Inside the Beltway: Reagan ‘alumni’ unite for Trump

NEWS AND OPINION:

An interesting Gipper moment: Donald Trump himself has announced the support of the 240-member “Reagan Alumni Advisory Council for Trump-Pence.” All the members are former advisers to Ronald Reagan or worked in a senior capacity within his administration. They now see a historic parallel emerging eight days from the election itself.

“Many of us remember 1980, a time when, as today, America suffered from high unemployment and even higher interest rates, a military that needed to be strengthened and rebuilt and diminished stature in the world of nations,” notes co-chair Ed Meese, who became U.S. attorney general and White House counselor under the 40th president.

“Ronald Reagan turned that around with resolute policies, such as the most significant tax cut in American history, which stimulated the national economy and created 20 million jobs and a visionary foreign policy of peace through strength, whereby he rebuilt our military and won the Cold War without firing a shot,” Mr. Meese continues. “We need a Trump-Pence administration to change the direction of our country. We all know that Hillary Clinton will continue President Obama’s failed policies, growing the size, scope and cost of the federal government and endangering our national security.”

The group itself — which includes Haley Barbour, Gary Bauer, Bill Bennett, Frank Keating, Tom Tancredo and Faith Ryan Whittlesey, among many others — knows the stakes.

“We are disappointed that the media only wishes to cover personalities in this presidential campaign. Instead, we all need to focus on the policies that will be guiding our country going forward. Donald Trump and Mike Pence support policies that are needed to restore America’s greatness, while Clinton-Kaine’s policies will accelerate America’s decline,” the organization notes.

NATIVE AMERICANS FOR TRUMP

One more organization has announced support for Donald Trump. The new Native American Coalition hails from tribal organizations in 15 states; the membership includes both grass-roots leaders and elected officials.

“The daily flood of new federal regulations keep Indian Country from becoming self-sufficient. Local tribal decisions, not federal bureaucrats, are the best way to improve our communities. As both an enrolled member of Cherokee Nation and a member of Congress, I will stand with Donald Trump in supporting tribal sovereignty and reining in federal overregulation,” notes U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, chairman of the group.

“Hillary Clinton favors union bosses over tribal authority in labor matters. Instead, native communities should be treated like state governments when it comes to labor,” says Eddie Tullis, former chairman of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Altmore, Alabama.

THE CANDIDATE’S HALLOWEEN

The presidential hopefuls campaign on. Hillary Clinton will spend her Halloween at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, followed by a voter rally in Cincinnati. Donald Trump — who was in Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico on Sunday — will stage a jumbo rally at high noon in Grand Rapids, Michigan; followed by a second in Warren, 140 miles to the east. Mr. Trump will host a third in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in early evening.

ZOGBY’S NUMBERS OF NOTE

“Despite controversial comments like Donald Trump’s call last year for ’a total and complete shutdown’ of Muslims entering the United States, 12 percent of Arab-American Muslims said they’d vote for the GOP nominee,” reports veteran pollster John Zogby. However, 67 percent favor Hillary Clinton.

“Trump’s support was higher among Arab-American Catholics (20 percent for him, 63 percent for Mrs. Clinton) and Protestants and other Christians (48 percent for him, 42 percent for Mrs. Clinton),” according to Mr. Zogby’s survey of 502 Arab Americans released last week.

AND IN SUMMATION

“This has to be a substantial development. I just don’t see Director Comey opening this case back up 11 days before the election unless it is quite serious,” Rep. Devin Nunes, California Republican and chairman of the House intelligence committee, told “Fox News Sunday” regarding FBI director James B. Comey’s decision to re-examine Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email system.

Mr. Nunes previously recommended that Mrs. Clinton not be provided with intelligence updates, and noted that Mr. Comey “is right to reopen the investigation and pursue all leads until we know the full extent of Clinton’s misconduct and the full extent of the harm she did to our national security.”

HALLOWEEN STATS OF THE DAY

Seven out of 10 parents confess to filching candy “from their children’s Halloween haul,” according to the National Confectioners Association, which also reports that about a quarter of the guilty moms and dads wait until their child is sleeping soundly to make away with their prize.

And regarding “the candy corn clash,” the trade organization notes that 52 percent of Americans say it’s just not Halloween without candy corn; 48 percent say they’d just as soon skip the little sweet, which has been around since 1898.

In additional, Delta Dental, a nationwide dental plan group, reports that about a quarter of Americans will hand out something other than candy Monday night. The breakdown: 14 percent offer toys, stickers, pencils and erasers; 9 percent give out money.

And a timely hint from HGTV, which provides the makings for an Almond Joy Martini: 1 ounce of Three Olives chocolate vodka, one ounce of Frangelico and one ounce of coconut rum. Combine with ice in a cocktail shaker and blend well, then serve in a chilled martini glass.

POLL DU JOUR

• 65 percent of Americans say illegal drugs are an “extremely” or “very serious” problem in the U.S.; 81 percent of Republicans, 58 percent of independents and 57 percent of Democrats agree.

• 77 percent of those over 65, 76 percent of regular churchgoers, 70 percent of women, 69 percent of whites, 59 percent of men and 57 percent of “nonwhites” also agree.

• 62 percent of urban residents, 59 percent of college graduates, 59 percent of suburban residents, 59 percent of those who seldom or never attend church and 54 percent of rural residents also agree.

Source: A Gallup poll of 1,017 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 5-9 and released Friday.

• Nervous chatter, weary sighs to jharper@washingtontimes.com