good evening and welcome to "politicsnation." tonight's lead, a virtual success. the luminaries of the democratic party made it all official this week, formally making joe biden and kamala harris their candidates to defeat donald trump. while even this virtual convention could not completely obscure the rifts within the party, the gap between the establishment wing and the progressives of its presumed future, the unifying theme, the rallying cry was the uncommon threat posed by a second term of donald trump's presidency. of course next week's republican national convention in north carolina is already and mittima

a different theme, absence. this week is slated to be dominated by the president's family. more on the trump convention later in the hour. meanwhile we're expecting what could be a pivotal vote on capitol hill, house democrats looking to pass legislation that would give $25 billion to the u.s. postal service as president trump continues his attack on mail in mail-in voting. congresswoman bass, madam chairman, thanks for being with us this evening. let me go right to this vote. the democrats are coming back to the hill and trying to put

through this bill that would fund the post office, as well as try to give more help to the average american citizen that seems to have been abandoned by this president and his party. explain what exactly you and fellow democrats are trying to do. >> sure. the main thing the bill does is provided 25 billion for the postoffipost office, which is what the post office asked for. the other thing is it's to get the postmaster general to correct what he's already done by taking the machines out, by dismantling the sorting machines and removing the boxes. he has to replace all of those. he said he was willing to stop moving forward with dismantling the machines, but we want him to go back and rectify what he's already done. the president a couple of weeks

ago said he would sign a stand-alone bill but you and i know what he says one minute, we don't know if it going to last the next. we'll see. we're doing our part of it. i will tell you, will, we already passed this $25 billion from the post office three months ago. we did the hero's act, expanded unemployment insurance and expanded the payments to renters, all of those provisions in the heroes act, we had the $25 billion for the post office. that's just been sitting over in the senate for the last three months. >> so the heroes act, which would have done all of this, including monies to the post office and including giving additional funds to american citizens that need it, they would not pass that. it's been sitting in the senate. so now you're coming with the stand alone just for the postal services, which president donald trump said he would sign and we're going to see if the nat will pass just a stand alone and

see if he signs it. the importance is to protect the post office where people get medicine, social security and as well as for mail-in voting and even while his hand-picked postmaster general -- he's railing away on how mail-in voting is going to end up being in a fraudulent leelection in november where there is no evidence or data to back that claim up. >> over the years republicans were the ones that really promoted mail-in balloting. they were the ones that had mastered this. but now that we're going to make it available to everyone, now all of a sudden there's a problem with it. this is just the latest version of voter suppression. i have to say that some of the things that have been going on in our country related to this election, this is the kind of

issues that i deal with in the foreign affairs committee in other countries, that we always criticize other countries from doing this. the other thing he said he's going to do yesterday is he's going to send out his goon squad, his police officers, we don't even know who they are, you know, the masked men in uniforms without tags, he's going to send them to polling places. well, the only reason for that is to intimidate voters and especially voters of color. african-americans are intimidated because they will be told if they make a mistake voting, they'll be thrown in jail. immigrants will be intimidated because they don't know whether or not they're i.c.e. agents. we're going to not let this keep us from voting him out of office. >> so on one hand he is saying he's going to send law enforcement, i think he even said sheriffs and other people

like that to the voting sites, which clearly in this era of george floyd intimidates a lot of voters and immigrants who are going to feel that they're going to be profiled, even if they are citizens, to be pulled over by law enforcement and questioned. that's on one hand. on the other hand, he doesn't want mail-in voting. so he clearly just does not want to see americans be able to vote in their senators, congressman and president. >> he doesn't want some americans to vote. you know he's joked and there's an a audio they just uncovered where he joked and said he was happy that the black vote didn't turn out the way it should have in 2016 and he knows us not voting was a correcting factor to him winning so black folks need to be put on notice. did you hear that? he's expecting us to help him win by not voting that should energize all of us.

not just black people, but that should energize all of us. if that's the way he thinks he's going to win, we need to make sure that that does not happen. >> and i usually agree with you. i've known you for years and our poll tebs are similar b-- polite with you, i don't think he was joking. i think he's trying to make sure blacks and others, whites, asians, latinos and others don't get to vote this time. he's not going to depend on them not voting on their own. congresswoman care bash, chair of the congressional black caucus, i didn't even ask you if our candidate in the democratic party for vice president is successful whether you're going to run for that senate seat. i didn't even ask you that. but if you want to interrupt me and announce something, i'm open for it. >> i have nothing to announce.

sorry about that. >> well, i have to try. thank you for being with us this evening. joining me now are two former chairs of their respective parties, democrat ed rendell and republican michael steele. before i get to the week's activities of the democratic national convention chair rendell and chairman of the party, michael steele, governor rendell, what is the significance and importance of financing the post office you just heard chairperson karen bass talk about and the implications for mail-in voting as well as essential needs people have for using the post office. we're talking about social security checks, medicine, prescriptions, all kind of

things are at stake here with this slowdown. >> that's the point, rev. far more than voting, it's the things you talked about and more. those are the things that will be affected by increased funding at the post office. nothing we can do in legislation to force the postal service to bring back the voting machines. that was a disgrace. there's only one reason for not bringing them back, he wants donald trump to win the election and wants mail voting to get screwed up. those are essential for effective and competent mail voting. so the bill itself has significance as to what citizens need for ordinary functioning post office. as far as the election goes, i don't think the bill will help very much unfortunately. >> michael steele, put the

president aside for a minute. don't those down ticket, down ballot republicans running for the senate i think about 20 senators are up, seats are up, those running for congress and all, don't they fear the backlash that voters would have if they can't get their social security checks on time, if they can't get medicine on time? doesn't this hurt republicans that will be down ballot in november? >> that's a good point. my friend and governor rendell, it's good to see you again. thanks, rev, for bringing us together. yes, and i think that that's a huge part of this narrative that's not being talked about in the context of coming into this week's convention. a lot goes into the effort when you have a presidential election

for sure, and it's all about the top of the ticket. but the rnc, state party organizations are also concerned about everything else. and that is from races from governor all the way down to the state legislature, which is incredibly important this year. why? because the redistricting process begins in 2021. ho legislatures that are up for grasp, particularly those that are close at the margin, you've got to pay attention to that. you can talk about -- i remember in 2010, we flipped about 11 state legislatures across the country. that was a big deal. the party that really focused on that before, until 2010, i don't know if they're focused on that now but i do know, reverend, that there is a great deal of concern about whether or not officers for governors and state county executives and other statewide offices are going to be in peril because they carry

that baggage for the president and you've already begun to see some try to distance themselves because of the nature of their districts and the nature of their states. and unfortunately they can't get away with it that easily. we know that all too well from 2006 and how the republican party got stung nationally but more specifically in those local statewide races because of how the country felt about the top of the party. >> governor rendell, the democratic convention this week, many were nervous, many were saying how is this going to work without a live audience, how is this going to be produced well enough to get a message across. i from my days of being like a son to james brown know a lot about production, and i thought they did a very good job in terms of the production. how do you feel they did in terms of their messaging and whether or not the points that needed to be brought home were brought home as one who shared that party and shared it while

we had live -- a live audiences in each of the conventions. i remember the 2004 convention, you and i spoke the same night and we work on the energy of the crowd. without that do you think the point was made? it was certainly well produced. >> it was incredibly well produced and the biden campaign deserves a tremendous amount of credit. but donald trump said it was a dark convention. i don't know what convention he was watching because i felt so optimistic and so energized by the convention. the messages were of hope, the messages were of decency, to restore decency and i thought they did a great job getting the message across. a >> how does mi, michael steele,w does the republicans come back behind this convention?

theirs will also be virtual but certainly where's the diversity going to be? where are those luminaries that are unexpected? you had leading republicans that went on, governor kasich, colin powell, coming on endorsing the democratic candidates. are they going to be leading democrats that come on and talk for donald trump? what are we to expect this week and what do the republicans need to be able to deliver since they're back to back and it will be fresh in people's minds what they just saw? >> you touch on a number of important points, reverend. let's start with just the landscape, the scenery, the back drop of the convention. that's a very high bar that the democrats set. no one thought that this would come off the way it did. not as a criticism but just because we didn't know, no one did, how this would play out.

and i think david plouffe put it best, they built the plane as they were flying it. we already know republican planners have gone back and rethought and reimagined some of their programming in light of what the democrats have done. so i think that's going to be one of the big head winds for them going into this. the thing, though, at the end of it, theatrics, whether they get democrats to come and stand on the stage for donald trump or not, at the end of the day what they have to push back against is what the democrats have successfully done and branded this upcoming election as a referendum on president donald trump. going into this and you've heard it for a while that the republicans wanted to make sure this was about, you know, presidential leadership and draw the contrast between his leadership and joe biden. and so but the democrats and the nature of events have pretty much made this so far a referendum for the american people on how the president has

handled covid-19, the flatlining of the economy and the civic unrest that is rife across the country. if they can't push back on those three narratives, it's going to be a long way to november. >> chairman rendell, governor rendell, the republicans' convention this week, what would you counsel democrats to do in response to whatever we see this week? we see it's mostly family members and people in the president's inner circle or his orbit. do they aggressively go after and counterprogram as he tried to do or do they lay back like muhammad ali and a rope a dope and let him punch himself out? >> i think the latter. they're going to come out fighting once the election is over. the republicans have to scare the living bejabbers out of

americans with the problems going on the street, they're going to say donald trump is the only hope for law and order, falsely accuse joe biden as being for defunding police, they're going to lie about it. they're going to try to paint joe biden as some captive of the far left. we need to respond very quickly, very forcefully with the truth, with good statistics and good arguments. we can't let their charges go unresponded to. but at the same time, i think it's going to be such a native convention, we can let themselves say -- [ inaudible ]. >> who says al sharpton can't bring parties together. coming up, my memo to the

president, a posthumous pardon when there is so much more to be done. first, my colleague richard lui with today's top stories. >> thanks, reverend. coronavirus cases continue to climb in the united states. as of right now the cases top more than 5.6 million. that's more than 176,000 people. 177,000 now with the very latest data as of this moment. and new forecasting by the institute of health metrics and evaluations. a report says there could be more than 300,000 deaths by the end of the year. that same report concluding if 95% of americans wear a mask that number will drop by 69,000. >> covid infections behind major league baseball's decision to postpone the entire weekend series against the yankees and mets. since the league started testing, 19 different ball clubs have returned at least one positive test. it is possible that two tropical

systems could hit the united states at the same time. tropical storms laura and marco are making moves towards mexico and the caribbean islands. marco is gaining strength but forecasters say it could weaken before landfall. more "politics natination" righ after the break. atination" righ after the break. here's to the duers. to all the people who realize they can du more with less asthma thanks to dupixent, the add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. dupixent isn't for sudden breathing problems. it can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as 2 weeks and help prevent severe asthma attacks. it's not a steroid but can help reduce or eliminate oral steroids. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection and don't change or stop your asthma treatments,

including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma? talk to your asthma specialist about dupixent. if your financial situation has changed, we may be able to help.

if your financial situation has changed, iredefined the wordng th'school' this year. it's why, at xfinity, we're committed to helping kids keep learning through the summer. and help college students studying at home stay connected through our university program. we're providing affordable internet access to low income families through our internet essentials program. and this summer, xfinity is creating a virtual summer camp for kids at home- all on xfinity x1. we're committed to helping all families stay connected. learn more at xfinity.com/education.

i got this mountain bike for only $11. dealdash.com, the fair and honest bidding site. an ipad worth $505, was sold for less than $24; a playstation 4 for less than $16; and a schultz 4k television for less than $2. i won these bluetooth headphones for $20. i got these three suitcases for less than $40. and shipping is always free. go to dealdash.com right now and see how much you can save.

for this week's memo to trump, i want to talk about susan b. anthony and the posthumous pardon you thrust upon her this week, mr. president. at first i thought maybe you considered her a kindred spirit. i realized i was giving you too much credit. you are many things, mr. president, but a student of

social movements is not one of them. of course the actual reason is such simpler and it's a micros could of -- microcosm of your presidency. you made an effort to pander to a group among those of whom you are rapidly losing support, women. mr. anthony was arrested for casting a ballot. you're making voting more difficult for voters using the debunked myth of widespread voter fraud to justify your acti actions. even during the press conference announcing the pardon of anthony, you couldn't resist attacking mail-in voting and

while the high-profile blow back of the potential sabotage of the postal service got your crony to announce his suggestion special of local box collecting plan, local reporting shows you have not stopped the dismantling of sorting machines or the unexplained rerouting of mail. your intentional breaking of this crucial service may be an illegal attempt to thwart mail-in voting but the consequences are being felt right now like in rural new england where thousands of chickens being shipped to poultry farmers are arriving late and dead, causing the loss of thousands of dollars for struggling local farmers and like veterans missing their prescriptions and seniors waiting on late social security checks. back to the pardon. that, by the way, that susan b. anthony never wanted and

explicitly never sought because she believed rightfully that casting a ballot was a god-given right and by exercising it she had committed to crime. your pardon was a cheap political ploy against the express wishes of its recipient. but then again, mr. president, you've never been accused of respecting a woman's clear call for no. but this november women will give you no choice and not just the white women championed by anthony. you are losing with women of all races, mr. president, and your attempt to stop their votes will not keep them from the ballot box, whether by mail or in person. your failure to contain this pandemic may stop them from gathering at susan b. anthony's grave to honor her with i voted stickers like they did in 2016 and 2018, but they will honor her with their votes and men like me will be right there with them. we'll be right back. tums versus mozzarella stick

(bell rings) when heartburn hits fight back fast... ...with tums chewy bites... beat heartburn fast tums chewy bites these humans, those humans. groovin, and golden. it's about getting more than health insurance and a partner who listens and acts. humana calls it human care. it's talking to a doctor from your couch, or helping you find a cheaper prescription before you ask.

it's helping you fix the rugs so you don't fall, and keeping you social, online or off. it's getting to know you, so you can be your healthiest. that's our superpower. that's human care. from humana.

what if the store took back all the brats you didn't eat at the end of the month the way some wireless companies take back your data? that would be weird. tracfone wireless gives you unlimited carryover data. so if you pay for brats, you get to keep your brats. you also get unlimited talk and text on america's best 4g lte networks for $20 bucks. no contract. wow, that's great. yeah, hit decline. i don't want to talk to her. hit me. get me! this is your wake-up call, people. tracfone wireless. now you're in control.

tracfone wireless. when you're affected by schizophrenia, you see it differently. it's in the small, everyday moments. and in the places, you'd never expect. a little sign of hope. the feeling of freedom. and once these little moments start adding up, that's when it feels like so much more. it feels like real progress. caplyta effectively treats adults with schizophrenia. and it's just one pill, once a day, with no titration.

caplyta can cause serious side effects. elderly dementia patients have increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about fever, stiff muscles or confusion, which can mean a life-threatening reaction or uncontrollable muscle movements which may be permanent. dizziness upon standing, falls, and impaired judgment may occur. most common side effects include sleepiness and dry mouth. high cholesterol and weight gain may occur, as can high blood sugar which may be fatal. in clinical trials, weight, cholesterol and blood sugar changes were similar to placebo. so if you're affected by schizophrenia, have a conversation with your doctor about caplyta today. shingles doesn't care. i logged 10,000 steps today. shingles doesn't care. i get as much fresh air as possible. good for you, but shingles doesn't care. because 1 in 3 people will get shingles, you need protection. but no matter how healthy you feel, your immune system declines as you age, increasing your risk for getting shingles. so what can protect you?

shingrix protects. for the first time ever, you can protect yourself from shingles with a vaccine proven to be over 90% effective. shingrix is a vaccine used to prevent shingles in adults 50 years and older. shingrix does not protect everyone and is not for those with severe allergic reactions to its ingredients or to a previous dose. the most common side effects are pain, redness, and swelling at the injection site, muscle pain, tiredness, headache, shivering, fever, and upset stomach. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about protecting yourself with shingrix. shingles doesn't care. shingrix protects.

as i watch the democratic convention this week and thought about the highlights, certainly everyone had to be moved by the appeal of mrs. michelle obama as she talked about what the country was going through and how she hated politics but this

was a time everyone must stand up because as she said, correcting the misuse of the term, it is what it is. our president obama, former president, as he went to philadelphia with the museum and constitution behind him, talked about the very threat to democracy that it represented. i couldn't explain how i felt as a teenager that worked on the presidential campaign of shirley chism how i felt when the vice presidential candidate now, senator kamala harris talked about there is no vaccine for racism and that's why many of us need to act. and mr. biden sat and had dialogue with among others, the mother of eric gardner, killed in a choke hold. yes. there is no vaccine. that's why we must act. that's why the floyd family, the

gardners and others are going with us martin luther king iii to washington on the anniversary of the '63 march this coming friday. we need to be recommitted not to a party but to the principles, the principles of making it real and federal law, equal protection under the law, even where law enforcement is involved, protecting the vote that john lewis and others shared blood for that has been undermined in this time. yes, there's no vaccine for it. the only way it will stop is if we stand up. we may not be able to change people's hearts but we can sure change the laws in which they operate and are not held accountable. that's why we march next friday. that's why we do what we do. i don't know what they'll say at the republican convention, but i know what we must say. we must say those that brought us this far didn't bring us for us to abandon those principles and values now.

that does it for me. thanks for watching. see you back here tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. eastern. up next, my colleague, picks up coverage. my colleague, picks u coverage thousands of women with metastatic breast cancer, which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, are living in the moment and taking ibrance. ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr+/her2- metastatic breast cancer, as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole significantly delayed disease progression versus letrozole, and shrank tumors in over half of patients. patients taking ibrance can develop low white blood cell counts, which may cause serious infections that can lead to death. ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs that can lead to death. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including trouble breathing, shortness of breath, cough, or chest pain. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems,

are pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant. common side effects include low red blood cell and low platelet counts, infections, tiredness, nausea, sore mouth, abnormalities in liver blood tests, diarrhea, hair thinning or loss, vomiting, rash, and loss of appetite. be in your moment. ask your doctor about ibrance. ...this one's for you. you inspired us to make your humira experience even better... with humira citrate-free. it has the same effectiveness you know and trust, but we removed the citrate buffers, there's less liquid, and a thinner needle... with less pain immediately following injection. ask your doctor about humira citrate-free. and you can use your co-pay card to pay

as little as $5 a month. humira can lower your ability to fight infections. serious and sometimes fatal infections,... ...including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened,... ...as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems,... ...serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common... and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections,... or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. ask your doctor about humira citrate-free. the same humira you trust with less pain immediately following injection. if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help.

hello, everyone. i am alicia menendez. following breaking news on a busy saturday evening on capitol hill as the house works to pass a $25 billion bill to fund the