Accountability Does Not Equal Revenge

I tried my best to get some sleep on Tuesday night but instead stayed up until 5 a.m. mainlining memes and posts about the Blue Tsunami and jokes about the glorious new age of Woke 2 (or is it Woke 3?) that America’s resounding rejection of MAGA portended. Here are a few of my favorites: 

“every cheesecake factory is now an abortion clinic.”

“we are going to have pronouns you xeople won’t believe.”

“We’re putting Hegseth on estrogen.”

“we’re putting Ms. Rachel on the $100 bill.”

“they’re developing hallmark ramadan movies”

It was just hours of actual LOLs and competing with friends and TPM colleagues to find the funniest posts first. There were earnest moments too. Tears welled up in my eyes watching footage of Texans celebrating the state finally going blue. (“Austin Texas sounds like an Eastern European city that just overthrew a dictator,” one local observed). I felt the tears coming as I listened to Abdul el-Syed pronounce his whole Muslim name — Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed — during his victory speech in Michigan, defiantly rolling his Rs in a way that felt like a final “fuck you” to the vile, Islamophobic campaign the GOP (and some Democrats) waged against him. And I think I’ve read this poignant lede from an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution about 10 times now: 

In 1860, an enslaved man named Sheppard Peek was listed among the possessions of William Peek, a white man in Crawfordville.

His value was placed at $1,400…

On another surviving document, Sheppard signed his name with an X.

More than a century and a half later, Sheppard’s great-great-granddaughter, Keisha Lance Bottoms, was elected governor of Georgia.

You could say I, like a lot of the American electorate, was “libbing out,” but that description feels like downplaying some genuine, well-earned emotions. The MAGA movement that has dominated our politics for the last decade borrows the fascist concept that a better world is not possible. It has constantly tried to convince us that its power over the government, over culture, and over us, is absolute; that its reign is inevitable and resistance a lost cause. The election results Tuesday night exposed that narrative for the lie that it is. MAGA — for all its bluster and bullying, for all the cruelties and absurdities it has unleashed into the world — was reduced to a paper tiger. It’s more than fine to find joy in that, and to indulge in some schadenfreude. 

So when Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) went on MS NOW in the wee hours of Wednesday morning and told Joe Scarborough, “the American people don’t want us to get even, they want us to get things done on their behalf, because life is way too expensive. We ran on affordability. We won on affordability. And now it’s our job to govern on affordability…” it was like having a giant bucket of cold water dumped on my head.

Jeffries, the current House Minority Leader — and likely the next House Majority Leader — was responding to Scarborough’s question about how Jeffries could keep his caucus focused on what won them the election, which he framed in a somewhat smarmy manner as things related to affordability and healthcare.

That Jeffries ran with this framing was disappointing. As one user humorously responded on Bluesky:

Yes, affordability was absolutely one of voters’ top concerns at the ballot box. But so was fighting corruption! Tim Alberta posted a good summary of the exit polling:

Moreover, what Jeffries’ response overlooked is the degree to which affordability and accountability are not only not mutually exclusive, but profoundly intertwined! Trump, his cronies, and his billionaire pals are filling their own pockets at the expense of the American worker. Reining in their corruption and greed is intrinsic to achieving the equity and “affordability” that’s so long overdue to so many. 

There are Democrats who seem to understand this, and who appear like they simply cannot wait to launch multiple investigations and prosecutions into the Trump administration. “LAWYER UP,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) wrote on X. Garcia is the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. 

“Noem, Markwayne, Miller, Homan, Bovino, what’s up?” Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) also wrote on X. “Clear your schedule.” 

We got Jim Crow in this country after the accountability inherent to Reconstruction was abandoned. We got the fascism of Trump 2.0 after the DOJ dragged its feet on holding him accountable for the January 6 insurrection, among other crimes. 

Without aggressively pursuing accountability this time, Democrats risk squandering the historic, joyful victory the party won on Tuesday — the victory that had me up until 5 a.m. considering the possibility of a better world. 

Anthony Constantino Has Not Stopped Ranting And Raging

At 3:31 a.m. ET on Friday morning, Anthony Constantino needed to get something off his chest. 

The Republican (potentially prematurely) declared himself the winner in his congressional race in New York’s North Country on Tuesday with an extraordinary obscenity-filled speech. Since then, he took to X to mock the appearance of a female reporter who was one of the prime targets of his election night rant. It was one of many posts the fiery candidate and online sticker entrepreneur has made on the social platform as he continues to rage in the days since the vote. 

Constantino’s posts have included boasting of his own IQ and attacking a local conservative radio host. 

“You have no influence,” Constantino wrote, adding, “You have no accomplishments. Yet you pontificate like you are holier than thou when in reality you’re just a dumb asshole.”

Several of Constantino’s X posts have come in the late night and early morning hours. During his campaign, Constantino sparred with the New York GOP establishment. Fellow Republicans have been a persistent focus of his continued attacks, including going after former GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger and New York State Senator James Tedisco. 

“Jim Tedisco is a racist asshole who refused to endorse me. He lost because he is racist and stupid,” Constantino wrote in one missive that came shortly after 3 a.m. on Wednesday. 

In addition to politicians and pundits, Constantino has found the time to attack fairly random critics.

“You are stupid,” he wrote to one X user with the handle “MidwestDem.”

However, as in his election night speech, Constantino’s prime target in his late night posts has been what he calls the “evil media.” In one message, Constantino defended his decision to kick a reporter for NEWS7 WWNY out of his event on the evening of the vote. 

“He looked hostile and needed to be escorted out for security reasons,” Constantino wrote.

Constantino has also raged against the Albany Times Union newspaper. 

While Constantino has continuously unloaded on X, he has yet to respond to TPM’s requests for comment. However, it seems certain we will hear from him soon — one way or another. 

“A Little Bit of Stick It to Em”

How Much of This Week’s News Do You Remember?

1. What year was it when Kansas last elected a Democratic senator?
2. There have been only 3 Black governors in U.S. history prior to this election. How many Black governors will be serving in 2027?
3. Only two seats in the House flipped from Democrat-held to Republican-held. Name the two states where this took place. (Bonus points if you can name the district and winner) 

Answers below

Justices in Waiting

So Long, Farewell

Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek once rapped on stage, “you only get one chance to blow,” from Eminem’s song Lose Yourself. Vivek has been given more than once a chance, but he sure blew this one. In the slightly paraphrased words of his rapper idol: “We’ve created a monster, but nobody wants to see Vivek no more.” Time to exit the stage, Da Vek.

Max Miller

The Trump ally and alleged domestic abuser got what he deserved, a … significant loss. The fact that it came at the hands of someone named Poindexter is * chef’s kiss. *

Mike Collins

Mike didn’t want to talk about his friends and family. After losing to Jon Ossoff by 18 points, his friends and family might not want to talk about him. Goodbye, Mike. 

Ken Paxton

Sorry to Ken, whose political career is over — on “biblical grounds.” 

Roger Marshall

We didn’t ask Roger to pay for siccing the collection agency on his patients — that was turned over to the voters of Kansas.

Susan Collins

The most moderate Republican in the Senate, Susan feels she only moderately enabled Trump’s agenda and disastrous decisions like Dobbs. The voters in Maine apparently saw things differently and sent her packing with a more-than-moderate defeat.

A Blue Megatsunamis

Source: NY Times

Trivia answers: 1) 1932 2) Five 3) Texas’s 32nd District won by Jace Yarbrough (R-TX) and Maine’s 2nd District won by Paul LePage (R-ME)