Subpoenas, audits, and a mess at the border

[link removed]
Did the Cyber Ninjas actually prove that Joe Biden won Arizona by even more votes in the 2020 election? No. Because their entire audit was a sham, and their report a farce, even if it comports with our beliefs. It is important that we don't validate them or their audit by citing their "results." If we give them that credibility, they'll take their sideshow on the road to states like Pennsylvania, where another fake audit is already being advanced. And while they will never find anything of substance, they will continue to degrade trust in our elections. Ultimately, repeating their claims today helps them set the stage to reject or overturn elections in the future. The only results from Arizona are the results certified by the state in November of 2020. Our democracy depends on us all recognizing that fact. —Mike Ongstad, Communications Director, Stand Up Republic

NEW TO THE TOPLINE? SUBSCRIBE NOW ([link removed])
Love THE TOPLINE? Help us spread the word and earn TOPLINE rewards here ([link removed]) .
[link removed] Share ([link removed])
[link removed]: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fstanduprepublic.com%2Fthetopline092421 Tweet ([link removed]: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fstanduprepublic.com%2Fthetopline092421)
[link removed] Forward ([link removed])


** Litman: The House select committee moves forward
------------------------------------------------------------

"It is the best and perhaps last hope we have of countering the GOP's falsehoods—that there was no insurrection, that the rioters were peaceful protesters, and that the only danger to our democracy was a 'stolen' 2020 election. In fact, the committee could achieve a major breakthrough. With the right legal incentives—sweeping information and document requests and orders, subpoenas issued and enforced, testimony under oath—some of Washington's biggest liars may meet their match. Americans of all political stripes should champion the effort. A full accounting of Jan. 6 is a core requirement for maintaining America's democracy." —Harry Litman in ([link removed]) Los Angeles Times ([link removed])

Harry Litman is a former U.S. attorney and host of the podcast "Talking Feds."

MORE: House Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Trump advisers, associates —Associated Press ([link removed])


** Milbank: Democracy can't survive without truth
------------------------------------------------------------

"[D]istortions are bound to occur when the leaders of a major political party go to war with reality. People protest in defense of nonexistent political prisoners arrested for violently protesting nonexistent voter fraud. People die because their leaders convince them to distrust life-saving vaccines. Now some Republicans worry that the pervasive belief that elections are rigged—an article of faith since the 2016 Iowa caucuses—will discourage voting, as it appeared to do in the Georgia Senate runoff and again in the California recall. … When Republican leaders convince their supporters not to vote, that's their problem. But when they convince them to reject democracy, that's everybody's problem." —Dana Milbank in ([link removed]) The Washington Post ([link removed])

Dana Milbank is an author and columnist at
The Washington Post.

MORE: Republican review of Arizona vote fails to show stolen election —The New York Times ([link removed])


** WaPo Ed Board: The border crisis has been a long time coming
------------------------------------------------------------

"Many of the failings in the U.S. immigration system are reflected in the mess in Del Rio: the absence of any workable channel by which migrants could apply for asylum south of the border; the massive backlog and shortage of judges in migration courts, which means asylum applicants, once admitted, may wait two or three years for their cases to be heard; and the misalignment of high domestic demand for cheap immigrant labor with an inadequate legal supply of it. Successive administrations tried to address some of those problems. Partisanship in Congress doomed those efforts. No major immigration reform has been enacted since the Reagan Administration. Is it any wonder we've arrived at this juncture?" —The Washington Post ([link removed])

MORE: The Biden Administration will no longer use horses at a Texas border crossing —NPR ([link removed])


** Downie: The high cost of Covid incompetence
------------------------------------------------------------

"According to seven-day rolling averages, as of Sunday, the five states with the highest per capita covid death rates are all governed by Republicans, as are 12 of the top 13. [Mississippi Gov. Tate] Reeves may protest that 'this virus is not just attacking Republicans in red states,' but under Republican leaders in red states, there are too many needless deaths. Politicians like Reeves have prioritized their political views over their constituents' lives—and those constituents have paid the price." —James Downie in ([link removed]) The Washington Post ([link removed])

James Downie is the digital opinions editor at
The Washington Post.

MORE: CDC vaccine advisers endorse giving COVID-19 boosters to people 65 and older and long-term care facility residents —CNN ([link removed])
[link removed]'s%20amazing!%20Check%20it%20out: [link removed] EARN TOPLINE REWARDS ON TWITTER ([link removed]'s%20amazing!%20Check%20it%20out: [link removed])


** Anderson: How the world's democracies can move forward
------------------------------------------------------------

"[I]t is possible for existing democracies to strengthen themselves and work together to fight the coronavirus, climate change, and economic inequality. … The autocratic regimes should be contained as democratic nations move forward together. Idealism and realism in international relations have been the two dominant approaches for 100 years. Our idealist tradition developed as a response to World War I and our realist tradition was fully developed during the Cold War. These are dated binary alternatives. A robust approach of pragmatism is still waiting to be articulated and advanced, one that would have a natural home in the American pragmatist tradition." —Dave Anderson in ([link removed]) The Fulcrum ([link removed])

Dave Anderson edited "
Leveraging: A Political, Economic, and Societal Framework," has taught at five universities, and ran for a Maryland congressional seat in 2016.

MORE: Biden hosts Indo-Pacific leaders as China concerns grow —News4Jax ([link removed])


** Richie & Daley: Electoral reforms that would actually work
------------------------------------------------------------

"A proportionally elected House would not only fulfill a deeply American vision of equality, but help parties represent their 'big tents,' incentivize cooperation, and give everyone a voice without hijacking majority rule. Independents would be able to hold the major parties accountable without splitting the vote. Minority voting rights would be reliably protected, and women would gain new opportunities to level the playing field. Everyone would have the voice they win at the polls, no less and no more. Incentivizing our politicians this way would be the most meaningful change we could make to address gerrymandering, and also to make a broken Congress function again." —Rob Richie & David Daley in ([link removed]) The Tribune-Review ([link removed])

Rob Richie is the president and CEO of FairVote. He is the co-author of "Every Vote Equal" and "Whose Votes Count?" David Daley is a senior fellow at FairVote and the author of "Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy."

MORE: Andrew Yang's third party has a name: 'The Forward Party' —Insider ([link removed])


** Rubin: Will the GOP stand up for the separation of powers?
------------------------------------------------------------

"We will see whether Republicans, who used to support executive restraint, will support tough reforms when a Democrat is in the White House, or instead will resist installing guardrails to corral a president unwilling to abide by long-standing norms—as though in anticipation of a Republican president's return. The expectation that Republicans will try to nix many of the proposals simply because the disgraced former president would not like them (or because some Trump-lite figure would bristle at restraints), says everything that voters need to know about a broken party that decided long ago that democratic norms and institutional integrity are for suckers." —Jennifer Rubin in ([link removed]) The Washington Post ([link removed])

Jennifer Rubin is an attorney and political opinion columnist at The Washington Post.

MORE:'It's about all future presidents.' Schiff on protecting democracy —The Christian Science Monitor ([link removed])
This month's read is: "Here, Right Matters: An American Story" by Lt. Col. (ret.) Alexander Vindman

What transpired in the time before the now-infamous call between then-president Donald Trump and newly elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and afterward is outlined in Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman's new book, "Here, Right Matters: An American Story." Vindman tells his family's story of immigrating to the United States from Ukraine and how he garnered national attention when he testified at Trump's first impeachment hearing. Vindman's memoir showcases the importance of standing on principles and not being afraid to speak the truth even if your voice shakes.

A decorated military officer veteran, Vindman served in South Korea, Germany, and Iraq. In 2018, Vindman joined the National Security Council as the director for European affairs. It was during his time as director that Vindman would find himself called to uphold the oath he took as a member of the military. On the July 25, 2019, call, Vindman bore witness to the U.S. commander-in-chief committing an impeachable offense, and he chose to do the right thing and report the incident. Vindman weaves lessons learned during his military career and from his father throughout the pages and uses them as support for why he felt compelled to report Trump's infraction up the chain of command.

An unlikely American hero, Vindman offers readers insight into the consequences of his actions, and how seemingly overnight he became a public figure. Vindman's American story is a must-read for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the events leading up to Trump's call with Ukraine and the risks Vindman took to uphold his oath to the Constitution and to protect America from enemies both foreign and domestic. Taking the principled stand isn't for the faint of heart, but as Vindman reminds the reader, anyone can do it and make a lasting impact in our world.
Have you read this? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @StandUpRepublic ([link removed]) and Facebook: facebook.com/standuprepublic

Want to purchase this book? Click here ([link removed]) .

Have a suggestion for our next monthly read? Send them to Mary Anna Mancuso, Stand Up Republic Media Manager: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

You would think a group like the American Conservative Union, which claims to be supportive of American free enterprise, would get it, but they (as usual) don't.

Here's a segment of their latest email against two of America's leading airlines...

"Two of our nation's largest airlines have implemented onerous vaccine mandates on their employees. United Airlines and Delta Airlines have both decided to choose mandates over personal freedom and individual liberty. As Americans, we have always cherished our rights to make our own medical decisions, but Delta and United are stripping their employees of those rights with a vaccine mandate. Delta is going even further with a vaccine tax levied against employees who do not get vaccinated."

United and Delta are profit-making organizations, dependent upon the comfort and confidence of customers for financial success. If potential passengers believe an airline is doing everything it can to protect them from the transmission of a debilitating and potentially fatal condition, they may be more likely to select that airline for their travel needs.

If employees of United or Delta are not willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enhance the confidence of their employer's customers, they are free to exercise their 'cherished rights'...

...and quit.

Perhaps Matt and Mercedes Schapp have a start-up airline they could work for, where vaccines...and perhaps those damn, restrictive seat belts...are optional. —Jim V., New York
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT TODAY'S STORIES ([link removed])


** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
------------------------------------------------------------
Got feedback about THE TOPLINE? Send it to Melissa Amour, Managing Editor, at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
CARE ABOUT DEMOCRACY? SHARE SOME DEMOCRACY.
If you love THE TOPLINE, share it with your friends and reap the rewards—from a shoutout in an issue of TL, to exclusive swag, to a call with Evan and Mindy.
[link removed]
Your Dashboard has everything you need to easily share THE TOPLINE
and track your progress.
VISIT YOUR DASHBOARD NOW TO GET STARTED ([link removed])

============================================================
** ([link removed])
The Topline is a project of the Stand Up Republic Foundation.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.

700 Pennsylvania Ave SE · Washington, DC 20003-2493 · USA