A Political Technocrat Makes His Pitch for Saving the Democratic Party
Plus: Who’s Afraid of Putin’s Nuclear Blackmail?
Recently in The Bulwark:
BILL KRISTOL & ANDREW EGGER: The Next Biden Pardons May Matter More
JOE PERTICONE is off today.
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SAM STEIN: A Political Technocrat Makes His Pitch for Saving the Democratic Party
POLITICAL PARTIES OUT OF POWER often turn for salvation to those pledging bold, radical fixes. The aftermath of the 2024 campaign has been no different: The prevailing sentiment among Democrats is that they desperately need not only to rethink policy but to reimagine tactics if they want to taste influence again.
As he vies to be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee, however, Ben Wikler, the current head of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, is suggesting a simpler, less elegant approach.
[Watch Sam’s interview with Ben Wikler on Bulwark+Live here / YouTube here]
GABRIEL SCHOENFELD: How Trump Will Make War Against the Media
THE PRESS, TO DONALD TRUMP, is the “enemy of the people.” Now that he will be president again, will he go after this enemy? The answer is almost certainly yes. He has nominated his ultra-loyal acolyte Kash Patel to run the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Patel has said of journalists who have purportedly treated Trump unfairly, “We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly—we’ll figure that out.” And Trump will have tools at his disposal with which to smash the fourth estate. It is worth reviewing what they are.
A.B. STODDARD: Two Republican Senators Criticizing Trump—It’s a Start
THE RESPONSE FROM SENATE REPUBLICANS thus far to Donald Trump’s Shock and Awful nominations has been pathetic. Sure, in private, some GOP senators have expressed disgust about Trump picking unfit cronies to lead critical government operations. And yes, former Rep. Matt Gaetz had to withdraw from consideration for the job of attorney general, and some Republicans have warned that the remaining nominees will face significant “questions” at their confirmation hearings.
🎥 PODCASTS AND VIDEOS 🎧
Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller: Michael Weiss and Thomas Zimmer: Competent and Radical [YouTube: Weiss, Zimmer ]
Just Between Us: The Better Pardons 🔐
Bulwark+ Live:
Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty? Sam Stein with Ben Wikler [YouTube]
Tim Miller Goes Off on Pete Hegseth Nomination on MSNBC [YouTube]
Dinesh D’Souza is Forced to Apologize for His Lies [YouTube]
Across the Movie Aisle: Does 'Wicked' Defy Critical Gravity?
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SONNY BUNCH: Joe Biden’s Principles of Convenience
JOE BIDEN RAN IN 2020 on a pretty straightforward idea: “Let’s restore honor and decency to the White House.”
Sure, some voters might not have agreed with him on every policy—or maybe even most policies. But they believed it was worth resisting pressure to fall in line from our longtime party, our lifelong friends, even our family members on the principle that some things matter more than tax rates.
CATHY YOUNG: Who’s Afraid of Putin’s Nuclear Blackmail?
LATE LAST MONTH, THE PEACENIK RIGHT erupted into its latest World War III panic, accusing the Biden administration of trying to escalate the war in Ukraine into nuclear Armageddon. David Sacks, a habitual peddler of nuclear alarmism, lamented that Joe Biden was taking the United States to a “disastrous place” by finally allowing Ukraine to strike military targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied long-range missiles. Ex-Bernie-bro-turned-MAGA-stan Joe Rogan fumed, “How are you allowed to do that when you’re on the way out?”—adding a “Fuck you, man” to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Tucker Carlson declared that the administration’s move was “the most evil thing I have seen in my lifetime,” evidently eclipsing September 11th, genocide, the gassing of civilians, or the kidnapping of 20,000 or more children. He even speculated, Church Lady-style, that “Satan himself” could be running the White House
WILL SALETAN: 9 Dangerous Defenses of the Hunter Biden Pardon
SIX MONTHS AGO, when Hunter Biden was on trial for lying about his drug use to get a gun, Joe Biden pledged not to pardon him. On Sunday, Biden reneged on that promise and pardoned his son. Many of the president’s supporters are defending his reversal, and their excuses reflect a dangerous development: They’re adopting the rationalizations and nihilism of the Trump movement.
🚨OVERTIME🚨
Happy Tuesday! Christmas decorations continue (and may or may not involve Bluey) and we get periodic of dustings. A welcome, snowy but not too snowy, beginning of Christmas season.
🎵On the Jukebox… 🎵 Sam Fender — Wild Long Lie1
MAIL CALL! Folks: Tim Miller will be doing a mail call on tomorrow’s podcast. We get a steady stream of questions, but here’s an official call from Tim to submit your questions or life advice. If you could, keep the questions short, but “life advice can be long :)” he notes. Here’s how to submit.
The Storybook Start—and Bitter End—of Pete Hegseth’s First Marriage (Gabriel Sherman, Vanity Fair).
‘There Aren’t Any Concerns…’ Yes, that’s Jason Miller, consummate family man, being quoted on Pete Hegseth, but by all accounts it does seem like the GOP Senate caucus has reached their WestWorld “It Doesn’t Look Like Anything to Me” Era of confirmation nihilism.
Remember when the GOP was obsessed with the Obama “cult.”? Quaint times for a party that now has a seemingly-licensed mobile golf game app that you can pre-order a $9.99 or $99.99 digital driver for. Who is the cult now?
The Algorithm Has Been Hiding Something From You… Is Creativity Dead? Kirby Ferguson explains for the New York Times.
Man who supported Leopards Eating Peoples’ Faces Party, Disappointed… 'Gut punch': Trump upsets local union leaders by opposing U.S. Steel-Nippon deal (TribLive)
RIP Detective Teague… A friend of mine from college passed away suddenly. In her early 40s, Caitlin was a police detective in California and the officers’ association is raising funds for her family.
America behind… On parental leave (Connors Institute)
Trump’s Pick to Lead D.E.A. Withdraws… Citing ‘Gravity’ of Job (NYT)
Former DC police officer… exchanged hundreds of messages with Proud Boy leader before 2021 arrest (Courthouse News)
Martial Law in South Korea… Tests Biden and a Key U.S. Alliance (NYT)
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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.
Fender has quickly become my top artist of 2024. A late entrant!