[guest post by Dana]

Just how much of an impact is the misinformation being disseminated by Donald Trump and other Republicans having on the ground in post-hurricane areas? Well, it’s having enough of an impact to compel FEMA instruct all federal responders to evaucate a region in need:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it made “operational adjustments” in North Carolina over the weekend and temporarily paused aid in parts of the state amid concerns that an armed militia is threatening government workers.

The Washington Post reported that FEMA had advised federal responders in Rutherford County to “stand down and evacuate the county immediately” on Saturday, citing an email from an official with the U.S. Forest Service, which is supporting recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

The email said National Guard troops had encountered trucks of “armed militia saying they were out hunting FEMA.”

A “armed militia hunting workers”??? This is abhorrent. Residents bought into the lies being told them by someone who only cares about their vote. And that man is cunning enough to understand how to play on the vulnerabilities of people in distress, as well as fanning the flames of their anger. Of course it’s the agency that seeks to help that is the target of that frustration.

That the misinformation was countered by FEMA with actual facts did not matter to Trump. It didn’t matter because, as we already know, Trump doesn’t care about anyone but himself. The safety and welfare of hurricane victims does little more than provide Trump with a means to an end:

Though Trump’s Thursday claim about FEMA money and migrants had already been debunked by Friday, Trump repeated the claim to reporters at least twice on Friday — and then said it again at a Friday night town hall event in North Carolina.

Trump, who is desperate to become our next president, in no way met the moment after the two natural disasters wreaked their havoc. All he did was to foment anger and frustration and instill a paranoia in the victims. He could have disseminated correct information from the get-go. He could have encouraged people to seek help. He could have explained where and how FEMA would be helping. But instead of painting the distributors of aid as good guys, he chose to paint a negative and untruthful picture of them.

And some of you still want to vote for this guy. . .

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item]

Sarah Longwell on the impact of Donald Trump’s false claims about FEMA, including saying that FEMA is confiscating properties, FEMA money diverted to illegal migrants. Republican members of Congress have joined in as well:

I mean, here’s what Trump does. In a moment like this, when normal politicians would be, because of the very real consequences, they would be looking to unite people, right? Not to divide them. That’s not how Donald Trump thinks.

Donald Trump only cares about winning. And so he is utilizing this disaster, this natural disaster, which cannot be, you know, engineered by anybody, as some people are saying, because as Republicans are now having to reassure people, one cannot engineer the weather. Democrats are not engineering these storms for some reason or other pernicious influences.

But these Republicans who constantly support Trump are forced now to grapple with the very real consequences of his lies on their constituents at a moment when they are trying to help people see this is the thing is, oftentimes Donald Trump’s lies don’t have a personal consequence for the people who repeat them. You know, like the election being stolen or migrants eating pets in Springfield. But they have real consequences for somebody. And when those consequences affect you, as they are now, the Republican leaders on the ground were having to deal with the consequences of them. I feel like this should be the moment that they realize this is why this person can never lead the country again.

And one of the things that Donald Trump does, it’s a very specific tactic from Trump, where what he does is he elevates the notion of scarcity at a time when people are frightened. Right. So people are much more likely to buy into these conspiracies because they are suffering at the moment. Right. They don’t have wi-fi. They don’t have water. You know, they are dealing with a response to a natural disaster. And so they’re scared.

And Donald Trump manipulates and uses that fear to sow distrust for the agencies that are trying to help them. And that is unique to Trump’s character. Other politicians, even ones that aren’t very good at their jobs, don’t usually do this because they are at least decent enough people to understand that real lives are at stake.

Unfortunately, these false claims are having real life impacts to those who have lost everything during Hurricane Helene:

. . . Anthony said his father-in-law is unwilling to accept assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“He has refused all FEMA help because he’s a hardcore Trumper,” Anthony told Abrams. “He literally believes that if he accepts anything from FEMA, they’re going to take his house.”

BREAKING: In a powerful moment, Governor Ron DeSantis just fact checked Donald Trump by making it clear President Biden and Vice President Harris have provided Florida with all the resources it needs to fight against Hurricane Helene and Milton. pic.twitter.com/eTKAXHuDN0

— Kamala’s Wins (@harris_wins) October 10, 2024

Second news item

The damage done:

The truth is, it’s getting harder to describe the extent to which a meaningful percentage of Americans have dissociated from reality. As Hurricane Milton churned across the Gulf of Mexico last night, I saw an onslaught of outright conspiracy theorizing and utter nonsense racking up millions of views across the internet. The posts would be laughable if they weren’t taken by many people as gospel. Among them: Infowars’ Alex Jones, who claimed that Hurricanes Milton and Helene were “weather weapons” unleashed on the East Coast by the U.S. government, and “truth seeker” accounts on X that posted photos of condensation trails in the sky to baselessly allege that the government was “spraying Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton” in order to ensure maximum rainfall, “just like they did over Asheville!”

. . .

Even in a decade marred by online grifters, shameless politicians, and an alternative right-wing-media complex pushing anti-science fringe theories, the events of the past few weeks stand out for their depravity and nihilism. As two catastrophic storms upended American cities, a patchwork network of influencers and fake-news peddlers have done their best to sow distrust, stoke resentment, and interfere with relief efforts. But this is more than just a misinformation crisis. To watch as real information is overwhelmed by crank theories and public servants battle death threats is to confront two alarming facts: first, that a durable ecosystem exists to ensconce citizens in an alternate reality, and second, that the people consuming and amplifying those lies are not helpless dupes but willing participants.

Third news item

The times Kamala Harris changed her mind on issues:

Where Harris is on the ideological spectrum has long been hard to pinpoint. After Joe Biden selected her as his running mate in 2020, she moved toward the center on some issues, and has generally kept those positions since taking Biden’s place atop the ticket in this year’s election.

Harris has not explained many of her shifts. They may help her among moderate voters in the general election, but they have left her open to criticism from the right.

Some of the issues listed that she has changed her mind on: fracking, border security, healthcare, defunding.

Read the whole thing to see her Before and After views.

Fourth news item

ABC’s The View hosts in explicit political ad:

ABC warned its audience before airing a disturbing political ad the network said it was required to broadcast during a live episode of The View, with the commercial depicting graphic imagery from abortions and comparing several celebrities — including all six cohosts of The View — to Nazis.

During the show’s final commercial break on Thursday, a warning message appeared on screen, reading, “The following is a paid political advertisement, and the ABC Television Network is required to carry it by federal law. The advertisement contains scenes that may be disturbing to children. Viewer discretion is advised.”

The explicit clip — fronted by presidential candidate and anti-abortion activist Randall Terry — opened with a shot of Miley Cyrus (pictured with a cake topped with the message “abortion is healthcare”) and an image of Whoopi Goldberg seated at The View Hot Topics table.

“I am so sick of stupid celebrities and lying journalists,” Terry says via voice-over in the ad, before its footage displays images of View stars Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Ana Navarro, Sara Haines, and Alyssa Farah Griffin; broadcasters Jake Tapper, Wolf Blitzer, and Dana Bash; and famous figures like Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans, Billie Eilish, Scarlett Johansson, and more. The commercial then shows multiple images of fetuses and, later, images of abortion procedures. “Why don’t you fools follow the science?” Terry asks.

Fourth news item

President Zelensky meets with German Chancellor Olaf Schulz:

During a joint press conference, Scholz revealed that Germany had delivered a package of aid for Ukraine worth 600 million euros ($660 million). This included a fifth IRIS-T medium-range system, armored vehicles, tanks, howitzers, ammunition, and drones.

“By the end of the year, with the support of partners — Belgium, Denmark, Norway — we will deliver another package worth 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) to Ukraine,” Scholz said. It will include IRIS-T, Skynex, and Gepard anti-aircraft weaponry, as well as artillery, armored vehicles, drones, radars, and ammunition.

Fifth news item

Speaker Johnson ready to give up on Ukraine:

“I don’t have an appetite for further Ukraine funding, and I hope it’s not necessary. If President Trump wins, I believe that he actually can bring that conflict to a close. I really do. I think he’ll call [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and tell him that this is enough. And I think everybody around the world is weary of this, and they want it to be resolved. So whatever the terms are, I’m not sure, but I think if Kamala Harris is president, I don’t think it ends, and that’s a desperate and dangerous scenario.”

What would be desperate and dangerous is a Trump administration refusing to provide critical aid to Ukraine during the middle of a ferocious war against a murderous enemy that doesn’t embrace democracy. A limited view of outcomes would be detrimental to Europe and freedom-loving countries everywhere. To just end the war because we’re weary is foolish, especially as it would most likely include allowing Russia to keep the territories inside Ukraine that they have subsumed as their own. This must not happen.

Sixth news item

Word:

How nauseatingly comfortable and safe do you have to be in the West to celebrate, justify, qualify terrorism in the Middle East

Have a great weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

This is an excellent piece by Tom Nichols. Don’t miss it:

Last november, during a symposium at Mount Vernon on democracy, John Kelly, the retired Marine Corps general who served as Donald Trump’s second chief of staff, spoke about George Washington’s historic accomplishments—his leadership and victory in the Revolutionary War, his vision of what an American president should be. And then Kelly offered a simple, three-word summary of Washington’s most important contribution to the nation he liberated.

“He went home,” Kelly said.

The message was unambiguous. After leaving the White House, Kelly had described Trump as a “person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about.” At Mount Vernon, he was making a clear point: People who are mad for power are a mortal threat to democracy. They may hold different titles—even President—but at heart they are tyrants, and all tyrants share the same trait: They never voluntarily cede power.

. . .

Donald Trump and his authoritarian political movement represent an existential threat to every ideal that Washington cherished and encouraged in his new nation. They are the incarnation of Washington’s misgivings about populism, partisanship, and the “spirit of revenge” that Washington lamented as the animating force of party politics. Washington feared that, amid constant political warfare, some citizens would come to “seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual,” and that eventually a demagogue would exploit that sentiment.

People who are mad for power are a mortal threat to democracy. They may hold different titles, but at heart they are tyrants.

Today, America stands at such a moment. A vengeful and emotionally unstable former president—a convicted felon, an insurrectionist, an admirer of foreign dictators, a racist and a misogynist—desires to return to office as an autocrat. Trump has left no doubt about his intentions; he practically shouts them every chance he gets. His deepest motives are to salve his ego, punish his enemies, and place himself above the law. Should he regain the Oval Office, he may well bring with him the experience and the means to complete the authoritarian project that he began in his first term.

Trump is anything but “America first”. His interests have always been, and continue to be: promoting himself and the Trump Brand. And staying out of jail… This week we learned that Trump secretly sent Vladimir Putin some Abbott Point of Care Covid test machines meant for U.S. hospitals. This was during the pandemic when they were in short supply. Given Trump’s well known adoration of the murderous Putin, I have no trouble believing this. Additionally, Woodward also wrote that the former President had at least seven private phone calls with Putin after he was out of office. Question: What is a private American citizen who hopes to once again hold the most powerful position in the world doing talking to one of America’s leading enemies? How is a private citizen negotiating with the leader of a foreign government at war with our ally *not* a BIG problem? I mean, I’m not running for the vice-presidency but I’m pretty sure this isn’t insignificant, no matter what a Yale educated lawyer says:

JD Vance on Bob Woodward's reporting that Trump has had as many as 7 calls with Putin after he left office:

“Even if it's true, is there something wrong with speaking to world leaders? No. Is there anything wrong with engaging in diplomacy?” pic.twitter.com/d6dkoVI15b

— Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) October 8, 2024

Put this information together with what we already know and have witnessed of Trump’s self-interest and corruption, and we see an egregious display of disloyalty to the American people.

Unlike the esteemed George Washington, Trump is a man who would never, ever consider going home and staying there because he recognized his job was done and that others would now take the lead. Never would he refuse to hold on to an office that he did not believe belonged to him, because clearly, Trump continues to believe the office of the presidency does, in fact, belong to him.

I’ll leave you with this:

When Americans were dying by the hundreds, Trump was busy sending Covid test kits to Putin.

Americans died while Trump was appeasing a dictator. This is unforgivable.

Watch our new ad: pic.twitter.com/OpVMmZY6he

— Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) October 9, 2024

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

Excellent:

Liz Cheney: "In this election, putting patriotism ahead of partisanship is not an aspiration. It is our duty." pic.twitter.com/cUrQdNj00Y

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 3, 2024

This is why Republicans are voting for Harris. Listen to the entirety of Cheney’s speech. You won’t be disappointed. Well, unless you’re ‘party before country’…then you will be rolling your eyes.

Second news item

No welcome from Trump for the Haitians in Springfield, Ohio:

Former President Trump said Wednesday he would revoke immigration status for Haitian migrants who are living legally in the U.S.

. . .

Trump, speaking to NewsNation in Houston, Texas, said he would revoke the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants and “bring them back to their country.”

“In my opinion, it’s not legal. It’s not legal for anybody to do,” Trump said.

TPS is a federal program that allows migrants from some countries to legally live in the United States for a certain period when the conditions in their home country are unsafe.

Migrants from Haiti, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Venezuela are among some countries eligible for the program, requiring participants to re-register with the Department of Homeland Security each year.

Meanwhile:

A Haitian organization in Ohio filed criminal charges against former President Trump and running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) on Tuesday, alleging the pair has caused harm by spreading baseless smears about Haitian immigrants.

Third news item

Pot meet kettle:

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, former President Donald Trump has blasted the Biden administration for its handling of the disaster — going so far as to accuse Democratic leaders of ignoring the needs of Republican storm victims.

But a review of Trump’s record by POLITICO’s E&E News and interviews with two former Trump White House officials show that the former president was flagrantly partisan at times in response to disasters and on at least three occasions hesitated to give disaster aid to areas he considered politically hostile or ordered special treatment for pro-Trump states.

But of course:

Mark Harvey, who was Trump’s senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council staff, told E&E News on Wednesday that Trump initially refused to approve disaster aid for California after deadly wildfires in 2018 because of the state’s Democratic leanings.

But Harvey said Trump changed his mind after Harvey pulled voting results to show him that heavily damaged Orange County, California, had more Trump supporters than the entire state of Iowa.

Fourth news item

With a bit of pressure from President Biden, there is a tentative agreement on the port strike:

“Effective immediately, all current job actions will cease and all work covered by the Master Contract will resume,” the ILA and USMX said in a joint statement Thursday evening.

The tentative agreement would increase workers’ wages by 62% over the life of the 6-year contract, sources familiar confirm to ABC News.

This represents a significant increase from the shipping industry group’s offer of a 50% wage increase earlier this week. The union had been pushing for a 77% pay hike over six years.

Note:

The ILA, the union representing 50,000 East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers under the contract at issue, was seeking higher wages and a ban on the use of some automated equipment.

Fifth news item

Anne Applebaum on the folly of “red lines” in the Ukraine-Russia war:

But in truth, the imaginary red lines, the slow provision of weapons, and the rules about what can and can’t be hit are not the real problem. On its own, a White House decision to allow the Ukrainians to strike targets in Russia with American or even European missiles will not change the course of the war. The deeper limitation is our lack of imagination. Since this war began, we haven’t been able to imagine that the Ukrainians might defeat Russia, and so we haven’t tried to help those who are trying to do exactly that. We aren’t identifying, funding, and empowering the young Ukrainian engineers who are inventing new forms of asymmetric warfare. With a few exceptions, Ukrainians tell me, many allied armies aren’t in regular contact with the people carrying out cutting-edge military experiments in Ukraine. Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine’s minister of strategic industries, says that the Ukrainians have spare capacity in their own drone factories, and could produce more themselves if they just had the money. Meanwhile, $300 billion worth of frozen Russian reserves are still sitting in European clearinghouses, untouched, waiting for a political decision to use that money to win the war. Biden is right to tout the success of the coalition of democracies created to aid Ukraine, but why not let that coalition start defending Ukraine against incoming missiles, as friends of Israel have just done in the Middle East? Why isn’t the coalition focused on enforcing targeted sanctions against the Russian defense industry?

Worse—much worse—is that, instead of focusing on victory, Americans and Europeans continue to dream of a magic “negotiated solution” that remains far away. Many, many people, some in good faith and some in bad faith, continue to call for an exchange of “land for peace.” Last week, Trump attacked Zelensky for supposedly refusing to negotiate, and the ex-president continues to make unfounded promises to end the war “in 24 hours.” But the obstacle to negotiations is not Zelensky. He probably could be induced to trade at least some land for peace, as long as Ukraine received authentic security guarantees—preferably, though not necessarily, in the form of NATO membership—to protect the rest of the country’s territory, and as long as Ukraine could be put on a path to complete integration with Europe. Even a smaller Ukraine would still need to be a viable country, to attract investment and ensure refugees’ return.

Right now, the actual obstacle is Putin.

Sixth news item

What is it with bigoted Republican politicians:

Thinking before you speak publicly is an important skill. Idaho State Sen. Dan Foreman, a conservative Republican, apparently did not get the memo.

As Boise State Public Radio, an NPR affiliate, reported on Thursday, a “meet the candidates” forum was held on Tuesday evening in Kendrick, a town with a population of about 300. Foreman attended, as did others running for District 6 state House and Senate seats…

After Trish Carter-Goodheart, a Democrat running for a House seat, pointed out that discrimination and racism exist in Idaho, Foreman reportedly lost his temper and told her to “go back where you came from.”

Among the various problems with that statement, Carter-Goodheart happens to be a member of the Nez Perce tribe, which has a reservation smack in the middle of District 6. She was where she came from. Foreman, as the radio piece noted, was born in Illinois.

Seventh news item

Hurricane Helene’s aftermath leaves 215 dead, and 200 individuals unaccounted for. You can make donations here to help with disaster recovery.

Have a good weekend.

—Dana

[guest post by Dana]

From Jack Smith’s election case filing. When the vice-president was in peril on Jan. 6:

It was at that point—alone, watching news in real time, and with knowledge that rioters had breached the Capitol building—that the defendant issued the 2:24 p.m. Tweet attacking Pence for refusing the defendant’s entreaties to join the conspiracy and help overturn the results of the election.©’ One minute later, the Secret Service was forced to evacuate Pence to a secure location in the Capitol.°* This was roughly ninety minutes after Pence had announced publicly that he would not act unlawfully to overturn the election;°” the certification proceeding was underway; and the first breach of the Capitol building had occurred minutes before, at 2:12 p.m.%! At that point, the defendant’s only hope to disrupt the certification proceeding and retain power was through his angry supporters. The defendant further revealed the private nature of his desperate conduct as a candidate, rather than a President, in an exchange (that the Government does not plan to use at trial) he had with aide shortly after the 2:24 p.m. Tweet. Upon receiving a phone call alerting him that Pence had been taken to a secure location, rushed to the dining room to inform the defendant in hopes that the defendant would take action to ensure Pence’s safety. Instead, after RI delivered the news, the defendant looked at him and said only, “So what?”°”

Clearly the former president didn’t care about his vice-president and the danger he faced. He also had no respect for Mike Pence as evidenced by his pressuring him to not certify the election results. With that, what makes any voter think that he cares about them, their lives, or even the country at large? Sure, he cares about their vote, but it stops there. To Trump, the voters and his vice-president were simply a means to an end. And that end was the consolidation of power. Make no mistake, Trump continues to live for himself and what benefits the Trump Brand. He is the same as he has always been. Probably worse. After all, he has had 4 years of nursing his delusions regarding his 2020 election loss.

Another snippet demonstrating that Trump doesn’t care about the rule of the law, the voters, or anyone but himself:

Privately, the defendant told advisors—including | PO | Campaign personnel, P| (a White House staffer and Campaign volunteer), and | PB (the Vice President’s Chief of Staff}—that in such a scenario, he would simply declare victory before all the ballots were counted and any winner was projected.* Publicly, the defendant began to plant the seeds for that false declaration. In the months leading up to the election, he refused to say whether he would accept the election results, insisted that he could lose the election only because of fraud, falsely claimed that mail-in ballots were inherently fraudulent, and asserted that only votes counted by election day were valid.

…

By October 2020, | PL | a private political advisor who had worked for the defendant’s 2016 presidential campaign, began to assist with the defendant’s re-election effort. Three days before election day, described the defendant’s plan to a private gathering of supporters: “And what Trump’s going to do is just declare victory. Right? He’s going to declare victory. That doesn’t mean he’s the winner, he’s just going to say he’s the winner.” !! After explaining that Biden’s supporters favored voting by mail, stated further, “And so they’re going to have a natural disadvantage and Trump’s going to take advantage of it—that’s our strategy. He’s going to declare himself a winner.”

And that is just what he did: slap the voters in the face.

We know that Trump is willing to trash the Constitution and attempt to overturn an election if it doesn’t go his way. And we just saw his running mate J.D. Vance refuse to say on the debate stage whether Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. With an opportunity to reassure voters of his integrity, he refused:

TW: I would just ask that. Did he lose the 2020 election?

JDV: Tim, I’m focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?

TW: That is a damning. That is a damning non answer.

A spot-on response:

It certainly is [damning]. In a second Trump administration, Vance’s opinions about tariffs, abortion, health care, and other issues probably wouldn’t matter. Trump would make those calls. But when the time comes to certify an election, Vance’s opinions and decisions would be crucial. He believes that he and Trump could push constitutional boundaries to overturn the results. And on the debate stage, facing two audiences—the people of the United States on one hand, and Trump on the other—Vance refused to acknowledge that Trump lost.

That moment tells you the most important thing about Vance: When democracy is in peril, he will bow to Trump, not to the people or the Constitution. He must never be given that chance.

There is video of J.D. Vance saying that Donald Trump won the election:

.@jasonselvig: “Who won the 2020 election?… Did Donald Trump win?”

JD Vance: “Yes.”

This is disqualifying.pic.twitter.com/imAdjx1PZj

— Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) October 3, 2024

–Dana

[guest post by Dana]

With only 5 weeks until the election, the first and only vice-presidential debate will air live tonight at 9 p.m. ET.

So where do the candidates currently stand with voters?

Polls also indicate that Vance has some work to do after he made a rough first impression. In a recent NBC News national poll, 45% of registered voters said they viewed Vance negatively, compared with 32% who said they viewed him positively — making him one of the least-liked vice presidential candidates in the last 30 years. Walz, conversely, was viewed positively by 40% and negatively by 33%. And with his unsubstantiated claims about Haitian immigrants’ eating pets and his tendency to get ahead of Trump on policy, Vance already has drawn more scrutiny than any vice presidential candidate since another Republican, then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, burst onto the scene in 2008.

While both candidates have their fans, Walz has misrepresented his time in China, while Vance has made grossly false accusations about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio. And Vance continues to double-down on the accusations. And it’s important to note that a few years ago, Vance compared Trump to “America’s Hitler”:

Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick Ohio Sen. JD Vance was once a fervent critic of the former president. In private messages, he wondered ahead of Trump’s election whether he was “America’s Hitler” and in 2017 said the then-president was a “moral disaster.” In public, he agreed Trump was a “total fraud” who didn’t care about regular people and called him “reprehensible.”

“I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he’s America’s Hitler,” Vance wrote in a message to a friend in 2016. “How’s that for discouraging?”

In 2016 and 2017, Vance, then best-known for penning the best-selling book “Hillbilly Elegy” said Trump was “cultural heroin” and “just another opioid” for Middle America. He told CNN ahead of the 2016 election that he was “definitely not” voting for Trump and he also contemplated voting for Hillary Clinton (he ultimately said he planned to vote for independent candidate Evan McMullin.)

“Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us when we apologize for this man. Lord help us,” he tweeted after the “Access Hollywood” tape was published in 2016.

Vance also liked tweets that said Trump committed “serial sexual assault,” called him “one of USA’s most hated, villainous, douchey celebs,” and harshly criticized Trump’s response to the deadly 2017 White nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“There is no moral equivalence between the anti-racist protestors in Charlottesville and the killer (and his ilk),” Vance wrote in a deleted-tweet.

Given Donald Trump’s age (78) and obvious cognitive decline, it’s very possible that if Trump wins the election and his decline becomes severe, Vance would have to assume the presidency. Voters need to factor that in when voting on November 5. This is a man who was once stalwartly against Trump, with good reason, and then when his ear and ego were tickled by whomever, he reversed course and became a Trump bootlicker. While many members of Trump’s team see Vance’s “transition” as real, for the average voter it might be a different story.

–Dana

[guest post by JVW]

One of my favorite old-time expressions is the three-word phrase used as the title of this post. I find it very useful when you hear some news that really ought to be shocking, but instead just seems as though it is entirely to be expected. This weekend brought us a great example [bolded emphasis is mine]:

A Hamas commander in Lebanon who was killed in an Israeli airstrike overnight was an accredited member of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the embattled agency confirmed after his death.

Hamas’s Fateh Sherif and his family were killed in an airstrike at a Palestinian refugee camp in the southern city of Tyre, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Monday. “Sherif was responsible for coordinating Hamas’ terror activities in Lebanon with Hezbollah operatives, as well as Hamas’ efforts in Lebanon to recruit operatives and acquire weapons.”

While leading terrorist activities, Sherif also headed the UNRWA teachers’ union in Lebanon. Though employed by the U.N. agency, Sherif was suspended without pay in March due to allegations involving “his political activities,” UNRWA told the Times of Israel in a statement.

At the time of the suspension, UNRWA told Reuters that Sherif had been suspended for three months after the U.N. agency was made aware of allegations about activities “that are in violation of the Agency’s regulatory framework governing staff conduct.”

Sherif’s suspension sparked widespread protests led by teachers outside UNRWA’s Beirut offices. Protesters demanded that he be reinstated.

I try to be a good civil libertarian — Lord knows that I try — but I do kind of hope that the FBI has somebody quietly looking into Randi Weingarten. Sorry, not sorry.

– JVW

[guest post by Dana]

Let’s go!

First news item

About President Zelensky’s meeting with the Senate:

Zelensky told the group Ukraine might not need extra funding from Congress if the U.S. lifts restrictions on its ability to use long-range weapons to strike inside Russia.

Both parties have been wary of allowing Zelensky to strike deep into Russia, worried it would shift the U.S. from a cold war to a hot war.

Still, Democrats and Republicans emerged from the meeting urging President Biden to grant Zelensky’s request to strike targets within Russia.

Here are the details of the latest military aid package to Ukraine.

President Zelensky has provided a victory plan to the U.S.:

The theory of victory is based on two assumptions. First, Russia cannot sustain its efforts for the long term, and sufficient disruption of the Kremlin’s capabilities will bring the Russians to the table to negotiate. Second, if the West commits to a rapid and major resupply effort for the Ukrainian military, accompanied by robust security guarantees, the Russians will be forced to recognize they cannot overwhelm Ukraine in a war of attrition.

The heart of the Ukrainian victory plan shifts the center of gravity from the battlefields of Eastern Ukraine to Russia’s war-making capabilities. Bringing an end to the conflict requires Ukraine to have the ability to disrupt and damage Russia’s ability to manufacture and deploy its arsenal before it reaches Ukraine.

It, therefore, requires not only Western permission to use NATO-supplied systems but also enough equipment to deliver swift and significant disruptive blows. It also asks for more precise Western security guarantees to raise the risks for Russia’s escalation calculus in the future.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen explains:

This is primarily a question about Russia and their imperial dreams…I think it is important in itself to talk about Russia, and not about Putin, because the way I see it is that he actually has a lot of support from Russian society for whatever he is doing…When you have this as a starting point — that there are unfortunately old-fashioned imperial dreams in Russia — then it’s more difficult to find a way out of this war, because it’s not primarily a question about Ukraine…Therefore we have to ensure that Ukraine wins this war.

And importantly:

Specifically, Frederiksen said, she wants Ukraine to be able to use long-range missiles to hit targets in Russia. “I don’t think it’s enough to deliver what is needed to protect themselves. They need to be able to push Russia back.” As Russian forces continue to advance despite the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk, there’s a renewed urgency for that push, which is roiling the Biden administration and NATO.

Asked for her thoughts on why these restrictions on Ukraine’s use of weapons have remained in place, Frederiksen said: “I guess a part of it is a very modern way of thinking that there will be some kind of a solution to this war. But I don’t think it’s possible to win a war if you are not willing actually to win it.”

Second news item

Not a small number:

North Carolina’s State Board of Elections has removed 747,000 people from its list of registered voters within the last 20 months, officials announced Thursday in a press release.

The State Board of Elections in the release said the majority of those stripped from the rolls were deemed ineligible to be registered because they had moved within the state and did not register their new address, or because they did not participate in the past two federal elections, prompting an inactive status.

Other reasons for removal included death, felony convictions, out-of-state moves and personal requests for removal, the board said.

Note:

The presidential race in North Carolina remains on a knife’s edge. On Thursday, polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight had the two candidates separated by just 0.6 percentage points (Harris on 47.3 percent and Trump on 47.9 percent).

Third news item

Money, money,money:

Donald Trump’s latest money-making venture is selling limited edition gold watches, adding to a long list of collectibles the former president and reality TV star has promoted to his supporters.

Trump has continued his entrepreneurial tendencies throughout his political career, often using his popularity as a launch pad for a variety of products, both physical and digital. His latest offering, simply branded as “TRUMP Watches,” asks supporters of the Republican nominee to spend at least $499, to join “President Trump’s Watch Community.”

Additionally, a limited edition watch called the Trump Victory Tourbillion is available for $100,000, with only 147 being manufactured, a reference to Trump’s goal of becoming the 47th president.

A disclaimer on the watch website reads: “Trump Watches are not designed, manufactured, distributed or sold by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their respective affiliates or principals. TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC uses the “Trump” name, image and likeness under a paid license agreement.”

The watches are the latest in a series of products sold by the former president. Earlier this week, Trump announced that he would also be selling a series of silver coins with his face on them, for $100 each.

The report states that Trump netted $300,000 off the “Trump Bibles” he was hawking. Additionally, he is said to have made between $100,000 and $1 million for his digital trading cards.

Fourth news item

NYC Mayor Eric Adams indicted:

Eric Adams has been indicted on federal charges out of the Southern District of New York, making him the first sitting mayor of New York City to face criminal prosecution.

Adams has denied any wrongdoing on his part and any knowledge of wrongdoing regarding a series of probes surrounding his administration. He says the charges are based on lies and that he won’t resign.

You can read the indictment at the link. China and Turkey appear frequently…

Meanwhile, Gov. Hochul is considering her options:

Gov. Kathy Hochul has begun to examine a long-dormant power that lets governors remove local officials such as New York City mayors, following Thursday’s indictment of Eric Adams.

Fifth news item

A grim ending…for the victims and the inmate sentenced to death for the killings:

Alan Eugene Miller was executed Thursday evening in Alabama, state officials said, making him the second inmate known to die by nitrogen hypoxia, a controversial method critics say is tantamount to torture.

Miller, 59, who was sentenced to death in 2000 for the 1999 killings of three men, was pronounced dead at 6:38 p.m. at a prison in Atmore, Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said at a news conference.

Miller shook and trembled on a gurney for about two minutes, with his body at times pulling against restraints, according to The Associated Press, which had a reporter witness the procedure. The shaking and trembling was followed by about six minutes of periodic gulping breaths before he became still, the AP reported.

Sixth news item

Tucker Carlson’s circus act starring Roseanne Barr has come to town. Barr had some sort of fit as she crazily blathered on about Democrats, or maybe Haitians. I mean, who knows. When crazy comes to town, all bets are off:

It’s not just the dogs and the cats. There are full-on vampires, and everybody still thinks I’m crazy. But I’m not crazy. They’re full-on vampires. They love the taste of human flesh, and they drink human blood. They do. By the time we go in to vote for Trump, that he will open up everybody’s eyes and they will stop pretending to be asleep. You know what they say. You can’t wake people up that are pretending to be asleep. But I pray to God, please wake up. Even those who are pretending to be asleep with the irrefutable truth of what the worst people on this planet are really up to. They are really up to that. They’re doing it. There are so many victims. There are so many victims!

As Tucker Carlson’s tour rolls on, headliner Roseanne Barr tells a cheering audience that the elites are eating babies and are vampires who drink blood and love the taste of human flesh but Trump is going to stop it. pic.twitter.com/ohLDmCm1It

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 27, 2024

It’s both sad and frightening how much the audience applauds her insane comments.

Seventh news item

Talk about the nuttery that has infiltrated and co-opted the new political Right and the Evangelical Church:

J.D. Vance is doing a town hall on Saturday hosted by this guy https://t.co/5YqV3AaI3Z

— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) September 27, 2024

Have a great weekend.

-—Dana

My latest discusses Liz Cheney’s endorsements of Kamala Harris and Ted Cruz’s opponent, and takes on those who criticize either or both. I discuss why she does not hyperfocus on her policy differences with Harris, and why she would endorse a Democrat for the U.S. Senate. I think the reasons are obvious. Sample:

She goes on to say, later in the interview:

[T]he Republicans have nominated somebody who – who, you know, is depraved. Somebody who shows us every day that—that, you know, he has tendencies and he’s willing to embrace things that are fundamentally a danger to—to this nation and to our Constitution. So, the choice, in my view, is not a close one.

Like me, Cheney places a lesser importance on mundane political policy issues like tax rates, and a greater importance on issues like: whether the person holding office was actually the person elected by the American people; or whether one candidate is a Putin-loving ignoramus who makes up a huge percentage of the things he says. (More about that below, in the section for paid subscribers.) The question is not about Harris or how well (or poorly) thought out Harris’s policies are. The point is that Trump is 50,000 times worse, in every way.

For paid subscribers, I discuss the issue of the fairness of the ABC moderators, and offer a different perspective: instead of focusing on who got fact-checked more, why not ask: who was allowed to tell more lies without any pushback? By that metric, the moderators were very unfair . . . to Harris.

Look again at the list of lies mentioned by Dale that I chose to reproduce here. The ones about the economy, and preparations for January 6, and tariffs, and so forth. Include the fabrications from his piece about a dozen recent Trump fabrications told over the past month that were repeated at the debate: stuff like Trump’s claim that Biden sent Harris sent to negotiate with Putin before the Ukraine war; or that Harris was the first candidate to drop out in the 2020 primary; or that everybody (including all legal scholars!) wanted Roe overturned.

One thing that they all have in common is that the ABC moderators never said a word about any of them. Unless you happened to watch Daniel Dale’s fact-check or read a fact-check online, you heard those things asserted at the debate and never heard a correction.

(Let a thousand ad hominems against Daniel Dale bloom.)

Read it here. Subscribe here.

[guest post by JVW]

Vice-President Kamala Harris wrongly claimed in her debate with former President Donald Trump that no U.S. troops were currently in active combat zones. Even her friendliest fact-checkers couldn’t let that whopper slide, despite the failure of the clearly biased moderators and her equally obtuse opponent to call out the falsehood in real time. While not as obnoxious as the earlier claim from her boss that no U.S. troops had been killed during his administration, the comment does represent some wishful thinking from a White House which believes it has been a much more forceful steward of U.S. foreign policy interests than can be reasonably determined from their performance over the last 44 months.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the same White House has bowed to reality and sheepishly announced that more troops are going to be sent into one of the hottest of combat zones:

The U.S. will send additional troops to the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah approaches all-out war, the Pentagon said on Monday.

The troops will be accompanied by a dozen war ships and fighter-jet squadrons, the Pentagon said. The announcement came just hours after the IDF carried out a widespread bombing campaign against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, opening what appears to be a new phase of the long-running conflict.

The Biden/Harris Administration has grossly overestimated their ability to influence events in Gaza. They have fallen into the hopeless trap of proposing a ridiculously naïve truce, tailored more to the delicate political sensibilities among Democrat Party voters in the U.S. than to peace and security in the affected reason, only to have one side or the other reject their proposals. Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah this past week seems to emphatically confirm that the IDF and Mossad intend to expand their battle and take on Hamas’s nefarious allies in the region. No doubt this is giving the Biden/Harris/Walz political operatives a great deal of angina, but Tel Aviv is pointedly delivering the message that they are pursuing something more important than the approbation of American progressives.

We are coming up on one year since the atrocious Hamas attacks of October 7, and of course the anniversary coincides with the final month of what promises to be a very bitter and nasty election in the United States. Democrats have tried to gingerly straddle the line between their pro-Israel and anti-Zionist camps by declaring their support for “Israel’s right to defend itself,” but it seems that nobody in our incurious and complacent media has bothered to ask if that right includes proactively attacking terror groups inside of the enemy’s borders. My guess is that this question would sharply divide the Democrat caucus, and is thus something that this administration does not want to be called upon to answer. But perhaps it is time that they be required to spell it out, even though it doesn’t fit into the current preferred motif of “joy” and “vibes.”

– JVW