Subscribe

Mike Pence Plays Dress-Up in Iowa - The Monday AM Quickie 6/5/23

By Corey Pein —

I got a Bluesky account now, so you can follow me there too, provided you've made it past the wait list. - Corey

Subscribe to the AM Quickie's NEW paid newsletters here!

THE BIG NEWS

2024 Watch: Biden Hopes Voters Care About Debt Limit Deal

  • In what Politico calls "the first major cattle call of 2024," every declared Republican presidential candidate minus Donald Trump showed up in Des Moines, Iowa, for GOP Sen. Joni Ernst's annual "Roast and Ride" party, featuring lots of barbecue and motorcycles. In an enduring image, Mike Pence donned a leather jacket adorned with patches and straddled a hog, though his campaign doesn't formally kick off until Wednesday.
  • "Iowa conservatives seemed torn," the New York Times observes. "They conceded that unemployment was so low that jobs in the state weren't being filled, but asserted that the economy was a wreck."
  • As many as 1,000 people attended events for Guantanamo Bay torture-overseer-turned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on his four-day tour of three states (Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire). The Washington Post reports that he seemed to have a hard time connecting with voters one-on-one. However, some of his "policy stances — including opposition to coronavirus-related restrictions and a Florida bill to allow the death penalty for child rapists — got raucous applause in room after room." An official from Never Back Down, the super PAC that's effectively running the DeSantis campaign, tells the Associated Press they plan to "accuse Trump of being too cozy with major corporations" in the weeks ahead.
  • "Over the past few weeks, roughly a quarter-million Floridians have lost health insurance coverage through Medicaid," HuffPost reports.
It's a big deal in Florida. It should be a big deal elsewhere too, because a major reason for the coverage losses are a series of policy decisions that DeSantis and his administration have made. These decisions say a lot about his priorities and values, and how he might govern as president.
  • White House aides say President Joe Biden's debt limit deal "gives them 'running room' through the 2024 election to focus on making people feel the impacts of the legislation Biden signed into law, as well as begin to lay out their priorities for what he would do with another term," the Associated Press reports. His campaign team are trying to turn something voters are concerned about -- his age -- into an asset by praising his long-term vision and endurance. Still, the New York Times reports that his age "was all anyone was talking about" recently among Democratic donors on Wall Street. It comes up often in focus groups, as well.
"Does he ramble? Yes, he does," said Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, a Democrat who categorically rejects the idea that Mr. Biden is too old to be president. "Has he always rambled? Yes, he has. Public and private. He's the same guy."
  • "Democratic strategists and activists are concerned that weak turnout in Philadelphia could hamper Biden's chances in 2024," the Washington Post reports. Nobody seems certain what's behind the decline in participation, particularly among Black voters, but "many voters said they have lost faith in their leaders."

More Questions Than Answers After Deadly India Train Crash

Three trains crashed on Friday night in eastern India, killing at least 275 people and injuring more than 1,100. Authorities have promised a high-level investigation, but the latest official explanation has it that a crowded passenger train traveling crashed at full speed into a freight train carrying iron ore; a second passenger train heading the other direction then joined the crash. A "signal failure" is being blamed. But per the New York Times, officials have yet to explain why the freight train had stopped on the tracks, and why the passenger train wasn't alerted to it. Rescue work wrapped up yesterday but many families have been unable to reach the area to look for loved ones on account of train cancellations. Some who have made it, the Guardian reports, "described getting little help from the authorities, instead having to plead with hospital staff to let them try to find their [relatives] among the dead." Many passengers were migrant workers.

A Little Good News Amid the Scary Pride Month Headlines

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors on Friday, making his the most populous state yet to force trans teens into the closet. "This is not going to change who people are. It's going to force folks to find other methods to access care, for some people going to the gray market" for meds, Houston resident Lisa Stanton, who lobbied against the bill with her trans daughter, tells the Washington Post. In Florida, which adopted a similar bill last month, the Associated Press reports that the new law has "also made it difficult – even impossible – for many transgender adults to get treatment." Meanwhile, in more encouraging news, the Post reports that a federal judge struck down Tennessee's first-of-its-kind drag show ban, calling it "unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad."

QUICKEST QUICKIES

  • Federal Grand Jury to Meet This Week in Trump Stolen Documents Case "An indictment, if there is one, could come within days." via NBC News and the Washington Post.
  • Biden Signs Debt Limit Bill White House counsel Stuart Delery was researching unilateral options to circumvent the Congressionally imposed debt limit, like invoking the 14th Amendment, until the weekend before House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Biden reached a deal. via the Post.
  • Dozens Arrested as German Leftists Protest Activist's Verdict Social Democratic politicians criticized the police's "provocative approach" to demonstrations following the conviction of Lina E., a left-wing activist who attacked far-right extremists. via the Associated Press.
  • Half a Million March in Warsaw Against Right-wing Rule Many fear that if the Law and Justice wins again in the next general election, democracy, Polish democracy "will be ruined and we will be Hungary or China." via the Guardian.

SOME NUMBER

44

That's how many times former Chicago cop Jeffrey Kriv lied his way out of traffic tickets by telling a judge his girlfriend had stolen his car. According to ProPublica, it was this -- not the 92 misconduct complaints filed against him -- that eventually cost him his badge.

ON THE SHOW TODAY

6/5: Happy Monday! Sam and Emma host Steve Vladeck, chair in federal courts at the University of Texas School of Law, to discuss his recent book The Shadow Docket: How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.

DON'T MISS MR CLIPS‌

Fox Host Disgusted By Hunter Biden Investigation's Lack Of Evidence

What they can't say: There's still no there there.

Why It's Time to Nationalize the Railroads

Journalist Kari Lydersen discusses her recent piece at In These Times.

PARTING WORDS

"A democratic state has to have control over its security and intelligence institutions. Everything indicates this is not the case. The president has to put a stop to this. His public comments have not been satisfactory."

-- Carlos Pérez Ricart, a member of Mexico's truth commission investigating the country's 1964-1982 Dirty War, speaking to the Washington Post about the discovery of sophisticated spyware on the phone of lead investigator Camilo Vicente Ovalle. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has refused to condemn the hacks targeting members of his own government.

Quickie Discount Code Corner

Hey check it out! Stuff on sale!

IAC Laser Engraving: IAC Laser Engraving is a Leftist-owned Worker Collective started by long time listener, Ryan Lubin in September of 2021. Visit iaclasers.com to order your custom item today and  enter in Coupon Code: "MAJORITY10" at purchase to receive a 10% discount on their AMAZING products."

ExpressVPN: Secure your online data TODAY by visiting this link. That’s https://www.expressvpn.com/majority and you can get an extra three months FREE.

Fast Growing Trees: Go to this link right now, and you’ll get FIFTEEN PERCENT OFF your entire order.

Ritual: Get key nutrients without the B.S. Ritual is offering our listeners 10% off during your first three months. Visit here to start your Ritual today.

Aura: Protect yourself from America’s fastest-growing crime. Try Aura for 14 days for free: https://aura.com/majority

ZBiotics: Go to https://thld.co/zbiotics_majority_0722  and get 15% off your first order of ZBiotics Pre-Alcohol Probiotic by using my code MAJORITY at checkout. ‌‌‌‌HoldOn Bags: HoldOn plant-based compostable kitchen/trash bags: Get 20% OFF with code MAJORITY at https://holdonbags.com/majority

StoryWorth: StoryWorth is an online service that helps every other figure in your life share stories through thought-provoking questions about their memories and personal thoughts. Get started right away with no shipping required by going to https://storyworth.com/majority you'll get $10 of your first purchase!

Henson Shaving: Go to https://hensonshaving.com/majority  and use code MAJORITY for a free 100-pack of blades!

Quip: If you go to this link RIGHT NOW, you’ll get your first refill FREE.

Shopify: Go to this link here for a FREE fourteen-day trial and get full access to Shopify's entire suite of features.

LiquidIV: You can get 25% off when you go to liquidiv.com and use code MAJORITYREP at checkout.

Stamps.com: Start mailing and shipping with stamps.com, and keep more money in your pocket every day. Sign up with promo code MAJORITYREPORT for a special offer that includes a 4-week trial, plus free postage and a digital scale.

ZipRecruiter: Find the right employees for your workplace with ZipRecruiter. Try it FOR FREE at this exclusive web address.

Nutrafol: For FIFTEEN DOLLARS OFF go to https://nutrafol.com/men/ with promo code MAJORITY.

Outer: See the difference at go.liveouter.com/MAJORITY. Plus, for a limited time, get $300 off and FREE shipping.

Sunset Lake CBD: Visit sunsetlakecbd.com.

Grove: Go to this link here today to get a free gift set worth up to fifty dollars with your first order. Plus, shipping is fast and FREE.

Headspace: Try this link, with discount code MAJORITY and get one month FREE of their entire mindfulness library.

StartMail: Start securing your email privacy with StartMail. Sign up today and you’ll get 50% off your first year! Go to this link here for our special promotion!.

CozyEarth: Go to this link here and enter the special promo code MAJORITY at checkout to SAVE thirty-five percent now.