Mike Bloomberg: “It’s Time to Become the UNITED States of America Again”

In a new national television ad released Sunday, Mike Bloomberg speaks directly to U.S. voters “as an American who is deeply concerned with the direction of our nation” and urges them to vote Democratic in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

In the ad, Bloomberg addresses the recent mass shootings and pipe bombs and says, “Political violence tears at the heart of our democracy. And violence against a religious group, in a house of God, tears at the heart of our humanity. At these moments of great national tragedy, we look to Washington to lead… we expect a plan. We expect to be called to a higher purpose. We expect to work together. I don’t hear that call coming from Washington these days. Do you?

“Sadly, our greatest threats today can be found from within our borders, from a government that is constantly on the verge of shutting down over partisan bickering, that is accumulating record debt, and failing to address our most urgent problems.”

Bloomberg closes the ad stating, “At this moment, we must send a signal to Republicans in Washington that they have failed to lead, failed to find solutions, and failed to bring us together. That’s why I’m voting Democratic. America is the greatest nation on earth and for all our sakes we must start becoming the UNITED States of America once again.”

The ad debuted on CBS’ “60 Minutes” Sunday and will run nationally on CNN, MSNBC and major broadcast television networks through Monday.

Watch the ad here or see Mike’s tweet about the ad here.

Michael Bloomberg to Air $5 Million in Ads Before Midterm Elections to Tout Democrats (Washington Post)

Bloomberg Cash Fuels Democratic Push in Election’s Final Days (Wall Street Journal – subscription)
Michael Bloomberg’s Independence USA super PAC is spending more on television advertising in the campaign’s final week than all of the GOP candidates in the 82 most competitive races combined. The Bloomberg-backed super PAC in recent days bought $423,000 in TV time in Oklahoma’s Fifth District, which includes Oklahoma City and until now hadn’t seen any super PAC advertising, and added $1.6 million to a previous purchase in Florida’s Sixth District on the state’s northeast coast. “In the last week we have seen a noticeable and clear expansion of the map that encompasses races that were not on anyone’s radar screen at the beginning of the month,” said Howard Wolfson, treasurer of the super PAC.

A New Era: Bearing F’s From the N.R.A., Some Democrats Are Campaigning Openly on Guns (New York Times)
So many candidates for Congress, particularly women, are running on this issue — not just making it part of their platform and not just supporting it, but actually running on it,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, the grass-roots arm of Everytown for Gun Safety. Everytown, which is largely funded by Michael Bloomberg, has endorsed 196 candidates this year in 36 states, and more than 40 volunteers for Moms Demand Action are running for office.

Suburban Democrats Campaign on Gun-control Policies as NRA Spending Plummets (Washington Post)

New York Post Editorial Board: A Bloomberg 2020 Run Would Bring Democrats Back to Sanity
Maybe another New York billionaire can expose another party’s establishment and ideologues as out of touch. Besides, Bloomberg has a lot more money than Trump — and will happily spend whatever it takes. And let’s face it: He did a pretty good job of running New York City for 12 years after taking office at a critical point in its history in the days after 9/11.

Sheekey Extra: Click here for The Week Ahead calendar, including the U.S. midterm elections, Federal Reserve interest rate decision and world leaders including President Trump, President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Angela Merkel, and Russian President Vladimir Putin gather in Paris Friday to mark 100 years since the end of World War I.

Headlines from around the world.

Most Read on the Bloomberg:
President Xi’s Swipes at Trump Show China Standing Its Ground in Trade War (Bloomberg)

U.S. Gives Eight Nations Iran Oil Sanctions Waivers as Penalties Ramp Up (Bloomberg)

EU Faces a Risk in 2019 That Has Nothing to Do With Populists – Voter Turnout (Bloomberg)

Ten Thousand Torches Light Up Tower of London in Stunning Memorial to Mark End of World War I (The Guardian)

Climate of Hope.

Climate of Hope: Honolulu Receives Bloomberg Support to Reach Green Goals (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)
Honolulu has been selected as one of 20 cities to participate in the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge and will get a boost toward reaching its sustainability goals. “With Washington asleep at the wheel, cities across the country are driving America forward — and Honolulu is helping lead the way,” said Mike Bloomberg, United Nations special envoy for climate action, in a statement. “Their plan for a carbon-free corridor will steer the state — and our country — toward a greener future.”

Bloomberg visited Honolulu on Saturday to tour the USS Arizona Memorial and other sites and met with Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell to discuss the city’s sustainability initiatives. Caldwell, joined Hawaii, Maui and Kauai county mayors in opposing the Trump administration’s proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan earlier this year, was also recognized for his commitment to climate action.

Best of late night.

Must Watch: Saturday Night Live was back this weekend and captured the mood of many Democrats across the US with their own midterm ad.

Watch it here: SNL: Midterm Ad