Washington, Aug 20 (IANS) Bill Clinton glibly called it "loads of bull" on Hillary's emails. Then the FBI unloaded more of it on the Hill and The Donald suddenly took a 'presidential' pivot shaking the Democrats out of their slumber.
Sometimes in the heat of the debate he might have said "the wrong thing," Donald Trump told a rally of laughing and cheering supporters in North Carolina before doing the unthinkable for the brash Republican presidential nominee.
"And believe it or not I regret it.particularly where it may have caused personal pain," said the Manhattan mogul who has never ever backed down or apologised, as he promised to "always tell you the truth."
"Sometimes I can be too honest. Hillary Clinton is the exact opposite: she never tells the truth," said Trump delivering his most cogent message about "the New American Future we are going to create together."
"Jobs, safety, opportunity, fair and equal representation, "This is what I promise to African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and all Americans," he said.
Adding a new phrase to the political lexicon, he also called for "extreme vetting" of immigrants for ties to radical ideology, for not sharing "our values and love(ing) our people" or for believing "Sharia law supplants American law."
Outlining his plans to bring back jobs to America, defeat radical Islamic terrorism and restore law and order, Trump called for a "peaceful regime change" of the "media-donor political complex".
In another deft political move, he toured flood hit Louisiana as President Barack Obama played golf on Martha's Vineyard even as a local newspaper called: "Vacation or not, a hurting Louisiana needs you now."
The new improved Trump emerged from a third shake up of his faltering campaign amid falling poll numbers despite surging crowds at his rallies.
In came a "bare-knuckled" Breitbart News chief Steve Bannon as campaign CEO and pollster Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager who would let "Trump be Trump".
Out went chief strategist Paul Manafort, who wanted him to run a more traditional campaign, amid charges of lobbying for pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians.
On the 'Hill' side, Bill Clinton came out to slam FBI director James Comey for what he called the 'the biggest load of bull I've ever heard' regarding his spouse's "extremely careless" handling of classified material.
The American public doesn't understand that Hillary is telling the truth because government classification issues are "too complicated to explain to people," suggested her "Explainer-in-Chief" shifting the blame on to 300 State Department professionals.
Then the FBI delivered to Capitol Hill a load of "classified and other sensitive" materials, including Clinton's "truthful" deposition about her email practices which Republicans claim expose her lies to the Congress and the public.
A federal judge also ordered Clinton to answer questions in writing from the conservative legal watchdog Judicial Watch about her controversial private email server.
And as even supporters looked askance at reports of shady "pay to play" dealings between State Department aides and fat cat Clinton Foundation donors, Bill promised not to accept foreign or corporate donations if Hillary is elected president in November.
Clinton's campaign also pushed back on multiple "deranged conspiracy theories" about her as Trump continued to stoke doubts about his rival's "mental and physical stamina."
While she questioned the billionaire's love for the little guy, an art group called 'Indecline' erected Trump's life-size naked statues in five cities to 'expose' the Republican nominee.
New York City Parks Department quickly hauled away the one in Union Square with a cheeky statement: "NYC Parks stands firmly against any unpermitted erection in city parks, no matter how small."
Meanwhile, as Trump and Clinton transition teams prepared for moving into the White House, their spouses too were getting ready to play "First Lady" and "First Laddy" as Bill would love to be called in a salute to his Irish roots.
In their first call of duty, both Bill Clinton and Melania Trump submitted cookie recipes for Family Circle magazine's Presidential Cookie Poll.
While the former president recycled the family's chocolate chip cookies made with old-fashioned oats, which won during the 1992 and 1996 polls, Melania offered star cookies made with egg yolks and sour cream.
And as a reenergised Trump finally launched an ad war in four swing states, Clinton warned voters not to get "complacent" because she is leading in polls.
But pundits wondered whether Trump's reboot has come too late to jell or is it too early to tell.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
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