The GOP 'Dividers' bedeviling Congress

[link removed]
Today, almost five and a half years after the hashtag #NeverTrump began trending on Twitter, the Renew America Movement has moved beyond debating what should be done about Donald Trump and his takeover of the Republican Party. We have moved on to doing the hard work of winning elections. The movement is composed of hundreds of prominent current and former Republican leaders, hundreds of thousands of donors large and small, and millions of social media followers. It includes intellectual leaders, media pundits, think tanks, political operatives, and a robust fundraising, organizational, and political infrastructure. The ground is being laid for this movement to evolve into a party, if events take us there. The GOP has not exactly split—yet—but chunks of it are breaking off. This new movement is a reality. But where does it go from here? And how long before it is capable of winning elections? We are still far from reaching full development. But we were a factor in the 2020 election, and we
are gearing up to make a difference in 2022. America needs this movement to succeed. Our democracy is still under threat, and we are likely to face a massive constitutional crisis in the next two elections. We can't avoid this fight. Instead, to win it, we need to build a broad, pro-democracy coalition that includes those of us who used to be loyal Republicans. The good news is that it's happening. —Chris Vance ([link removed]) , Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center

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%2Fthetopline102721 Tweet ([link removed]: https%3A%2F%2Fmailchi.mp%2Fstanduprepublic.com%2Fthetopline102721)
[link removed] Forward ([link removed])


** RAM: Send these House-haunters home
------------------------------------------------------------

The Renew America Movement, the pro-democracy group founded by current and former Republicans opposed to Trumpism, has released a list of "Dividers," the top GOP targets it wants to unseat in 2022. The list consists of House members who RAM says "have posed a threat to a healthy democracy and a well-functioning republic." The 13 targets are House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, and Reps. Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, Lauren Boebert, Madison Cawthorn, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, Paul Gosar, Jim Jordan, Burgess Owens, Scott Perry, and Marjorie Taylor Greene. —Politico ([link removed])
* — So you're telling me there's a chance. For months, lies about the 2020 election being stolen from Donald Trump have gained traction around the country, thanks in part to these "Dividers." But now, some GOP operatives are worried that the truly wild conspiracies and continual talk of "audits," machine rigging, and foreign plots will depress voter turnout and discourage some people from seeking office. ([link removed])
*
* — "Those kind of comments are not constructive." For example, Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said "re-litigating 2020 is a recipe for disaster" in 2022. "The election is passed, it's been certified, the states made decisions on the integrity of each of their elections and made improvements where it need be," he said. "It's about the future, it's not about the last election." ([link removed])
*
* — Lots of work to be done. A new Politico/Morning Consult poll may offer some measure of relief to those Republicans worried that voters won't turn out amid all the election conspiracies. A full 92% of self-identified Republican voters say they plan to vote in the 2022 election, with just 4% saying they do not plan to. By contrast, just 70% of self-identified Democrats say they plan to vote, while 29% say they do not plan to. —Politico ([link removed])

MORE: Max Boot: Blame GOP elites, not the grass roots, for the party's descent into madness and sedition —The Washington Post ([link removed])


** Fleming: Saving conservatism from populism
------------------------------------------------------------

"At its heart, conservatism is not a set of positions; it's a set of principles, stemming from the idea that all humans are created equal, with God-given rights that are protected by the government only through the consent of the governed. That's what conservatives seek to conserve. Populists, on the other hand, want what they want when they want it because, damn it, it is what The People want. Unfortunately, populist urges are reactionary and unpredictable and can easily destroy on a whim the very things most of us hold dear." —Matt Fleming in ([link removed]) The Orange County Register ([link removed])

Matt Fleming is a member of the Southern California News Group editorial board.

MORE: Greg Sargent: This is how the anti-democratic right wins —The Washington Post ([link removed])


** Covid in retreat
------------------------------------------------------------

Good news on the pandemic front. The number of new daily COVID-19 cases has plunged 57% since peaking on Sept. 1. Almost as encouraging as the magnitude of the decline is its breadth—cases have been declining in every region of the country. Forecasting Covid's future is extremely difficult, and it's certainly possible that cases will rise again in the coming weeks (Delta Plus, anyone?), but the current decline offers reason for optimism. Despite all the encouraging news, however, one shadow still hangs over the U.S.: about 1,500 Americans have died of Covid every day over the past week, and it remains a leading cause of death among older age groups. The main reason is that millions of Americans have chosen to remain unvaccinated. —The New York Times ([link removed])

MORE: FDA panel endorses Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 —The Boston Globe ([link removed])


** Shafer: Biden's lifeline amid sinking polls
------------------------------------------------------------

"If Biden wants to sugar his ratings, he ought to synchronize his promises with his accomplishments. In a normal world, Biden would be canonized by voters for delivering a $2 trillion spending bill. But because he originally proposed $3.5 trillion, he'll be punished in the approval game for 'failing' if only the $2 trillion measure passes. He'd be wise to consult the arc of the Clinton presidency. Clinton recorded worse numbers in his first year than Biden has, primarily because he failed to deliver on the promised fronts of taxes and healthcare. By switching to achievable promises, he rebuilt his approval ratings and, like Barack Obama, finished his presidency on a high note. Stop overpromising and start overdelivering, Joe, and you might become the new Ike." —Jack Shafer in ([link removed]) Politico ([link removed])

Jack Shafer is the senior media writer at
Politico.

MORE: Pelosi upbeat on Biden deal, but Manchin pans billionaire tax —Associated Press ([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])


** Memo Man may get served
------------------------------------------------------------

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol plans to subpoena John Eastman, the attorney who crafted a two-page memo outlining strategies for preventing President Biden's election win from being certified by Congress. The conservative law professor worked with Donald Trump's legal team after the 2020 election, providing specious legal advice and analysis on how the former president could overturn the election results. He met with Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence in the Oval Office in early January to discuss how Pence could keep Trump in power. He also spoke at the "Stop the Steal" rally that preceded the insurrection on Jan. 6. Eastman has not indicated whether he plans to cooperate with the committee voluntarily. Stay tuned. —Newsweek ([link removed])

MORE: Trump 'coup lawyer' caught on video boasting about quasi-legal memo; trashing Pence —MSNBC ([link removed])


** Focus on voting and elections
------------------------------------------------------------

A cluster of state officials who stepped into high-profile roles over the last year to defend the integrity of the 2020 election are making voting rights central to their campaigns for higher office in states that could determine who wins the presidency in 2024. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is running for governor after rising to national prominence with her defense of the state's election results and repeated denunciations of a partisan ballot review in Maricopa County. She says the suspicion that has fueled conspiracy theories about the election results is bleeding into other parts of life in her state and threatens to hobble policymaking. —CNN ([link removed])
* — Arizona. Speaking at a Senate Rules and Administration Committee hearing yesterday on emerging threats to election administrators, Hobbs testified that a sharp increase in violent threats and harassment since last year's election is fueling high turnover among election workers. Nearly 1 in 6 local election workers received threats of violence, and almost 1 in 3 said they felt unsafe because of their job, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Despite the prevalence of such threats, an investigation by Reuters found that state authorities have done very little to hold accountable the perpetrators of these violent threats. —The Hill ([link removed])
*
* — Alaska. Opponents of Alaska's new ranked-choice election system are appealing a court decision to the state Supreme Court—and that decision will determine how Alaska conducts its statewide elections in 2022. Last year, Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure 2, which introduces ranked-choice voting into state elections. Republican attorney Ken Jacobus is representing himself, the Alaskan Independence Party, and Libertarian candidate Scott Kohlhaas in a legal effort to overturn that result, arguing that it is impossible to implement the measure in a way that follows the Alaska Constitution and U.S. Constitution. —Anchorage Daily New ([link removed]) s ([link removed])
*
* — Wisconsin. State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who ordered an Arizona-style investigation into Wisconsin's 2020 presidential election, said yesterday that more subpoenas may be needed and that the work could stretch into 2022. He also said he may try to force the state's top elections official to submit to an interview with the attorney leading the investigation. President Biden won Wisconsin by more than 20,000 votes, a result that has withstood recounts, court challenges, and an audit bureau review that found no widespread fraud. —Star Tribune ([link removed])

MORE: Secretaries of state targeted by Trump election lies live in fear for their safety and are desperate for protection —CNN ([link removed])


** Shapiro: It's about democracy, stupid
------------------------------------------------------------

"[T]he rising tide of authoritarianism, unchecked, will quickly extinguish American-style democracy. Already, in states like Texas, Florida, and several other electorally competitive states, access to the ballot box has been made more difficult and, in some cases, the power of independent election boards to carry out and certify elections has been weakened. Indeed, in some cases, a state legislature will now be able to overturn the will of the people and send its own slate of electors to Congress to turn the next presidential election their way—regardless of the actual vote. If Democrats want to have a prayer of holding onto Congress in 2022 and the White House in 2024, they need to hammer on one issue and one issue only: Donald Trump and the rise of authoritarianism." —David Shapiro in ([link removed]) The Gainesville Sun
([link removed])

David Shapiro worked for both Republicans and Democrats during a 30-year career as a consultant and journalist in Washington, D.C.

Aside from shoring up national standards for voting laws, more should be done to strengthen congressional oversight by codifying enforcement. Moreover, the presidency has just undergone a "stress test" during the Trump Administration, and we can now see many more "leaks" in our system of checks and balances. Too much is referred to as "norms", "traditions," and "policy." More laws need to be passed to enforce separation of powers, checks and balances, and independence. Enough with the grey areas. Make it law, make it enforceable, avoid constitutional controversy in the future. This all should be part of the "Build Back Better" plan. —Sam B., Texas

I think the president would be smart to do two things that are doable. First, he needs to get the infrastructure bill that was passed in the Senate passed by the House. I think he might get enough votes from Republicans in Congress to pass it, bypassing Progressive Democrats. Second, he should help eliminate the filibuster and pass the voter rights legislation that would nullify any Republican-imposed voter restrictions at the state level. I would get those two wins done and back off the 'Build Back Better' legislative plan, then see how Republicans react to both of those wins. —Lee A., Utah

The top priority for President Biden should be true tax reform. Here's the way to get Krysten Sinema on board as well as maybe a few moderate Republicans. Propose a sweeping tax REDUCTION bill by eliminating a lot of deductions. Here's my idea: A $60,000 exemption for couples and $30,000 for single taxpayers. That's the median income. That means that 50% of the population would pay no federal income tax. Lower the top tax bracket to 25%.

How to pay for all the reductions: If you take the exemption, you cannot itemize. Cap personal deductions at $200,000 or whatever the Council of Economic Advisers determines will be revenue-neutral. I believe the vast majority of Americans would see a significant tax reduction and would back such a plan. Any politician who would resist would probably find himself or herself in deep trouble. —Phil F., Tennessee
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