Clinton assists Democrats down the ballot

With Scott Bland, Maggie Severns and Kevin Robillard

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TICKET EXCHANGE — Clinton seeks to boost down-ballot Democrats in Western swing: Hillary Clinton's Wednesday campaign events illustrated the stark difference in unity between the two parties right now, as battleground Democratic congressional candidates took advantage of her trips to Colorado and Nevada to build some momentum of their own. Clinton's rally in Pueblo, Colo. was also a showcase for Gail Schwartz, the Democrat running against GOP Rep. Scott Tipton in a "reach district." Republicans feel that Tipton is in a comfortable position, but Democrats are spending in CO-03 and hoping Donald Trump will dislodge the incumbent congressman. ( More here on Colorado from POLITICO's Eli Stokols.) Schwartz got the opportunity to tout herself in front of a large crowd warming up for Clinton, and Clinton returned the favor at the beginning of her speech: "I also want to recognize someone who's running a great race for Congress, Gail Schwartz!"

— Later Wednesday, Nevada Senate hopeful Catherine Cortez Masto also got the opportunity to address a big Clinton crowd in Las Vegas. "If you haven't heard, I'm Catherine Cortez Masto and I'm running to be your next United States senator!" the Democrat told rally attendees Wednesday night. After reeling off a list of Democratic policy proposals, Cortez Masto continued: "Unless we put Hillary Clinton in the White House and make sure there's a Democratic majority in the Senate, we're not going to get any of this done." Along with Cortez Masto, Democratic House candidates Jacky Rosen and Ruben Kihuen also got shout-outs from Clinton at the beginning of her speech.

— There's nothing abnormal about this for presidential campaigns in October. But only one side is reaping the benefit right now.

DOWN-BALLOT DAMAGE — "Ryan sounds alarm on Trump," by POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt and John Bresnahan: Speaker Paul Ryan told top donors on Wednesday evening that he’s growing concerned about whether House Republicans will be able to weather the political storm this November — and suggested the outcome for his party could be dire. During a conference call, Ryan said he believed that House Republicans had taken a serious hit amid Donald Trump’s freefall following release of the now-infamous 'Access Hollywood' video, according to a person who was on the call. Ryan noted that Republicans lost more than 20 seats in 2008, when John McCain lost to Barack Obama by seven percentage points. By comparison, Ryan pointed out grimly, Trump is trailing by around 10 percent nationally." Full story.

— "Check out Trump tape: How Democrats are using Trump's hot-mic fiasco," by POLITICO's Seung Min Kim and Rachael Bade: "Congressional Democrats are trying to make Donald Trump’s sex-talk tape stick in some of their key races around the country, unleashing a wave of attack ads trying to tie Trump's vulgar comments to their GOP opponents. A new campaign ad set to hit Los Angeles airwaves Thursday links Knight to the Republican presidential nominee’s brag that he can 'grab [women] by the pussy.' (The final word is bleeped in the spot.) … That comes on the heels of another ad in a different Southern California district, depicting veteran GOP Rep. Darrell Issa, a Trump supporter and newly named campaign surrogate, grinning ear-to-ear and shaking the nominee’s hand." Full story.

FIRST IN SCORE — End Citizens United PAC readies $4.7 million ad blitz: End Citizens United PAC is starting a final advertising run ahead of Election Day, spending $4.7 million in five Senate races and a handful of House battlegrounds. The PAC, which backs Democrats who support campaign finance reform, will spend the most supporting Katie McGinty in the tight Pennsylvania Senate race. End Citizens United's independent-expenditure arm is planning to shell out $1.1 million on TV ads, digital ads and mailers in the race, on top of the $1.1 million it has already spent in the state.

— The PAC also plans to spend $900,000 each in the North Carolina and Missouri Senate races over the next four weeks on TV and digital ads — another sign that those races, which were once considered second-tier, are now at the heart of Democrats' Senate battleground hopes. End Citizens United hit the air with a new ad in Missouri on Tuesday, but the PAC has not spent anything yet this cycle in North Carolina. End Citizens United is also spending $400,000 each in the Nevada and New Hampshire Senate races on digital ads and mailers, and $970,000 in House races across the country. Full story.

Days until the 2016 election: 26.

Days until the third presidential debate: 6.

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NEW THIS MORNING — Congressional Leadership Fund debuts new TV ad in FL-18: Congressional Leadership Fund is going up with a new TV ad attacking Democrat Randy Perkins in the race for an open swing seat in Florida. “He leads a company once accused of grossly overcharging a local school district,” the ad’s narrator says. “And this is how Perkins treats a military veteran in a debate.” The ad cuts to a clip of Perkins telling Republican Brian Mast to “be a man and stand behind your own ad.” “Taunting a double-amputee veteran? Questioning his capabilities?” the narrator says. The ad will run on broadcast and cable, with a shorter version running online. The super PAC is adding $500,000 to its ad buy in the district, bringing it to $2.6 million. Watch the ad here.

KANSAS KERFUFFLE — Yoder hammers Sidie over investment firm in KS-03: As Democrats leverage Trump to push into more House districts around the country, their candidates will also come under increasing pressure (and face increasing attacks by opponents who want to render them unelectable to keep them from riding any anti-GOP sentiment). Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder, whom a Democratic poll showed in a close race with Democrat Jay Sidie this week, is running a TV ad accusing Sidie of “breaking Kansas law” by working as an unregister financial adviser. Sidie has maintained he qualified for an exemption because he was advising fewer than 15 people and didn’t offer his services to the public. “I did some consulting for people that were friends and family,” Sidie told KMBC in a recent interview. “I was under no obligation to register with the state.” Yoder’s campaign points to a website, Counterpunch Financial, in which Sidie advertised himself as an “investment advisor.” But Sidie told KMBC that’s not what he was doing. “The website was never used for my personal use,” he said.

HOLDING FIRM — Heck says he isn't re-endorsing Trump: Several Republicans have re-endorsed Donald Trump this week after ditching him — but GOP Rep. Joe Heck isn't one of them. Kellyanne Conway, Trump's campaign manager, created confusion on Wednesday evening when she told PBS' Judy Woodruff that Heck was backing Trump again after disavowing him over the weekend. But asked whether Heck had changed his position, Brian Baluta, a campaign spokesman, responded in one word: "No."

POLL MINER’S DAUGHTER — Nevada Senate Democratic poll: Cortez Masto 44, Heck 41: Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto has a narrow lead over GOP Rep. Joe Heck in the Nevada Senate race, according to a new poll conducted for End Citizens United PAC, a Democratic PAC. Cortez Masto leads Heck 44 percent to 41 percent among likely voters when leaners are included. It's one of just a few polls, all conducted for Democratic groups, that have shown Cortez Masto ahead this year. Full results.

— Wisconsin Marquette poll: Feingold 46, Johnson 44: A new Marquette University Law School poll has GOP Sen. Ron Johnson within striking distance of former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold. Feingold is earning the support of 46 percent of likely voters to Johnson's 44 percent in the latest release of the poll, with Libertarian Phillip Anderson earning 4 percent. Just 5 percent of voters are undecided.In the last Marquette poll, in September, Feingold led Johnson 44 percent to 39 percent, with Anderson at 7 percent. Ten percent were undecided.Both candidates have above-water favorability ratings: Feingold is seen positively by 45 percent of voters and negatively by 40 percent, while Johnson's numbers were at 43 percent positive and 37 percent negative. More details here.

— IA-01 Democratic poll: Blum 45, Vernon 44: Last year, Democrats were more confident they could pick off GOP Rep. Rod Blum — who represents an Iowa district that Barack Obama won by double digits in 2012 — than just about any other House Republican. But a new poll conducted for House Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC, show Blum virtually tied with Democrat Monica Vernon, with Blum at 45 percent to Vernon's 44 percent. The poll does not include presidential results in the district. Here’s the full polling memo.

— MN-02 Democratic poll: Craig 46, Lewis 42: An internal poll conducted for Democrat Angie Craig shows her with a slim lead over Republican Jason Lewis in their open Minnesota battleground seat, pushing back against a GOP internal out Wednesday that showed Lewis with a narrow edge. More here.

PRESIDENTIAL SPEED READ — "RNC TV ad spending for Trump: $0," by POLITICO's Kenneth P. Vogel and Alex Isenstadt: "The Republican National Committee insists that it’s doing everything in its power to elect Donald Trump, but as Trump gets clobbered on the TV airwaves by his well-funded Democratic rival, the RNC has been conspicuously absent. A POLITICO analysis of campaign finance records reveals that the committee has not spent anything on commercials boosting Trump since he emerged as the party’s likely nominee. That’s a stark departure from recent elections. In 2008 and 2012, the RNC spent tens of millions of dollars on so-called independent expenditures — principally TV ads, but also direct mail and phone banks — supporting its nominees or attacking their Democratic rivals." Full story.

— “Trump to intensify attacks on Clinton over husband’s accusers,” by Bloomberg Businessweek’s Joshua Green: Donald Trump is plans to double down on his strategy of showcasing women who claim they were assaulted by Bill Clinton, “which his advisers believe will make his opponent toxic and depress turnout among a key demographic group — young women — Clinton is counting on to win. A senior Trump adviser says the campaign will soon bring forward new accusers: “Women are coming to us who have been groped or sexually abused by Bill Clinton.” Trump is considering featuring these women at campaign rallies to ‘give witness to what Hillary Clinton actually did.’” Full story.

— "Physically attacked by Donald Trump," by PEOPLE's Natasha Stoynoff: "When we took a break for the then very-pregnant Melania to go upstairs and change wardrobe for more photos, Donald wanted to show me around the mansion. There was one “tremendous” room in particular, he said, that I just had to see. We walked into that room alone, and Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around, and within seconds, he was pushing me against the wall, and forcing his tongue down my throat." Full story.

— “Two women say Donald Trump touched them inappropriately,” by The New York Times’ Megan Twohey and Michael Barbaro: More than three decades ago, when she was a traveling businesswoman at a paper company, [Jessica] Leeds said, she sat beside Mr. Trump in the first-class cabin of a flight to New York. They had never met before. About 45 minutes after takeoff, she recalled, Mr. Trump lifted the armrest and began to touch her. According to Ms. Leeds, Mr. Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt. ‘He was like an octopus,” she said. ‘His hands were everywhere.’ She fled to the back of the plane. ‘It was an assault,’ she said.” Full story.

CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Amazing. Here's the map if @Evan_McMullin was cloned 50 times & only his clones voted, but the clone in FL got the wrong chad + IL had fraud." — Words of wisdom from @MileHighBrendan.

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