Preparation Matters

By Rich Corbett

Like it or not, last night’s debate on ABC demonstrated why politicians are often trained attorneys. I’m reminded of a high-profile lawyer, turned law professor, telling me that a prosecutor can convince nearly any jury to convict, if the court has favorable judge, or two.

Last night Kamala Harris, the prosecutor, came well-rehearsed and had two favorable moderators; they all spent 90 minutes focused on prosecuting Donald Trump. If voting was scored like boxing, very few punches wielded by Trump connected with Vice President Harris. Trump was not successful in this round in exposing Harris’ failed record and far-left radical “values.” She sustained only a few body blows, so this round goes to Harris.

The problem for Kamala Harris is that the fight isn’t just one round. Trump has time to recover while the Harris campaign, and their propaganda arm -- mainstream media, has been clearly exposed. They can’t hide their candidate, her record and flip-flop positions for another two months … or can they?

Americans know what to expect from a Trump administration. The first Trump administration’s “no wars” kind of strong foreign policy leadership, closed southern border, tough on crime pro-law enforcement positions and lowered taxes to promote a pro-domestic manufacturing economy was impressive. All Americans were doing better prior to the Biden/Harris inflation and world on fire.

A thoughtful voter should be able to see the difference between one artful debate performance by Harris and a lifetime executive manager such as Trump when it comes to being POTUS. It is one thing selling platitudes such as "opportunity economy," but eventually her lifetime of progressive and radical California values will be clear for all to see. Will the real Kamala Harris be exposed?

Hats off to a debate prepared Kamala Harris last night … let’s see if the repackaging and marketing can continue.

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

From the Left

Editors:

As a girl from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, I am deeply sad about this. Tragedy just keeps on giving with this family.

--Kate McLeod

From Substack, re: https://thehustings.substack.com/p/of-fluoride-precious-bodily-fluids

Be sure to sign up for our free newsletter at https://thehustings.substack.com.

Countdown to Debate -- One week from now, Tuesday, September 10, Vice President Kamala Harris debates ex-President Donald J. Trump for 90 minutes beginning 9 pm Eastern/6 pm Pacific time, on ABC TV. There will be no studio audience and microphones will be shut off when it is the other candidate's turn to speak. Look for center-column analysis here on Wednesday, September 11 and send us your comments on the debate.

To submit your comments, use the Comment section in this column or the column on the right, or email editors@thehustings.newsand please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

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…meanwhile…

Federal Reserve interest rate cut, here we come. The US economy added just 142,000 jobs in August according to the Labor Department, with the biggest gains in construction and health care, as the unemployment rate inched down by 0.1 points to 4.2%. The Fed, whose chairman Jerome Powell, recently said “we do not seek or welcome further cooling” of the economy, is expected to lower interest rates later this month. [Chart: Bureau of Labor Statistics]

FRIDAY 9/6/24

Trump Sentencing After Election -- New York Judge Juan Merchan has delayed sentencing of Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump for his conviction of falsified business records -- the "hush money case" -- to November 12, one week after the presidential election (per NPR's All Things Considered). The sentencing hearing was to be held September 18, eight days after the Harris-Trump debate on ABC TV.

This represents a double-edged sword for Trump, whose attorneys asked for the delay and yet could have grown his popularity over having to campaign from jail or while under probation. It's was a damned if you do/don't proposition for Merchan, who would have been accused of election interference with a jail sentence or probation ahead of the election, and is still accused of such with a sentencing date (hopefully) after we know who has won and before Trump or Vice President Harris will take the White House.

•••

Arlington Altercation Update – NPR’s Morning Edition has identified Trump campaign officials accused by an Arlington National Cemetery employee of shoving or pushing her aside when she tried to prevent the campaign from filming the ex-president’s appearance there with Gold Star families. The two involved in the altercation are Justin Caporale, deputy campaign manager, and Michael Picard, a member of Trump’s advance team, a source has told NPR.

Trump this week insisted on his Truth Social website the incident did not happen even after the campaign posted video of the event with families of soldiers killed at the Abby Gate of Kabul International Airport during the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Army in a rare rebuke issued a statement that the Trump campaign violated cemetery rules and federal law by taking photos and video at Section 60, where soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq are buried. The cemetery employee who says she was shoved in the incident reportedly does not want to press charges for fear of retaliation by Trump supporters.

•••

Is it the Stupid Economy? – Donald J. Trump did not fare much better at the Economic Club of New York, where he was to reveal his “big policy agenda” for the nation’s finances, according to New York.

The magazine’s Intelligencer called the speech before the Trump-friendly group “a bomb of a speech a day after Kamala Harris unveiled a major tax-policy proposal and a pledge to support 25 million new small businesses.”

“We delivered an economic miracle that Kamala and Joe turned into an economic disaster,” Trump said.

The single bit of news, according to Intelligencer is that Tesla/X/SpaceX chief Elon Musk has agreed to lead a commission on government fraud and abuse for a second Trump administration. The Government Accountability Office estimates such fraud and abuse totals more than half a trillion dollars a year, the magazine notes, and the plan to put Musk in the driver’s seat would save “trillions” of dollars over an unspecified period, Trump told the Economic Club.

Note…Trump’s plan is “similar to the GAO’s Biden-era approach for rooting it out,” Intelligencer reports. Also notable is that Musk, who has said he’d take the role for zero compensation, has over the years fought federal probes ranging from his comments about Tesla stock to the automaker’s self-driving technology.

At the Democratic National Convention, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain announced his union had filed a National Labor Relations board complaint against Musk and Trump over their comments regarding Musk’s alleged worker intimidation at Tesla.

•••

President’s Son Pleads Guilty – Hunter Biden entered a surprise guilty plea in Los Angeles Thursday over federal tax charges, to avoid a trial that was expected to reveal details about past business deals. Prosecutors were expected to argue “he spent freely” on illicit drugs and escorts while neglecting tax obligations, says The Wall Street Journal. Speaking with reporters on Air Force One Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeated President Biden’s pledge he would not use his clemency powers to pardon his son, or commute potential sentences.
--TL

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THURSDAY 9/5/24

Trump’s Town Hall with Hannity – It was no debate, as originally proposed for Fox News September 17 to have been moderated by Martha McCollum and Brett Baier. Instead, the hour-long “town hall-style” interview (conversation?) with Sean Hannity was a taped and edited interview with ex-President Trump, held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The editing left in Trump’s argument that a Harris presidency would lead to another Great Depression and illegal immigrants would be eating up Social Security and Medicaid.

There was no mention of Hannibal Lecter or electric boats v. sharks, though there were high school-style nicknames like “Comrade Kamala” (with accent on the second syllable of Harris’ name) and projection of Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz’s high school criticism of the Trump/Vance ticket.

“There’s something weird about that guy,” Trump said of Walz. “I’m solid as a rock.”

Oh, the Orbánity… Trump began the interview quoting Hungary’s authoritarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, “Bring Trump back and we won’t have these problems.”

We do it all for you… Apparently an issue on Fox News and perhaps other conservative news outlets is they can find no evidence Vice President Kamala Harris ever worked at a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant, an issue Hannity raised Wednesday night.

•••

Cheney to Vote for Harris – Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who lost her seat after voting to impeach then-President Trump over the January 6 attack on the US Capitol said at an event at Duke University Wednesday she will vote for the Democratic presidential ticket.

“Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris,” she said (per The New York Times). She went on; “I don’t believe we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names, particularly in swing states.”

•••

Economy v. Economy – Goldman Sachs, the second-largest investment bank in the world according to Wikipedia, says US economic growth would get a bigger boost from a Harris presidency than with a Trump presidency.

Why? Mostly the return of Trump tariffs and more strict immigration policies, the bank said in a release late Tuesday (per Reuters).

Job growth also would be greater under a Democratic sweep – meaning, House and Senate (unlikely) as well as White House. New spending and expanded middle-income tax credits would “slightly more than offset” the lower investment that higher corporate taxes would cause.

“We estimate that if Trump wins in a sweep or with divided government, the hit to growth from tariffs and tighter immigration policy would outweigh the positive fiscal impulse,” Goldman Sachs said, which would result in an 0.5% decline in GDP in the second half of 2025 that would abate in 2026.

•••

Headline Redux – Wednesday’s tragic school shooting in Winder, Georgia, where two students and two teachers were killed has activated The Onion’s boilerplate headline, “No Way to Prevent This’ Says Only Nation Where this Regularly Happens.”

--TL

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Campaign Season Notes – Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump tapes a “town-hall-style” event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with Sean Hannity of Fox News set for broadcast at 9 pm Wednesday night. …

Meanwhile, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is in North Hampton, New Hampshire to tout her small business plan, which includes a tenfold tax credit for new businesses, from $5,000 currently to $50,000 (NPR). She hopes to cull a record 25 million new small business applications over four years of a presidential term. …

The youngest son of the late Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, Army 1^st Lt. Jimmy McCain has changed his registration from independent to Democratic and says he will vote for Harris/Walz in November. He made the announcement in a press release and on social media Tuesday. McCain also expressed “outrage” over the Trump video altercation at Arlington National Cemetary, calling it a “violation” and a “painful experience.” …

George Conway, the conservative attorney, Trump critic and ex-husband of Kellyanne Conway last July launched the Anti-Psychotic PAC with plans to spend more than $100,000 on anti-Trump ads. Conway has launched the PAC’s first 60-second ad featuring clips of Republicans bashing Trump.

--TL

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Russia Strikes Central Ukraine – At least 41 were killed and more than 180 injured by two Russian ballistic missiles in a strike on Poltava Tuesday, an otherwise quiet city in central Ukraine, according to NPR. The strike prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to call for more Western air defenses and to allow his country to strike deeper into Russian territory with long-range missiles, The Guardian reports.

“We keep telling everyone in the world who has the power to stop this terror: Air defense systems and missiles are needed for Ukraine, not in a warehouse somewhere,” Zelenskyy said.

•••

Netanyahu Remains Defiant After Protests – In retrospect, it was inevitable that the latest round of ceasefire talks with Israel over its war on Gaza and Hamas would stall. This time, it was over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intransigence in giving up Israeli control of Philadelphi, a narrow strip of land along Gaza’s border with Egypt that Netanyahu’s government says Hamas uses to smuggle weapons into Gaza and which Egypt and Hamas deny.

Even after Israeli protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv by the “hundreds of thousands” last weekend according to The Associated Press, to protest the killing of six Israeli hostages, demanding a ceasefire deal and immediate release of hostages, Netanyahu pushed back, saying “No one will preach to me.”

The UK Tuesday, led by its first liberal leader in 14 years Tuesday morning said it is suspending certain arm sales to Israel, NPR’s Morning Edition reports, though it will have little effect on Israel’s military capability, as the US and Germany are its two biggest arm suppliers.

•••

U.S. Steel should remain domestically owned, Vice President Kamala Harris said in Pittsburgh in her first joint campaign rally with President Biden, the AP reports. Harris and Biden opposition to the $14 billion sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan is echoed by Harris’ opponent in the presidential race, former President Donald J. Trump.

“U.S. Steel should remain American-owned and American-operated, and I will always have the backs of America’s steelworkers,” Harris said at a Labor Day rally before cheering union members.

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

The Joker

By Stephen Macaulay

On August 25, Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance appeared on NBC News’ Meet the Press. Kristen Welker, the interviewer, asked him about his comment about “childless cat ladies.” He’d made the quote during an interview in 2021 with Tucker Carlson on Fox News. As you may recall, Carlson was fired from his gig in 2023 after Fox settled a defamation lawsuit with voting machine company Dominion. The suit was brought because Dominion maintained that some folks at Fox were spreading false claims about the 2020 election being rigged. It cost Fox $787 million. Fair and balanced, right? Lying didn’t seem to matter much until it cost them.

The quote was a description of who Vance considered to be running the U.S., including “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”

Welker pointed out, “The Census Bureau estimates there are 22 million women between the ages of 20 and 40 who for whatever reason do not have children. What do you say to those women who hear some of your comments, including the childless cat lady comments, which you’ve been asked about, but who feel as though you won’t represent them?’

He, of course, answered that he wants to be the “vice president for the whole country” and “represent everybody.” Not respect everybody.

Vance claimed it was a “sarcastic comment [made] years ago that I think a lot of Democrats have willfully misinterpreted.” There are probably more Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and other people who have a grasp of the English language who can read what he said without any misinterpretation.

It is flat out mean.

Welker asked if he regretted making the comment.

“Look, I regret certainly that a lot of people took it the wrong way, and I certainly regret that the DNC and Kamala Harris lied about it.”

What’s the lie, Vance? Didn’t you say these women are miserable with their lives because of choices they’ve made? What choices might they be? That they, for whatever reason, didn’t have children? What about all of the women who for medical reasons are childless? They need to be characterized by a smarmy politician who wants to “represent them”?

Welker pressed him again about whether he has any regret.

“Look, Kristen, I’m going to say things from time to time that people would disagree with. I’m a real person. I’m going to make jokes.”

And there it is: “I’m going to make jokes.”

In other words, he can say things that are mean, despicable and otherwise beneath someone who wants to be the person who is a heartbeat away from the presidency who can sluff off any decency by saying it was just a joke.

That’s the sort of dodge most people left behind when they graduated high school.

Then The New York Times reported August 31 on another Vance attack on women.

In 2007 there was a teen beauty pageant. A young woman was asked a question and she totally flubbed it to a painfully embarrassing degree.

A video of it went viral. The young woman became depressed and considered suicide.

Presumably, as those things go, its virality had a half-life of days, to be replaced by some other epic fail.

But Vance, having spent time in Silicon Valley, proved himself not merely a tech bro but a bro bro and pulled it out from the pits of the internet and posted it on X prior to Kamala Harris’ CNN interview. It was captioned: “BREAKING: I have gotten ahold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview.”

That’s right Vance, the man who seems exceedingly concerned about family values when it comes to things like procreation and what books should and shouldn’t be read in schools, shamed a person who was then a teenager, to make fun of a political opponent. Epic, bro.

And Donald Trump Jr. chimed in by posting “This is total Fake News from JD. We all know that Kamala isn’t that articulate.”

Again, victimize a young woman for some laffs.

Has he listened to one of his father’s public presentations lately?

According to Times, when Vance was asked if he had been aware of the fact that the young woman in the post had considered suicide he answered he hadn’t. And he said, “My heart goes out to her, and I hope that she’s doing well.”

A bit of contrition.

Then he was asked to apologize.

Oh, but the decent thing would be far too much for the man who wants “represent everyone.”

He is quoted:

“Politics has gotten way too lame,” he said, adding, “I’m not going to apologize for posting a joke, but I wish the best for Caitlin.”

Did Caitlin consider this to be a joke?

Is his approach to politics one where he is cruel and then just passes it off as a joke?

Vance told Kristen Welker that he was raised by two grandparents who “believed in some fundamental American values.”

Those values probably don’t include spite, meanness, callousness, and brutishness.

And they probably wouldn’t find these so-called “jokes” funny.

American leaders shouldn’t make fun of other Americans.

_____________________________________________

Reader Comments on the Right

Editors:

Stephen Macaulay’s “Warm Spit & Standards” happened to trigger thoughts of Harry Truman as VP under President Franklin Roosevelt. Having recently read about Truman, it was surprising to me that he only had two in-person meetings with life-long philanderer FDR before the president died in the presence of his mistress (Eleanor’s social secretary). It just goes to show the significance of the passage of time in how history records American presidents, and footnotes their vice presidents. Perhaps little has really changed when it comes to presidents, politics and the power hungry?

--Rich Corbett

Countdown to Debate -- One week from now, Tuesday, September 10, ex-President Donald J. Trump debates Vice President Kamala Harris for 90 minutes beginning 9 pm Eastern/6 pm Pacific time, on ABC TV. There will be no studio audience and microphones will be shut off when it is the other candidate's turn to speak. Look for center-column analysis here on Wednesday, September 11 and send us your comments on the debate.

Be sure to sign up for our free newsletter at https://thehustings.substack.com.

To submit your comments, use the Comment section in this column or the column on the right, or email editors@thehustings.newsand please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

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Your Turn

Your thoughts are welcome on Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ stemwinder of an acceptance speech Thursday night. Can she extend her honeymoon period past the Democratic National Convention?

Also, be sure to scroll down with the scrollbar on the far right side to read this week’s coverage of the DNC, including Thursday’s coverage of running mate Tim Walz’s acceptance speech and Wednesday’s coverage of Tuesday’s Harris/Walz appearance in Milwaukee.

Add your Comments to the left or right column, appropriate to your leanings. Or email editors@thehustings.news and please indicate whether you lean left or right in the subject line. Or go to our free Substack newsletter site at thehustings.substack.com and post your comments there.

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The People vs. Populism

FRIDAY 8/23/24

There was much familiar in Vice President Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech for her nomination as Democratic presidential candidate. And yet, there was much new in its execution. As a former prosecutor and San Francisco district attorney, Harris no doubt has made countless closing arguments. But her national performances as a speaker have heretofore been less than engaging, until now.

Harris began, as many politicians do, with anecdotes about her late mother and her family’s humble middle-class upbringing in the flats of the San Francisco area’s East Bay.

“She taught us to never complain about injustice, but to do something about it. Do something about it.”

And … “And never do anything half-assed.”

Her speech was not the least bit half-assed, even as she riffed on familiar themes. Much of the Harris/Walz campaign is about preventing a “tyrant,” ex-President Trump, from returning to power, though she did outline some specific agenda items.

“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious,” she said.

Harris continued, “we are not going back … And we are charting a new way forward, with a way forward for the middle-class,” a defining goal of her presidency.

As president, Harris intends to “create an opportunity economy,” she said, offering labor, small enterprise and businesses “the chance to compete and the chance to succeed,” with a federal program to provide capital for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Her plans for a middle-class tax cut contrasts with “another (Trump) tax break that will add $5 billion to the national deficit.”

There’s also legislation restoring Roe v. Wade that a President Harris would sign, along with the bipartisan border bill that Trump killed because he wanted to keep the issue for his campaign.

But it’s on the international issues that must have been terra infirma for her.

“Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President Zelenskyy to warn him about Russia’s plans to invade,” Harris said. “I helped mobilize a global response – over 50 countries – to defend against Putin’s aggression. And as president, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO allies.”

Then she tried to make up some ground lost to “uncommitted” Democratic voters on the issue of a ceasefire in Gaza, saying “now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done,” adding that she always stands for Israel’s right to defend and arm itself, while acknowledging “so many innocent lives lost” in Gaza, filled with hungry, desperate people. “President Biden and I are working to end this war.”

--Todd Lassa

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Will the Real Conservative Please Stand Up?

ICYMI, Donald J. Trump has returned to Elon Musk’s X, the social media formerly known as Twitter, to try and take some steam out of Kamala Harris’ DNC pep rally. He did manage to keep the capital letters to a minimum …

“Kamala implemented policies that put prices through the roof. Then when inflation got out of control, she sat by and did nothing to stop it. If she wins the Presidency, the middle class will be priced out of existence. #Comrade Kamala: We can’t afford her as President.”

Meanwhile … “The Republican Party is no longer conservative. It has switched its allegiance from the principles that gave it purpose, to a man whose only purpose is himself.”

-- Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), one of two Republicans on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack on the United States Capitol and one of several Republicans to address the Democratic National Convention this week.

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Your Thoughts?

Much going on for political animals this week, what with the Democratic National Convention at the United Center, and a special appearance by presidential nominee Kamala Harris and vice presidential nominee Tim Walz at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum, site just a month earlier of the Republican National Convention.

There’s much to discuss, and whether you identify as “conservative” or “liberal,” anywhere along the American political horseshoe, we want The Hustings to be your vessel for civil debate. Speeches from Wednesday’s DNC are covered by Contributing Editor Charles Dervarics in Thursday’s center column.

Scroll down with the scrollbar on the far right side to read Wednesday’s coverage of Tuesday’s Harris/Walz appearance in Milwaukee.

Add your Comments to the left or right column, appropriate to your leanings. Or email editors@thehustings.news and please indicate those leanings in the subject line. Or go to our free Substack newsletter site at thehustings.substack.com and post your comments there.

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Walz-ing to the Veep Nomination

By Charles Dervarics

The speeches ran long again Wednesday on a celebrity-filled night in Chicago, but fortunately for Democrats, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz showed he’s a former football coach who knows the value of a powerful pep talk.

In a folksy 18-minute address, Walz introduced himself to the nation as a farm boy, veteran, teacher, and (by the way) a politician whose humble roots will serve him well as Kamala Harris’ Vice President. He also highlighted his background as a high school football coach, with members of his state championship team — in their team jerseys — coming out on stage.

That was just the start of the football analogies. Of the tight presidential race, he said, “It’s the fourth quarter, we’re down a field goal but we have the ball and we’re driving downfield. Our job is to get into the trenches and do the blocking and tackling.”

Of the Republicans’ Project 2025, he said not to take the GOP’s word that they are abandoning this governing blueprint. “When somebody takes the time to draw up a playbook, they’ll use it.”

He also drew wide applause by proclaiming “never underestimate a teacher” when citing his gubernatorial accomplishments such as paid family leave and free meals for school-age children. “While other schools were banning books from their schools, we were eliminating hunger at ours.”

With shouts of “Coach, Coach” from the crowd, he also offered his takes on these hot-button issues:

•On Abortion: Regarding reproductive rights, he said Minnesotans have a rule: “Mind your own damn business.”

•On Guns: He described himself as a hunter who’s “a better shot” than many Republicans in Congress. Still, he has signed gun safety laws as it’s “our first responsibility is to keep our kids safe.”

With Walz’ nomination complete, the last remaining task for Democrats is Harris’ speech Thursday where she will accept the nomination for president.

•••

Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder and John Legend were among the celebrities on stage Wednesday for speeches and music. Winfrey noted that she’s not a registered Democrat but urged fellow independents to support Harris. She said character and values “matter most of all.”

•••

The night’s speakers also included Republicans critical of Trump, including Geoff Duncan, lieutenant governor of Georgia from 2019 to 2023. Duncan talked about Trump’s detailed efforts to undermine Georgia’s 2020 election tally, which led to Republicans repeatedly protesting at Duncan’s home when he did not want to alter the results.

“These days our party acts more like a cult — a cult worshipping a felonious thug,” he said. “If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024, you’re not a Democrat. You’re a patriot.”

•••

Former President Bill Clinton left the Oval Office in 2001, but last night he noted that he’s still younger than Donald Trump. It’s one of the ways the presidential race has changed in the past month, with Trump now facing questions about his ability to serve as president as he nears age 80.

Clinton returned to familiar territory though, by claiming the GOP nominee cares more about himself than the country. “The next time you listen to him, don’t count the lies. Count the I’s.”

Clinton was known to be a fast-food aficionado — satirized on Saturday Night Live among others — and he leaned into this Wednesday night. Noting that Kamala Harris worked at McDonald’s when she was young, the former president was glad that a President Harris would set one new mark: “She will break my record for the president who spent the most time at McDonald’s.”

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Project 2025 or No?

One of the raging debates between Republicans and Democrats is whether presidential candidate Donald J. Trump plans to adopt Project 2025, The Heritage Foundation’s 900-some page document outlining how the next president could restructure federal government. This seems a good time to share a fundraising email distributed March 21 of this year.

The email is “signed” by Kevin D. Roberts, president of Heritage and author of the just-released book Dawn’s Early Light -- Taking Back Washington to Save America (with forward by JD Vance).

The Heritage fundraiser begins, “Next year, we have an opportunity to dismantle the deep state. … The deep state is a rebel group of individuals exercising power independent of and over our political leaders. …But it will all depend on whether you join the fight this year or sit on the sidelines. … (Recipient), since you’re a committed patriot, I know you won’t sit on the sidelines.”

“And through The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 initiative, you will defeat the deep state and its tyrannical, anti-American plans.” (Author’s emphasis.)

Through Project 2025 you will:

Create public policy solutions to America’s problems like rampant crime, high prices, and illegal immigration.
Train thousands of patriots to serve in the next presidential administration.
Replace the deep state’s leftist bureaucrats with these patriots so they can implement policies that will save our country.

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Comments from the Left

I haven't felt this much enthusiasm for a candidate since I was too young to vote for JFK. But then I'm from Beantown. What's remarkable is that Harris projects joy and promise and an agenda to get things done for normal people. As opposed to projecting mental illness and wondering if Trump is really white like he says he is.

--Kate McLeod

Via thehustings.substack.com

_____________________________________________

The Hustings always welcomes comments from various points on the political horseshoe from the left and from the right, for posting in this column or the one on the right (we like to keep it simple and make it obvious).

Simply go to the Comment section in this column or in the column on the right, if more appropriate.

Or, you may email us at editors@thehustings.news and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

Please be sure to sign up for our free, regular newsletter at https://thehustings.substack.com

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Harris and Walz Go to Fiserv Forum

By Todd Lassa

Lines for entry into a rally for the Democratic presidential ticket wrapped a couple of blocks around the Fiserv Forum Tuesday evening, leading one man in one line to wonder whether we would make it inside before the program was to start at 7 pm. The Fiserv Forum’s capacity is 17,341 when configured for Milwaukee Bucks NBA games, so let there be no doubt that about 17,000 supporters (and this reporter) shlepped out to see the presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, a number that must have rivaled attendance at the very same venue a month earlier for the Republican National Convention.

One of the charged-up supporters to see Harris and Walz divert 90 miles or so north from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago was Milwaukeean Joyce Fowler, who says she would not have made the same effort for a Joe Biden rally.

“I think he made the right decision,” she said of Biden, “and Kamala ought to make a good president.”

Fowler did not single out any issue that binds her vote to Harris, though she added that it is “crucial” that Donald J. Trump be defeated in November. Fowler, who is Black, lamented that her son plans to vote for the Republican rival.

Nathanial Brown of Brown Deer, Wisconsin, said he would have come out for a Biden/Harris rally. For him, the big issue is what he described as Trump’s threat to American democracy.

Retired teacher Edward Croke, of Milwaukee, said; “I feel we need more progressive people. Like (Sen.) Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and (Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio) Cortez (D-NY), and these older people, they shouldn’t be there.

“I like Biden. I think he was given, excuse my language, a big fucking mess from Trump, and he had to deal with it. And he did.”

Inside, the program began at 7 pm with the big, ceiling-mounted Bucks video scoreboard broadcasting the ceremonial convention roll call (Harris was officially nominated August 7) from Chicago.

You can see from our photograph that the Editorial We ended up just short of the very last row. Acoustics were such that it often was hard to make out what anyone was saying.

Walz came out solo about halfway through the roll call and declared the Democratic crowd more enthusiastic than the Republican crowd in July.

Back to the Chicago video feed, the Fiserv crowd cheered especially for the Democratic superstars as they rattled off delegate counts – Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Some of the states had small numbers of delegates – often just one – vote “present” or “absent” in protest of the Biden/Harris administration’s support of the Israeli government in its execution of the war in Gaza.

The Fiserv crowd erupted loudly when the Wisconsin delegation came on the scoreboard-screen, drowning out apparent flubs by Gov. Tony Evers. Then Wyoming, and then Minnesota and California in honor of their favorite son and daughter, and then, finally, Vice President Harris came out to speak.

She warned it’s “going to be a tight race” …

“It’s going to be a lot of hard work,” Harris said, adding her side will win “because we’re going to put a lot of hard work into the next 77 days.”

A disruption several sections over appeared to be from a pro-Palestinian protester; all that could be made out of a crumpled banner he or she had previously held was the word, “genocide.”

Meanwhile, Harris emphasized the parts of her agenda that could be most important in the remaining 76 days. These include her $6,000 child tax credit, calling out the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 (even as Trump denies any serious knowledge of plans to take over the federal bureaucracy) and, of course, women’s reproductive rights remain important.

Harris’ brief pause to get help from medics for someone who apparently had collapsed behind the nylon cordon a few feet from her stage drew admiring cheers from the audience.

The vice president concluded with one of her campaign’s recurring slogans, “We’re not going back.” (Blue rectangular cards with the word “Freedom” printed on it also were handed out to the audience.)

“Just like the Wisconsin state motto tells us,” Harris concluded; “Forward.”

It’s going to be a long 76 days forward to the presidential election.

Posted WEDNESDAY 8/21/24

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news

Not Our Usual Thing

The Hustings’ Editorial We (EW) gets the heebie-jeebies writing anything for the center column that might be misconstrued as leaning toward either side.

“Where’s the balance?” you might reasonably ask.

The answer is that Your Humble Servant found himself in Milwaukee in a personal family member visit when news broke that Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz would play hooky from the Democratic National Convention Tuesday to take over the very site where Donald J. Trump and JD Vance were nominated to be the GOP’s presidential and vice presidential-candidates, for the November 5 election. Just couldn’t resist.

Because The Hustings has not managed to snag press credentials for such events, the EW signed up for regular-person “general admission” seats to the event. That meant holding a notebook and phone while surrounded by people holding blue “Freedom” signs, happy to have Kamala Harris as their presidential choice.

If this has fired up those of you on the right – whether moderate or pro-MAGA – we want to hear from you. For balance, if not for anything else.

Simply add your Comments to the appropriate space in this column or email editors@thehustingsnews and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

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For the Left

If you are liberal, euphoric over the emergence of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, or ready to sit out the November 5^th election because of President Biden’s Gaza war policy, we want to hear from you. Go to the Comments section to react to our center-column coverage of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Or you can email editors@thehustings.news and please indicate your political leanings in the subject line.

Meanwhile, Stephen Macaulay, our never-Trumper pundit-at-large, has been busy with these right-column commentaries lately, and we are happy to take your civil comments in reaction, whether positive or negative:

• “Kamala, Voldemort & Commercials”

• “Why I’m Not Interested in Trump-Musk”

• “Letter to the President”

• “If Joe is Sleepy, Was Trump Comatose?

Go to Page 3 to read our fact-based center column coverage of the July Republican National Convention.

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Biden Bids Adieu at the DNC

By Charles Dervarics

It wasn’t the Democratic convention that Joe Biden envisioned for 2024. Instead, his appearance Monday in Chicago — part campaign speech, part wistful reflection on his career — represented the end of an era as the president made clear he is turning the keys over to new management.

With a speech that pulled on a few heartstrings, Biden touted his administration’s progress to overcome the pandemic, create new infrastructure and manufacturing jobs, reduce drug prices and install the most diverse cabinet in history. “We’ve had the most extraordinary four years of progress,” he said.

To steady chants of “Thank you Joe” and “We love Joe,” the president reflected on why he ran for president in 2020 — to honor his late son, Beau, and to help restore democracy amid the turmoil of Donald Trump’s presidency.

“I made a lot of mistakes in my career. But I gave my best to you for 50 years,” he said. “Like many of you, I give my heart and soul to our nation.”

Even with the warm reception for Biden, the night’s activities illustrated the fast-changing political landscape of the past month. Vice President Kamala Harris made the unusual step of appearing on stage the first night of the convention, both to introduce herself to delegates and urge them to give Biden a warm welcome.

A video and speeches about Harris’ early years were just some of the many activities that pushed Biden’s speech back until 11:30 p.m., well after prime-time television on the East Coast.

Biden spoke briefly about the tumultuous events of the past month when he faced pressure to step aside due to his age and eventually withdrew and endorsed his vice president.

The 81-year-old president said it is “not true” that he is angry at those who urged him to end his candidacy. “I love the job, but I love my country more.” Of Harris, he said, “She’s tough, she’s experienced, and she has enormous integrity.”

He also noted that his half-century career in national politics began as a 29-year-old elected to the U.S. Senate, where the minimum age to serve is 30. “I've either been too young to be in the Senate because I wasn't 30 yet or too old to stay as president. But I hope you know how grateful I am to all of you.”

•••

Some “apparently uncommitted” delegates unfolded a protest banner during Biden’s speech, according to The Washington Post. Outside, the “tens of thousands” of pro-Palestinian protesters organizers had predicted turned out in far lower numbers. Dozens broke through part of a perimeter security fence, which drew riot police to the site, according to a Reuters witness. Chicago Police declined to say how many were arrested.

•••

While Biden’s late speech served as the highlight of the evening, it was not the only dramatic event of the night. United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain introduced a new campaign slogan when he removed his jacket to reveal a red t-shirt with the words “Trump is a Scab! Vote Harris!”

The convention hall quieted during a series of short speeches about protecting reproductive rights. Most dramatic was the story of Hadley Duvall, a victim of sexual assault who became pregnant by her stepfather at age 12. “What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent’s child?” she told the crowd.

And Hillary Clinton connected the past and future in an address criticizing Trump and calling on Americans to break the glass ceiling to elect a female president. “We have him on the run now,” she said of the former president. At one point, the crowd chanted “lock him up” in reference to Trump’s recent felony convictions—a stark difference from 2016 when Trump supporters used “lock her up” as a chant against Clinton, then the Democratic nominee, over her email controversy.

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DNC Week -- MON 8/19/24

Prepping for a Loss – While Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump has said he will accept the results of a “free and fair” election, he is defining for his supporters what that means; “This was an overthrow of the president. This was an overthrow,” Trump said at a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, of President Biden stepping down from the race last month, The Washington Post reports. “It was a coup of a president. This was a coup.” Beware January 6, 2025.

•••

Of Protests and Ceasefires – As pro-Palestinian protesters gather around the DNC in Chicago, Gaza war ceasefire talks are moving this week from Qatar to Egypt, where stubborn resistance from Hamas leaders and from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far prevailed. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says this week’s talks are “maybe the last chance” for a Gaza ceasefire, according to The New York Times.

•••

Zelenskyy Explains – What’s Ukraine doing in Russia? Has been the much-asked question since the counter-invasion earlier this month. Ukraine is creating a “buffer zone on the territory,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained in his Sunday address, Newsweek reports. Earlier Sunday, Ukrainian forces destroyed a second bridge in Russia’s Kursk region.

“It is now our primary task in defensive operations overall, to destroy as much Russian war potential as possible. … In particular, this is the creation of a buffer zone on the territory of our aggressor – our operation in Kursk Oblast.”

--Compiled and edited by Todd Lassa

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COMMENTS: editors@thehustings.news