A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo.
So About That Red Wave …
A lot to pick through from Tuesday’s primary results. Some good news for Dems. Some bad news for democracy. Data points galore. Resist the urge to make sweeping conclusions about November based on one day in August, BUT a quite a bit to chew on here:
The Race With The Biggest Implications For November
Democrat Pat Ryan defeated Republican Marc Molinaro in the NY-19, in a special election to fill the empty seat of former Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY), who stepped down to become lieutenant governor.
Josh Marshall: “The key is that this result is not consistent with a GOP wave election, not even a mid-range one.”
What A Grudge Match
In NY-12, Rep. Jerry Nadler defeated Rep. Carolyn Maloney in the battle of two longtime Democratic incumbents thrown into the same district in the latest redistricting cycle.
Impeachment Echoes
Impeachment prosecutor Daniel Goldman won the Democratic primary in NY-10 and is expected to win the general election in November.
Good For Everyone
Carl Paladino, the glowering racist with a soft spot for Adolph Hitler, lost in the GOP primary in the NY-23.
Loomer Loses
The extreme right wing candidate Laura Loomer lost in the FL-11 GOP primary. As Mother Jones noted, Loomer would have been a top contender for most racist member of Congress.
Can’t Keep A Good Man Down …
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) won his GOP primary despite running for re-election under the specter of a federal sex trafficking investigation.
In the general election, Gaetz will square off against Democrat Rebekah Jones, who is facing criminal charges for allegedly illegally accessing a state computer. Jones you may remember as the Florida Department of Health data manager who claimed to have been fired for refusing to suppress COVID data.
Gen Z Represents
Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a 25-year-old gun control activist, won the Democratic primary in the FL-10, a heavily Democratic district that he is expected to win in November. Incumbent Rep. Val Demmings (D) won the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Marco Rubio (R) and did not seek re-election.
Crist v. Desantis
Charlie Crist prevailed in the Democratic priamry for governor, setting up a longshot November challenge to incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is expected to run for president if re-elected.
Student Loan Week Is Finally Here!
At long last, Biden is set to unveil student loan relief today, including loan forgiveness and extending the pandemic pause on student loan payments. The contours of the loan forgiveness program, details of which are still being finalized, look like $10,000 of forgiveness for those making below an income threshold in the $125,000-$150,000 range.
Federal Judge Confused By Trump’s Lawsuit Over Mar-A-Lago Raid
Kinda embarrassing. The Trump-appointed federal judge whom he asked to intervene in the legal battle over the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago responded by asking Trump what exactly he wants her to do and on what legal basis. Good start for Trump.
TPM: Trump Got Multiple Extensions Before FBI Raid
WaPo: FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search followed months of resistance, delay by Trump
What The GOP Hath Wrought
The IRS is launching a security review of all of its 600 facilities nationwide in response to bogus GOP and right-wing attacks over new funding for the agency.
The Crudité Wars
If you’re Mehmet Oz and you’re still talking about crudités, you’re losing.
“If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke and wouldn’t be in the position of having to lie about it constantly,” Rachel Tripp, Oz’s senior communications advisor, told Insider.
Wow … a crudité reference delicately wrapped inside a stroke joke.
The Rick Scott Award For Epic Cluelessness Goes To … Rick Scott
How it started:
How it’s going:
Trump National Security Adviser To Meet With Jan. 6 Committee
Robert O’Brien, Trump’s national security adviser at the end of his term, is scheduled to meet today with the Jan. 6 committee, NBC News reports.
The Copenhagen Connection
Investigators with the Jan. 6 committee traveled to Copenhagen last week to examine documentary film footage of Roger Stone, Politico reports:
The select panel aides viewed portions of more than 170 hours filmed by a Danish documentary crew led by Christoffer Guldbrandsen. That team, known as The Ark, tracked Stone for long stretches of time over two years — including on Jan. 6, 2021, as a mob swarmed the Capitol in an effort to keep Trump in power.
Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Convictions
The final two defendants were convicted in a retrial for plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).
Must Read
Reuters: New breed of video sites thrives on misinformation and hate
More On Leonard Leo’s $1.6 Billion Score
ProPublica: How A Secretive Billionaire Handed His Fortune To The Architect Of The Right-Wing Takeover Of The Courts
Why Is Elon Musk Smiling?
Twitter’s fired head of security filed a whistleblower complaint with the SEC alleging that he “uncovered extreme, egregious deficiencies by Twitter” in the areas of privacy, digital and physical security, platform integrity and content moderation. Former executive Peiter Zatko’s complaint was filed last month and released Tuesday.
US Launches Airstrike In Syria
In overnight news, American warplanes targeted bunkers in eastern Syria allegedly in use by groups affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Life Expectancy Fell Nationwide In 2020
The first year of the COVID pandemic sent life expectancy plummeting in every state and the District:
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FiRST (with A Pic)!1!!!11!one!1!!!
I, for one, can’t wait to see how the major outlets manage to Dems in Disarray ™ Biden fulfilling a campaign promise of debt forgiveness. I also look forward to seeing how the left wing Biden haters respond (“Too little too late!” will probably be their weak counter, as if millions aren’t being significantly helped regardless).
Almost like you shouldn’t judge a (competent) presidency based on its first six months, eh?
Good morning, everyone!
Can’t Keep A Good Man Down …
What is it about that district in FL that BOTH candidates for the House are under investigation or criminal charges??
Federal Judge Confused By Trump’s Lawsuit Over Mar-A-Lago Raid…
Aren’t we all?
This is going to go down as one of the worst gaffes of a campaign in 2022. It’s so typical GQP, after TFG made fun of a disabled reporter:
Donald Trump’s Worst Offense? Mocking Disabled Reporter, Poll Finds (nbcnews.com)
They’re taking this to a new low, these folks. The best thing that can happen in PA is for Oz to lose by 20 or 30 points. He’s well on his way with this one.
The Rick Scott Award For Epic Cluelessness Goes To … Rick Scott
As the line went in Fiddler on the Roof: May God bless and keep [Rick Scott] far away from us!
Let’s see what today brings.