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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
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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
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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
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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
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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!]

Saturday News: “U.S. forces move toward Israel as Iran threatens to attack”; “Trump is much worse than ‘weird’” (He’s racist, misogynist, etc.); “Kamala Harris Is Interviewing Six Potential VP Picks This Weekend”; “Youngkin: Va. will opt out of IRS Direct File program this year”

By
lowkell
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27

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, August 3.

“Today, [VA AG Jason Miyares] lent the credibility of [his] office to a years-long disinformation and harassment campaign targeting ActBlue based on frivolous and false accusations”

By
lowkell
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8

As we all know, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is a far-right-wing hack, horrendous at his job in every way, and in competition with Ken Cuccinelli as THE WORST Attorney General in Virginia history. Just horrendous.  Also, of course, Miyares combines intense political ambition – namely, to win the Virginia GOP’s gubernatorial nomination next year, then be elected governor (I know, I know – hahahahahaha!) – with his incompetence, dishonesty, non-seriousness, etc.  In short, Miyares is just a complete f’ing joke.

So now, Miyares’ latest stunt – clearly, to try and win favor with the faaaar right – is to “[lend] the credibility of [his] office to a years-long disinformation and harasssment campaign targeting ActBlue based on frivolous and false accusations.” For more on why it’s “frivolous and false,” see here,  here and here. A few takeaways:

  • In a March 2023 video, James O’Keefe claimed that ActBlue donors had unknowingly become victims of “a money laundering scheme” and that their names and addresses were being used by ActBlue without their permission to make thousands of donations. This is false. These claims rely almost entirely on misinterpreting FEC data in a way that inflates both the number and amount of donations made by any one individual.
  • Campaign finance experts, including a former FEC enforcement attorney and current Director of Federal Campaign Finance Reform at the Campaign Legal Center, have repeatedly debunked these claims as unsubstantiated and the result of misreading FEC data.
  • “[James] O’Keefe, a self-styled guerrilla journalist, is known for his heavily edited videos that present situations out of context for political purposes. His tactics, including surreptitious recordings, fall outside of professional journalism norms.”
  • “…you see these donor patterns frequently in FEC filings. It’s not new. And it’s not, as O’Keefe suggests here, a Democratic problem. Not even mostly.”
  • “O’Keefe is also likely misreading FEC filings”
  • “This pattern repeats itself again & again, with confused donors—often elderly—not understanding that they’ve left a pre-checked box checked, automatically making their donation recur, deducting from their credit card or bank every month. Do this enough and it really adds up”
  • “…as the NYT piece shows, it’s more common on the GOP side with the WinRed platform. The Dems’ ActBlue largely (if not entirely) stopped doing this when they got criticized for it after 2020. Not WinRed, though—they kept it up for a while. And the boxes have misleading text”
  • “It turns out that James O’Keefe—and this will shock you—is pushing misleading information. He’s uncovered a real scandal, albeit long after others did, but apparently doesn’t know what he found. He’s implying that it’s Democratic money laundering. It’s (sadly) just fundraising”

So now, Virginia AG Jason Miyares – who, tragically, ousted the SUPERB AG Mark Herring from office in November 2021, albeit by a very slim margin – has leapt into action, after – as Sam Shirazi explains – “Charlie Kirk made allegations and…Miyares said he would look into it.” As for the faaaar-right Charlie Kirk, Wikipedia explains:

  • Kirk “promotes the Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory, and has described universities as ‘islands of totalitarianism'”
  • Kirk “has said that the concept of white privilege is a myth and a ‘racist lie'”
  • “On the Minnesota leg of the tour on October 5, 2021, Kirk called George Floyd a ‘scumbag’ and appeared to refer to the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol when he said that ‘if you dare walk into the U.S. Capitol building and take a selfie, they’ll put you in solitary confinement.'”
  • Kirk “is a climate change denialist, falsely claiming that humans have no significant effect on global climate change.”
  • “The New York Times argued that Kirk ‘[walks] the line between mainstream conservative opinion and outright disinformation’ and that “with a powerful ally in the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., Mr. Kirk both amplifies the president’s message and helps shape it.”
  • “Kirk spread false information and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 on social media platforms”
  • “Immediately after Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, Kirk promoted false and disproven claims of fraud in the election.[75][76] On November 5, 2020, Kirk was the leader of a Stop the Steal protest at the Maricopa Tabulation Center in Phoenix. Charlie Kirk was considered a “Big name” social influencer in Rudy Giuliani‘s communications plan to Stop the Steal.”
  • “Kirk has advocated for parents to never let their daughters receive prescriptions for birth control medication for any reason. He claimed that the medication makes women angry and bitter, which he alleged suited the political leanings of the Democratic Party.”

Etc, etc, etc. In short, Charlie Kirk is THE LAST person who Virginia’s Attorney General should be taking his marching orders from. And yet that’s exactly what Jason Miyares is doing – pandering to the likes of Charlie Kirk and James O’Keefe in his obsession with succeeding Glenn Youngkin as governor of Virginia. Our job is to make sure that NEVER happens, and that instead in November 2025, we overwhelmingly elect Abigail Spanberger as governor, while Miyares hopefully slinks off into obscurity (assuming, of course, that he is even able to win the VA GOP’s 2025 gubernatorial nomination over LG Winsome Sears – an unlikely prospect at the moment, but Miyares isn’t giving up!).

Vice President Kamala Harris Secures Enough Delegates to Become Democratic Nominee for President

By
Blue Virginia
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12

Great news (albeit not at all surprising) from the Kamala Harris campaign and the DNC:

Vice President Harris Secures Enough Delegates to Become Democratic Nominee for President

Today, Vice President Kamala Harris received the support of the majority of Democratic National Convention delegates, making her the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

After unifying the party and generating unprecedented enthusiasm from across the broad and diverse coalition that sent her and President Biden to the White House, Vice President Harris secured the support of the majority of Democratic National Convention delegates in a vote that began yesterday. In a critical election year with sky-high stakes, this moment is historic for the Democratic Party and the country.

Today’s milestone comes on the heels of a groundbreaking $310 million July fundraising haul – the best grassroots fundraising month in presidential history, with two-thirds coming from first-time donors.

In declaring her candidacy, Vice President Harris stated, “It is my intention to go out and earn this nomination and to win.” As of this afternoon, she is poised to do just that. To mark this historic moment, Vice President Harris delivered remarks to supporters virtually this afternoon. You can watch her remarks HERE.

Vice President Harris: “I am honored to be the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States… The tireless work of our delegates, our state leaders, and staff has been pivotal in making this moment possible. And your dedication cannot be overstated…

“We believe in the promise of America: the promise of freedom, opportunity, and justice – not just for some, but for all. And, ultimately, in this election – you all have heard me say many times – we each face the question: What kind of country do we want to live in? Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion, and rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear, and hate? And the beauty of our democracy is we each, every one of us, has the power to answer that question. And that is why I say, and know, the power is with the people.

“So here’s the bottom line, I say to all the friends on the call: We are going to win this election. And it is going to take all of us, whether it is making calls, connecting with our communities, engaging online, or even talking with people where we go every day, whether it be to the grocery store or our church. We are going to talk with people about the fact that we are all in this together, and we stand together. And so, let’s let folks know that our campaign is about the future. And it’s about an expansion of rights and freedoms, and for the opportunity of everyone to not just get by, but to get ahead.

“November 5th is 95 days away… It’s not going to be easy, but we’re going to get this done. And, as your future president, I know we are up to this fight. And when we fight, everyone will say in unison, we win.”

###

Paid for by Harris for President

Today, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison announced that Vice President Kamala Harris has received a majority of the pledged and automatic delegates in the electronic roll call to soon secure the Democratic nomination. The Chair reaffirmed that voting for delegates remains open until August 5th at 6:00 PM ET, and encouraged all delegates to cast their vote in this historic roll call. See below for a statement from DNC Chair Jaime Harrison.

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison: “In the span of just a few weeks, Vice President Kamala Harris continues to break records – and today is no different. With historic momentum and a groundswell of support, Vice President Harris has officially met the threshold, securing a majority of the delegates she needs to receive the Democratic nomination on Monday. With the support of more than 50 percent of all delegates just one day into voting, Vice President Harris has the overwhelming backing of the Democratic Party and will lead us united in our mission to defeat Donald Trump in November. But I want to be clear – there is still time for delegates to cast their ballots. I encourage every single delegate across the country to meet this moment and cast their ballot so that we head into our convention in Chicago with a show of force as a united Democratic Party.”

Background on the virtual roll call:

  • Voting will remain open until August 5th at 6:00 PM ET. Delegates should continue to cast their ballots up until that deadline.  
  • The DNC will announce final results following the close of the voting window, including state-by-state results.

The Stark Contrast Between Extremist Jen Kiggans and Abortion Rights Champion Missy Cotter Smasal

By
Blue Virginia
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4

From the DCCC:

The Stark Contrast Between Extremist Jen Kiggans and Abortion Rights Champion Missy Cotter Smasal

New reporting from the VA Dogwood highlights the stark difference between vulnerable Republican Jen Kiggans and Democratic challenger Missy Cotter Smasal.

Navy veteran and former small business owner Cotter Smasal is “ready to take on MAGA extremists” like Jen Kiggans to defend and expand Virginia women and families’ reproductive rights.

Meanwhile, Kiggans has “engaged in the kind of dirty politics that have become a hallmark of Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party,” like recently trying to secure federal funds “for a natural gas pipeline in the 2nd District that would likely have benefited a for-profit utility” after she “received campaign donations from companies that could benefit from the new pipeline.”

DCCC Spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen:
“The difference between Marjorie Taylor Greene’s friend Jen Kiggans and Democrat Missy Cotter Smasal couldn’t be clearer. While Kiggans continues digging her heels in on MAGA extremism and self-serving politics, Cotter Smasal is ready to work across the aisle to get things done for working families in Coastal Virginia.”

VA Dogwood: Meet the candidates running to represent Hampton Roads in Congress
Michael O’Connor | July 31, 2024

  • Virginia Beach, where more than 50% of registered voters live in the 2nd District, backed President Biden in 2020 by more than 12,000 votes.
  • This history of electing Democrats and Republicans means the 2nd District election will be a competitive one this fall, with consequences for the rest of the country.
  • Smasal’s case to voters is that she’s ready to take on MAGA extremists to defend abortion rights. She has earned the backing of prominent Virginia Democratic leaders like Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Rep. Jennifer McClellan, and former governor Ralph Northam.
  • “We must prioritize growing the middle class, fighting for access to health care, and protecting our national security,” Smasal recently posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “Achieving these goals and making real progress for Virginian families requires pragmatic, bipartisan solutions.”
  • Kiggans was elected to the Virginia Senate in 2019, and served there until 2021. Her vote in 2020 against payday lender reforms in Virginia came under scrutiny when she first ran for Congress in 2022. 
  • More recently, Kiggans withdrew a congressional funding request that would have run afoul of committee rules after Politico’s E&E News asked about it. The funding request was for a natural gas pipeline in the 2nd District that would likely have benefited a for-profit utility. But House Appropriations Committee rules prohibit money from going to for-profit companies, and Kiggans had received campaign donations from companies that could benefit from the new pipeline, according to E&E News. 
  • When it comes to the issues, Kiggans believes abortion laws should be determined by states, a position that falls in line with Trump’s stance after the US Supreme Court took away the constitutional right to an abortion with its overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
  • Kiggans has also engaged in the kind of dirty politics that have become a hallmark of Trump’s takeover of the Republican party. 
  • Earlier this month, the editorial board of The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press blasted Kiggans for a fundraising email where she played up her medical expertise in suggesting Biden has dementia after his poor debate performance in June.
  • “Kiggans would do well to seek reelection on the power of her ideas, the strength of her accomplishments and her vision for the future, rather than resorting to cheap, and unethical, political stunts,” the editorial board said.

Youngkin Appoints “Citizens United” Chief Operating Officer, Former Koch Brothers and Trump Administration Official Closely Connected with the Fossil Fuel Industry to the State Air Pollution Control Board!

By
lowkell
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2

One of the many reasons why electing Glenn Youngkin governor in November 2021 was an ongoing disaster is that Youngkin gets to appoint people to a wide variety of boards and commissions in Virginia, dealing with important topics – education, elections, environment, you name it. Unfortunately, as should have been glaringly obvious during the 2021 election, putting a right winger like Youngkin into the governor’s mansion would mean that Virginia boards and commissions would go downhill fast in terms of quality. Today, we get another example of this; check out who Gov. Glenn Youngkin just appointed (Daniel Jorjani) to the State Air Pollution Control Board!

  • Per ProPublica: “Daniel Jorjani previously worked for groups connected to the billionaire brothers Charles G. and David H. Koch, owners of a conglomerate that sells coal, gasoline and other products. The groups include the Charles Koch Institute, the Charles Koch Foundation and Freedom Partners, an organization of conservative political donors led by the Koch brothers.”
  • Per the League of Conservation Voters: “Before joining DOI, Jorjani held several positions with groups funded by the well-known oil magnates, the Koch brothers. Prior to his confirmation, Jorjani served as Interior’s Principal Deputy Solicitor and was responsible for providing legal guidance for some of the Interior Department’s most egregious decisions in support of Trump’s ‘energy dominance’ agenda. Time and again his legal opinions benefitted oil, gas, mining or extractive interests at the expense of conservation and public health. Jorjani has also demonstrated an aversion to transparency, including restricting Freedom of Information Act responses and justifying Interior Secretary Bernhardt’s troubling practice of not maintaining a calendar, which made it harder for the public to know with whom he has been meeting.  Jorjani’s ties to the fossil fuel industry and efforts to hinder transparency within the Department put him at odds with the core mission of the office of the solicitor. “
  • According to the Center for Biological Diversity, “Jorjani got this job despite a disturbing history of twisting our laws into pretzels to give the oil industry permission to kill wildlife and destroy our public land.”
  • Also per the Center for Biological Diversity: “Jorjani has personally authored numerous legal opinions defending some of the Interior Department’s most egregious decisions. Those include Trump’s ‘energy dominance’ agenda to sell out public lands, the rollback of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the elimination of protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.”
  • Jorjani currently is “Chief Operating Officer and Principal Deputy General Counsel, Citizens United.” And yes, we’re talking about THAT “Citizens United,” the ones who are in the infamous Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court decision which allowed “corporations and outside groups to spend unlimited amounts of money on electoral campaigns.” This was, of course, disastrous on many levels, including for the environment As Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse put it, “Our failure in Congress to address climate change is directly connected to the secret empire of dark money that Citizens United launched,” with it being “fair to say that the fossil fuel industry got its money’s worth.” Ugh.

In short, this guy is the polar OPPOSITE of someone you’d want on Virginia’s Air Pollution Control Board! So of course a fossil fuel tool and climate science “skeptic” (or outright denier?) Glenn Youngkin put him there. Horrible.

 

Team Harris Raises $310 Million in July, Announces $377 Million War Chest; Best Grassroots Fundraising Month in Presidential History

By
Blue Virginia
-
7

Great news from the Kamala Harris for President campaign; let’s keep this up!

Team Harris Raises $310 Million in July, Announces $377 Million War Chest

Best Grassroots Fundraising Month in Presidential History

Surpasses $1 Billion Since Launch, Fastest in Presidential History

More than $200 Million Raised in First Week of Vice President Harris’ Candidacy; Single Greatest Week in Fundraising History

Two-Thirds of Haul Come From First-Time Donors

Today, Team Harris announced that it raised $310 million in July, the biggest haul of the 2024 cycle. July’s haul, powered by the best grassroots fundraising month in presidential history, is more than double what the Trump campaign and RNC raised in July, and includes more than $200 million in the week following President Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Harris’ candidacy.

With today’s announcement, Team Harris has already raised over $1 billion this cycle, the fastest a presidential campaign has crossed the $1 billion threshold in presidential history.

Team Harris is also reporting $377 million in cash on hand – the largest ever war chest at this point in the cycle and $50 million more than the Trump team’s post-July cash on hand. This July, Team Harris grew its historic war chest while also significantly expanding its footprint and operations both at HQ and across the key states – building the capabilities needed to win a close election.

July’s $310 million haul was also the strongest grassroots month in presidential campaign history and powered by a surge in new support. Two-thirds of the record-shattering haul came from first-time donors, further proof of the tremendous support for Vice President Harris that powers our historic fundraising operation. Additionally, the vast majority of July’s raise came from grassroots donors, and eight of the campaign’s ten best grassroots fundraising days came in July.

Team Harris’ grassroots machine makes clear the coalition is energized:

  • July was the best grassroots fundraising month in presidential history.
  • Team Harris raised more across grassroots channels in the four days following President Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Harris than Trump’s big donor reliant operation raised in the entire month.
  • More than 3 million donors made over 4.2 million contributions – with more than 2 million donors making their first donation this cycle. Team Harris also grew its sustaining donor base – grassroots supporters that are committed to donating regularly to the campaign – by more than 50 percent, growing to nearly half a million donors.
  • This month, 94% of all our donations were under $200, and teachers and nurses continue to be among the most common donor occupations.
  • Since launch, Vice President Harris has also galvanized new demographic groups to donate:
    • Compared to June, we saw more than 10x the number of Gen Z donors, and more than 8x the number of Millennial donors.
    • 60% of all donors in July were women.
    • Coalition groups that organized calls since launch – like Black Women for Harris, Latinas for Harris, and yes, White Dudes for Harris – raised more than $20 million for Team Harris.

“This is a history-making haul for a candidate who will make history this November. The tremendous outpouring of support we’ve seen in just a short time makes clear the Harris coalition is mobilized, growing, and ready to put in the work to defeat Trump this November,” said Harris for President Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez. “Our money is going to the work that wins close elections – whether it be an organizer knocking doors in DeKalb County, a rural office opening in Pennsylvania, or a college student tabling at a club fair. It is the product of a campaign and coalition that knows the hard work and fighting spirit needed to win in November – and when we fight, we win.”

“From historic grassroots fundraising to hundreds of thousands of new volunteers, one thing is clear as Vice President Harris continues to prosecute the case against convicted felon Donald Trump – voters are fired up and ready to beat Trump again this November,” said Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison. “The majority of this grassroots fundraising came from first-time donors who have been inspired to chip in to support Vice President Harris’ historic candidacy. Their grassroots dollars will translate to more offices across the country, more staff engaging directly with voters, and more opportunities for us to take our message directly to voters about what is at stake in this election. We can’t and won’t go back, and this past month made it clear that the American people agree.”

Team Harris’ War Chest is Being Used to Reach the Voters Who Will Decide This Election:

The historic outpouring of support for Vice President Harris – raised across Harris for President, the Democratic National Committee, and joint fundraising committees – will be critical to bringing the stakes of this election to the voters who will decide what we anticipate will be a very close election.

  • More than 260 coordinated campaign offices and more than 1,400 coordinated staff across the battleground states, including new investments in training and reaching supporters across the country with new organizing tactics.
  • A $50 million paid media campaign between late July and the August Democratic National Convention targeting the audiences critical to winning this November, including running during high-audience events.
  • Last weekend, Team Harris welcomed more than 170,000 new volunteers to the campaign and held 2,300 events mobilizing thousands of supporters across battleground states.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s campaign is working for the ultra-wealthy and corporations – not the American people:

While Team Harris is seeing a historic outpouring of grassroots support, Donald Trump has spent the month doing little more than shilling for himself and wealthy donors. He’s made promises to billionaire oil and gas executives that he would roll back climate policy while asking for max-out campaign donations. And three months away from Election Day, his campaign still lags far behind in campaign infrastructure in key battleground states.

This historic 2024 fundraising operation – built between the candidacies of President Biden and Vice President Harris – hit $1 billion raised earlier than any Democratic presidential campaign in history, doing so in one of the most challenging months historically for campaign fundraising.

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Paid for by Harris for President
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