On Tuesday, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio firmly condemned Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s controversial remarks on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” Following his address at the Democratic National Convention, Governor Beshear took to the airwaves to critique Vance’s stance on abortion.

The comments, which centered on the handling of pregnancies resulting from rape, caused quite a stir. Governor Beshear mischaracterized Senator Vance’s views on the show, suggesting that Vance referred to pregnancy from rape as merely an “inconvenience.”

“I mean, think about what some people have had to go through because of these laws. I mean, JD Vance calls pregnancy resulting from rape, inconvenient,” Beshear said to MSNBC. “Inconvenience is traffic. I mean, it is… make HIM go through this!”

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The comment quickly sparked a backlash from the Republican side, with Vance taking to X to voice his outrage. In a direct response, Vance wrote, “What the hell is this? Why is @AndyBeshearKY wishing that a member of my family would get raped?!? What a disgusting person.”

What the hell is this?

Why is @AndyBeshearKY wishing that a member of my family would get raped?!?

What a disgusting person. https://t.co/11Kp1h92MN

— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 20, 2024

The clash highlights the deeper rift in the ongoing national debate over abortion, a subject that remains deeply divisive within the U.S. political landscape. Gov. Beshear alluded to a 2021 remark by then-Senate candidate JD Vance, who suggested that pregnancies resulting from rape or incest shouldn’t be dismissed merely as “inconvenient.”

“My view on this has been very clear and I think the question betrays a certain presumption that is wrong,” Vance said back in 2021. “It’s not whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term, it’s whether a child should be allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that child’s birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to the society. The question really, to me, is about the baby.”

REACTIONS:

Andy Beshear is a piece of sht.

— Gunther Eagleman (@GuntherEagleman) August 20, 2024

Gov. Andy Beshear is a depraved, disgusting, disgraceful man.

He needs to apologize immediately.

His violent rhetoric is dangerous.

Shame on Beshear.

— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) August 20, 2024

Andy Beshear owes Vice President Vance an apology

— Hi, I’m KellyJo (@BiologicalWoma2) August 20, 2024

Democrats support aborting Babies up to Birth ! pic.twitter.com/2QTraJ56PX

— PeriklestheGREAT “Do Unto Others” (@PeriklesGREAT) August 20, 2024

That’s just a typical leftist in 2024. They’re all unhappy with themselves so wishing pain on others is what brings them joy.

It’s absolutely sickening…

— Joshua Walker (@RedsRepair95) August 20, 2024

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Washington insiders are banking on Vice President Kamala Harris selecting Pennsylvania Gov. Joshua Shapiro to be her running mate, a prospect that has women’s rights groups up in arms about his sordid past.

The Daily Beast reported that the National Women’s Defense League on Thursday issued a missive to its members titled “Gov. Shapiro’s Failures Enabled Sexual Harassment” which lays out in damning detail the allegations against the Democratic executive regarding his “handling of past complaints of sexual harassment inside the Pennsylvania Governor’s office.” Advocates are calling on the vice president to lock Shapiro out of the running one year after he quietly agreed to a six-figure settlement with a former aide who alleged she faced sexual harassment inside his office. The deal involved a non-disclosure agreement, a stipulation that other Democrats have said stifles the ability of victims to speak out for fear of legal retribution.

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“Governor Shapiro’s office should have done a better job preventing sexual harassment happening in his own office by former cabinet secretary Mike Vereb, including protecting the survivor who bravely came forward, ensuring that any other potential survivors felt safe in speaking up, and ensuring the harasser didn’t have the opportunity to do further harm after the complaint,” Emma Davidson Tribbs, director of the National Women’s Defense League said. “We deserve leaders who will not brush sexual harassment under the rug, but will put accountability above politics. We need leaders who prioritize effective policies, protocols and a culture that prevents sexual harassment and protects survivors.” She added if Gov. Shapiro “really wants this to be full and transparent,” then he should allow the woman to speak freely about the ordeal.

The governor’s office responded though declined to include details about why his former aide was paid $300,000 for her troubles. “Governor Shapiro and his Administration take every allegation of discrimination and harassment extremely seriously and have robust procedures in place to thoroughly investigate all reports,” his spokesperson Manuel Bonder stated. He directed reporters to focus on the governor’s “long track record of protecting survivors and prosecuting predators” when he was attorney general, including exposing “child sexual abuse and cover-ups within the Catholic Church.”

“Those procedures are implemented in every instance where complaints of discrimination or harassment are made and all allegations are promptly and fully investigated to ensure employees feel comfortable to report misconduct. In order to protect the privacy of every current and former Commonwealth employee involved, the Administration does not comment further on specific personnel matters.”

As a popular swing-state Democrat, Gov. Shapiro fits the mold of a potential running mate in a critical state where former President Donald Trump’s populist policies and pro-fracking stance have cut into Democrats’ traditional blue-collar base of voters. However, the sexual harassment scandal has led other state Democrats to question whether he would be a smart addition to the vice president’s ticket. One Democrat running for state treasurer previously suggested that Harris select someone who “doesn’t sweep sexual harassment under the rug.”

Other landmines around Shapiro require Harris’s consideration. He was previously investigated for accepting several luxurious seats at sporting events, a potential violation of the state’s ban on gifts to elected officials. Meanwhile, progressive anti-Israel activists have leveled antisemitic attacks at the Jewish governor, suggesting his selection would unfairly elevate pro-Israel policies in a potential Harris-Shaprio administration. Others believed to be on Harris’s shortlist include red state Gov. Andy Beshear and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) has been floated as part of the mix, but recently Harris fundraisers asked Wall Street supporters to make quick donations ahead of a potential limit on federal donations to a ticket that includes a sitting state official.

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Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is the overwhelming favorite to be selected as Kamala Harris’ running mate after the Harris campaign confirmed that the likely Democratic presidential nominee will be holding a rally with her running mate on Tuesday.

Shapiro — who has been on the shortlist for the Harris Campaign since Biden dropped out — is currently being given a 74 percent chance of securing the nomination on the odds-tracking site Polymarket. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear finds himself in a distant second with a nine percent chance, while Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is being given a five percent chance.

Both governors saw their respective odds surge after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper took his name out of consideration. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also received vetting paperwork from the Harris campaign, though she also took her name out of consideration last week.

Shapiro is also a massive favorite on the betting site BetOnline. The Pennsylvania governor is currently a four-to-one favorite to secure the nomination, while Beshear finds himself far behind as an eight-to-one underdog.

While Shapiro has long been viewed as a favorite for the job, his odds exploded on Tuesday after a report from Politico indicated that Harris will be selecting her running mate as early as Monday. She will then be holding a rally with her running mate in Philadelphia, which is located in Shapiro’s home state.

The two candidates will then visit seven swing states in four days.

If Shapiro is indeed the candidate, the Harris Campaign will be hoping he can provide a boost in a crucial swing state. Shapiro has enjoyed high favorability ratings throughout his first term as Pennsylvania governor and is seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party.

As Shapiro’s stock rises, he is facing significant pushback from the progressive wing of the party. One letter signed by nearly 50 progressive leaders pointed to Shapiro’s “shortcomings as a national candidate,” and urged the vice president to consider Beshear or Walz instead.

“With the compressed timeline ahead of us to defeat the Trump-Vance-MAGA threat, we simply cannot afford any setbacks,” the letter said.

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Kamala Harris’s veepstakes are coming down to a final shortlist of contenders, according to several Wall Street observers who say they are banking on several prominent names under consideration.

Axios first reported that left-leaning financial titans are being asked by the vice president’s campaign to contribute immediately, citing a financial rule that bars contributions to tickets featuring a sitting governor. That ask is fueling speculation that Harris is closing in on one or two Democrats who could be her running mate. In that scenario, U.S. senators like Mark Kelly (D-AZ) would be out of the race while a handful of others remain, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Another governor, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, said earlier this week that he does not want to be considered for the No. 2 spot.

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With eliminations coming by the day, Wall Street’s Democrats believe they may have until Sunday to send in a final check before an announcement is made. Harris is expected to announce her running mate by Tuesday, when she will hold her first rally with her pick in Philadelphia, according to a report from Politico. The two candidates then plan to hold rallies in seven swing states over a span of four days. In addition to Philadelphia, Harris and her running mate will head to western Wisconsin, Detroit, Raleigh, Savannah, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.

Some insiders view Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro as the leading veep candidate, given that the announcement will be made in Philadelphia. In addition, Harris aides may be impressed by his ability to win the swing state in 2022 by about 15% compared to the 1.2% margin of victory President Joe Biden received in 2020. On Tuesday Harris indicated she has no plans to institute a federal ban on fracking, the controversial energy production method that has made Pennsylvania a natural gas powerhouse. The move, reported by Politico, is another sign that Gov. Shapiro, a fracking proponent, has the vice president’s ear on matters of importance to his home state.

Recent polls have put Harris in a dead heat with former President Donald Trump, and on Wednesday a set of dueling polls gave each candidate a narrow lead in Pennsylvania. The all-important Rust Belt state may decide the election, given that Harris’s reelection strategy largely relies on abandoning Democrats’ “Blue Wall” of midwestern states in favor of southern strongholds where Black and Hispanic voters make up larger shares of the electorates. President Trump, who enjoys historic levels of support among minority voters, now must fight to defend his gains against the country’s first Black female presidential nominee.

The selection of a vice president may either buttress the Harris campaign or saddle it with baggage. President Trump has seen his share of both since the selection of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) earlier this month. Vance, who has propelled himself to the national spotlight on the strength of his hardscrabble upbringing, brings serious policy chops to the ticket and is expected to perform well in a debate. Democrats were quick to highlight contentious comments he previously made about “childless cat ladies” running the Democratic Party, forcing the GOP’s No. 2 to walk back his remarks in subsequent interviews.

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Vice President Kamala Harris is already looking at a list of potential running mate’s of her own if she does indeed secure the Democratic Party nomination for president at the party’s convention next month.

CNN’s Jamie Gangel reported that President Biden’s decision to step aside came as a surprise to Harris. The president had been adamant both publicly, and reportedly privately that he intended to stay in the race as late as Friday night. The president reportedly “changed his mind” on Saturday, however.

“And the first thing I’m told that they’re looking at is logistics. They have a campaign to put together. She has to see, as Phil was talking about earlier, whether anyone’s going to challenge her,” Gangel reported.

“The other thing is simply, you know, how does she get her name on the ballot? Yes, she is part of this infrastructure with the campaign and the convention, but this is a whole new game.”

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Gangel, citing multiple sources close to the vice president, further reported that Harris is reviewing a list of potential running mates in order to consolidate support around her candidacy and generate excitement. One name on the list is Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), “who I am told she likes a-lot,” Gangel said. Kelly, as well as his wife, former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, have already endorsed Harris’ candidacy.

Other candidates include Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “There are clearly others, but those four names are the names I keep hearing about,” the CNN reporter added.

Harris has received a number of endorsements in the hours following President Biden’s unprecedented decision, which comes just five months before the general election and after he was already selected by Democratic primary voters. Bill and Hillary Clinton, Alex Soros and President Biden himself are among key names who have endorsed Harris as of Sunday afternoon.

Other key Democrat leaders opted not to endorse Harris in statements praising President Biden, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

Former President Barack Obama also failed to mention Vice President Harris in a lengthy statement. “We will be navigating uncharted waters in the days ahead. But I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,” the former president wrote. “I believe that Joe Biden’s vision of a generous, prosperous, and united America that provides opportunity for everyone will be on full display at the Democratic Convention in August. And I expect that every single one of us are prepared to carry that message of hope and progress forward into November and beyond.”

Democrats will likely have no choice but to stick with Harris if they want to be able to access the Biden-Harris campaign war chest. As of 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, the Biden presidential committee had changed its name to “Harris for President.”

Biden Campaign leaders have also been working to reassure staff that they will still be employed with the goal of electing Harris.

President Biden has yet to make a public statement on his decision, though he has stated that he will be addressing the nation later this week.

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