Democrats try to seize political offensive ahead of midterms

By WILL WEISSERT
Associated Press

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — A boisterous mood marked the Democratic National Committee’s recent summer gathering near Washington. Party officials are feeling emboldened ahead of midterm elections, a turnabout from the effects of high inflation and other political liabilities that have weighed heavily on Democrats much of the last year. President Joe Biden’s sharper tone has been part of the boost, the president warning at the DNC meeting that the GOP’s Trump wing is a threat to core American values. Adding energy to Democratic campaigns is the blowback to the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling. A vice chair of the DNC, Ken Martin of Minnesota, suggests that trumpeting accomplishments and being willing to fight for the party may be key to midterm gains.