A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things.
A Flop For The GOP
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) fended off the GOP’s attempt to get him kicked out of office in a recall election that was called barely after the polls closed, and it wasn’t even close.
- Newsom’s victory was largely due to his emphasis on California Republicans’ attacks on COVID-19 safety measures and how his top GOP rival, radio host Larry Elder, was a far-right Republican who was out of step with staunchly blue California, per the Sacramento Bee’s analysis.
- In fact, the governor barely pointed to his own achievements in his fight against the recall, the L.A. Times notes.
- Gavin’s tactic of focusing on COVID-19 seems to have paid off:
Some preliminary exit poll findings — while specific numbers may shift as more data arrives, some clear stories emerging#CARecall voters still concerned about coronavirus, view vaccination as public health responsibility, and support requiring masks for students in schools
1/2 pic.twitter.com/6ZejdMNW2J
— Kabir Khanna (@kabir_here) September 14, 2021
- Elder seemed to give up his Trumpian attempt to sow doubt about the election results almost immediately on Tuesday night, telling his supporters, “Let’s be gracious in defeat.”
WATCH: Republican recall challenger Larry Elder said he and his base would be gracious in defeat, but vowed to "win the war" after losing the recall battle. https://t.co/EVSpqCki0O pic.twitter.com/tmbGrgzE5X
— NBC 7 San Diego (@nbcsandiego) September 15, 2021
- Elder doesn’t really get a cookie for not committing to his gambit to undermine American democracy. It’s just fascinating that he went through the trouble of promoting a form to “report” voter fraud, that Trump and the right-wing media worked to preemptively paint the election as “rigged,” only for the GOP candidate to actually concede despite refusing to commit to accepting the election results the day before:
“The leading Republican candidate would not commit to accepting the results of the election” pic.twitter.com/qyMGyqoKD8
— Acyn (@Acyn) September 13, 2021
Trump Loses His Mind Over Milley Bombshells
The ex-president railed against Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley on Tuesday night after Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa revealed in their book that Milley had gone behind Trump’s back to circumvent a potential attack on China and got involved in the U.S.’s nuclear chain of command in the days following the Capitol insurrection.
- Trump attacked Milley as a “dumbass” and a “failed leader” in a deranged statement on Tuesday, asserting that “actions should be taken immediately against” the general.
- The ex-president also denied ever thinking about attacking China. “The people that fabricated the story are sick and demented, and the people who print it are just as bad,” he ranted.
- Read what military experts had to say about Milley’s actions in interviews with TPM reporter Josh Kovensky considering that the general is not part of the chain of command.
Dems Play Hardball In NY Redistricting
Even though New York will lose a House seat, New York Democrats, who enjoy supermajorities in both chambers of their state’s legislature, have an opportunity to wipe out five Republican House seats as they draw the new congressional district map.
- House GOP conference chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) could potentially be affected if Democrats target the more red areas in upstate New York, where her district lies.
Arizona Attorney General Sues Over Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
Mark Brnovich, Arizona’s Republican attorney general, is suing the Biden administration after the President put in a mandate ordering all workplaces with 100 or more employees to ensure the employees either get the COVID-19 vaccine or get tested weekly.
- Brnovich accused the administration of making an “unprecedented and unconstitutional power grab” with the mandate as he was announcing his lawsuit.
I promised Arizonans that we would not stand for the Biden Administration's egregious federal overreach on vaccine mandates.
Today, we have filed the first lawsuit in the nation against the unconstitutional mandates. Arizona will not tolerate this assault on our sovereignty. pic.twitter.com/1eHAUX8GYs
— Mark Brnovich (@GeneralBrnovich) September 14, 2021
U.S. Poverty Fell In 2020 Thanks To COVID Aid
Poverty dropped to 9.1 percent last year after the federal government provided emergency relief for COVID-19.
- Compare that figure to 2019, when poverty was at 11.8 percent.
- Nearly 8.5 million people were rescued from poverty thanks to the stimulus checks.
Delete Your Account
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) posted–and has yet to delete–a fake article claiming that Biden ordered the Veteran Affairs department to withhold health benefits from veterans who hadn’t received the COVID-19 vaccine.
- “If true, this is insane!” the Republican tweeted.
- The website that published the article, Delaware Ohio News, literally says at the bottom of the page that “everything on this website is made up” and “Do not rely on anything said here.”
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