Day: December 20, 2023

Disqualifying Trump Is a Step Too Far

Buck Banks

“To deny the voters the chance to elect the candidate of their choice is a Rubicon-crossing event for the judiciary. It would be seen forever by tens of millions of Americans as a negation of democracy. It is not enough that their belief is plausibly wrong or likely wrong. It must be incontrovertibly wrong to support such a momentous step. … I suspect the Supreme Court – which is more a political body than a legal body in major issues like this – will blanche at taking such a step, and I think that judgment would be correct.”

— Jonathan Chait

Consumer Confidence Surged 10+ Points in December

Buck Banks

110.7

US consumer confidence rose in December by the most since early 2021 as Americans grew more upbeat about the labor market and the inflation outlook. The Conference Board’s index increased to 110.7 in December from a revised 101 reading in November, data published Wednesday showed. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of forecasters called for a 104.5 reading.

The Biden Campaign Doesn’t Need Adam Kinzinger

Buck Banks

“I’ve been out there saying there’s no way Donald Trump can win, I’ll vote for Joe Biden over Donald Trump, democracy is so important. You know how many calls or outreaches I have gotten from the Biden campaign? Guess. It’s zero.”

— Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) told John Avlon on CNN that despite his warnings against Donald Trump, he’s never been contacted by the Biden campaign.

The REAL Reason Serial Liar George Santos Ran for Congress

Buck Banks

“I wasn’t there to play nice. I was there to expose the rot and corruption, and I did. And I’m going to continue to do it. Republicans and Democrats alike. Swampy, slimy people selling this country down a river… If you were to put them all under the same scrutiny I was put under, you’d f**king vacate the whole goddamn building.”

— Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY), in an interview.

Suarez’ Grift Extends from Miami to Saudi Arabia

Buck Banks

“As Saudi Arabia sought to rehabilitate its image after decades of bad-for-business headlines about 9/11 hijackers, alleged police torture, public beheadings and the gruesome murder of a Washington Post journalist, the regime turned to an unlikely ally for PR and networking assistance: Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R). … As a bonus, he was also able to significantly benefit a major client of the international law firm that pays him more than $1 million a year.”

— Miami Herald

Manchin Warns Us to Believe Trump

Buck Banks

“I think we all should be concerned about the support that Donald Trump has. He’s told us who he is. And when a person tells you who they are, you ought to believe them.”

— Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) took a hardline stance against Donald Trump, “whom he says represents a direct threat to the future of democracy in the United States,” The Independent reports.