Democrat Politics

Fox News’ Steve Doocy took a drubbing at the hands of White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday. 

“Why are Democrats so sensitive about the vice president and the border?” Doocy asked, pushing the debunked GOP talking point that Vice President Kamala Harris is President Joe Biden’s failed “border czar.” 

“Why are Republicans so sensitive about actually not owning up to them getting in the way of a border deal?” Jean-Pierre responded.”Why? Why won’t they own up to that? Why won’t they own up to the last president told them not to move forward?”

Doocy, a nepo baby who has been called “a lousy reporter” to his face by Biden, was then presented with additional inconvenient facts about the Donald Trump’s successful efforts to torpedo the border security legislation that Republicans themselves demanded. 

“It was a bipartisan deal, just right there, available to them—and they voted twice against it. Twice against it.” Jean-Pierre continued. “Why are they so sensitive to moving forward and actually dealing on an issue that the majority of Americans care about?”

The Supreme Court’s MAGA majority has produced some of the most dangerous rulings in the history of the institution this session, not only declaring that presidents could be king but also that federal courts—not administrative agencies—should get the final say on all federal policy. 

Democrats are fighting to stop that. Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren and 10 fellow senators introduced legislation this week to overturn the court ruling that usurped the power of federal agencies. And not a moment too soon, because conservative activists were preparing for this ruling even before it came down, ready to flood the courts with challenges to the environmental regulations that affect just about every aspect of our lives.

In fact, a group of red-state attorneys general have already asked for an emergency ruling from the Supreme Court to block new Environmental Protection Agency rules intended to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The rules would require that coal and natural gas power plants either cut or capture their pollution by 90% before 2032. 

This is exactly why Warren and her colleagues are fighting. 

If you scan the front pages of the nation’s newspapers on Thursday, you’ll find that President Joe Biden’s historic and moving speech is at the top of papers across the nation.

Biden’s call to defend American democracy, personal sacrifice, and passing the torch to a new generation is not just front-page news at The Washington Post, it can be found from coast to coast to coast to coast to coast.

And Vice President Kamala Harris is there receiving that torch. She’s there on the cover of the Los Angeles Times, and she’s front and center in The New York Times. She’s there in Georgia, and North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Stories about Harris’ campaign and the enthusiasm and energy it’s generating are everywhere.

But something else is missing. There’s something different about the headlines. Something that makes all these papers less gloomy, less angry, less … orange.

The GOP-led House called it quits early on Thursday, leaving for its “August” recess after holding a bullshit vote attacking Vice President Kamala Harris—but without doing the planned job of funding large sectors of the government. 

Representatives won’t be back from their break until Sept. 9, stretching their month at home to six weeks. And when the House does reconvene, it will have just 13 scheduled work days to make sure the government doesn’t shut down when the new fiscal year starts on Oct. 1. What that means is yet another fight in the badly splintered GOP over a short-term funding bill, with more shutdown threats and angst, as well as a post-election lame-duck period that promises chaos.

All of this was supposed to be different when House Speaker Mike Johnson took over from the ousted Kevin McCarthy last fall. 

Ha. 

On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered the keynote address at the American Federation of Teachers’ National Convention in Houston. The AFT, the second-largest teachers’ union in the country, endorsed Harris on Monday, one day after President Joe Biden announced he would no longer seek reelection. And Harris’ ovation at the convention was overwhelming.

Harris reminded the crowd that she is a child of public education and that her personal connection to that education formed who she is today. She told a story of her first grade teacher’s impact on her life. It was an eloquent, and moving, and direct acceptance of the AFT’s endorsement.

As you may know, I am a proud product of public education. Many of you know that my first grade teacher, Mrs. Francis Wilson, God rest her soul, taught me and educated me and encouraged me and inspired me. And years later, when I walked across the stage to receive my law school diploma, Mrs. Francis Wilson was in the audience.
And that’s who you are. I know who you are. I know who you are. This work is personal, and it is professional, and it is so critically important. And so it is because of Mrs. Wilson and so many teachers like her that I stand before you as vice president of the United States of America.  

And that I am running to become president of the United States of America.

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Disapproval for Project 2025 is skyrocketing

Unsurprisingly, once people learned about the authoritarian plan, they weren’t fans.

Harris bid energizes young voters as registrations surge

Registering 38,500 new voters in 48 hours is nothing to scoff at. 

JD Vance is a huge drag on the GOP ticket—and it’s only going to get worse

Being the least-liked running mate in 44 years is also nothing to scoff at. 

Cartoon: Recharge

Harris is breathing new life into this campaign. 

‘These are weird people’: Minnesota governor nails the GOP

They really, really are.

With Kamala Harris on their minds, a record number of Black women organizers joined a Win With Black Women call to focus on a new future for the mobilization long led by their community.

By Errin Haines and  Jennifer Gerson, The 19th

Originally published by The 19th

It was Sunday at 5:24 p.m. when Rep. Joyce Beatty predicted history on national television.

Discussing the news that President Joe Biden was ending his campaign and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him as the 2024 Democratic nominee for president, the Ohio Democrat dropped a casual mention on MSNBC that there would be a call later.  

“As a Black woman, I’m going to join later tonight with so many Black women,” Beatty said. “It will probably be some 20,000 or 30,000 women trying to get on this call because it’s personal for us and we stand with Vice President Harris.”

The host was incredulous. “Twenty or 30,000 you think will be on that phone call?”

On Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray told the House committee investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump that it was not clear whether Trump was hit by a bullet or shrapnel.

During an exchange with the committee’s chair, Jim Jordan, Wray explained that accounting for all of the bullets fired during the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was not information he had on hand.

“With respect to former President [Donald] Trump, there’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that, you know, that hit his ear,” Wray said, alluding to Trump’s claims it was indeed a bullet. 

A cartoon by Jeff Danziger.

Campaign Action

It’s been 10 days since Donald Trump selected Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate and America is not exactly feeling the “Vancementum.” What’s growing is an unease on the right, where even Trump’s staunchest supporters seem to realize that he did not choose wisely.

As one House Republican told Axios, Vance was “the only pick who wasn’t a safe pick.” Vance has no crossover appeal. He doesn’t bring with him suburban voters, or moderate Republicans, or independents looking for reassurance that Trump’s policies will be more measured. He sure doesn’t help close Trump’s gap in support from women. 

According to CNN, Vance is the least-liked VP pick since 1980. He comes into the race with a net negative approval rating even before most Americans know who he is. 

Since he has hit the road as Trump’s new junior partner, things have only gotten worse. With clumsy speeches full of weird lines that fail to get a cheer even from a hometown crowd, and old statements resurfacing that are generating an angry backlash, even Republicans are starting to realize that Vance is a loser. Kind of reminds us of another controversial VP pick.