Kari Lake Caves to Reality, Sort Of
Plus: The Right-Wing Embrace of Bloodlust
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AMANDA CARPENTER: Kari Lake Caves to Reality, Sort Of.
UNDERSTAND TWO THINGS about Kari Lake: She’s a hardcore conspiracy theorist. And she lost her Arizona gubernatorial race by less than one percentage point.
These two facts explain why Lake hasn’t gone away, despite failing again in court on Tuesday to prove her wild election-fraud claims. She came too close to winning outright in a statewide election in an important swing state to give up the dream.
Yet what she did Tuesday after her latest court loss was decidedly out of character. Although she has long insisted that mail-in voting is a system rife with fraud, Lake said it was time for Republicans to embrace it and that she would lead the effort. In a press conference billed as a “big announcement”—leading many people to surmise mistakenly that she would announce a bid for the U.S. Senate—Lake said she is “officially launching the largest, most extensive ballot-chasing operation in our state’s history, and frankly, possibly in American history.”
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BILL LUEDERS: The Right-Wing Embrace of Bloodlust.
The praise just keeps pouring in for Daniel Penny, the 24-year-old white ex-Marine charged with second-degree manslaughter for choking to death a 30-year-old black mentally ill homeless man named Jordan Neely on a New York City subway.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida called Penny a Good Samaritan and urged his Twitter followers to contribute to his legal defense fund, saying “We must defeat the Soros-Funded DAs, stop the Left’s pro-criminal agenda, and take back the streets for law abiding citizens.” (The charges were brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is also criminally prosecuting former President Donald Trump over hush-money payments to a porn star with whom he cheated on his wife.)
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a GOP representative from Georgia, offered her two cents on Penny, posting his photo on Twitter with the message: “This is what a hero looks like. The world needs more men like Daniel Penny.” Kid Rock, the washed-up rocker, agreed, writing “Mr. Penny is a hero” as he gave $5,000 to the fund, which raised more than $2 million in just a few day
🚨OVERTIME🚨
It’s Red Nose Day! If I’m guilty of any audience capture, it’s certainly my daughters’ pre-school class. At pickup this month, I’ve been donning a red nose from Walgreens much to the amusement of them and their class. (The teachers do not enjoy this.) Red Nose Day is all about ensuring healthy futures for children, and who wouldn’t want that? (Don’t answer that.) If you donate today, your donation will be doubled. Here’s Philomena Cunk with more on Red Nose Day, for a laugh.
Lock him up! Oath Keeper chief Stewart Rhodes gets 18 years in prison… You remember him, the guy who wears an eye patch because of combat, but because he shot himself in the eye? The guy with the Ivy league law degree who decided to be a seditious actor rather than, well, anything else? Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, prisoner number TK, found out today that he won’t be out of an orange jumpsuit until the ripe age of 75. Here’s Scott MacFarlane’s tick-tock of the sentencing. He’s not very remorseful, painting it as a politicized witch hunt. A friend observes: “These Antifa actors are really committed to the gimmick, going to jail and all.”
Throwback Thursday: Amanda Carpenter (1/4/22): Sedition Charges Demolish a Right-Wing Talking Point.
Speaking of J6 criminals and politics… Ron DeSantis told Clay Travis he’d consider pardoning, on his first day, anyone he deemed to be politically prosecuted. Upto, and including, that former guy. When somebody shows you their priorities, believe them. It’s an odd play, trying to appeal to hardcore AmGreatness Trump obsessives who would never pick him over the Orange God King. But, it does alienate normie voters who might want to get past Trump but not back Biden. Ron DeSantis is bad at politics. And on day 2 of his official candidacy, it’s thoroughly disqualifying.
This will not shock you… The guy in Maryland in a red hat (wonder what it says?) who repeatedly showed up at a bus stop with an AR-15 has thoughts on Hitler. (Can you guess if they were positive or negative?)
How do stores work? In what’s becoming something of a series, Ben Collins explains the concept of stores to right-wing lie peddlers. Conservatives have been boycotting Target since 2014.
America is nearing the debt limit… Republicans are defaulting to crazy. A new ad from our friends at the Republican Accountability Project.
Meanwhile, in the “Free State of Florida”… Let’s check in on the poem police! The Daily Beast reports the mom, Daily Salinas, has links to the Proud Boys. And she’s also on a bit of an apology tour, as the best headline of the day put it: “Florida mom behind poem restriction says sorry for promoting 'Elders of Zion’” Did she do the reading? Nope! That’s her excuse: “They have to read for me because I’m not an expert… I’m not a reader. I’m not a book person. I’m a mom involved in my children’s education.” Ron DeSantis thinks giving parents like these a heckler’s veto will vault him to the White House. But we’re supposed to be enthusiastic about him because he’s not Trump? No thanks, Nate Silver.
…and in Texas… A literal dumpster fire at the corrupt Attorney General’s office. A day before a House panel recommended his impeachment. He was indicted for felonies eight years ago, but hey, they do everything bigger in Texas—including public corruption! Glad they got around to handling it. Up next: ERCOT reform in 2030?
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Sinclair)… Tells the truth a day later why he wants a law mandating AM radios in vehicles: all part of a sinister plot to silence conservative voices.
Is this grooming? Giving your child a plushie of an extremist political commentator you love? Tell me that’s not grooming.
Who needs AI… When you have Andy Levy?
⌚️Watch talk… Earlier this week I linked to the re-released LF-20W, which sold out in less than a day. Reader David S. writes: “I wore a Casio Twin Graph back in the Reagan administration and I've missed it for years and I'm delighted to be able to finally replace it. I scored a grey one before they sold out again and I'm waiting eagerly for it to be delivered tomorrow.” Mine is supposed to come today or tomorrow. Will report back.
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