‘We need ammo’

The Republican Party is kind of a hot mess these days. First, there were no presidential primaries in 2020—despite the fact that there were potentially viable challengers. Next, there was no official policy platform. Then, it called a violent attempt to overturn an election “legitimate political discourse.” And now, the Republican National Committee has voted unanimously to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates. So I have to ask the question: Is the Republican Party still a party at all? Merriam-Webster defines a political party as “a group of persons organized for the purpose of directing the policies of a government.” What happens to such a group if voices in it are silenced? If its policies are undefined? If it defends explicitly anti-government activity? And if it can’t or won’t explain to the American people why it deserves to steer the direction of the country? In many ways, the national GOP is a zombie party at this point, performing the most elemental tasks of a party, but lacking the higher functions that would allow it to constructively lead the U.S. It’s a sad state of affairs for the remaining Republicans who stalwartly defend the party’s traditional values and policies—and for all Americans, who benefit most from two (or more) strong, healthy parties. —Melissa Amour, Managing Editor

• Russian military's damaged Black Sea flagship sinks —Associated Press

• Russia threatens Baltic Sea nuclear deployments if Finland, Sweden join NATO —The Washington Post

• Biden approves $800 million for Ukraine, White House defends ‘genocide’ remark —U.S. News & World Report

• China lockdowns could trigger a major supply chain disruption —CNBC

• TX Gov. Greg Abbott order stalls commercial traffic at U.S.-Mexico border —El Paso Times

All the president’s men

The House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has released nearly 100 text messages exchanged by Sen. Mike Lee and Rep. Chip Roy with then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in the wake of the 2020 election. The texts show how the two Republican lawmakers sought to help Donald Trump and his allies overturn the election result. Lee and Roy supported Trump’s decision to not concede the election once it was called for Joe Biden on Nov. 7, with Lee offering Meadows “unequivocal support for you to exhaust every legal and constitutional remedy at your disposal to restore Americans’ faith in our elections.” —Rolling Stone

• Miller testifies. Former White House adviser Stephen Miller appeared virtually before the panel yesterday. Miller had “by his own account participated in efforts to spread false information about alleged voter fraud” and encouraged “state legislatures to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election by appointing alternate electors,” the committee said when it subpoenaed Miller. Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the committee, said Miller also helped prepare Trump’s remarks for a rally on the Ellipse that preceded the insurrection. —Al Jazeera

• “I think our democracy is in trouble.” U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, pulled no punches yesterday following the conviction of a Capitol rioter who said he was merely following “presidential orders” on Jan. 6. Walton accused Trump of instigating a mob of "weak-minded" followers to attack the Capitol. “[U]nfortunately, we have charlatans like our former president, who doesn't, in my view, really care about democracy but only about power." —Insider

• Accountability for some? A nonprofit legal advocacy group has launched a battle in Arizona to keep three Republicans off this year’s primary ballots over their involvement in the insurrection. Free Speech for People filed separate complaints last week against the candidacies of Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar, who are seeking re-election, and State Rep. Mark Finchem, who is running for secretary of state. The group’s complaint cites Sec. 3 of the 14th Amendment, a clause originally written to prevent Confederate officials from holding elected office after the Civil War. Stay tuned. —KTAR News

MORE: Mark Meadows removed from NC voter roll amid voter fraud investigation —Citizen Times

Karem: Is the tide turning on autocratic populism?

“[W]hat Trump and the rest of these old, dangerous, atavistic, arrogant authoritarians haven't learned yet is that their time is up. It's done. The Navalny documentary—partially shot on cellphone—the text sent by my colleague in Turkey, the home videos posted on a variety of apps by those suffering from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and even the videos posted from Trump rallies are exposing these cretins for what they are: narcissistic power-mongers who care about no one but themselves.” —Brian Karem in Salon

Brian Karem is a former senior White House correspondent who covered every presidential administration since Ronald Reagan. He is the author of seven books, including the upcoming "Free the Press.”

MORE: Trump fails to turn Georgia evangelicals against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp —Bloomberg

Al-Ahmed: Kushner deal deserves scrutiny 

“For [Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman], Jared Kushner represents another powerful domestic proxy to interfere in American politics. The crown prince has not forgiven President Biden for speaking ill of him during the campaign, and now he is out for blood. He has picked a side and has carefully cultivated ties with Republican leaders and former Trump officials. MBS expects a substantial return for the billions he is showering on Republican figures.” —Ali Al-Ahmed in The Washington Post

Ali Al-Ahmed is founder and director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs.

MORE: Jared Kushner Saudi revelations compared to Hunter Biden laptop —Newsweek

Focus on voting and elections

First, a bit of good news. Renewer Rep. Matt Cartwright has teamed with fellow House lawmakers to introduce the Time Off to Vote Act. If it passes, American employers would be required to provide at least two hours of paid time off so that their workers can cast their ballots in federal elections. “Voting should not be a luxury that only the well-off can afford,” said Cartwright, who floated a similar proposal in 2019. “This bill, which ensures that American workers can cast their ballots without risking their paychecks, is an important addition to the critical voting rights legislation passed by the House earlier this year.” —Pennsylvania Capital-Star

• Texas. A Texas appeals court yesterday upheld a five-year prison sentence for a woman who was convicted of illegally voting. The woman was on supervised release for a federal felony conviction related to tax fraud, and didn’t know that Texas prohibits felons from voting until they finish their sentence entirely. She cast a provisional ballot when poll workers couldn’t find her name on the voter registration rolls, but it was never counted. —The Guardian

• Florida. Two Florida men have pleaded guilty to voting more than once during the 2020 election—a form of voter fraud, a third-degree felony that carries a prison term of up to five years—in both their home states and in Florida. However, unlike the Texas woman, they signed a pre-trial intervention contract to avoid jail time and instead complete 50 hours of community service and a 12-week adult civics class. —Orlando Sentinel

• Florida again. The Florida legislature will allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to take the lead on redrawing the state’s 28 congressional districts. DeSantis vetoed the GOP-controlled legislature’s proposed congressional districts last month after proposing his own map that would increase the number of GOP seats while eliminating two districts represented by Black Democrats. Leaders in the legislature said on Monday that they would not try to draft a new plan ahead of the state’s special session next week. —The Guardian

MORE: Arguments heard in Kansas congressional map gerrymandering lawsuit —KMBC News

Ressa: Online disinfo affects us all

“What this world shows us is that we have a lot more in common than we have differences, believe it or not. As a journalist, I grew up looking at each country and every culture differently. But what the tech platforms actually showed us is the silver lining: We’re all being manipulated the same way. We have a lot more in common.” —Maria Ressa in The Atlantic

Maria Ressa is a contributing writer at The Atlantic, the CEO of Rappler, and a recipient of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.

MORE: What to know about disinformation and how to address it —Stanford News

Schmidt: A role for business to champion democracy 

“Some in the business community understand that strengthening our democracy is imperative for a strong, thriving economy. To put it bluntly, democracy is good for business. That is why some companies are taking steps to improve our civic health by increasing civic participation and voter turnout.” —Lynn Schmidt in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lynn Schmidt is a Renew America Movement Fellow and a member of the editorial board at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

MORE: Which U.S. corporations have cut ties with Russia? —WGBH

If Ketanji Brown Jackson or the Republican senators that didn't block the Judicial branch from having its complement of justices are considered "groomers" by Republican standards, what about Donald Trump and his buddy Jeffrey Epstein, or Matt Gaetz, who maybe never were convicted (at least not yet) but have a reasonable suspicion beyond QAnon posts? The Republican Party leadership continually provides evidence that it is well beyond salvage. When will the Ram be a new political mascot? —Michael L., California

The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff, the Renew America Movement, or the Renew America Foundation.