Month: April 2023
Top GOP Donor Drops DeSantis
“I have put myself on hold. Because of his stance on abortion and book banning?.?.?.?myself, and a bunch of friends, are holding our powder dry.”
— Top Republican donor Thomas Peterffy told the Financial Times that he is halting plans to help finance the presidential bid of Gov. Ron DeSantis due to his extreme positions on social issues.
Millions of Americans to Lose Dental Coverage
14 million
Three Travel Advisories are in Effect for Florida Because of Its War on “Woke” The Legislature Continues to Focus on Issues Gov. DeSantis Can Boast About on the Campaign Trail
A third travel advisory has been issued for Florida. Equality Florida, the state’s largest organization devoted to fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender idenity, is warning not to visit or relocate to Florida. The group joins The Florida Immigrant Coalition and state chapters of the NAACP in the same message:
The move comes in response to…the passage of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, restrict access to reproductive health care, repeal gun safety laws, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum.
Florida’s legislature continues to churn out culture war laws devised by Gov. Ron DeSantis. One source from within the body even told a Politico Florida reporter that the governor’s office must sign off on any changes to bills as they work through the legislature.
Florida’s elected Republicans find themselves ignoring serious problems like a crisis in homeowners insurance that is causing Florida residents to sell their homes. They have also produced no bills dealing with climate change even as the Fort Lauderdale airport had to be shut down from torrential rain and flooding. Instead, they focus on issues that Ron DeSantis wants to be able to boast about in his primary challenge to disgraced former Pres. Trump.
Trump Ahead of DeSantis by 33 Points in New Poll
33 Points
In the MAGA face off for the Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump leads Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis 56 percent to 23 percent, according to poll by Morning Consult. This result follows a poll yesterday by Yahoo! News that found Trump leading DeSantis by 26 points.
Trump Surge Comes at DeSantis’ Expense
Yahoo! News: “A new Yahoo News/YouGov poll — one of the first conducted after former President Donald Trump was indicted Thursday for his role in paying hush money to a porn star — shows Trump surging to his largest-ever lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his likely 2024 GOP primary challenger, as Republican voters rally around the only president in U.S. history to face criminal charges.
“In the previous Yahoo News/YouGov survey, which was conducted less than two weeks ago, Trump (47%) led DeSantis (39%) by eight percentage points in a head-to-head matchup among registered voters who are Republicans or Republican-leaning independents. As recently as February, it was DeSantis who was narrowly ahead of Trump, 45% to 41%.
“But the new, post-indictment poll suddenly finds Trump lapping DeSantis by 26 percentage points — 57% to 31% — in a one-on-one contest. The former president even attracts majority support (52%, up from 44% previously) when pitted against a wider, 10-candidate field of declared and potential GOP challengers, while DeSantis plummets to 21% (down from 28%).”
Clarence Thomas’ Vacation Buddy Collects Hitler Memorabilia
“When Republican megadonor Harlan Crow isn’t lavishing Justice Clarence Thomas with free trips on his private plane and yacht (in possible violation of Supreme Court ethics rules), he lives a quiet life in Dallas among his historical collections. These collections include Hitler artifacts—two of his paintings of European cityscapes, a signed copy of Mein Kampf, and assorted Nazi memorabilia—plus a garden full of statues of the 20th century’s worst despots.”
— Washingtonian
Big Majority Favors Preserving Social Security, Medicare
79%
A new AP-NORC poll finds 79% of Americans say they oppose reducing the size of Social Security benefits and 67% are against raising monthly premiums for Medicare.
The Mooch Says Trump Will Fake Illness, Drop Out of Campaign
“I think the absence of his family members in this campaign is gonna knock him out of the race. He just doesn’t do well without them.”
— Anthony Scaramucci, who served as former President Donald Trump’s White House communications director for 10 days in 2017, claimed on CNN that his old boss may fake an illness to end his 2024 campaign.
Newsom Hits GOP’s ‘Authoritarian Leaders’ interviewed in Alabama by MSNBC's Jen Psaki
Politico.com: “[California Gov. Gavin] Newsom sat down with [MSNBC’s Jen] Psaki in Alabama, while on a tour of Republican-led states including Arkansas and Mississippi. Newsom recently announced the launch of a new political action committee called Campaign for Democracy, aimed at calling out red state policies and ‘authoritarian leaders.’
“With Psaki, he lit into DeSantis, a frequent target of his ire who is expected to announce a run for the Republican presidential nomination at the close of Florida’s legislative calendar.
“‘[He’s] scared to death, scared of the people, scared of the public,’ Newsom said. ‘I think the majority of NRA members probably oppose that position.’”
