Secessionists Join Republican Effort to Steal the Election

Tim Miller on how the kook behind the “New Nevada” movement is now smack-dab in the middle of the new GOP consensus.

Jim Swift

Dec 11, 2020

Secessionists Join Republican Effort to Steal the Election

TIM MILLER: Kook behind the “New Nevada” movement is now smack-dab in the middle of the new GOP consensus.

🎧 On the Pods…🎧

Conor Lamb on the Future of the Democratic Party

On today's Bulwark Podcast, Rep. Conor Lamb joins Charlie Sykes to discuss the future of the Democratic Party and COVID-19 relief.

Beg to Agree

Author and foreign correspondent Michael J. Totten joins the group to discuss conspiracy thinking at home and abroad, the Biden cabinet so far, and Stop the Steal.

For Bulwark+ Members…

If you missed last night’s livestream, don’t worry, we have you covered.

🔐 “The Big Lie” Livestream

Join us for our staff livestream about the Trump campaign’s election trutherism and their failed lawsuits.

🔐The Secret Podcast: Crushed Fantasy Island

Today’s episode is a real downer.

🔐The Triad: The Angry Newsletter

JVL writes:

This [lack of COVID-19 relief], in the, wealthiest country in the world.
While the president of the United States and his party spend all of their time filing frivolous lawsuits and posturing about an election which he lost, decisively.
I’ll be honest: I don’t know that I’ve ever been so angry about the failure of our government.
In the meantime, if you are able, please find a foodbank in your area and send them some money.

🔓Morning Shots: The GOP Gives Up On Democracy

CHARLIE SYKES writes:

As TrumpWorld pushes for the Supreme Court to wipe out the results of a presidential election, we can also forget about notions like “judicial restraint,” and “strict constructionism.”
And federalism. And states’ rights.

From The Bulwark Aggregator…

In Today’s Bulwark…

George Shultz at 100

SHAY KHATIRI: The economics professor who became secretary of state and won the Cold War.

Biden’s Secret Tape Scandal

MONA CHAREN: The shocking thing is that he says the same things in private that he does in public.

How Three Counties Can Help Us Understand Trump’s Shellacking

DANIEL MCGRAW: The president’s inability to appeal to key midwestern counties in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin could hinder the party’s chances in 2022—and beyond.

What’s a Little Abuse of Power Among Friends?

AMANDA CARPENTER: The suspicious backdrop for the Texas A.G.’s luridly seditious MAGA lawsuit.

SONNY BUNCH: But the real action is on Disney’s streaming service. Kathleen Kennedy announced ten Star Wars shows, live action and animated, covering a gamut from old favorites like Obi Wan Kenobi to spinoffs of The Mandalorian. (I’ve got my fingers crossed for a heavy Cara Dune presence in Rangers of the New Republic if only for the Take Wars it will inspire.) Donald Glover playing Lando! Animated shows about Droids!

State and Local Governments Need Help. Pass COVID Relief Now.

JEFFREY CLEMENS, BENEDIC IPPOLITO, AND STAN VEUGER: Should Congress pass another COVID relief package? The deliberations continue, with one of the sticking points being whether the federal…

🚨 OVERTIME 🚨

I’d like to echo JVL’s earlier call in his newsletter today about helping out your friends and neighbors. People are hurting. I’ve tried to use this space to encourage people to support places they’d like to exist in 2021, because God knows I’ve seen a number of my favorites join the growing list of COVID-19 victims.

Empathy is not my strong suit. After all, I’m a hard nosed conservative Republican. And the reason why there was no OVERTIME yesterday is because I had to prepare for an HOA board meeting. The annual meeting, where they elect people. Much to the consternation of my wife, I am still on the HOA board. COVID-19 has complicated things a great deal. And we’re lucky to live in an area that is more insulated than most when it comes to economic crises. But people are still hurting here, as JVL mentioned.

In fact, I live just down the road from JVL. And my neighbors are, as are his, not the types of neighbors I had in Alexandria, Virginia, where they were doctors, lawyers, think tankers, lobbyists, and Bulwark contributors. My neighbors are great. They’re quite literally the lifeblood of the engine that makes Washington work. One of my neighbors owns a restaurant, and he’s been lucky that it hasn’t gone under, but business is down significantly. Others are active duty military, while another works for WMATA, the D.C.-area transit system, which is basically in a death spiral.

I’d do anything to help my neighbors, and I know they’d do anything to help us. I’m sure you’re the same way. Many of you are members of Bulwark+, and we thank you for that. It is what keeps our lights on, and what makes this whole operation happen. There are lots of other publications out there that are worthy of subscribing to. So in addition to doing things, whether it’s through your church, a social club, or donating to a food bank, please consider subscribing to a publication you’ve wanted to, but put off. Other than ours.

Two years ago this week, we all got laid off from The Weekly Standard. That’s how and why we started The Bulwark. Your generosity made all of this possible.

I know you actually can say “thank you” enough to the point of being annoying, but I’ll say it again: thank you. As the end of the year rolls around, and I see people I know and like lose their jobs, I feel for them. I’ve been there. But thanks to you, I’ve been very lucky.

One subscription is not going to save somebody’s job. Neither is one order from a local pizzeria. But every little bit makes a difference. And if you’re in a good financial place, and I hope that you are, if Congress passes a ham handed checks-for-all scheme (which they are likely to) I hope you’ll consider how you can use that money to help others less fortunate. Keynesians like to think people will spend that money, and that’s not always the case. Many people hoard (read: save) that money and that doesn’t help your neighborhood very much.

Ghost kitchens: I was on the interwebz today debating what to order for a late lunch. Producing the daily podcast and getting up Mona’s wonderful Beg to Differ podcast results in what I like to call #LateLunchFriday. In search of food, I noticed a new restaurant I had never heard of before: It’s Just Wings. Not only do you get wings, but you get free french fries. I googled this, and lo and behold, it turns out this brand is the ghost kitchen at local Chili’s and Maggiano’s. Ghost kitchens, if you’re unaware, are megachains rebranding their kitchens to save jobs and save locations.

I know people, especially the locavore crowd, will share memes about the CEO of ______ making ______ while somebody who owns _______ struggles to pay for ballet lessons. The people who work at Chili’s or Maggiano’s have kids, too, and my guess is those who have kids want to provide for them. This is a global pandemic, not a time for woke politics. In 2021, I’d like for my girls to be able to enjoy Chuck E. Cheese (the E. stands for Entertainment) and I gotta tell you: Pasqually’s Pizza and Wings aren’t half bad.

A new “fairness doctrine”… I’ve been harshly critical of the efforts of Missouri’s Josh Hawley to create what is, in effect, a right wing fairness doctrine. My old neighbor John Berlau, writes at National Review why a “fairness doctrine for ‘woke capital’” will backfire. Conservatives would be right to heed his warning.

Probing the reporting. At the New York Times, an internal investigation that, frankly, more publications should do when irregularities are exposed about their reporting.

Beers for dogs? I’m not sure how I feel about this, Busch.

How I’m spending the holidays… Reliving the Cold War, obviously.

Dreher unloads on Metaxas. This is a large part of today’s secret pod. You have to read the whole thing, but here’s a taste:

There is no way around it, and it grieves me to say it: Eric Metaxas is calling for violent bloodshed to defend Donald Trump’s presidency, and he doesn’t care that Trump’s lawyers have not been able to prove in court that Trump had the election stolen from him. He told Charlie Kirk that he is willing to kill or be killed for a political cause for which there is not enough evidence to advance a court case, even among friendly judges.
This is fanaticism. But according to Eric, to disagree with him is to be under the sway of the Devil.

It is very good.

So, what about Hunter Biden? In this brutal Twitter thread from David Frum, he explains why Sohrab Ahmari and the New York Post can get their apology at the nearest A&P grocery store in the check cashing section.

A big editorial: