Texas: Cruz slams McConnell on budget deal. Contending that “19 times in the last ten months,” the GOP-controlled Senate has passed legislation favored by a majority of Senate Democrats and opposed by the Republicans, US Sen. and presidential candidate Ted Cruz called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) “a very effective Democratic leader.” The comments were on the Senate floor last Thursday, reports The Heritage Foundation’s Daily Signal ……. Virginia: New Yorker Dems biggest contributor. Philip Munger, the son of a billionaire partner of Warren Buffet, has given $1 million to the Democratic Party of Virginia this year, the largest contribution the party has received in the past two decades, or perhaps ever, reports the Washington Post. Led by Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), the party is trying to capture a majority in the state Senate on Tuesday ……. Left/right: Polarization affects Ds & Rs, but Rs more. According to a study by DW-Nominate, an organization that analyzes congressional trends, Republicans in Congress have moved more to the right, making them more conservative than at any time “in the modern era.” Democrats, especially during the past few years, have moved further to the left. GOPers, however, have moved further right than the Democrats have moved left …….
