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Video: Former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05) Says We Need SANITY in the President, and That’s Kamala Harris; In Stark Contrast, a Trump Administration Would Be “like a bag of rabid squirrels”

By
lowkell
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6

Former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05) was a conservative, pro-Trump member of Congress, but now has done a complete “180” and is backing Kamala Harris for President. Why? Because he understands the dire threat that Donald Trump and the MAGA movement pose to our democracy. He also understands that all sane people must come together to stop the far-right-extremist crazies. In the following interview on MSNBC this past weekend, former Rep. Riggleman laid it all out. Check out the video, as well as highlights, including:

  • “I saw the [January 6] data…People need to be aware that the same people that coordinated and pushed January 6 are the same people behind Project 2025.”
  • “I think that sanity matters. And I believe that sanity should be the baseline for anybody who chooses a president. I think Vice President Harris holds that down the line. Look at what…Trump…the kind of people that he’s bringing to a future administration…it’s like a bag of rabid squirrels…That kind of insanity…cannot be part of our future.”
  • “I also believe when you’re looking at sort of the insanity and irrationality and the radicalization that you see from people who are surrounding [Trump] that are Q-Anon adherents, the fact that he wears Q pins. I mean, everything that he says about the vice president I think is absolutely horrid. You are looking at somebody who I think is cognitively impaired and I think somebody who is having real mental issues. And somebody who would listen to their son to pick somebody like JD Vance…should be a real issue for most Americans based on his idea towards women…as a girl dad…I don’t think there’s a better pick than the Vice President right now.”
  • JD Vance is “all about power…all about access…it’s just ludicrous what comes out of [Vance’s and Trump’s] mouths.”
  • “There is no way anybody who is former Republican, who has conservative values – I am center right – I just don’t think that there is any way that they could think that the former president could serve in any way that is effective. And I think it could lead to some chaos and also violence in this country.”
  • “[Trump]’s already a convicted felon…adjudicated rapist…When you look at the judgment of this man over the past eight years, I think you come to the same conclusion, again, that sanity should be the baseline and facts should matter when you are voting for a President of the United States, and I think that person is the vice president, Kamala Harris, right now.”

VA House Speaker Don Scott Sends Letter to Gov. Youngkin, Calls for Removal of Project 2025 Contributor and Closer Look at MAGA-Extremist Appointees

By
Blue Virginia
-
6

From VA Speaker Don Scott:

House Speaker Calls for Removal of Project 2025 Contributor and Closer Look at MAGA-Extremist Appointees

Richmond, VA – Last week, Speaker of the House of Delegates, Don Scott, sent Governor Youngkin a letter to request the removal of Dr. Lindsey Burke from the George Mason University Board of Visitors. Dr. Burke authored chapter 11 regarding education in the controversial Project 2025. In response, the Governor refused to consider her removal and defended her qualifications. Speaker Scott released the following statement in response to Governor Youngkin’s defense of Burke and MAGA allies of Project 2025:

“Since Dr. Burke’s appointment in 2023, we have learned of her involvement in authoring the education portion of Project 2025. In this manual by the extremist Heritage Foundation, Dr. Burke is explicit about her thoughts on public education. She states that ‘federal education policy should be limited, and ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.’ This type of messaging is dangerous. Unfortunately, this school of thought is not exclusive to Dr. Burke or the Department of Education.

By placing extremists on public boards, the Governor is eroding the integrity of these organizations and facilitating the normalization of Trump’s MAGA ideology. Trump’s desire to ‘reign in bureaucrats’ and replace them with political appointees would destroy Virginia’s economy and the livelihoods of over 140,000 families. Replacing these civil servants with MAGA sycophants would not just be bad for Virginia but would eliminate decades of institutional knowledge from our Federal Government, creating chaos.

I urge Governor Youngkin to reconsider his affiliation with those who support the divisive policies promoted in Project 2025 and remove all associated appointees from their respective boards and committees. Our public institutions must be led by those who believe in the mission and place the success of these institutions above party or ideology. Dr. Burke has demonstrated her allegiance to party over public education and should be removed from George Mason’s Board of Visitors immediately.”

Kamala Harris: “I am proud to announce that I’ve asked Governor Tim Walz to be my running mate.”

By
Blue Virginia
-
22

From the Kamala Harris for President campaign:

Vice President Harris Announces Tim Walz As Her Running Mate

Today, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election. Together, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will fight for a future that strengthens our democracy, protects reproductive freedom, and ensures every person has the opportunity to not just get by, but to get ahead.

Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have spent their careers fighting for working families across the country. As a prosecutor, attorney general, senator, and vice president, Vice President Harris has taken on the big banks, led the fight for reproductive freedom, and stood with our allies against Putin’s aggression. Governor Walz is a champion for working families, a retired Army National Guardsman, a former high school teacher and football coach, Member of Congress, and two term governor where he cut taxes for working families, lowered the cost of insulin, and protected women’s right to choose.

Vice President Harris wrote: “I am proud to announce that I’ve asked Governor Tim Walz to be my running mate. One of the things that stood out to me about Tim is how his convictions on fighting for middle class families run deep. It’s personal. As a governor, a coach, a teacher, and a veteran, he’s delivered for working families like his own. We are going to build a great partnership. We start out as underdogs but I believe together, we can win this election.”

Later today, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will make their first joint campaign appearance at a rally with thousands of supporters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This event is the first of a five-day barnstorm to introduce the Harris-Walz ticket to voters in key battleground states.

From now until Election Day, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will continue to crisscross the country to outline the choice between two very different visions for the future: Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, who are running to move the country forward, not backward — or Donald Trump and JD Vance, who are running to enact their extreme and dangerous Project 2025 agenda that will roll back Americans’ rights and freedoms, hurt the middle class, and threaten our democracy.

Governor Tim Walz

Governor Walz is a champion for America’s working families. He enlisted in the Army National Guard, rising to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. After attending college thanks to the GI Bill, Tim Walz served his community as a high school teacher and football coach – taking his team to the state championship for the first time in the school’s history. He became a member of Congress in a Republican district by representing the needs of farmers and rural America. Governor Walz has done more to help middle class families get ahead than any other statewide leader in recent memory. That experience makes him the ideal running mate for Kamala Harris, who has taken on the big banks, led the fight for reproductive freedom, and stood with our allies against Putin’s aggression during her time as a prosecutor, Attorney General, Senator, and Vice President.

As governor, Walz lowered the cost of insulin to $35 per month for many Minnesotans. He eliminated junk fees. And, he signed paid leave into law so that parents can take care of sick family without losing their job. Governor Walz stood up for fundamental freedoms and made Minnesota the first state to pass a law codifying abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. He funded Minnesota police departments, putting more cops on the street and investing in body cameras, and established universal background checks for gun purchases. And, he worked across the aisle to pass a bipartisan infrastructure package.

A lifelong Midwesterner, Governor Walz grew up working on his family farm. He enlisted in the Army National Guard when he turned 17, following in his father’s – a veteran’s – footsteps. During his 24 years of National Guard service, he specialized in heavy artillery and retired as the highest-ranking enlisted National Guard soldier in southern Minnesota.

Governor Walz is a gun owner, avid pheasant hunter, and supporter of the Second Amendment – and he, like millions of gun owners, believes that Congress must do more to tackle gun violence in our communities. As governor, he established universal background checks for gun purchases.

For six terms, Governor Walz represented Minnesota’s First Congressional District – a conservative-leaning district where he was only the second Democrat elected since 1890. The son of an Army veteran and a retired Army National Guard member himself, Walz was the ranking member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, where he passed legislation to help stem veterans’ suicides.

Governor Walz met his wife Gwen teaching high school in Nebraska before moving to Gwen’s home state of Minnesota. A former union member, Tim taught high school for two decades.

Governor Walz and Mrs. Walz have two children, Hope and Gus. Governor Walz and Mrs. Walz struggled with years of fertility challenges and had their daughter, Hope, through reproductive health care like IVF – further cementing his commitment to ensuring all Americans have access to this care.

###

Paid for by Harris for President

With Less than 100 Days Until the Election, Trump and Republicans More Focused on Infighting Than Winning 

By
Blue Virginia
-
5

From the DNC War Room:

With Less than 100 Days Until the Election, Trump and Republicans More Focused on Infighting Than Winning 

Donald Trump’s most recent attacks on Brian Kemp show that Republicans remain in disarray

With three months to go until Election Day, Republicans across the states have embroiled themselves in a fresh round of chaos. Most recently, Trump attacked Republican Governor Brian Kemp for refusing to overthrow the will of the people, the same weekend as the Harris campaign launched “Republicans for Harris.”

As prominent Republicans trade jabs with Donald Trump, struggle to find solidarity behind their nominees, continue to face money woes, and watch as GOP state parties fall apart, voters don’t want anything to do with the disarray Donald Trump, JD Vance, and MAGA Republicans create.

“Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans across the country are already showing us what we should expect from a Trump-Vance administration: pure dysfunction and an inability to get things done. If they can’t get themselves together now, it’s obvious that they don’t have what it takes to deliver for the American people,” said DNC Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman. “From infighting to financial mismanagement to supporting somebody who tried to pressure local officials into overthrowing the 2020 election, it’s clear that Republicans are in disarray. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is the only candidate in this race who is bringing people together – from red, purple, and blue states alike. Voters are energized by the opportunity to reject Donald Trump once and for all and move our country forward as they make Vice President Harris President Harris this November.”

Trump reignited his attacks on Brian Kemp over the weekend, underscoring just how splintered the Republican Party has become with Trump at the top of the ticket once again.

Politico: “Trump reopens old feud in Georgia. Some Republicans are scratching their heads.”

The Hill: Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) on Sunday criticized his party for staying silent as former President Trump attacked conservative stalwarts including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — both of whom resisted Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election in their state of Georgia.

“‘We have done more for the conservative cause than Donald Trump has ever done,’ Duncan said on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ about Kemp, Raffensperger and himself. ‘This is now starting to not be Donald Trump’s problem. This is starting to be the Republican Party’s problem.’”

Atlanta Journal Constitution: “So much for Republican unity.

“Even before Donald Trump took the stage Saturday at his Atlanta rally, he took to social media to berate Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife Marty as traitors to the GOP cause.

[…]

“For months, Trump had refrained from publicly feuding with Kemp and other Republicans he wrongly blamed for his 2020 election defeat. And now, with the race in Georgia tighter than ever against Vice President Kamala Harris, he chose to reopen the raw rift?

“‘Attacking a successful and popular governor is not only wrong, it’s politically stupid,’ said Cole Muzio, a conservative activist and close Kemp ally. ‘The stakes are too high for pettiness – and for the candidate to actively undermine his own chances.’”

A Republican Arizona Mayor chose to endorse Vice President Harris over Trump, denouncing Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and proving that Trump’s MAGA agenda has divided the party beyond repair.

USA Today: “Mesa mayor John Giles endorsed the vice president in an opinion column in The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. In the endorsement, Giles strongly rebuked his party’s nominee, saying: ‘This year too much is at stake to vote Republican at the top of the ticket.’

“‘Since Donald Trump refused to accept the outcome of the 2020 election, Republicans have yet to course correct,’ Giles wrote. ‘In the spirit of the late Sen. John McCain’s motto, ‘Country First,’ I call on other Arizona Republicans to join me in choosing country over party this election and to vote against Donald Trump.’”

AZ Central: “In interviews, Giles said Harris could win Arizona. ‘I think she needs to remind people like me… how chaotic four years of Donald Trump was. We truly were referring to it as a national nightmare.’”

After going through a complete overhaul in its leadership, the Michigan GOP remains low on cash and unable to pay its debts.

Newsweek: “With less than a 100 days to go before the presidential election, the Michigan GOP is entangled in financial turmoil, despite recent attempts to stabilize the state party’s shaky finances.

“After a troublesome year under the helm of former Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo, who clashed with some long-term, big-name donors to the party during her leadership, new chair Pete Hoekstra vowed to put the party back on the right track. Recent financial statements prove that, in the time between Karamo’s ouster in January and now, Hoekstra hasn’t yet achieved that goal financially.

“The latest financial report from the Michigan GOP, released on July 25, shows that the party has only $384,000 on hand in its federal campaign account, while owing $184,000 in its state account.”

Members of the Colorado GOP are attempting to oust their chairman in a tumultuous process that has gotten so bad that even Lauren Boebert herself stepped in.

Colorado Sun: “Republicans running in tight races across the state this year don’t expect to get the kind of help from the Colorado GOP that the party has offered in the past, a big deficit as conservatives try to claw their way back to political relevance. 

“They have good reasons for that assumption.

“Fourteen of the 18 candidates the party endorsed this year in contested Republican primaries lost. Chairman Dave Williams used the party’s limited funds to pay for mailers to benefit his own failed congressional primary bid. And Williams hasn’t been seen much since his primary loss even as a movement to remove him as chair is underway.”

Colorado Politics: “Lauren Boebert rips Colorado GOP’s ‘infighting,’ calls on Dave Williams to support Republicans or face removal”

Right before the RNC, the Illinois GOP Chair resigned after having enough with Republicans always being at each other’s throats.

CBS News: “‘I have had to spend far too much time dealing with intra party power struggles, and local intra party animosities that continued after primaries and County Chair elections,’ he wrote. ‘In better days, Illinois Republicans came together after tough intra party elections. Now however, we have Republicans who would rather fight other Republicans than engage in the harder work of defeating incumbent Democrats by convincing swing voters to vote Republican.’”

Tuesday News: “Japanese stocks soar after massive sell-off shook global markets”; “Harris prepares to name running mate and launch multistate tour”; Trump Enraged by “women and non-white people who he views as not compliant”; “Youngkin’s ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’ message to threatened federal employees”

By
lowkell
-
30

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, August 6.

“[Youngkin’s] actual message to 140k Virginia families who understand and fear Trump’s Project 2025 will terminate their jobs is ‘go find a new job'”

By
lowkell
-
3

Just when you think Glenn Youngkin can’t get any more callous, clueless, crazy, etc…check this out.

Governor Glenn Youngkin says Virginia’s over 140,000 civilian federal employees have little to fear if former President Donald Trump’s promise to fire many of them comes true.

“There are fabulous opportunities for folks to find a new employer in Virginia should the one they work for move away,” Youngkin said after a recent meeting of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates, or GACRE.

Trump has said he plans to “reign in bureaucrats…”

As Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08) puts it:

“Incredible that this needs to be said but firing tens of thousands of Virginians would be very bad for everyone who loses their job and for the Commonwealth of Virginia, actually. And Trump’s extreme Project 2025 agenda is a threat to the whole economy, not just federal workers.”

And as VA Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell retweets:

“So [Youngkin’s] actual message to 140k Virginia families who understand and fear Trump’s Project 2025 will terminate their jobs is ‘go find a new job'”

Del. Dan Helmer puts it very well:

“Our federal workers are patriots & critical to VA’s economy. I’m proud to stand with them. @GlennYoungkin should join us in pushing back against attacks on their patriotism and livelihoods instead of saying they can just ‘find a new employer in Virginia.'”

As does State Sen. Aaron Rouse:

“This is a promise that Governor Youngkin simply cannot guarantee. Trump’s Project 2025 will have major consequences for Virginia’s economy, with federal spending accounting for around 30% of our economy. Virginians’ livelihoods are at stake if Donald Trump is elected.”

As do the Arlington Dems:

“Trump, Vance, and Youngkin don’t care about Virginians in public service working for the Federal government”

I’ll post more reactions as I see them. Bottom line: don’t EVER elect Republicans, because this is how they think – and they’re only getting worse/more extreme, if that’s even imaginable.

Monday News: Trump Totally/Wildly Dishonest About Stock Markets, Economy; “What’s Rattling Trump: The Size of Harris’s Crowds”; “J. D. Vance and the Right’s Call to Have More Babies”; “Youngkin says there’d be plenty of jobs in Virginia if Trump fires federal employees” (WTF???)

By
lowkell
-
25

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, August 5.

In 2018-2020, Denver Riggleman Was Hard Right, Pro-Trump/Endorsed by Trump, etc. Fast Forward to August 2024 and…What??? Yep, He’s Endorsed Kamala Harris for President!

By
lowkell
-
4

This is an interesting point by Sam Shirazi, for several reasons:

  1.  In 2018, Riggleman was busy running for Congress as a Republican in VA05 (against Democratic nominee Leslie Cockburn). Riggleman’s campaign was hard-right pretty much all the way. For instance, in this debate, Riggleman expressed opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, opposition to ANY gun restrictions, environmental protection, etc. And in this debate, Riggleman declared, “I do not believe healthcare is a basic human right” and expressed his desire to join the far-right-extremist Freedom Caucus. And Riggleman was even endorsed by Donald Trump, albeit in a characteristically error-filled tweet. So…yeah; back in 2018, the thought of Riggleman endorsing Kamala Harris for president six years in the future was VERY hard, if not impossible, to even imagine.
  2. In Congress, Riggleman’s voting record was very “Trumpy,” as Riggleman voted 91.9% of the time with Trump, far higher a percentage than one would expect based on the district’s partisan lean at the time (Riggleman’s predicted voting-with-Trump score based on Trump’s 2016 margin in VA05 was 67.2%, so Riggleman was 24.7 points “Trumpier” than he should have been if he were accurately reflecting his district). Of course, Riggleman was very conservative AND was presumably concerned about a potential primary from his right. Which, in the end, is exactly what happened, was far-right-extremist Bob Good ended up ousting Riggleman in the 2020 VA05 Republican nomination contest.
  3.  It wasn’t just voting, either; Riggleman’s rhetoric, including on far-right/MAGA radio, was harsh. A few examples? See Audio: More Looniness, Courtesy of Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05), This Time on Impeachment, the USMCA and “Far-Left Twitter Trolls”, Audio: Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05) Demonstrates the Depths to Which Republicans Have Sunk in Defense of Trump’s Indefensible (Riggleman rants about media, “socialism,” the “far left,” “justice Democrats.” Riggleman also rips the Virginia GOP, says they’re going to lose the Virginia legislature in 35 days.), Audio: Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05) Mocks AOC as a “Kid,” “Far-Left Idiot”; Says It’s Likely She’ll Be Primaried and Lose in 2020, Audio: On Trumpster Radio, Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05) Rants at Ralph Northam, “you don’t get to preach to me about white privilege, you just don’t”, etc.

Anyway, you get the idea: back in 2018-2020, Riggleman was pro-Trump (and endorsed by Trump…as well as the likes of “Gym” Jordan), pretty much hard-right all the way, etc. So back then, if you’d written a blog post predicting that Riggleman would end up endorsing Kamala Harris for president in 2024, you’d have been written off as delusional, an imbecile, etc. And yet here we are – LOL!

P.S. In all seriousness, though, I think Riggleman’s views changed for a few main reasons: 1) he lost to Bob Good, showing Riggleman how insane his party was and also demonstrating that unless you were a totally unhinged far-right extremist like Good (who just lost a primary to someone as bad or worse than he is, believe it or not), you had no future in the Republican Party; 2) he saw what Trump’s rhetoric and actions could lead to, namely the January 6, 2021 violent insurrection/coup attempt, and presumably was shaken by that; 3) he worked as part of the January 6 committee, presumably pushing him even further away from the Trump GOP, as he saw what a menace it poses to our democracy…

Sunday News: “[C]an anything stop all-out war in the Middle East?”; Unhinged Trump Congratulates Putin (!), Attacks GOP Governor at “fear-mongering fest at Georgia rally”; “In two weeks, Harris’s campaign has reset the electoral map”; Harris Meets VP Finalists Today

By
lowkell
-
32

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, August 4.

Former VA Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) Says Rep. Bob Good (R-VA05)’s Primary Loss Shows How “In today’s GOP, if you’re not a full blown ideological extremist you’re not welcome”

By
lowkell
-
13

In his latest Facebook post, former VA Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) – a supposedly more “moderate” Republican, except for the minor detail that Bolling’s announced he’s voting for the wannabe dictator, felon, nutjob, far-right-extremist, etc. Donald Trump!!! – the topic is Christofascist Rep. Bob Good (R-VA05)’s loss to Trump cultist/insurrectionist John McGuire in their recent Republican primary. As you can see from my comments (in blue/bold/italics), Bolling starts off well, but then…nope, he can’t manage to keep it up, instead descending into brain-dead false equivalence, “both sides-ism,” etc. Also note how he never reconciles the fact that HE HIMSELF is voting for Trump? It’s really a classic example of “cognitive dissonance,” as well as psychological “projection,” etc. Check it out.

BOB GOOD: THE LATEST VICTIM OF POLITICAL PURISM [this headline really should read, “BOB GOOD: THE LATEST VICTIM OF THE GOP BECOMING AN UNHINGED, LOYALTY-ABOVE-ALL-ELSE TRUMP CULT“]

Bob Good is the latest example of the purist and pariah like instinct that infects the modern Republican Party. [Yes, true…but again, how about saying the name of the scumbag/felon/traitor/insurrectionist/rapist/racist/etc. YOU ARE VOTING FOR TO BE PRESIDENT AGAIN!!!]

In today’s GOP, if you’re not a full blown ideological extremist you’re not welcome, and God help those who defy the Tea Party or the MAGA movement. [Very true – so WHY ARE YOU STILL A REPUBLICAN AND WHY ARE YOU VOTING FOR TRUMP???]

In Virginia, this started in 2014, when Rep. Eric Cantor, who was in line to become the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, was ousted by political neophyte Dave Bratt [sic – the correct spelling is Brat].

Cantor’s sin? He had supported the Dreamers Act, which created a pathway to citizenship for the children of some illegal immigrants who were brought into this country at a very early age.

Bratt [sic – the correct spelling is Brat] lasted four years, before he was defeated by Abigail Spanberger, turning the very red 7th district over to Democrats. [False – VA07 wasn’t “very red,” it was a “purple” district rated a “tossup” by the Cook Political Report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, Inside Elections, etc]

In 2020, the same fate awaited former 5th district Rep. Denver Riggleman, who was ousted by fellow Republican Bob Good.
Riggleman’s sin? He officiated at a gay wedding for a long time personal friend, earning the ire of the far right in his very red district.

And now, Good himself has been ousted by the ever opportunistic State Senator John McGuire; perhaps fitting payback for the job Good did on Riggleman four years ago. [Agreed – this is VERY much “fitting payback” for Good]

Good’s sin? He endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president, earning the ire of former President Donald Trump and his MAGA followers.

Make no mistake, we see this same kind of extremism and demand for ideological purity in the Democratic Party as well. It’s just more pronounced in the Republican Party. [And here is where Bolling goes off the rails into false equivalence, both-sidesism, etc. In fact, in the Democratic Party, we most certainly do NOT see “this same kind of extremism and demand for ideological purity” – just look at recent primary results, such as this one, for instance. Also, study after study has shown that the Republican Party has lurched to the far right – similar to European extremist parties – in recent years, while the Democratic Party remains a normal center/center-left party, similar to Labour and the Liberal Democrats in Britain.]

For example, just last year two very respected Democratic State Senators from Fairfax County – Chap Peterson [sic – it’s spelled Petersen, not Peterson] and George Barker – were ousted by the far left in their respective districts. [It’s absolutely false that  either Stella Pekarsky or Saddam Salim are “far left.” In fact, they are both totally mainstream Democrats, with the 2024 VAPLAN progressive scorecard rating Pekarsky #7 and Salim #9 out of 21 Virginia Senate Democrats. As for Chap Petersen, the problem is that he went completely off the rails, joining far-right-extremist Dave LaRock in suing Gov. Ralph Northam over COVID protections, for instance. And George Barker was a big Dominion Energy guy who played a major role in pushing the fatally flawed redistricting amendment, so he richly deserved to lose the primary to the excellent Stella Pekarsky.]. They were replaced by two true liberal stalwarts because they were not “liberal enough.”

We talk a lot these days about threats to democracy. But there is no greater threat to democracy than these ideological extremists on both sides [Bolling literally says “both sides,” demonstrating the aforementioned point about his brain-dead “both sidesism”] of the political isle [sic – he means aisle, not “isle,” LOL] who demand philosophical purity from elected officials.

Our entire system of government was designed to resist ideological extremism and support moderation and compromise.

But these days, that sort of responsible leadership is seen as weakness and betrayal. In reality, it is the essence of a working democracy. [Again, Bolling fails to call out HIS PARTY and HIS PREFERRED PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, who have been overwhelmingly if not 100% responsible for “ideological extremism” and the decline of “moderation and compromise.” Even worse, again, Bolling actually has announced that he’s VOTING FOR the candidate, Donald Trump, who’s overwhelmingly responsible for all the ills Bolling decries. It’s just completely internally contradictory by Bolling…not that he cares, apparently.]

We would all do well to remember the warnings of James Madison, who in Federalist 10 warned that political factions and unbridled political passions would lead to mob rule. Unfortunately, not even Madison realized how powerful the mob could be. [Again, that “mob” is 99% on one side – Bolling’s Republican Party-turned-Trump-cult. But he’ll never call it out!]

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