Wondering on Wednesday 2/22/23

 

Ready... Set... Wonder!

A pregnant woman, jailed while awaiting trial in Florida, is suing to be released because her unborn child is being illegally detained. When you think of it, she's right, isn't she? If her fetus has personhood under Florida law, how can it be imprisoned when it committed no crime? I have to wonder - did any legislators consider this type of consequence when they rushed to assign personhood to a fetus? 

GOP Congressional leader Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-You Kidding Me?) has suggested we need a national divorce, in which we'd "separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government." She's also suggested that folks from blue states who move to red states should wait five years before being allowed to vote in their new state. Greene sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. I'll let you do your own wondering on this.

2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump, never one to shy away from the cameras, traveled to East Palestine, OH today. The town, the site of this month's chemical-carrying train derailment, was the perfect place for Trump to stand behind a podium with his fundraising banner pasted on the front and tell people he's having plenty of Trump-branded water delivered to them, along with water of "much lesser quality." I couldn't help wondering if he brought any bottles of his swamp water to throw into the crowd; it seems he forgot to do that.

Comically, on the national news tonight, an anchor said that the train derailment in East Palestine "had become political" with Trump's arrival. Why is that comical, you might be wondering? Maybe because the coverage on all the networks and cables has been about the politics of it: what FEMA is doing (or not); what the EPA is doing (or not); what the Transportation Department is doing (or not); what the mayor, governor, senators, and congresspeople asked for (or didn't); what Norfolk Southern, the owner of the train, offered (or didn't) and so on. Throw in the names of Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, and Trump, all once and possibly future presidential candidates, and the politics almost overshadow the derailment and the related health and safety issues it may have caused.

Oh - one more name we need to throw into the politically derailed derailment? Mike Pence. He can't stop talking about it including saying that the Biden economy "derailed the economy of East Palestine long before that train came through...", He also said that he would have gone to East Palestine before he would go to Kyiv. If you're wondering, like I am, if Pence is running in 2024, the answer is yes. If you're wondering, like I was, whether Pence has visited Kyiv or East Palestine, the answer is no.

This last item?  I'm wondering how long it would take for the echo of right-wing screams to die down if Maddow had gotten the entire cache of the January 6th video. And I'm wondering, too, if the American people deserve to see what really happened, as the Congressional MAGAists have said, why the footage was exclusively given to a pundit, not a newsman. To a single network, not to every network. To Tucker Carlson, of all people.

What's on your wondering mind these days?

Sunday School 10/17/21

I spent all my Sunday School time in CNN's State of the Union classroom, where Jake Tapper was in the host chair. 

First up? Mayor Pete, er, I mean, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was asked, re: the current supply chain issues, if "Americans need to prepare ourselves for it to get worse before it gets better?"  He said that "a lot of" the challenges from this year "will continue into next year," but said that it's not just supply issues, it's demand issues, too.

Demand is off the charts. Retail sales are through the roof. And if you think about those images of ships, for example, waiting at anchor on the West Coast, you know, every one of those ships is full of record amounts of goods that Americans are buying, because demand is up, because income is up, because the president has successfully guided this economy out of the teeth of a terrifying recession.

The ports are handling record volume, he added, but the supply chain - mostly private business interests - can't keep up. He said the administration's role now is "to be an honest broker," and bring everyone together, get commitments and "get solutions that are going to make it easier."

Tapper asked if President Biden would consider lifting the Trump-era tariffs on China, saying it's not a panacea but it would help alleviate some of the supply-side pressures. Secretary Pete said that "every idea is being taken seriously," but the focus now is on the operations side of things, including getting commitments to keep the ports of L.A. and Long Beach open 24/7. 

But, he acknowledged, that's only a part of what's needed. We also have to get the containers out of the port, onto trucks, and off to where we need them. He said the Transportation Department is working with states on getting CDL licenses issued faster, "so we can get more qualified, safe truckers on the road." Passing the infrastructure bill would help, too.

Tapper pointed to the delay on that, and wondered if Buttigieg was "frustrated" by the delay, and if the progressives erred demanding the human infrastructure bill needed to be passed first. He said "the reality is" we need both bills, 

not only to make sure that we have the right kind of infrastructure, but to make sure that life gets better in this country for people trying to raise children and for people trying to participate in the work force. 

And on whether it would make sense for Americans to do their holiday shopping early, or if that would make things worse, Buttigieg was rah-rah about things - including that the holidays will be better this year than last.

... a year ago, millions of Americans were sliding into poverty who now have jobs. And a year ago, a lot of us were gathering with loved ones over a screen. It's going to be different this year because of the president's leadership, because of being able to get more and more Americans vaccinated and make that available free to every American. 

Finally, on the exceedingly rude comments made by Tucker Carlson about Buttigieg taking paternity leave, he said he wasn't apologizing to Carlson (or anyone else), and that all Americans deserve the same opportunity. He also said it was unnecessary to name an acting secretary while he was on leave, in part because he was available to them the whole time.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger was next. As one of the two Rs on the House January 6th committee, he's a guy everyone loves to hate, right?  

Sunday School 2/7/21: Extra Credit

As I promised in my Sunday School post, I've got Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for you today, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-Trump), but well start with Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY). 

Cheney talked with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, and said she's not resigning, as her state party requested when they censured her for "betraying the trust of Wyoming voters." 

The censure language indicated people still believe that BLM and Antifa were behind the Capitol insurrection. She said they've got a lot of work to do, and she blamed Trump and his lies for that.

We need to make sure that we as Republicans are the party of truth, that we are being honest about what really did happen in 2020 so we actually have a chance to win in 2022 and win the White House back in 2024.

She also said the Dems had no business getting involved in which Rs sit on committees; the Rs should have dealt with that.

Wallace asked if she'd vote to convict Trump in the impeachment. She said she'd listen to the evidence, but added there's a "massive criminal investigation underway. There will be a massive criminal investigation of everything that happened on January 6th and in the days before."

People will want to know exactly what the president was doing. They want to know, for example, whether the tweet he sent out calling Vice President Pence a coward while the attack was underway, whether that tweet, for example, was a premeditated effort to provoke violence... there will be many, many criminal investigations looking at every aspect of this and everyone who was involved, as there should be.

She said "I obviously believe... that what we already know is enough" to impeach him, and that there's no looking past what happened, no pretending that it didn't happen, no trying to move on. "We've got to make sure this never happens again."  

So far, she's not a fan of the new administration. She described the first few days as being "heartbreaking in many ways," and called the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline "heartless." The Rs must "stand up and fight back against the kind of far-left governing" they've seen so far, she said.

Let's go down the hall to the This Week classroom for George Stephanopoulos' chat with Mr. Secretary, aka Mayor Pete. The conversation started with the COVID relief plan, which Buttigieg said was both important and something that Americans - including Republicans - strongly support. He downplayed the comments on the recovery plan made by Larry Summer, noting that other economists feel the plan is what we need to grow jobs. And, he wants to avoid what happened after the Great Recession.

And part of what was a real struggle the last time we faced a major economic challenge in 2009, was a sense that there needed to -- if there had been more political will in Washington to do more, the economy might have recovered more quickly. 

Paying for his infrastructure agenda could run into partisan arguments, but he said these investments can pay for themselves, with enormous payback for the American people. He said it's clear people are impatient with "the idea of 'infrastructure week' turning into a punch line" and that lots of ideas on how to pay for the programs surfaced during his confirmation hearings. Not only that, but

...we also have a historic moment on our hands where we’ve realized just how critical these needs are. We can't keep kicking the can down the road and while it's not going to be easy to come to terms on exactly how to sustainably fund it, we know once again, with the economic urgency, the interest rate environment and the gathering political will that we can actually make this happen. And I think it's a great example of bipartisan priority. And if we get it right, it might pull other things along too.

Let's close with Margaret Brennan and Graham on Face the Nation. Their conversation started with foreign policy, and Graham said he'd caution President Biden not to get rid of stuff just because it's a Trump policy. They need to review things to determine if they're working, and if yes, leave them alone.

He hasn't spoken with Biden, but he has spoken to Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and is happy with the approach on Afghanistan, including leaving troops there beyond Trump's May deadline. Graham says he hopes that the administration will look at a bill he and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) have proposed that will the Iranians as much nuclear power as they want, but they wouldn't be allowed to enrich it. 

On the hottest of hot topics, Graham said that what Trump did around the insurrection "is not a crime," and further, that "many people had already planned the - to attack the Capitol" before Trump ever spoke back in January, so impeaching him for incitement is wrong.

He said if people think Trump committed a crime, "he can be prosecuted like any other citizen." Impeachment is a political process, and "we've never impeached a president once they're out of office."

I think this is a very bad idea... It's not a question of how the trial ends. It's a question of when it ends... And the only question is... how long does the trial take? But the outcome is really not in doubt. That doesn't mean what happened on January the 6th was okay. It means his impeachment, in the eyes of most Republicans, is an unconstitutional exercise.

He seemed to suggest that Trump was impeached for the wrong thing. Brennan reminded Graham that he said that "the things (Mike Pence) was asked to do in the name of loyalty were over the top, unconstitutional, illegal, and would have been wrong for the country," which sounded like high crimes and misdemeanors to her. Graham's response?

Yeah, well, he wasn't charged with that.

Ultimately, he thinks history will be the judge, and he's in obvious disagreement with Rep. Cheney on the 'moving on' thing.

I'm ready to get on with trying to solve the nation's problems. And as to Donald Trump, he is the most popular figure in the Republican Party. He had a consequential presidency. January the 6th was a very bad day for America, and he'll get his share of blame in history. But I do believe that in 2022, the Republican Party is going to come roaring back...

He thinks Trump's policies have served the country well, and that he "has to rehabilitate himself as a politician." No word on whether he sees himself in need of rehabilitation, after spending the last four years doing the bidding of a "race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot." 

See you around campus - bonus points for anyone wearing a Super Bowl Champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers mask. 

Sunday School 12/20/20

I'm focusing on incoming Biden team members who were making the rounds this morning:  Surgeon General pick Dr. Vivek Murthy; Transportation Secretary pick Pete Buttigieg; Energy Secretary nominee Gov Jennifer Granholm, and Jen Psaki, the new White House Press Secretary.

Dr. Murthy talked with Chuck Todd on Meet the Press, and noted it could be as early as late spring, but "it's more realistic" that it might be later before the vaccines hit the general population. He said the "100 million vaccinations in 100 days" is doable. They've been working with suppliers, and with the career officials in the Trump administration, many of whom he knows from working with them in the past.

On concerns about the UK - identified coronavirus mutation, Murthy cautioned that

While it seems to be more easily transmissible, we do not have evidence yet that this is a more deadly virus to an individual who acquires it. There's no reason to believe that the vaccines that have been developed will not be effective against this virus, as well. 

Todd asked about the "ethical dilemma" of whether to vaccinate older people before essential workers, and where the Biden team stood. Transparency will be key, Murthy said, and that the drivers of who gets the vaccines when "should be fact, should be ethical considerations, should be science and expertise." Regardless of the rollout,

...we have got to make sure that we've got enough supply. We've got to make sure that we have both the logistical systems in place as well as people and materials to be able to deliver that vaccine quickly. If we put these together, then we can rapidly get people in our country to the level of herd immunity. And that is ultimately what will let us get back to living our lives...

Pete Buttigieg chatted with Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union. They talked a bit about him being the first millennial cabinet member, and the first openly gay Cabinet Secretary to be confirmed by the Senate, if that in fact happens. Tapper asked him if he was confident that he's got enough experience for the role. He said yes and said Americans are "ready for us to finally do something about infrastructure."

We can't keep letting infrastructure week be a Washington punchline. This is a moment when we have a chance to answer to something that I think people in Republican and Democratic and purple communities, rural and urban, understand, which is that Americans shouldn't settle for less when it comes to our -- our roads and our bridges, our highways, our trains, all of the infrastructure that really powers our economy and creates so many livelihoods. 

Mayor Pete said that a "major infrastructure bill within Biden's first year in office" is not just "possible. It's necessary." There's no reason for us to settle for less than our peers around the world, he said, thinking about not only jobs, and the economy, and climate change, but also thinking about justice.

It's disproportionately black and brown neighborhoods that were divided by highway projects plowing through them because they didn't have the -- sometimes the political capital to resist, or sometimes nothing at all coming to the most low-income or minoritized neighborhoods. We have got a chance to get that right,

And they focus not just on traveler safety, he said, "how many people are indispensable to the vaccine supply chain and just to America's economy functioning. We have got to make sure that we're looking after their safety too, especially to get through this first year, which will really be a test of this country in conquering COVID."

Tapper asked about Hunter Biden, and any investigations, whether there should be a special prosecutor, things like that. I'm going to let Jen Psaki answer that question; she's the official spokesperson and it came up in her conversation with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday.  So did a few other questions.

On the 'colorful language'  incoming Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O'Malley Dillon used to describe Republicans, Psaki suggested people read the full comments for context and not jump to conclusions. Her message was similar when asked about suggestions that some of the cabinet picks won't be confirmed. She said they "didn't expect that every nominee would be embraced by every corner of our political system," but they are "hopeful" that the Senate will move quickly to confirm the team. 

On whether Biden believes president Trump has engaged in an abuse of power, she said they're more interested in getting to and through the inauguration and "doing the work of the American people." Whether the current president attends the inauguration or not is "not on the top-ten list or even longer than that, of his focus or priorities at this point time." 

And, finally, the Hunter Biden questions: does Biden promise to let US attorney David Weiss (he's currently conducting the investigation) finish the job?  And second, what does Biden think about a special counsel possibly being appointed to investigate his son?

 Well, let me be crystal clear, Chris, and I appreciate you asking this question. He will not be discussing an investigation of his son with any attorney general candidates. He will not be discussing it with anyone he is considering for the role, and he will not be discussing it with the future attorney general. It will be up to the purview of a future attorney general and his administration to determine how to handle any investigation.

US attorneys are personnel decisions, she reminded him, and they've still got some cabinet secretaries to announce, including the AG. 

But we’re going to allow the process to work how it should, which is for a Justice Department to be run independently by the attorney general at the top. 

And, to end on a lighter note, Psaki allowed as how she was a little puzzled by the kerfuffle over Dr. Jill Biden's use of the title she earned.

It’s a bit perplexing to me, and I’m sure to millions of Americans, that with thousands of people dying every day of COVID, millions out of work, that anyone wake up in the morning and decide that the focus they need to have, the way they contribute to society that day is to question whether or not Dr. Jill Biden, someone who is still teaching, who has a PhD in education, should be called a doctor or not. Of course she should. 

 Gov. Granholm talked with George on This Week. He asked if she'd been briefed yet on the hack we're hearing so much about, as the Energy Department was hit. Noting that she'd been nominated a mere 16 hours ago, she said she hadn't briefed. She also said we don't fully know the extent, or for sure who was behind it, but that the Biden administration would have a robust response when the time comes. 

She sees combatting climate change as an economic opportunity, with "trillions of dollars spent globally" on it - and we can be producers of the goods that everyone else will need: solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, batteries, etc. and export them around the world. We should be leading, she said, or we'll lose to other countries, including China. Biden, she said, is focused

as well on making sure that the benefits of fighting climate change, the jobs, are focused on the communities that have been hardest hit by environmental pollution, for example, or that are the poorest communities. So, both environmental equity, the equity associated with energy opportunity, and creating jobs for Americans, that is going to be the mission of the Department of Energy, in addition to the great work that they already do.

On rejoining the Paris Accord and establishing an "enforcement mechanism" to ensure net zero emissions by 2050, she said it is a realistic goal, albeit an ambitious one. It's about accountability, and about working together with the rest of the Biden team, including Deb Haaland at Interior. There's going to be a significant 'hair on fire' attitude in order to ensure we meet the goals and to be leaders around the world as well as at home. 

This was something I focused on as governor of Michigan and a lot of governors and mayors are focusing on how they can contribute to make sure that they meet the Paris Climate Accord. So, we’re going to be working at the Department of Energy with the local and sub-national, as they call it units, the states and the cities, to help give them incentives -- little carrots, little sticks. The EPA often is the place that people turn to for sticks. But the Department of Energy is going to be working with all of this -- the whole of government effort to make sure we combat climate change in a fair and equitable way, and create jobs in the process.

Finally, on what she'd say to the progressives who say that the Paris Accord standards don't go far enough fast enough, Granholm said that the Green New Deal was "an important framework" for what Biden wants to accomplish, and that it's "going to be an effort that runs through the government." She mentioned here the importance of the Transportation Department. There's been "wonderful input on the part of AOC and Bernie Sanders." Not sure that's going to placate AOC or That Guy from Vermont; we'll see how that plays out. 

See you around campus. Wear your mask. Wash your hands. Bite the bullet, and stay home for the holidays.

Highlights from the DNC: Closing Night

Here are links to highlights from nights one, two, and three, and here's the transcript for last night (other than Joe Biden's acceptance speech), the closing night of #DemsinZoomland.

Let's get right to the highlights, starting with Gov. Gavin Newsom (CA).

Climate change is real. If you are in denial about climate change, come to California. 11,000 dry lightening strikes, we had over a 72 hour period, leading to this unprecedented challenge with these wildfires.

There is so much at stake in this election, none more important than the work Joe Biden did with Barack Obama on the vehicle emissions standards, the fuel efficiency standards. It will save billions and billions of dollars taxpayers, and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. There is so much at stake in this election.

I... express my deep reverence, my admiration to Joe Biden, to Kamala Harris, California’s own, to their faith, their devotion, their constancy, to their commitment, and not just to the environment, but to the Commonwealth, to our kids, our kids’ kids, our grandkids, to our legacy. There is so much at stake in this election. And I just want to close by reminding each and every one of you. The future is not just something to experience, it’s something to manifest. It’s inside of us, not just in front of us. It’s our decision, not our conditions that will determine our fate and future. So let us resolve that after this historic night, this incredible, incredible week, this remarkable convention, that we do everything in our power to get Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in to the White House in January, 2021.

Andrew Yang.

Many of us have gotten tired of our leaders, seeming far removed from our everyday lives, and we despair that our government will ever rise to the challenges of our time. But we must give this country, our country, a chance to recover. And recovery is only possible with a change of leadership and new ideas. Bold and innovative policies that will get help into your hands in the midst of this crisis are now possible, but we need your help to turn the page for our country in 75 days. We are here tonight to celebrate Joe Biden’s nomination as the Democratic candidate for President. I have gotten to know both Joe and Kamala on the trail over the past year... They’re real people. They understand the problems we face. There are parents and patriots who want the best for us and our country. And if we give them the chance, they will fight for us and our families every single day.

Our future is now, and it is daunting. But I ask you tonight to join me, to help Joe and Kamala fight for the promise of America, turn the page for our country and lead us forward to a future we’ll actually be proud to leave to our children. 

Sen. Chris Coons (DE).

People of faith have long led change from abolition and women’s suffrage, to the labor movement and the struggle for civil rights. Joe Biden will continue that progressive march towards justice, inspired by respect for the dignity of all people, people Joe believes were made in the image of God. 

...he’ll be a president for Americans of all face as well as people of conscience who practice no particular faith. Joe’s faith is really about our future, about a world with less suffering and more justice, where we’re better stewards of creation, where we have a more just immigration policy, and where we call out and confront the original sins of this nation, the sins of slavery and racism. Joe knows these are central issues in this election, and for him, they’re rooted in faith.

We need a President who brings people of all faiths together to tackle our challenges, rebuild our country and restore our humanity. Someone who knows we’re called to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. Joe Biden will be that President. Joe has always known this race is a battle for the soul of our country, and he’s right. Joe believes, he believes in both the greatness and the goodness of this country. He believes in us, and in what we can do together.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (GA).

There are those who are disgracefully using this pandemic to spread misinformation and interfere with voting, forcing many in 2020 to still risk their lives to exercise their sacred right to vote. A right that has already been paid for with the blood, sweat, tears, and lives of so many. So let’s stand up for our children, our children’s children and for this great democracy that our ancestors worked to build and let’s vote. Let’s organize to get others to vote with us. 

We know how important it is that we elect real leaders like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, people of honor and integrity, who hold justice close to their hearts and believe that the lives of my four black children matter. In the words of womanist poet, Audre Lorde, your silence will not protect you. Congressman Lewis would not be silenced and neither can we. We cannot wait for some other time, some other place, some other heroes. We must be the heroes of our generation because we too are America. Our votes can be our voice.

Historian John Meacham.

Our faith and the things that bind us together is fraying, for our democracy is under assault from an incumbent more interested in himself than he is in the rest of us. Extremism, nativism, isolationism and a lack of economic opportunity for working people are all preventing us from realizing our nation’s promise. So we must decide whether we will continue to be prisoners of the darkest of American forces or will we free ourselves to write a brighter, better, nobler story? That’s the issue of this election. A choice that goes straight to the nature of the soul of America.

Often we’d prefer to hear the trumpets rather than face the tragedies but an honest accounting of who we’ve been, can enable us to see who we should be. A country driven by the best parts of our soul, not by the worst. A country informed by reason and candor, not by ego and lies. A country that’s big hearted, not narrow minded... our story has soared when we’ve built bridges, not walls. When we’ve lent a hand, not when we’ve pointed fingers. When we’ve hoped not feared.

From Jamestown forward, our story has become fuller and fairer because of people who share a conviction that Dr. King articulated on that Sunday half a century ago; the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. Bending that arc requires all of us. It requires we, the people, and it requires a president of the United States with empathy, grace, a big heart and an open mind. Joe Biden will be such a president. With our voices and our votes, let us now write the next chapter of the American story; one of hope, of love, of justice. If we do so, we might just save our country and our souls.

Rep. Deb Haaland (NM).

I’m grateful to be with you here on indigenous land. The promise of this country is older than our constitution. Over 500 years ago, thousands of Indian tribes were vibrant democratic societies with rich cultures and traditions and communities that had sustained them for millennia on lands they loved and respected. My people, the Pueblo Indians, migrated to the Rio Grande Valley in the late 1200s to escape droughts. We were led to the great river and its tributaries, where we established an agricultural tradition that continues to this day. My people survived centuries of slavery, genocide and brutal assimilation policies. But throughout our past, tribal nations have fought for and helped build this country. There were those like my Laguna grandparents who worked on our country’s railroad and those like my mother, a Navy veteran, who served this country with honor. I stand here today, a proud 35th generation new Mexican, and one of the first native American women ever elected to Congress. I’m a symbol of our resilience as the embodiment of America’s progress as a nation.

Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

Our nation absolutely has what it takes to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic that’s claimed tens of thousands of our loved ones. We have the talent, resources and technology. What we’re missing is leadership. We need a leader who works with States to ensure that everyone who needs a test gets one, and gets results quickly. A leader who secures a safe, effective vaccine, and distributes it quickly and fairly. A leader who inspires us to practice distancing, and wear masks, not as a political statement, but as a patriotic duty, a commitment we make to one another.

.. I know Joe Biden can be that leader. I’ve worked with Joe Biden. I’ve seen who he is with no cameras around, how he sits with people in their pain, and holds them in his heart. How he pours over COVID briefings, asking smart questions, letting science guide his way, just as he did when managing the Ebola crisis. And six years ago, when Joe Biden met my family, many of them immigrants, awed to be in the nation’s Capitol, I saw how he kneeled beside my grandmother’s wheelchair, took her hands in his, and said, “Thank you for choosing us, the United States of America, as the place to trust with your family.” Tonight, as a father, son, and grandson, as the doctor who swore an oath, and as an American who loves my country, I can tell you that Joe Biden is the man I trust to look out for my family, and the leader I know will heal this nation.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (WI).

What kind of country do we want to be? Do we want to be a country where millionaires get to dodge taxes? Or one where working families get a break? Do we want to be a country where medical bills bury people in debt, or one where healthcare is affordable for all? Or where tens of thousands of people die from a virus, or where the American dream lives? I think we know the answer to that fundamental question, because most of us want the same things. Good schools in our neighborhoods, racial justice, the freedom to love who we want, dignity in our work, and an economy where small businesses and working families thrive. And over the past months, we’ve added another to that list. A nation free from COVID. That’s why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the only answer in this election. Trust me. They are.

You see, there’s another part of my story, the part where I ran for office, the part where I served in Congress, the part where I worked with Joe Biden and Barack Obama to make sure kids, and grandkids, if they’re dependents can stay on their parents’ health insurance until they’re 26. We got that done. And yes, it was a big effing deal. That’s the America I know, that’s the America I love, and that’s the America we will be with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the White House. A nation that plans, a nation that builds, a nation that builds back. Say it with me there at home, a nation that builds back better. Here in Wisconsin, our state motto is just one word, forward. This November, let’s move forward and never look back. 

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (IL).

Joe knows the fear military families live because he’s felt that dread of never knowing if your deployed loved one is safe. He understands their bravery because he has had to muster that same strength, every hour of every day Beau was overseas. That’s the kind of leader our service members deserve.

One who understands the risks they face and who would actually protect them by doing his job as commander in chief. Instead they have a coward in chief who won’t stand up to a flatterer, a Putin, read his daily intelligence briefings, or even publicly admonish adversaries for reportedly putting bounties on our troops' heads. As president, Joe Biden would never let tyrants manipulate him like a puppet. He would never pervert our military to stroke his own ego. He would never turn his back on our troops or threaten them against Americans, peacefully exercising,their constitutional rights.

Joe Biden would stand up for what’s right, stand tall for our troops, and stand strong against our enemies. Because unlike Trump, Joe Biden has common decency. He has common sense. He can command, both from experience, and from strength. Donald Trump doesn’t deserve to call himself commander in chief for another four minutes, let alone another four years. Our troops deserve better. Our country deserves better. If you agree, text more to 30330 to elect Joe Biden, a leader who actually cares enough about America to lead.

Mayor Pete.

When you put your life on the line for this country, you do it, not because it’s the country you live in, but because it’s a country you believe in. I believe in this country, because America uniquely holds the promise of a place where everyone can belong. We know that for too many, and for too long, that promise has been denied. But we also know America is at its best when we make that circle of belonging wider.

This coalition we are building this very season, gathering progressives and moderates, independents, and even what I like to call future former Republicans, standing for an America where everyone belongs. Joe Biden is right. This is a contest for the soul of the nation. And to me, that contest is not between good Americans and evil Americans. It’s the struggle to call out what is good in every American. It’s up to us. Will America be a place where faith is about healing and not exclusion? Can we become a country that lives up to the truth that black lives matter? Will we handle questions of science and medicine by turning to scientists and doctors? Will we see to it that no one who works full time can live in poverty?

I trust Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to guide us toward that better future, because I’ve seen up close their empathy, and their capacity. Just as I’ve seen my fellow Americans capacity to support, and include one another in new ways and do better by the promise of America. The day I was born, the idea of an out candidate seeking any federal office at all was laughable. Yet earlier this year, I campaigned for the presidency often with my husband, Chasten at my side, winning delegates to this very convention. Now I come to this convention proudly supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Mike Bloomberg.

I’ve supported Democrats Republicans and independents. Hell, I’ve actually been a Democrat, Republican, and independent. It’s all about people. And the two people running for president couldn’t be more different. One believes in facts, one does not. One listens to experts, the other things he knows everything. One looks forward and sees strength in America’s diversity. The other looks backwards and sees immigrants as enemies, and white supremacists as allies. Here’s another difference. One has proven he knows how to handle a crisis by helping to lead the economic turnaround after the 2008 recession, while the other has not only failed to lead, he has made the current crisis much worse. He has failed the American people catastrophically.

Four years ago, I came before this very convention and said New Yorkers know a con when we see one. But tonight, I’m not asking you to vote against Donald Trump because he’s a bad guy. I’m urging you to vote against him because he’s done a bad job.

So I want to ask small business owners and their employees one question, and it’s a question for everyone. Would you rehire, or work for someone, who ran your business into the ground? And who always does what’s best for him or her, even when it hurts the company? And whose reckless decisions put you in danger, and who spends more time Tweeting than working? If the answer is no, why the hell would we ever rehire Donald Trump for another four years?

So when Trump says he wants to make America great again, he’s making a pretty good case for Joe Biden. Look, our goal shouldn’t be to bring back the pandemic economy. It should be as Joe says, to build it back better. Joe’s economic plan will create clean energy jobs that help fight another crisis that Trump is ignoring, climate change, and Joe will rebuild our crumbling roads and bridges, something Trump has incessantly talked about doing, but in the last three and a half years, he hasn’t done anything. What a joke.

And let me tell you a little secret. Donald Trump’s economic plan was to give a huge tax cut to guys like me who didn’t need it, and then lie about it to everyone else. Well, Joe will roll back that tax cut that I got, so we can fund things our whole country needs, like training for adults who have lost jobs and making college more affordable and investing in American research and development, so that the products of tomorrow are made today by American workers.

My favorite childhood book was called Johnny Tremain, about a Boston boy who joins the Sons of Liberty at the dawn of the American Revolution. At the end of the book, Johnny stands on Lexington Commons and sees a nation that is, quote, “Green with spring, dreaming of the future.” That’s the America I know and love. And that’s the America we are in danger of losing under this President. So let’s put an end to this whole sorry chapter in American history and elect leaders who will bring integrity and stability, sanity and competence back to the White House. Joe and Kamala, go get him for all of us.

Brayden Harrington (NH).

My name is Brayden Harrington and I am 13 years old. And without Joe Biden, I wouldn’t be talking to you today. About a few months ago, I met him in New Hampshire. He told me that we were members of the same club. We stutter. It was really amazing to hear that someone like me became Vice President. He told me about a book of poems by Yeats he would read out loud to practice. He showed me how he marks his addresses to make them easier to say out loud. So I did the same thing today. And now I’m here talking to you today about the future, about our future.

My family often says 'when the world feels better,' before talking about something normal, like going to the movies. We all want the world to feel better. We need the world to feel better. I’m just a regular kid. And in the short amount of time, Joe Biden made (me) more confident about something that’s bothered me my whole life. Joe Biden cared. Imagine what he could do for all of us. Kids like me are counting on you to elect someone we can all look up to, someone who cares, someone who will make our country and the world feel better. We’re counting on you to elect Joe Biden.

Joe and Kamala are up next, in full. 

Email of the Week (v19)

This week, I'm going to pull from several different emails, none of which are from Papa Joe Biden, the only remaining candidate for the Dem nomination. 

First, from California Sen. Kamala Harris:

It is more clear than ever that Donald Trump does not have the best interest of the American people in mind. And with him calling the shots from the Oval Office, that is a horrifying reality.

In the middle of a global pandemic, Trump and his administration went out of their way to stop people from exercising their right to vote and continue to wage a war against the Affordable Care Act -- threatening to strip millions of their health insurance. These actions are unconscionable. We cannot tolerate this reckless behavior any longer. 

And, from Mayor Pete:

I've long said that, regardless of who becomes the Democratic Party's nominee, I would do everything in my power to ensure that we have a Democratic president come January. I'm proud to support Joe Biden as that nominee.

The COVID-19 crisis has made two things very clear: It has never been more important to defeat Donald Trump in November, and leadership at the state and local level matters a great deal to our nation’s health and safety.

We need to elect Joe Biden and Democrats up and down the ballot, and I am committed to doing everything I can to make sure we do just that. 

I ran for president to unify our party, defeat Donald Trump, and usher in a new kind of politics defined by bringing people together. Let me be clear: It will take all of us to build a strong Democratic Party capable of getting that done. The challenges we will face will be steep, which is why I'm calling on you to sign up to hear how best to remain a part of the work ahead. 

And, from Barack Obama:

The crisis we face underscores the necessity for real leadership in the White House. I know from firsthand experience that Joe is up for the job. Joe’s optimism and vision for America will get this country back on track and restore the soul of this nation, as he likes to say.

But Sue, we should never for a moment assume that getting him back to the White House will be easy. So I’m doing everything I can to make sure that Joe will have the resources he needs to win on November 3rd. And what he raises right now in these early months will determine whether or not he has the resources he needs for those final, difficult months.

For decades, Joe brought change to Washington, but Washington never changed him. Because Joe Biden is simply put, a unifier. It’s who he is, it’s who he has been since he was a scrappy kid from Scranton. He brings everyone to the table; it’s what he was raised to do...

More importantly, he understands what people are going through right now. He’s walked in our shoes. As a kid, he had to leave Scranton while his dad changed jobs to keep his family afloat. As a single dad, he took the train to and from Washington to tuck his own boys in at night. He knows that life can shatter with a single phone call, and that’s why he’s always made decisions with people going through their toughest times in mind.

I can’t wait to get out there and campaign for Joe. I’m going to roll up my sleeves and get to work every day for his campaign. 

Honestly, I wish Harris had been able to stay in the race longer, and that Mayor Pete had been able to stay in longer. 

And that Barack was doing more, and not waiting. And that all of them were doing more.

Expanding the bench, getting Republicans out of office, all of that makes sense. But I want the fight against Trump to be going on now. Sleeves up, gloves off, bringing it to him, rather than waiting for him to bring it to them. 

Every day Trump has the stage alone is a day wasted. Every Sunday with no Dems in the classrooms is an educational opportunity wasted. Every time a talking head is talking about who's going to be Papa Joe's VP, instead of talking about why Trump has to be defeated, is a vote wasted. 

All of them need to become scrappy kids from Scranton, and they have to do it quickly.

TGIF 3/6/20

If it's Friday, it's list-making day.

HHS Secretary Alex Azar is having a bad week, wouldn't you agree? Today at the White House, when the president was explaining why he wasn't going to the CDC as planned (because someone who works there might have the virus) Azar said "he's sending me instead" and Trump seemed pretty comfortable with the thought of sending Azar into a coronavirus threat, and then ignored him for the rest of his remarks.

And then, during the question time at the rescheduled CDC visit, Trump spoke of the many great experts including Mike Pence who is "working 24/7 on this" again ignoring Azar who was standing right next to him. I'm still thinking he's gonna be the fall guy, especially if those cruise ship peeps come off the boat.

Speaking of the president, he had a week. Just like he always does. From a great jobs report to not touching his face to bizarro comments at the CDC (and how all of that transpired), you'd think that was enough.

But no-o-o-o -- there's more. Because there's always more.

You'll recall I suggested not long ago - in fact, it was just last week - that Mulvaney was in trouble.

There's little about Barron in the media - by design. It's because the legitimate media know that president's kids are off limits, and because they know that the mere mention of the name Barron - nothing about the child himself, mind you, but simply using the homophones Barron and baron in a sentence - caused an uproar on the Trump News Network. Mulvaney better have his bags packed.

Little did I know that it would take so little time, and that he'd be going so far away. And I do have to laugh at the folks at The Hill, who earlier in February gave us this article, headlined

Oopsie. No word yet on who will run OMB, but I doubt even someone as fabulous as Mulvaney would have a hard time running the budget from another country.

Let's see who else is having a week? Chuck Schumer, for one.  He verbally attacked two Supremes this week, 

“I want to tell you, Gorsuch. I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,

He said he misspoke , after being publicly whipped by Chief Justice John Roberts.

Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous. All Members of the Court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.

This is not the first time Schumer has shot his mouth off, and it won't be the last. I understand that, to a certain point, but the problem is he's just not good at it.

Joe Biden, we know, had a good week. That Guy From Vermont did not. Elizabeth Warren did not, and that's frustrating. Mike Bloomberg did not, but he's going to keep spending money so that either Biden or TGFV has a good November (he hopes). Tom Steyer and Amy Klobuchar didn't. Pete Buttigieg had a good week, I think, because we have definitely not heard the last from him. Steve Bullock did too, as he's decided to run for US Senate in Montana.

Andrew Yang had a good week; he's announced the formation of Humanity Forward, a new nonprofit.

Humanity Forward, which will be based in New York, will focus first on a “data dividend” project and campaign that would fight on behalf of consumers who want the rights to their personal data, Mr. Yang said. 

Separately, he said Thursday that the group had received pledges of $3 million for pilot programs that would provide people with a universal basic income payment each month.

I could keep going, but this seems like a good place to stop.

TGIF, everyone.

Email of the Week (v13)

Another Thursday, and another accounting of the week's candidate emails...

This was a challenging week for several of the gang. With our week running Friday to Thursday, we had both the South Carolina and Super Tuesday primaries to influence messaging, which you can see in the chart below. There was one additional email, from Tom Steyer, which is not reflected above, as I stopped tracking a while back. 

So, with this being the week it was, how do I choose the coveted Email of the Week?  Well, I don't. Instead, I'm intermingling excerpts from  the campaign suspension emails from the five candidates  who dropped out of the race this week. 

I am so deeply inspired by how many dedicated Americans showed up to participate in our democracy — voting in the early states, volunteering countless hours, giving your all to support the candidates and values you believe in. (Tom Steyer)

Ever since I announced in the middle of a Minnesota blizzard that I was running for President, this team has shown grit, determination and an incredible dedication to America’s future.

Traveling all over the country and talking with so many of you has been one of the greatest honors of my life. You’ve shared your concerns and ideas about how we can make progress on important issues like health care, climate change, gun violence prevention and justice and democracy for all. I will never forget those conversations and I will be taking them with me on the road ahead. (Amy Klobuchar)

I joined this race in the belief that becoming the Democratic nominee was the best way for me to ensure that we defeat Donald Trump and usher in a new kind of politics defined by bringing people together.

At this point in the race, the best way to keep faith with those goals and with the ideals our campaign has been built around is to step aside and help bring our party and our country together. So tonight I am making the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the presidency.  (Mayor Pete)

Three months ago, I entered the race for President to defeat Donald Trump. Today, I am leaving the race for the same reason: to defeat Donald Trump -- because it is clear to me that staying in would make achieving that goal more difficult.

I'm a believer in using data to inform decisions. After yesterday's results, the delegate math has become virtually impossible -- and a viable path to the nomination no longer exists. But I remain clear-eyed about my overriding objective: victory in November. Not for me, but for our country.  (Mike Bloomberg)

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything you have poured into this campaign.

I know that when we set out, this was not the news you ever wanted to hear. It is not the news I ever wanted to share. But I refuse to let disappointment blind me — or you — to what we’ve accomplished. We didn’t reach our goal, but what we have done together — what you have done — has made a lasting difference. It’s not the scale of the difference we wanted to make, but it matters — and the changes will have ripples for years to come.

What we have done — and the ideas we have launched into the world, the way we have fought this fight, the relationships we have built — will carry through for the rest of this election, and the one after that, and the one after that. (Elizabeth Warren)

This year’s election is going to be the most important of our lifetimes. And with so much at stake, we’ve got to keep pushing to make sure Democrats win big in November.

We need to defeat Donald Trump. But we can’t stop there. We also need to elect Democrats all over the country and up and down the ballot to put America back on the path to progress. I am fully committed to doing everything I can to make that happen. (AK)

I will no longer seek to be the 2020 Democratic nominee for president. But I’m going to do everything in my power to ensure that we have a Democratic president come January. (MP)

And so while I will not be the nominee, I will not walk away from the most important political fight of my life. (MB)

But I have always said that win, lose, or draw, I am in this fight. So am I going to continue to work on the issues that got me into this race? Yes, I am. You can count on that. Namely, the existential threat of climate change we’re facing on this planet. The racial injustice that pervades every single policy issue in this country. An economy that actually puts people ahead of profits and big corporations. (TS)

We have shown that it is possible to inspire people with big ideas, possible to call out what’s wrong and to lay out a path to make this country live up to its promise.

We have shown that race and justice — economic justice, social justice, environmental justice, criminal justice — are not an afterthought, but are at the heart of everything that we do.

We have shown that a woman can stand up, hold her ground, and stay true to herself — no matter what.

We have shown that we can build plans in collaboration with the people who are most affected.

This campaign became something special, and it wasn’t because of me. It was because of you. I am so proud of how you fought this fight alongside me: you fought it with empathy and kindness and generosity — and of course, with enormous passion and grit.
(EW)

That we made it here at all is proof that Americans are hungry for a new kind of politics, rooted in the values we share.

In a moment of deep division, we saw a rising American majority of Democrats, joined by Independents, and, yes, some of those future former Republicans, choose a politics defined not by who we push out, but by how many we call in; not by who we exclude, but by how we help people belong. With every passing day, I am more and more convinced that the only way we will defeat Trump and Trumpism is with that politics that gathers people together. 

And I urge everyone who supported me or ever even considered it, to be prepared to do everything we can to support the eventual nominee -- and the absolutely critical down-ballot races playing out across the country. There is simply too much at stake to retreat to the sidelines. (MP)

A year ago, people weren’t talking about a two-cent wealth tax, Universal Child Care, cancelling student loan debt for 43 million Americans while reducing the racial wealth gap, breaking up big tech, or expanding Social Security. And now they are. And because we did the work of building broad support for all of those ideas across this country, these changes could actually be implemented by the next president. A year ago, people weren’t talking about corruption, and they still aren’t talking about it enough — but we’ve moved the needle, and a hunk of our anti-corruption plan is already embedded in a House bill that is ready to go when we get a Democratic Senate. (EW)

As I’ve said before -- at its best, politics can be magnificent. Because it’s not just about policy, it is soulcraft. And it is moral. And we don’t have to win the nomination to be part of that. I don’t have to become the president in order to support that. We don’t have to win Super Tuesday for my campaign to do our part to win the era for our values. (MP)

And we also did it by having fun and by staying true to ourselves. We ran from the heart. We ran on our values. We ran on treating everyone with respect and dignity. But it was so much more. Four-hour selfie lines and pinky promises with little girls. A wedding at one of our town halls. And we were joyful and positive through all of it. We ran a campaign not to put people down, but to lift them up — and I loved pretty much every minute of it.

I may not be in the race for president in 2020, but this fight — our fight — is not over. And our place in this fight has not ended. (EW)

This primary is a journey towards the necessary defeat of Donald Trump and his corrupt administration. It is because of patriotic Americans like you that we will beat him and put power back in the hands of the people. (TS)

The past few months have been some of the most inspiring of my life, and I want to thank the tens of thousands of Americans, from Maine to California, whom I was privileged to meet -- and who every day, with their voices and their ideas, made this campaign such a powerful experience. And I am intent on making it a lasting experience: I want my supporters to stay engaged, stay active and stay committed to our issues. I will be right there with you. And together, we will get it done.  (MB)

And we walk on in the knowledge that better leadership is possible. That if we reach for it, if we work for it, if we hold that hope in our hearts and fire in our bellies, then one day we will stand in the future we create, a future where every American is empowered and everyone belongs. (MP) 

So if you leave with only one thing, it must be this: Choose to fight only righteous fights, because then when things get tough — and they will — you will know that there is only option ahead of you: nevertheless, you must persist. (EW)

And I look forward to continuing this fight together. (AK)

Thank you.

Amy, Mayor Pete, Mike, and Elizabeth 

After 12 weeks of Who Loves Me, Baby? posts tracking emails from a whole lot of candidates, to now 13 editions of the Email of the Week posts, are we nearing the end of this stuff? With another round of primaries next Tuesday, we just might be.

I'll let you know next week.

Email of the Week (v12)

Thursday? Already?

Again this week, I divided the candidate emails into pre-debate day, debate day, and post-debate day buckets, so we could see if the approach changed at all for any of the gang.

Here's how the week went, with 124 emails filling my mailbox. No surprise (again) that Mayor Pete was the volume winner (again), or that Bloomy brought up the  rear (again).

So, will there be a surprise for Email of the week?  

Well, I guess the surprise is that I'm sharing one post-debate email from each of the candidates. 

After toni‌ght's debate -- after a lot of talk, plenty of attacks, and not many solutions from the other candidates -- I'm more committed than ever to building a coalition of Americans who can make Donald Trump a one-term president.

After three months of campaigning across the country and listening to people in their communities, I know that the conversation we need to have is not what I saw on stage tonight. Americans from all walks of life know we need to pull this country back together. They know this election is too important to stay divided. And they know America cannot afford another four years with Donald Trump in the White House.

Super Tuesday is one week away and millions of people are already casting their votes. It's more important than ever to have a real conversation about what's at stake.

That's why I'll be getting on the phone to speak with folks all across America tomorrow morn‌ing. Will you call 850-679-6453 tomorrow and tell us why you're in this fight?

Now is the time to make sure that we have the strongest coalition possible -- for Super Tuesday and beyond. I hope you'll call 850-679-6453 tomorrow and share why you believe this election is so important.

Thank you,

Mike

I just left the stage of tonight’s Democratic primary presidential debate. What I try to do when I’m up there is share the story of our progressive majority -- an American majority -- that wants to see real change.

I hope I did that just now. Every day of this campaign, I’m working to be worthy of your belief and support.

If I did that tonight, I would be grateful if you would donate to help us raise the $13 million we need to stay competitive to and through Super Tuesday.

If you think the last four years have been chaotic, divisive, toxic, and exhausting, imagine spending the better part of 2020 with Bernie Sanders versus Donald Trump. Think about what that will be like for this country.

We are facing a make-or-break moment in our nation’s history. For too long, our leadership has either ignored the problems that are most urgent, like climate change and gun violence, or actively made things worse. We need a new way forward.

To answer the call of this historic moment, we need to give people a reason to come together -- a reason to hope again. We can do it with solutions bold enough for the challenges we face and big enough to bring the American people together.

Thank you for all your support. It means the world.

Pete

I just stepped off the debate stage in South Carolina.

I hope I made you proud tonight. And I hope you’re ready to join me in doing everything we can to win big and defeat Donald Trump! Are you with me? Please donate now.

Tonight I talked about how we will defeat Donald Trump and my plans to get our country back on the path to progress. But we have a lot of work left to do and we have to make the most of this moment.

This was our last debate before South Carolinians go to the polls in just four days. And people in the Super Tuesday states will make their choices in just one week. So I need your help now more than ever before: Will you donate right now to help me take on Donald Trump and win the White House?

Thank you for being on my team,

Amy

It’s us against the entire damn political establishment.

Tonight it was the candidates taking aim at Bernie on the debate stage. Tomorrow it will be their super PACs and their personal billions taking aim at us in television ads.

But we have something they don’t have: people. Lots and lots of people.

That’s why your $2.70 means everything to this campaign. Because it’s not just your $2.70; it’s the $2.70 of thousands of people donating at this very moment with you.

And when you add up all those $2.70 donations, that’s the difference between winning and losing — between a president you can trust to fight for you, and a president you’re just hoping won’t lose to Trump.

So what do you say? Let’s elect the one we trust:

Can you make a $2.70 contribution to help Bernie fight back against these attacks and win the nomination? He needs you tonight.

Thank you for standing with Bernie tonight. A record number of individual donations has put us in a position to win. Your $2.70 will finish the job for Bernie.

All my best,

Faiz Shakir
Campaign Manager

If tonight made you even more ready for Elizabeth to win the nomination, defeat Donald Trump, and make big, structural change from the White House, chip in $2 or anything you can right now.

Tonight, Bloomberg did get something right about Elizabeth: "With this senator, enough is never enough."

When it comes to fighting for working people, enough is never enough.

Elizabeth didn't stop fighting when people told her the big banks would never let her create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She didn't stop fighting when people said she couldn't beat a popular Republican incumbent. She won't stop fighting now that billionaires say we can't make big, structural change.

And we won't stop fighting by her side.

Elizabeth can't do this alone. She relies on grassroots donors to power this campaign so we can continue the fight for big, structural change. Can you chip in $2 or whatever you can today?

Thanks,

Team Warren

So, there you have it: five of the seven remaining at least semi-viable candidates, and their key "after the debate ended" messages. And here's how they're doing with the fundraising they mentioned in those emails:

• Bloomy is not asking for our money, he's got plenty of his own.
• Mayor Pete set a goal of raising $13M before Super Tuesday; as of this afternoon, he was shy of 50% of the way there.
• Klobuchar did not set a specific goal, and did not provide a specific update on how much has been raised.
• That Guy from Vermont chose to set a donor goal, rather than a dollar goal: 500,000 donors by Saturday's monthly FEC filing deadline. As of this afternoon, he was just shy of 50% of the way there. 
• Warren, too, was focused on the FEC deadline, and while her team's emails didn't specify what she was looking for, in an email yesterday afternoon they indicated the had not met the daily goal, and reiterated that again in an email this afternoon.  

It's a jungle out there - a money-hungry, vote-hungry jungle. We'll see who's still standing by the time next Thursday rolls around.