Maybe she can persuade a few swing voters to do the same I once wrote that Liz Cheney was the most dangerous woman in America. I thought she could easily be the nominee in 2024 and believed that she’d be worse than her father because she was just as right wing but had served during the chaotic Trump era. I cautioned that “Democrats should work very hard to keep the loyalty of women who have left the GOP in recent years. Cheney or Haley could potentially get them back if the Dems are perceived to have failed them.” I had come to the conclusion that it was likely that the first woman president would have to be a Republican because I didn’t think Independent men (and maybe some Democrats too) would vote for a Democratic woman, fearing that they just aren’t “tough enough.” Cheney was in the GOP leadership at the time and had made it up the ladder faster than anyone I could remember. She came into the job with a stellar Republican pedigree as the daughter of Dick “prince of darkness” Cheney and had backed Trump to the hilt. She was tough as nails and also seemed to be a pretty savvy politician. She worried me. A lot.
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Check out this pattern. They drive it up and Democrats bring it down. And they’ll do it again, all while braying about government spending and paying off their rich friends: Women know: The economy is never perfect. There are always problems, mostly borne by the poor and working classes. But as economies go, this one is as strong as we’ve seen in many years. If it weren’t for the right wing propaganda machine and the reluctance of the media to admit this, people would have realized it sooner. It’s morning in America, people! Wake the hell up!
From Brave New Films: E. Jean Carroll V. Donald Trump is a powerful documentary that brings to life the brave testimony of writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused former President Donald Trump of sexual abuse. In a landmark legal case, Trump was held liable for sexual abuse and defamation, with a court ordering him to pay $83.3 million in damages. Directed by Robert Greenwald, this Brave New Films production features powerful performances from prominent actors, including Kathryn Hahn, Ellen Burstyn, Lexi Underwood, and Regina Taylor. Through their voices, the film vividly portrays Carroll’s courageous fight for justice. As Election Day nears, E. Jean Carroll V. Donald Trump is a must-watch for anyone concerned about justice, accountability, and the future of American democracy. Watch now and share with friends, especially those in battleground states, as we fight to make sure the truth is heard. A big thank you to Kathryn Hahn, Ellen Burstyn, Lexi Underwood, and Regina Taylor for their incredible performances. And of course, a major thank you to E. Jean Carroll for standing up to Donald Trump. This is well worth watching.
Can Trump hold out much longer? Pro Publica with another scoop: Former President Donald Trump’s media company has forced out executives in recent days after internal allegations that its CEO, former Rep. Devin Nunes, is mismanaging the company, according to interviews and records of communications among former employees. Several people involved with Trump Media believe the ousters are retaliation following what they describe as an anonymous “whistleblower” complaint regarding Nunes that went to the company’s board of directors. The chief operating officer and chief product officer have left the company, along with at least two lower-level staffers, according to interviews, social media posts and communications between former staffers reviewed by ProPublica. The company, which runs the social media platform Truth Social, disclosed the departure of the chief operating officer in a securities filing Thursday afternoon. ProPublica has not seen the whistleblower complaint. But several people with knowledge of the company said the concerns revolve around alleged mismanagement by Nunes.
Marjorie Taylor Greene made her MAGA bones as a conspiracy theorist on Facebook just six years ago so this isn’t surprising. Does it seem to you that these people are getting nuttier by the day? The question is if it’s because they think they’re losing — or winning? I fear it’s the latter.
It would have been terrible timing: The union representing the striking U.S. dockworkers, the International Longshoremen’s Association, reached a deal Thursday to suspend the strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract. Workers had begun walking picket lines early Tuesday near ports all along the East and Gulf coasts. A shutdown lasting more than a few weeks could have led to higher prices and shortages of goods throughout the country as the holiday shopping season — along with a tight presidential election — approaches. With the strike being suspended, consumers probably won’t notice any significant shortages or price hikes. Had the stoppage persisted for more than a month, it would have been a different story, depending on what you were shopping for. Most holiday retail goods have already arrived from overseas, so there is a buffer. Prices on everything from fruits and vegetables to cars could have headed higher, at least temporarily, if it had dragged on. I honestly thought that was the intention in doing this in October.
It’s not soothing but it is necessary: This shelter saved 100 animals: A race to evacuate over 100 animals from Asheville, North Carolina’s main animal shelter ahead of Hurricane Helene’s torrential rains and devastating flooding likely saved all of their lives. But now comes the struggle to find more permanent housing, as the shelter would later become destroyed in the historic flood. “It’s been a really, really hard week for everyone,” said Leah Craig Chumbley of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. “We’re working around the clock.” The shelter cares for mostly dogs and cats, but also such pets as rabbits and guinea pigs. “We know that when the river rises, we get some water in our building. And we really thought worst-case scenario, 6 to 12 inches,” she said. But this storm was going way beyond those levels. “So we knew that we needed to get our animals out,” she said. “The day before this storm, we sent out a social plea and email to our supporters, our fosters, our volunteers and said, you know, can you help us?” And the community rallied to save the animals.
What did I miss? It’s been a week. Thursday was the first day since the morning Helene’s winds hit that I’ve been able to load web pages. (An email bleep from the phone at 5:30 a.m. announced the news.) I thought I’d be able to provide a more coherent update this morning but the signal that was strong here yesterday is weaker this morning. I’m just beginning to see images those of you outside have seen all week. Friends who live on ridgetops seem to have had better luck. I see now that they’ve been on FB for a few days. Asheville Watchdog has an explainer for why cell service went out across WNC. > So I’ve been in a news blackout since early last Friday morning except for local public radio. That’s filled with daily press conferences (and repeats) and updates from officials from ours and surrounding counties. The local volunteer effort has been massive. This is an effort led by my friend, our Register of Deeds. You know it’s a disaster zone when World Central Kitchen shows up. I’ve donated to them for years (hint, hint). Never expected to be eating their food.
At least someone is facing judgment Via Denver’s ABC affiliate: MESA COUNTY, Colo. – On Thursday, Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced a defiant Tina Peters to 9 years behind bars on multiple charges – including felonies – for a data-breach plot amid false claims of voting machine fraud during the 2020 presidential election. Peters, the former Mesa County Clerk was found guilty in August by a jury on seven of 10 counts including first-degree official misconduct, violation of duty, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation along with other counts. She was acquitted of identity theft charges, criminal impersonation and one count of conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation. “You are no hero. You abused your position – and you’re a charlatan who used, and is still using your prior position to peddle a snake oil that’s been proven to be junk time and time again,” said Judge Barrett. “Your lies are well-documented and these convictions are serious.
Like Cheney and Harris, I may not agree with Tim Miller on everything but I agree with this: As long as I live I will never fully comprehend it. There should have been a line of honest and wise men a mile long standing behind Cheney on Thursday. But their cowardice, their venality, their shameful abdication of responsibility only served to make this moment in Ripon more powerful. Because instead of that mile long line of men, there stood two women with vanishingly little in common. There they were, in the place where an honest, abolitionist Republican party formed, in political unity, bound by a mutual love of country and a commitment to its best ideals. Two women standing in the breach to protect the country from the men trying to tear it apart. Two women alone, standing together for all of us. I didn’t mention it in my Salon column about their campaign stop yesterday but I was impressed by something they did that I think is important. When Cheney introduced Harris she walked back and waited for her to come out and I expected them embrace there on the stage. But they didn’t.