Dem
49
GOP
51
Politics makes strange dance partners. At least, we think that's the saying. In any event, there were a couple of high-profile, cross-aisle endorsements yesterday.
First up is Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV). Since he's now an independent, maybe this doesn't count as crossing the aisle anymore. Maybe he's standing IN the aisle. In any case, he announced his support for Larry Hogan (R) in the Maryland U.S. Senate race. Manchin explained that he's supporting Hogan because "he's the white person." Er, wait, no. It was because "he's the right person." Our error.
We continue to be mystified as to what Manchin's long game is. He's clearly not planning a future in West Virginia politics; this year was his last chance to run for either the U.S. Senate or for West Virginia governor prior to becoming an octogenarian. We guess he sees himself as some sort of future elder statesman, serving as the guru of bipartisanship. If so, he's in the wrong era, and he's also the wrong guy. Republicans disdain him because he used to be a Democrat. Democrats disdain him because he's Joe Manchin.
Meanwhile, another high-profile Bush administration official has thrown his lot in with Kamala Harris. That would be former AG Alberto Gonzales, who was way up there with Dick Cheney on Democrats' "naughty" list 20 years ago. Yesterday, he wrote an op-ed for Politico in which he observed that he has a unique perspective as the only person to serve as both White House counsel and AG, and then warned:
As the United States approaches a critical election, I can't sit quietly as Donald Trump—perhaps the most serious threat to the rule of law in a generation—eyes a return to the White House. For that reason, though I'm a Republican, I've decided to support Kamala Harris for president...
Power is intoxicating and based on Trump's rhetoric and conduct it appears unlikely that he would respect the power of the presidency in all instances; rather, he would abuse it for personal and political gain, and not on behalf of the American people.
Perhaps the most revealing example relates to Trump's conduct on Jan. 6, 2021, when he encouraged his followers to march to our nation's capital [sic] in order to challenge the certification of Joe Biden's electoral victory. Trump failed to do his duty and exercise his presidential power to protect members of Congress, law enforcement and the Capitol from the attacks that day. He failed to deploy executive branch personnel to save lives and property and preserve democracy. He just watched on television and chose not to do anything because that would have been contrary to his interests. Trump still describes that day as beautiful. And as for those subsequently convicted of committing crimes, he describes them as hostages. He also has promised to pardon the convicted rioters if elected. Why? Because they were acting in his interests.
Gonzales also notes that it's dumb to blame a sitting VP for the state of the economy.
We continue to expect a commercial featuring all these high-profile Republicans making the pitch for Harris. Although, at this rate, it may need to be a series of commercials. (Z)