Tuesday, August 6, 2024
BY CROOKED MEDIA
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Kamala Harris found the perfect foil for J.D. Vance in Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) as her vice presidential running mate.
- At the duo’s debut as the Democratic ticket in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, Harris aimed remarks directly at her opponent. “Well, Tim and I have a message for Trump and others who want to turn back the clock on our fundamental freedoms," the vice president told the crowd. “We’re not going back.” About Walz, she said: “Compare his resume, shall we, to Trump’s running mate? Well, well, well, some might say … it’s like a matchup between the varsity team and the JV squad.”
- The Democratic Minnesota Governor was a bit of a late bloomer in Harris’s veepstakes; battleground state lawmakers such as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly were seen as more likely picks. Though the chair of the Democratic Governors’ Association, Walz went from largely unknown to the internet’s folksy Dad almost overnight when the 60-year-old Democrat labeled Trump’s Hannibal Lecter laden rants and shark diatribes as, simply, “weird.”
- Dismissing Trump & Co. as weirdos has been a particularly effective line of attack for Democrats. “This ‘weird’ thing is not an insult. It is an observation,” Walz told Pod Save America cohost Jon Lovett last week. Trump not laughing in public is weird; Vance arguing “childless cat ladies” should have “no direct stake” in democracy is weird. “Who is asking for some of this stuff?” Walz asked. “It's ludicrous and I think what’s happened is that the spell has been broken and now we need to step into it with some positive ideas.”
- In the two weeks since Harris launched her White House bid, Walz emerged as one of Democrats’ most effective messengers. He is also the antithesis, in many ways, of Vance. To wit: Trump’s V.P. pick doesn’t support abortion even in cases of rape and incest and expressed support for a national abortion ban; he says he supports IVF but voted against legislation that would have codified protections for it; Walz expanded reproductive protections and has two daughters through IVF treatments. “There is nothing pro-family [in the G.O.P. platform] other than having women be incubators for their vision,” Walz said in the Pod Save America interview. “Once again it's weird, I don’t want J.D. Vance talking about my family, I certainly don’t want him talking about my daughter or my wife. It's none of his damn business.”
- At the Philadelphia rally, Walz laid out the stark differences between the Democrats and the Republicans. “[Trump] sows chaos and division, and that’s to say nothing of his record as president… He froze in the face of the Covid crisis. He drove our economy into the ground. And make no mistake, violent crime was up under Donald Trump,” Walz said. “That’s not even counting the crimes he committed.” As for Vance, Walz expressed enthusiasm about the prospect of going toe-to-toe with the Ohio senator. “Like all regular people, I grew up with in the heartland, JD studied at Yale, had his career funded by Silicon Valley billionaires and then wrote a bestseller trashing that community. Come on! That’s not what middle America is,” he said gleefully.
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Walz isn’t likely to expand the map for Harris; Minnesota remains a blue state. But he could boost Harris in other ways.
- Walz boasts certain bonafides—which Harris lacks—that could appeal to certain demographics Democrats need to win in November. He is a gun owner, veteran and former high school football coach with Midwestern roots. Prior to his election as governor, Walz demonstrated an ability to win Trump country; he served as the representative for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District for six terms, representing a rural, conservative region of the state.
- Walz, however, also is arguably one of the most progressive governors in the county. Since Democrats secured the power trifecta in Minnesota, with the Governor’s office and majorities in both the state House and Senate, Walz has signed sweeping progressive policies into law including, but not limited to: reenforcing Minnesota’s constitutional abortion protections, expanding paid family and medical leave, legalizing recreational marijuana, restored voting rights to formerly incarcerated felons, protections for transgender individuals and gender-affirming care, expanding gun control regulations and free school breakfast and lunch. So it’s not so much that Walz is a radical lefty (which is what Republicans want you to believe) but that he campaigned on popular Democratic policy and actually implemented it. Imagine that!
Vance says he called Walz and left a voicemail for the governor after Harris made her pick official. Whether Walz will call Vance back, however, is TBD.
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The Supreme Court might be on break, but the conservative agenda is still going full-steam ahead. Project 2025 is a 900-page far-right wish list that lays out a hyper-specific and bone-chillingly fascist roadmap for a second Trump administration. Over at Strict Scrutiny, our favorite trio of badass constitutional law professors is breaking down the full 900 yards in a 4-part series within your Monday episodes. Melissa, Leah, and Kate scoured all the fine print for you, because lawyers are sick freaks who love that shit. Stay informed about the far-right agenda, and its real-life implications for tens of millions of Americans as we head into this election cycle by listening to Strict Scrutiny wherever you podcast, or on YouTube! |
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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas took two additional, not publicly disclosed flights on billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow’s private jet, according to Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). Man, at this point you almost have to respect the grift. And by respect the grift I do mean get him off the Supreme Court.
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Scientists at the University of Bath say new 3D printed, latticed ceramic structures known as “monoliths” can be used to remove up to 75% of certain chemicals from polluted water in less than three hours, according to a new research study.
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