardorf ABC News Matthew Vann former Rep. Peter Kostmayer (D-Pa.) is 74 Caitlyn Schneeweiss Deloittes Alexa (Wertman) Brown (h/t husband Josh) Bryce Hallowell Cuneyt Dil POLITICO Europes Nick Vinocur Saraid Donnelly Sam Raskin Tim Traylor Earl Plante Scott Moshier Michelle Carrier … Lee Wasserman Abby Curran Horrell Anna Burger … John Loredo (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) Minnesota state Rep. Frank Hornstein is 61 Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades … Susan Lloyd
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