Announcement: We Have Our 2023 Golden Duke Winners

Posted on by John Light

We’ll be honest, we thought George Santos was a shoo-in this year. And while you will in fact find him here among the list of honorees (we gave him his own category, after all) we’ve got plenty of room for other people.

Some of them are new, such as the Florida power couple/throuple, the Zieglers. But largely, these are names you’ve seen before at our year-end no-shame-for-the-shameless Golden Duke awards. In the words of Derick Dirmaier, TPM’s head of product: Same old idiots.

And yes — largely, yes. But in 2023 they took things to new heights, beclowning themselves in new ways, breaking new laws or breaking the same laws more times, innovating to reach new frontiers of corruption, and just generally keeping things stupid and keeping us chuckling during the new, bad times.

We had thousands of TPM readers vote on the nominees in each category. Thanks for participating.

Here’s who won.

Best Scandal — Local Venue: DeSantis vs. Disney

It’s DeSantis’s feud with Disney, an early installment in a now-very-long list of bizarre political calculations made by the presidential hopeful who, barring some kind of health incident on Trump Force One, will almost certainly not be president. A group of Arkansans and their associates gave the Orbán of Florida a run for his money, pushing Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ podiumgate incident hard. But DeSantis beat his fellow governor, with roughly 45% chosing him over 35% for Sanders.

A reminder about the hijinks for which he was nominated:

DeSantis vs. Disney: To begin, I’ll point out there is a 1,500 word Wikipedia entry detailing all the ins and outs of Mr. Poop Map (see below) vs House of Mouse. Everything started when Disney denounced the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” Bill. DeSantis tried to retaliate by taking away a special tax status the company had had since the 1960s. Some other bickering and jockeying happened. Then Walt Disney sued DeSantis for violating its First Amendment rights. The upshot is basically that Ron is getting sued by Mickey Mouse and somehow managed to come off as a Republican who is anti-business and anti-free speech. Amazing.

— Joe Ragazzo

Judge Lest Ye Be Judged: Justice Clarence Thomas

Justice Clarence Thomas ran away with this one, with 41% of the vote. His fellow Supreme Court justice, Samuel Alito, was runner up, with 27%. Thomas also won the Duke for Best Scandal — General Interest. More on that later.

Clarence Thomas’ Billionaire Buddy: The Supreme Court justice has been globetrotting on ritzy vacations with conservative movement stalwart Harlan Thomas for years, we learned this year, and even sold him property — all out of the public eye. The problem, you see, was that his salary was too low — and to his credit he had been sounding the alarm about this problem for years.

— John Light

Best Use Of A Visual Aid: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

A clearcut victory with 46% of the vote. Ron DeSantis’s poop map came in a distant second place with 28%. Gratuitous nude pics of the president’s son in Congress were, apparently, hard to top.

MTG Shares Hunter Biden Nudes: The Republicans say a lot of stuff about Hunter Biden. It’s hard to keep track of it all. But every once in a while something breaks through the maelstrom. Case in point: During a hearing in July, Marjorie Taylor Green displayed explicit photos of Hunter Biden. Who was she showing them to, you might reasonably ask? Two IRS whistleblowers, of course. What was her point? She alleged Biden had violated “The Mann Act,” which I could tell you more about but, frankly, I’ve already have devoted too many words to this grifter.

— Joe Ragazzo

Summer Of George: Dog Charity

Readers were split on the winner in this category, which honored each of George Santos’ many identities, fabrications and schemes. Santos’ dog charity scam came in first with 19.7% of the vote, but the very funny lie that he was the star of the Baruch College volleyball team came in a close second, with 19%.

Best Scandal — Sex & Generalized Carnality: The Florida Power Throuple

In this category we have some true newcomers to the TPM oeuvre, but ones with the makings of all-time champs. This couple was behind some of the most aggressive culture warring in the country while seemingly practicing what they preached against, and worse. Below is a description of the hypocrisy for which they were nominated. It should be mentioned that Lauren Boebert’s Beetlejuice incident, an extremely worthy competitor, came in second place.

The Throuple That Blew Up The Florida GOP: We couldn’t have dreamed up a better end-of-the-year sex scandal if we tried. A Florida Republican “family values” power couple, one member of which was at the helm of the state Republican Party, the other the mastermind behind Moms For Liberty and the “don’t say gay” bill, were outed as sniveling hypocrites when the woman they’ve been having a three-way, consensual sexual relationship with came forward to accuse the husband, Christian Ziegler, of rape. 

— Nicole Lafond

Meritorious Achievement in the Crazy: Rudy Giuliani

The rare category in which a candidate got not just a plurality but a majority. Rudy Giuliani crazying himself into bankruptcy got 53% of the vote. That is perhaps not surprising; in 2020, when he was mid-election heist, we crowned him the Duke of Dukes: That is, an all time Duke, a sort of lifetime achievement award. Yet he continued to achieve, achieving himself a $148 million judgement against him for defaming two Georgia election workers. And so, here we are, giving him yet another Duke for his already-stuffed trophy case.

Here are the details of what got him nominated this year:

Rudy Crazies Himself Into Bankruptcy: This old Dukes standby, as rich in corruption as in sheer absurdity, took his doddering antics to a new level of financial liability this year by flouting a defamation case brought by Georgia election workers Shaye Moss and Ruby Freeman until the very end: a $148 million judgment which will likely haunt America’s ex-mayor past the grave.

— Josh Kovensky

Best Scandal — General Interest: Clarence Thomas

So of the many accomplished people nominated for Golden Dukes this year, what led to Clarence Thomas’ win over the competition, with 30% of the vote? We looked back at what various TPM readers said when they nominated him.

Money to spruce up his Mother’s house and neighborhood? To pay for the education of his ward? To buy his RV? Not to mention expensive vacation after expensive vacation.

And:

Thomas is the grift that keeps on grifting. No one else is going to judge him, so we’d better do it!

And:

Clarence Thomas – learning that the Supreme Court is for sale and has been for 30 years might be too depressing for a festival of gleeful schadenfreude, but it is genuine landmark in history

It seems these sentiments were shared!

Thank you for helping us to crown this year’s Dukes. By this time next year, we might find ourselves amid a chaotic rerun of the period immediately after the 2020 election, challenging the very core of our democracy. But we’ll always have time to celebrate the grifters, con artists, lawbreaking lawmakers and Bible-thumping sex fiends in public life who make headlines and make what we do worth it.

(TPM Illustration/Getty Images)

Georgia Judge Takes Pains To Avoid Big Voting Rights Act Question In New Maps Ruling

Posted on by Kate Riga

U.S. District Judge Steve Jones upheld Republican legislators’ new Georgia congressional map Thursday, a blow to House Democrats’ efforts to win the lower chamber — but was careful to avoid the most far-reaching question embedded in the case. 

Continue reading “Georgia Judge Takes Pains To Avoid Big Voting Rights Act Question In New Maps Ruling” →

Thank You For Everything, Folks

Posted on by Josh Marshall

Since this will be the final Backchannel of 2023, I want to devote it to a note of thanks as we go into the new year. 2023 was the first full year of The Backchannel. We launched it at the end of 2022, and it is a members-only newsletter. So I’m writing to you as the members who make TPM not only possible but vital: Thank you.

Continue reading “Thank You For Everything, Folks” →

Maine Declares Trump Ineligible Under Disqualification Clause

Posted on by David Kurtz

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version.

Colorado And Now Maine

Maine’s Democratic secretary of state has declared Donald Trump ineligible for the presidency under the Disqualification Clause of the 14th Amendment for having engaged in insurrection against the United States.

Shenna Bellows immediately stayed the effect of her decision while the issue is appealed, meaning Trump isn’t off the GOP primary ballot just yet.

You can read her ruling here.

Trump Won’t Be Cut From California Ballot

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber (D) declined to declare Trump ineligible for the 2024 ballot.

Remember: Each state has its own election laws, and they vary considerably in what they authorize election officials to do and the procedures they must follow.

Winners In CO DQ Case Want SCOTUS To Decide Quickly

The six voters who won the Colorado Disqualification Clause case against Trump are not opposed to the Supreme Court taking the case but they want the high court to consider it on an even faster timetable than the Colorado Republican Party was seeking.

CNN Has New Deets On The Fake Electors Scheme

Most of the new details from CNN come via former Trump campaign lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, who helped orchestrate the fake electors scheme. Chesebro pleaded guilty in the Georgia RICO case and is cooperating with investigators in multiple other jurisdictions.

USA Today Nails Trump Admin Staffer As Jan. 6 Rioter

A nice bit of work by USA Today confirming what appears to be the first known instance of a Trump administration employee illegally entering the Capitol on Jan. 6. The man was Oliver Krvaric, a GOP student leader and scion of a powerful GOP family from San Diego who was then working for the Office of Personnel Management:

Asked whether he was at the Jan. 6 riot, Krvaric initially told USA TODAY he was not. Pressed about the photos that online researchers say show him that day, Krvaric acknowledged he attended former President Donald Trump’s speech, but said he didn’t go inside the Capitol. Asked about images that appear to show him inside the Capitol, he then said he didn’t remember whether he went inside. Sent copies and links to the footage, he stopped responding. 

Trump Loses Bid To Delay E. Jean Carroll Trial

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals declined to delay the defamation trial of Donald Trump set to begin Jan. 16. Trump was trying to use claims of presidential immunity to push off the second trial of E. Jean Carroll’s claims that Trump defamed her.

Bob Menendez Can’t Delay Either

A federal judge rejected the bid by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to delay the start of his trial by two months.

LOL At Nikki Haley’s Backtracking

Former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) was forced into damage control mode Thursday, and it was not pretty.

  • First, she rushed out to say that of course the Civil War was about slavery:
  • Second, she still managed to muddy the issue with a “but…”: “But it was also more than that. It was about the freedoms of every individual. It was about the role of government.” Whatever that means.  
  • Third, she blamed the original questioner: “It was definitely a Democrat plant.”

U.S. Murders Fell Dramatically In 2023

The pandemic surge in murders has ebbed with record or near record drops in murders expected nationwide this year.

One Man’s Dark Legacy

Austrian billionaire Gaston Glock, inventor of the eponymous handgun, has died at age 94. The story of the Glock is as much a marketing phenomenon of the 1980s as it is a firearms innovation.

Georgia’s GOP-Friendly Redistricting Maps Upheld

U.S. District Judge Steve Jones of Atlanta, who previously struck down Georgia’s congressional district map as violating the Voting Rights Act by diluting black votes, has ruled that the new map drawn by Republicans is legit.

The decision denies Democrats a much-needed pickup opportunity, and sends Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) scrambling to run in a different district than the one she represents now.

DOJ Threatens To Sue Texas Over Immigration Law

The Justice Department gave Texas a Jan. 3 deadline to provide assurance that it will not enforce its new law empowering state and local law enforcement to arrest, jail and prosecute undocumented migrants; otherwise, DOJ will file suit.

Happy New Year!

For anyone looking for a fresh start by getting their personal finances in order as the new year dawns, let me suggest that you first get a password manager. If you don’t have one already, it will change your life. Everything about your personal finances will fall into place more easily and simply if you have a good password manager. I use Dashlane. I love it. I’ve used it for years. I can’t imagine not having it. But there are other good options. You won’t regret it.

I’ll see you back here on Tuesday.

Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know!

Dem Rep Switches Districts After Georgia Legislature Demolishes Hers

Posted on by John Light

A federal judge has ruled in a closely watched redistricting case out of Georgia, preserving a Republican gerrymander that dismantled the district represented by Rep. Lucy McBath (D).

McBath said shortly after the decision that she would run in a new district. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that the maps would likely remain in place through at least Election Day 2024.

The maps, approved by the Georgia legislature and signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp (R) earlier this month, maintain Republicans’ 9-5 advantage in the state’s congressional representation. They protect Republican members of Congress who may have faced a challenging reelection, and show the impact of years of efforts by the Supreme Court to carve away chunks of the Voting Rights Act.

U.S. District Judge Steven Jones, who issued today’s ruling, had ordered the legislature to draw new maps earlier this year after finding that its 2021 redistricting diluted the strength of Black voters.

In response to his order, Georgia’s Republican-controlled legislature created an obvious partisan gerrymander, Jones wrote. But it was not a racial gerrymander, he found, and the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that such aggressive partisan gerrymanders are allowed.

“[T]he committee and floor debate transcripts make clear that the General Assembly
created the 2023 Remedial Congressional Plan in a manner that politically
protected the majority party (i.e., the Republican Party) as much as possible,” wrote Jones, an Obama appointee. “However, redistricting decisions by a legislative body with an eye toward securing partisan advantage does not alone violate Section 2,” he wrote, citing Rucho v. Common Cause, a recent Supreme Court ruling on Section 2.

“[T]he Supreme Court has expressly stated that federal judges have no license to reallocate political power between the two major political parties, given the lack of constitutional authority and the absence of legal standards to direct such decisions,” Jones wrote.

The decision was largely silent on a key issue that both friends and foes of the VRA have been watching closely: whether a district in which white voters are a minority, but in which no group is a majority, constitutes a protected, majority-minority district under the law. One such district was McBath’s, which was controlled by a minority coalition of Black, Latino and Asian voters.

Jones sidestepped that question, saying it was not a part of the dispute at hand.

“From its onset, however, this case has been about Black voters,” Jones’ wrote, adding in a footnote that question of how coalitions of multiple minority groups should be handled would be “better suited for a separate case.”

Civil rights groups may appeal Jones’ ruling.

Meanwhile, a separate case out of Galveston County, Texas is winding its way through federal court, seeking an answer to a similar set of questions about coalition districts. Kate Riga wrote about that suit in her roundup of attacks on the VRA yesterday.

The Best Of TPM Today

Fellow Republicans Criticize Lauren Boebert For ‘Desperate Stunt’ After District Switch

Nikki Haley Dodges Slavery As The Cause Of The Civil War

Yesterday’s Most-Read Story

Jack Smith Drops Holiday Filing In Jan. 6 Case Asking That Trump Be Barred From ‘Injecting Politics’ Into Trial 

What We Are Reading

2024 may be the hottest year in recorded history — Axios

The Year Millennials Aged Out of the Internet — New York Times

The Factors That Made Evangelicals Ready for Trump — New York Times

New Rivals Criticize Lauren Boebert For ‘Desperate Stunt’ After District Switch

Posted on by Hunter Walker

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) announcement that she would be switching districts for 2024’s election was a surprise — and unwelcome news for some of the other Republicans already running in a crowded primary in Boebert’s new home. 

In a text message to TPM, former state senator Ted Harvey, one of Boebert’s new rivals, described her switch from the Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District to the 4th as a “desperate stunt” driven by her political problems. 

“Boebert has failed the conservatives in CD3 to such a degree that they will no longer vote for her. Now, in what can only be seen as a vain effort to cling to power, she seeks to represent the the voters of CD 4 — a vastly different constituency,” Harvey wrote. “This desperate stunt by Boebert may not only jeopardize the Republican Party’s ability to retain CD3 but, if she were to win the primary, could place CD4 at risk as well.”

Harvey went on to tout his own conservative credentials. 

“My record is unwavering, and proves my commitment to fighting for limited government, secure borders, the life of the unborn, the second amendment, and for citizens who want a representative to stand against the establishment,” he said. 

Boebert announced via Facebook video Thursday evening that she will be moving to run in Colorado’s 4th District instead of the 3rd District, which she has represented since 2021. The move to a more favorable district for a Republican came after a series of issues for the MAGA stalwart, including feuding with allies on Capitol Hill, a near election loss, and the recent, headline-grabbing “Beetlejuice” vaping and groping scandal. 

Another 4th District rival, Logan County commissioner and former state senator Jerry Sonnenberg, subtly mocked both Boebert’s change of address and her chance of winning in a message to TPM.

“I look forward to welcoming Lauren to the fourth district and representing her in Congress,” Sonnenberg wrote.

“I’ve lived, worked, and raised my family here and I’m blessed to have always called Eastern Colorado home,” he continued. “The fourth district is my home, and I’m going to continue to work hard to represent the principled conservative values of everyone who lives here just as I have always done.”

State Rep. Richard Holtorf was far more blunt in a statement released shortly after Boebert’s announcement that criticized what his campaign described as “carpetbagging.”

“The voters of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District want steady conservative leadership from their communities. Seat shopping isn’t something the voters look kindly upon,” Holtorf said. “If you can’t win in your home, you can’t win here.”

A handful of other Republicans are running for the 4th District seat, which opened up after Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) revealed he would not seek re-election last month. Buck indicated his decision was based on the GOP’s increasing embrace of MAGA politics, including 2020 election denialism. Despite some of the internal tensions in the party, the district is a safe one for Republicans. Buck won by more than 20 points last year.

Boebert’s standing in her original home district was far less solid. She was re-elected in the 3rd District by a margin of just 546 votes last November. Her challenger in that race, Democrat Adam Frisch, is running again and has, thus far, outraised Boebert by over $5 million. That cash gap came as Boebert dealt with the fallout from her divorce and the subsequent, Golden Dukes-nominated “Beetlejuice” incident. While the 3rd District is far more competitive than the 4th, there is speculation Frisch could have more trouble taking on a Republican that doesn’t have Boebert’s, shall we say, unique issues. 

In a statement released by his campaign on Thursday, Frisch referenced Boebert’s recent drama. 

“Boebert is running scared from CD-3 because she knows she can’t match our campaign’s ability to connect with voters and the hard work we have put in to provide them with a common sense voice in Congress,” Frisch said, later adding, “Even before the Beetlejuice debacle that embarrassed her constituents, our campaign was polling ahead of Boebert because voters saw that we were showing up in their communities and appreciated the hard work, authenticity, sincerity, and independence that this campaign embodies.”

Boebert and her campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the criticism from other Republicans in her new district. In her video announcement, which appeared to be filmed in some type of suburban kitchen, Boebert framed her move as a smart one for herself and for anyone else who wants to “stop the socialists and communists from taking over our country.” Boebert also seemed to admit she was struggling in polls of voters in her current home district. She claimed she had been targeted by “Hollywood elites” and “dark money,” and suggested her move to the 4th District would prevent those forces from scoring a win. 

“It’s the right move for me personally and it’s the right decision for those who support our conservative movement,” Boebert said. 

As she defended her district switch, Boebert also referenced her personal struggles. 

“This announcement is a fresh start following a pretty difficult year for me and my family,” Boebert said. “I have never been in politics before and I have never been through a divorce. … I’ve made my own personal mistakes and have owned up and apologized for them.”

Do We Long for the Old School Terrible?

Posted on by Josh Marshall

I noted on Tuesday that, for whatever reason, I’m feeling a relative optimism about the 2024 election. That leads me to speculate: what happens after Trump? I don’t think I’m getting ahead of myself. The question is important and illuminating even if Trump isn’t done with us. Because it goes to the heart of what exactly the Republican Party is today.

It is a commonplace and an accurate one to say that the Republican Party is Donald Trump. When we referenced this yesterday while recording our podcast, Kate Riga reminded us of the party’s 2020 decision to scrap its entire party platform and replace it with, simply, whatever Donald Trump wants. It made sense: the party is Donald Trump. The rest is just fine print, which Trump can make up or change whenever he wants.

Continue reading “Do We Long for the Old School Terrible?” →