The Fate of Pro-Impeachment House Republicans
Plus, the Missouri GOP Primary: An Awkward Ending to an Embarrassing Race.
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AMANDA CARPENTER: The Fate of Pro-Impeachment House Republicans.
Of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, only those who went on to compete in non-traditional Republican primaries have, so far, fended off Trump-backed rivals.
On Tuesday, three pro-impeachment Republicans: Peter Meijer of Michigan and Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse of Washington were on the ballot. Meijer was defeated by a Trump-backed rival, John Gibbs. And, at the time of this writing, Herrera Beutler and Newhouse, appear to be headed to a general election for their races.
The difference? Washington is a state that has an open, non-partisan system that allows the top two finishers in each contest to compete against each other in the general election. This is the model, known as a “jungle primary,” that also facilitated pro-impeachment California Republican David Valadao’s advancement to a general election.
Arizona Republicans doubled down on the crazy, voters in very red Kansas turned out in huge numbers to protect abortion rights, and Democrats played with fire in Michigan. Josh Kraushaar joins Charlie Sykes today.
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New from Me: Missouri GOP Primary: An Awkward Ending to an Embarrassing Race.
Last night, Eric Schmitt won the Missouri GOP primary for the state’s U.S. Senate race. The state attorney general and proud blowtorch owner will face off in the fall general election against Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine—“Busch” as in the famous Missouri-based brewer—and independent John Wood in the race to succeed Roy Blunt, who is leaving Congress after a quarter century.
Schmitt’s victory marked the climax of the “Battle of the Erics,” a strange primary with twenty-one candidates, including two other Erics—one of whom is the state’s disgraced ex-governor.
A bizarre, eleventh-hour endorsement from former President Donald Trump may have helped push Schmitt over the finish line. “You’ll be happy,” Trump told Schmitt over the phone on Monday before posting his endorsement, Politico reported.
MONA CHAREN: We Need an America First Immigration Policy.
Postcards from the great American labor shortage: A couple arrives at the Seattle airport after a 5-hour flight and stands in line at the car rental desk. It quickly becomes clear that something is wrong. The line snakes through the garage. People are angry. At the desk sits a harassed employee explaining that while, yes, he understands that people had made these reservations months in advance, he simply has no cars of any kind to rent. Nothing. Why? There aren’t enough employees on hand to vacuum, wash, fuel, and process the cars.
Another snapshot. A couple has been driving for several hours and requires a bathroom stop. They pull into a Burger King. The doors are locked. The only service is at the drive through. Why? Lack of employees.
🚨OVERTIME 🚨
I’m sick of it. Jimmy Haslam should sell the Cleveland Browns. I’ve lost my party, my baseball team, and my NFL team.
Another thing I am sick of? People who won’t do the right thing. Let’s say you live in Maryland. And you are a conservative. Many pixels have been spilled about Democratic “meddling.” Let’s take a moment to analyze this:
Picking your enemy is an inherent in politics. You’re lucky if you can do it. But if your enemy is a fascist? Hates democracy? Probably shouldn’t do it. Better to win on the issues.
But what if voters don’t care about issues?
Well then.
I think, now, you should ask yourself this: Do I care about the issues, or do I care about Democracy? Because precisely zero Republicans, nationwide, appear to care about that.
Maryland Republicans nominated a whole host of crazy people for statewide office. Their Democratic opponents? Not my cup of policy tea, but reasonable by comparison.
Are you gonna vote for them?
When the rubber meets the road, that’s the question, and I am genuinely curious about Larry Hogan’s answer. And that of the anti-anti Trump punditry class. He’s incensed about the AG pick and his views about 9/11. I get it, I do.
But is he gonna vote for the Dem?
I’m Ron Burgundy?
Tell me. Better yet, ask your favorite pundit.
I’m gonna miss David Perron. And he’s gonna miss STL.
I’m outta here! I think there is more to this story about a suicidal co-pilot.
That’s it for me. Tech support questions? Email members@thebulwark.com. Questions for me? Respond to this message.
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