| | | | | July 17, 2016 by Eric Bradner | | | Obama responds to Baton Rouge cop slayings President Barack Obama condemned violence against law enforcement and called on Americans to "temper our words and open our hearts," in the wake of the slaying of three Louisiana law enforcement officers. "We as a nation have to be loud and clear that nothing justifies violence against law enforcement. Attacks on police are an attack on all of us, and the rule of law that makes society possible," Obama said, speaking from the White House press briefing room. "We need to temper our words and open our hearts -- all of us."
Obama's challenge: "That is why it is so important that everyone: regardless of race or political party or profession, regardless of what organizations you're a part of, everyone right now focus on words and actions that can unite this country rather than divide it further."
Here's what Hillary Clinton said: "Today's devastating assault on police officers in Baton Rouge is an assault on all of us. There is no justification for violence, for hate, for attacks on men and women who put their lives on the line every day in service of our families and communities."
Donald Trump tweeted his take: | | RNC kick-off: Police union asks for 'open carry' suspension The head of Cleveland's largest police union is calling on Ohio Gov. John Kasich to temporarily restrict the state's open carry gun laws during this week's Republican National Convention after Sunday's shooting in Louisiana that killed three officers and wounded at least three others.
Kasich's response: No can do. "Ohio governors do not have the power to arbitrarily suspend federal and state constitutional rights or state laws as suggested," said Kasich press secretary Emmalee Kalmbach.
The big picture: A city on edge. Months of planning and reassurances from top city officials have done little to quiet concerns here over the potential for violent clashes between law enforcement and protest groups descending on the city ahead of this week's RNC. Read much more from CNN's Gregory Krieg, Martin Savidge and John Murgatroyd.
"Never Trump" makes its final stand, after getting thrashed in the RNC's Rules Committee last week. From Politico's Kyle Cheney: "For now, the favored strategy appears to be an attempt to block the convention's 2,472 delegates from adopting a new set of party rules on Monday, rejecting the blueprint passed Thursday by the Convention Rules Committee."
Spotted in Cleveland by CNN's Maeve Reston: | | | Indiana Gov. Mike Pence draws caricatures. He perfected his style in his notebooks during law school, and still does it occasionally. This one -- which Donald Trump's new running mate knocked out in no time as a parting gift when I left the Indiana Statehouse beat in 2013 -- got some buzz on Twitter last night: | | | And here's one posted in response by Brandon Smith of Indiana Public Broadcasting, featuring Pence's take on mustachioed State Attorney General Greg Zoeller -- on a pumpkin. | | CNN poll: Clinton leads Trump by 5 points From CNN's Jennifer Agiesta: As the Republican convention kicks off in Cleveland, the status of the race for the presidency continues to be advantage Hillary Clinton. But one candidate has made gains since last month: Libertarian Gary Johnson, who's up 4 points from mid-June. In a four-way matchup between Clinton, Donald Trump, Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, here's what CNN found:
Clinton -- 42%
Trump -- 37%
Johnson -- 13%
Stein -- 5%
Chop Johnson and Stein out, and it's Clinton 49%, Trump 42%. Two more polls were out today, too. ABC News/Washington Post has Clinton at 47% to Trump's 43%. NBC News/Wall Street Journal has Clinton at 46%, Trump at 41%. | | Trump on '60 Minutes': Declare war on ISIS Donald Trump says he would declare war on ISIS and send "very few" U.S. troops to the Middle East to combat the terrorist organization. The remarks come in an interview with CBS' Lesley Stahl airing Sunday on "60 Minutes" -- his first joint interview with Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Trump's new running mate.
Trump's attack on Hillary Clinton, from an early CBS clip: "Hillary Clinton invented ISIS with her stupid policies. She is responsible for ISIS. She led Barack Obama -- because I don't think he knew anything; I think he relied on her," Trump said. "As Bernie Sanders said, 'Her judgment is so bad.' She's got bad judgment. She's got bad instincts."
What policy differences? RNC Chairman Reince Priebus downplayed Trump and Pence's rifts on a long list of policies, telling Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union": "Trump is looking to be challenged by other people. He's not looking for 'yes' people around him."
Taking rejection hard: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was "livid" over not being picked as VP, Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said in a conversation overheard by The Weekly Standard's John McCormack.
Trump's creativity with the truth: Don't miss The New York Times' David Barstow's story on Trump's history of "truthful hyperbole." | | Avoiding Trump while coming to Cleveland From John King's "Inside Politics" forecast: Some Donald Trump critics are coming to Cleveland -- not to make peace with the candidate but in search of the millions they say they need to help down-ballot Republicans through this unpredictable climate. Sheldon Adelson is going to be here, for example, and getting time with the Nevada casino giant and GOP mega-donor is a priority for Republican and GOP-friendly groups that don't much care for Trump but are trying to defend the party's House and Senate majorities. | | "You're amazing."
-- Mike Pence to Donald Trump, in a hot mic moment as Trump introduced the Indiana governor as his running mate Saturday.
| | | Kerry: ISIS is 'on the run' despite terror attacks Secretary of State John Kerry insisted Sunday that a recent spate of terrorist attacks reflects that ISIS is "on the run" in Iraq and Syria. Kerry downplayed the recent attacks, calling them "the desperate actions of an enemy that sees the noose closing around them" in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."
Tapper interjected: "With all due respect, sir, I'm not sure that it looks that way to the public." Kerry's response was to downplay ISIS-inspired attacks outside Iraq and Syria. "If you're saying that one person standing up one day and killing people is an example of ISIS moving in Iraq and Syria, I think you're dead wrong," he said.
Reality check: Kerry's comments are the opposite of what a senior administration official told CNN's Barbara Starr a few days ago. "It's not a sign of weakness or desperation. They are adapting in a different way," the official said. | | Pence staffs up for VP bid Mike Pence is bringing a cadre of his own long-time aides and consultants onto his vice presidential campaign. Pollster Kellyanne Conway is on board as an adviser and Marc Short, a Pence aide on Capitol Hill who's more recently been a top Koch brothers adviser, is his communications adviser. Nick Ayers, who managed Tim Pawlenty's 2012 campaign, is a senior adviser. Marty Obst, who was running Pence's gubernatorial re-election campaign, is director of operations. Marc Lotter, a spokesman on that campaign, is his press secretary. And Josh Pitcock, Pence's D.C. lobbyist, will run his policy shop.
What's notable: These are all Pence loyalists -- not advisers thrust upon the governor by Trump's campaign or the RNC. More from Tom LoBianco and Jeremy Diamond. | |  | | Want to know where your state's delegation will be sitting at the Republican National Convention? Give a close look to this chart from the Cleveland Plain Dealer. | | | Karen Pence, wife of new Republican vice presidential hopeful Mike Pence, is shelving her towel charm business. The small metal charms -- like wineglass charms -- attached to the end of the towel and were created by Pence after someone stole her towel at a lake house. | | | West Virginia lawmaker Michael Folk says he regrets calling for Hillary Clinton to be "hung on the mall in Washington, D.C." ... Donald Trump is reiterating his calls for "law and order" in the wake of a Baton Rouge police shooting. ... Bob Dole is "disappointed" in Jeb Bush for skipping the Republican convention.
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