Trumper Gets Into FIGHT With POLL WORKERS While Voting

 

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A South Carolina Trump supporter just got into a physical altercation with poll workers at a voting location.

Republicans In Your Bedroom - Part 2

 

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Top News: Trump Rebuked as Anti-Worker 'Billionaire Sleazeball'

IF YOU’RE NOT ALARMED… …you’re not paying attention. But we must pay attention. Our Fall Campaign—which ends just over 24 hours from now—is about one thing and one thing only: being ready for what comes next. Every donation will be matched and we haven’t a moment to lose. DONATE NOW Thursday, October 31, 2024 ■ Today's Top News  Ad Featuring Orgasm, Broken Condom, and Plan B Shows How MAGA Is Bad For Men, Too "The only way to guarantee our right to privacy is to vote for Democrats," said one advocacy group. "They have no interest in forcing guys to be dads before they are ready." By Julia Conley FEC Accused of Sleeping at the Wheel as Crypto Giant Pumps Tens of Millions Into 2024 Race "The time to hold campaign finance violators accountable is now—not after illegal election spending has corrupted our democracy," said the research director of Public Citizen. By Jake Johnson 'The Window Is Closing': Fears Grow That World Leaders Will Fail to Protect Nature at COP16 "The very limited progress we've seen so far in the negotiations at COP16 is insufficient to address the very real implications of getting this wrong," one expert said. By Olivia Rosane Worker Group Rebukes Trump as 'Billionaire Sleazeball' Over Dump Truck Stunt The Republican nominee "acting like he is a worker is beyond gross, and slap in the face to all working-class people," said the Durham Workers Assembly. By Jessica Corbett Experts Sound Alarm on Potential Right-Wing Violence Fueled by 'Election Denialism' Online discussion of potential violence has been on the rise over the past month, as it was ahead of the 2020 election. By Julia Conley Historian of Far-Right Issues Warning to Those 'Insufficiently Alarmed' by Trump "What will you do if men in uniforms arrive in your neighborhood, and an immigrant neighbor gets a knock on the door and is led away in handcuffs?" asked Rick Perlstein. By Jake Johnson JOIN THE MOVEMENT As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. JOIN WITH US TODAY ■ More News 'Obeying Fascism in Advance,' National Archivist Sanitized US Museum Fearing More 'Blatant Corruption' in Second Trump Term, Watchdog Issues Ethics Blueprint Rights Groups Demand End to 'Heavy-Handed' Crackdowns on Pro-Palestine Campus Protests Indigenous Brazilians Rally Against 'Death Decree' Attack on Land Demarcation VIEW ALL NEWS ■ Opinion Vote Like Your Child’s Health Depends on It For anyone hoping that a Trump administration might “Make America Healthy Again,” as RFK, Jr. has insisted, evidence makes clear that Trump’s entire record completely contradicts these important goals. By Kari Hamerschlag,Christopher D. Cook Kamala Harris is Fighting for Puerto Ricans. Donald Trump Is Mocking Them. This is what’s on the ballot next Tuesday, not just policy and personnel, but decency and respect. By Alex Lawson We Cannot Underestimate the Fragility of Our Democracy Whoever wins the presidential election in November, the threat of authoritarianism in America will be with us for years to come. By Alan Jenkins,Gan Golan VIEW ALL OPINION Call 207.775.0488 to donate by phone or mail a check to: Common Dreams · PO Box 443 · Portland, ME 04112-0443 · USA Common Dreams is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your contribution is tax-deductible. EIN: 20-3368194

Olivia Troye, We Lived It: The case for Kamala

 

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Welcome to We Lived It - A weekly newsletter from a former Trump official warning of the risks of a second Trump term by remembering the past to protect the future.

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The case for Kamala

A Republican perspective

Olivia Troye Oct 31

Happy Halloween, y’all!

Halloween is one of my all-time favorite holidays. But this year, instead of handing out treats to the kiddos, I’ll be on the road, campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris.

It’s no great secret that I am firmly against Donald Trump. As a reader of this newsletter, you know that better than most. Over the past 10 issues, I’ve tried my best to lay out the case for why another Trump term would be a catastrophe for the nation, based on my experiences working in the White House during his administration.

Since that time, things have only gotten worse—the classified documents case, his felony convictions in New York, other pending state and federal charges, a civil case that effectively judged him to be a rapist, Project 2025, increasingly dark rhetoric and threats, and his Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, to name just a few.

We’ve covered a lot of ground. But what we haven’t talked a lot about is the affirmative case for Kamala Harris for Republicans, conservatives, and right-leaning independents—people like me. The election is just five days away. So without further ado, here’s my closing argument…

Democracy Protection

First and foremost, I trust Kamala Harris to respect, protect, and defend our Constitution, the rule of law, and the democratic processes and norms that have supported our constitutional framework for nearly 250 years. Frankly, this shouldn’t even be a partisan issue, and for Republicans pre-Trump, it was not. For Republicans who still prioritize the integrity of democratic institutions, a vote for Harris is a vote to safeguard our electoral system against partisan manipulation and prevent any further erosion of democracy under Trump.

Harris also understands that all Americans have the right to participate in our democracy. Her support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act underscores her commitment to ensuring that every citizen can exercise their right to vote without obstruction. As she said in her brilliant speech on the Ellipse on Tuesday night, she intends to be a president for all Americans. She routinely worked across the aisle as a U.S. Senator, and she has welcomed the perspectives of me and my fellow Republicans on her campaign. She has promised that it will continue under a Harris administration. I believe her.

Foreign Policy

Harris’s foreign policy is much closer to Ronald Reagan’s than Donald Trump’s. Her approach emphasizes diplomacy, multilateralism, and a commitment to our alliances, particularly NATO. This is vital at a time such as this when the world faces ever-growing threats from countries like Russia, which is eager to exploit the freedom Trump’s isolationist policies would afford. She also understands that foreign aid isn’t charity but helps promote American interests and enhances our collective security.

The experience Harris gained as a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Intelligence committees has shaped her understanding of other global issues as well, like climate change and cybersecurity. She’ll represent us in a strong, stable, and dignified way on the world stage, prioritizing international cooperation and respect for expertise. Every traditional Republican who was appalled by the chaos of the Trump clown show should feel reassured by that. I know I do.

Economy

If, like me, you’re a Republican who values economic growth and innovation, Harris’ economic plan has a lot to offer. Harris is pro-small business and intends to make it easier for Americans to start a business of their own. Her focus on job creation through infrastructure investments and green technologies is also appealing. As any Republican who didn’t get caught up in climate-change-is-a-hoax madness knows, hardening our infrastructure against the effects of climate change also offers significant economic opportunity.

And how about tax cuts? Harris’ support for a tax cut for middle-class families and tax credits for new homebuyers and new parents resonates with me, especially when everyday Americans are still struggling with wages that haven’t kept pace with prices. Her plans to enhance workforce development and vocational education also align with Republican values like self-sufficiency and hard work, with or without a college degree.

National Security

Harris’ comprehensive approach to national security includes not only maintaining a strong, technologically adept military, which is critically important, but also addressing the root causes of conflict. She is literally speaking my love language. As a national security official who has been all over the world and witnessed sites of entrenched, ongoing conflict, I can tell you this mindset is crucial to understanding threats to the homeland and strategizing around them in an informed way.

Her advocacy for cybersecurity measures is especially relevant as well, as digital threats are becoming more advanced and pervasive. For Republicans focused on protecting the nation from external threats of all kinds, Harris’ emphasis on balancing strength with strategy represents a pragmatic—and, again, Reaganesque—path forward. And she doesn’t think our service men and women are “suckers and losers.” So there’s that too.

Immigration

Root causes are also essential to any discussion around immigration, and that’s something Harris has emphasized over her last four years as vice president. Her calls for addressing the root causes of migration—such as violence and poverty in Central America—align with a broader strategy of stabilizing the region, which would help reduce future immigration pressures.

Harris also supports the bipartisan border bill Trump killed. This legislation would balance increased border security with humane treatment of immigrants. Her support for pathways to citizenship for undocumented individuals who contribute positively to society—once more, in the Reagan mold—appeals to Republicans who recognize the importance of migrant labor to the economy. Immigration is a complex issue, and the need for a multifaceted solution remains. Harris gets that.

Crime

Harris’ background as a former prosecutor and California attorney general gives her a unique perspective on crime and justice issues. She advocates for smart-on-crime policies that focus on prevention, rehabilitation, and community investment rather than purely punitive measures. For Republicans concerned about public safety, her emphasis on ensuring that law enforcement has the tools to do its job effectively, while addressing factors like poverty and lack of opportunity that can contribute to criminal behavior, represents a balanced approach to crime. And she’s not a criminal herself. That’s an added bonus.

Environment and Public Lands

Harris is committed to environmental protection through clean energy initiatives, which should resonate with Republicans like George W. Bush, who understood their importance not only to the environment but to national security and the economy. She also will preserve our public lands from development, as Trump has threatened. That should win over Republicans in the mold of Theodore Roosevelt, who was a champion of conservation and responsible stewardship of natural resources. It is too often forgotten today, but environmental protection is part of the legacy of the Republican Party.

Education

Harris' education policies are mainstream Democratic: increased funding for public schools, support for early childhood education, and equitable access to education for underserved communities. However, she also promotes initiatives that address skills gaps in the economy and enhance job readiness. This should resonate with Republicans like George H.W. Bush, who understood the importance of education to individual success and a prosperous society.

Healthcare

Harris presents a compelling case for Republican voters on healthcare because, unlike many other Democrats, she believes incremental change, not a sweeping overhaul like Medicare-For-All, is the best path to improving U.S. healthcare. She respects the role of private insurance and aims to lower prescription drug prices—a concern for people on both sides of the aisle. Her focus on preventative care and mental health services can appeal to Republicans interested in reducing long-term costs and improving public health outcomes. And like the late, great Sen. John McCain, she doesn’t want to throw millions of Americans into healthcare uncertainty by repealing the ACA.

Civil and Reproductive Rights

Harris’ positions on reproductive rights may make socially conservative Republicans balk but should please libertarian-leaning conservatives. Her belief in personal autonomy and freedom of choice aligns with the supremacy of individual rights over governmental control, a cornerstone of libertarian politics. More broadly, her commitment to equality and justice is an extension of core American ideals and should appeal to more mainstream Republicans who value individual liberties and the protection of civil rights. As a gun owner, I also like that she and her running mate Tim Walz are fellow gun owners. They will defend the 2nd Amendment while advocating for smart, reasonable laws to protect our communities from gun violence.

This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means, but I hope you’ll share it with Republicans who are still on the fence but don’t know enough about Vice President Harris and her policies to feel comfortable voting for her.

You can also tell them that I’ve spent a significant amount of time with her & campaign officials over the past three months and can confidently vouch for her personal character, which, to me, is the single most important factor in this election.

Kamala Harris is honest, articulate, warm, humble, compassionate, and respectful, which is so refreshing after nine long, ugly, tumultuous years of The Trump Show. Her pragmatic, professional approach to complex issues would provide the stability we need at home and on the global stage. And her steadfast commitment to democratic principles would ensure that the constitutional republic we love will withstand the threats it has endured in this era of grave political polarization. She embodies a youthful and inclusive vision of governance that not only offers new, effective solutions to our challenges but also points the way toward a more united United States of America.

For any American, regardless of party, who values competence, integrity, and unifying leadership in their public servants, Kamala Harris is the only choice for President.

Vote wisely, my friends.

All the best, 

Olivia 

That’s it for this week! If you enjoy reading this newsletter each week, would you mind sharing it on Twitter or Threads? Have an idea or feedback? Reply directly to this email.

We Lived It is produced in partnership with COURIER, a pro-Democracy media company.

POLITICO Nightly: What the campaign feels like in Wisconsin

By Charlie Mahtesian Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters while wearing a safety vest on the tarmac in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Wednesday. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images REDDER AND BLUER — It’s easy to overlook how close Wisconsin has been, and for how long. Beginning with Al Gore’s 5,700-vote win in 2000, four of the state’s last six presidential contests were decided by less than 25,000 votes. Yet this key battleground state has received fewer visits from Kamala Harris and Donald Trump since July than the other two bricks in the so-called Blue Wall, Michigan and Pennsylvania. One reason: Of the trio, Wisconsin offers the smallest electoral vote payoff — just 10, compared to 15 from Michigan and 19 from Pennsylvania. Still, the state remains essential to Democratic chances if Harris cannot replicate Joe Biden’s Sun Belt victories in 2020. At the moment, she leads Wisconsin by a single percentage point, according to polling averages. As part of Nightly’s efforts to illuminate the battleground states that will decide the presidency, tonight we’ll hear from arguably the single best chronicler of the Wisconsin political map, Craig Gilbert. A former Washington bureau chief and national political reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he has covered every presidential campaign since 1988. Gilbert is currently a Lubar Center Fellow at Marquette Law School, home to the highly respected Marquette Law School poll. What issues are dominating the political debate in Wisconsin this year? Are they different than in any of the other battleground states or about the same? I think they are very similar: the economy, then abortion and immigration, then a longer list below that. The advertising doesn’t always reflect that, as we’ve seen with all the transgender ads. The question on both abortion, which advantages Democrats, and the border, which advantages Republicans, is how many voters outside of each party’s base are voting on those issues. In the polling here, Trump is certainly advantaged on the economy, but scores worse than Harris on character and personal traits, which is a different kind of issue. The state’s political dynamics appear to have shifted quite a bit over the past decade or so. As you wrote recently, some parts of Wisconsin are getting redder and others are getting bluer. How might that shape the outcome on Election Day? Basically, the big gains for Democrats have come from big and growing Dane County (especially the Madison suburbs) and the Milwaukee suburbs, which run the political spectrum from very blue to very red. The big gains for Republicans have come mostly from small towns and rural counties, and from outside metro Madison and Milwaukee. The rural shift was behind Trump’s win here in 2016 and the suburban shift was behind Biden’s win here in 2020. I expect both trends to continue. But we don’t know which one will be more powerful this time, or whether we will see some new wrinkles in the map. In the 2022 midterms, those aged 18-24 in Wisconsin voted at a rate that was double the national average. In the nationally watched 2023 state Supreme Court election, college students again played a key role. How much will the youth or college vote matter? There are more than 300,000 college students in Wisconsin, and election day registration can make them easier to mobilize. So, they are definitely part of the equation and have a history of voting in strong numbers. Also worth noting: we are seeing a big gender gap in the polling here this fall among voters under 30, with young men split down the middle and young women overwhelmingly backing Harris. Western Wisconsin, which isn’t the most populous part of the state, appears to be getting an inordinate amount of attention from the two campaigns this year, both in terms of visits and ad spending. What makes it so important? It’s interesting for lots of reasons. Democrats have been unusually competitive with rural voters there, dating back decades. It has a history of swings and split-ticket voting. It is home to the only U.S. House district in the state that voted Democratic for Congress in 2020 and Republican for president. It has the most competitive House race in the state this year [in Wisconsin’s 3rd District]. There are tons of “Obama-Trump” communities there, places that voted for Obama twice and then swung to Trump in 2016 and 2020, though some of these same communities have voted Democratic for governor or Senate at least once since 2016. And parts of western Wisconsin are in Minnesota TV markets, meaning they have had more exposure to Tim Walz. It probably won’t look dramatically different than it did in 2020, but this is one of the places where campaigns sense there are more persuadable voters. What does Donald Trump’s path to victory look like in Wisconsin? What about Kamala Harris? One big question is whether Trump is close to “maxing out” with rural voters, given how big his gains were in 2016, and how flat the population growth is in many places. If so, it probably means he needs to make inroads elsewhere, perhaps among voters of color and working-class whites in Milwaukee and in smaller blue-collar cities like Green Bay, Racine, Janesville. And it is very important for him to at least slow down the erosion in the Milwaukee suburbs. For Harris, she can probably count on an even bigger vote margin in Dane County, since that is a pretty relentless 40-year trend, and on more suburban gains in Milwaukee, since that has been a consistent trend across all kinds of races beginning in 2016. Democrats would of course like to stop the bleeding with rural voters. One important battleground for both sides is the Fox Valley region around Green Bay and Appleton. It leans a little Republican but is the most purple population center in Wisconsin and does zig and zag a little. If you had to pick the winner of Wisconsin and you could know the results or turnout from just one region, county or city in the state, what would it be and why? It has gotten harder than ever to pick a single barometer or bellwether region or place precisely because different parts of the state are moving in opposite directions, which means whoever wins, that party will be simultaneously losing ground in some places and gaining it in others. The easiest answer is the big counties, Milwaukee, Dane and Waukesha, because the vote shifts there in a Democratic direction were the story in 2020. If I had to pick just one, it’s a total cliché, I can’t believe I am saying this, but if red, suburban Waukesha continues to trend away from the GOP at the same pace as it did in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022, the math gets very hard for Trump. But if that trend flattens out, if Republicans simply lose no or almost no additional ground there this time, that would be a very good sign for Trump. I am not going to pick Sauk County, west of Madison or Door County near Green Bay, which have gotten tons of national attention because they are the state’s only two counties that voted for the winner in both 2016 and 2020. They are small and not very representative demographically and I doubt they are “predictive.” But they are awesome places to visit, as I have done many times. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at cmahtesian@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @PoliticoCharlie. What'd I Miss? — Orbán speaks with Trump ahead of Election Day: Donald Trump spoke this morning with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of the election, even as prominent senior Republicans like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have criticized those who fawn over the autocratic Hungarian leader. “Just got off the phone with President @realDonaldTrump . I wished him the best of luck for next Tuesday. Only five days to go. Fingers crossed,” Orbán wrote from his official account on the social media site X. — Hearing in Philly DA’s lawsuit against Elon Musk fizzles: Billionaire MAGA superstar Elon Musk was a no-show at an emergency court hearing today over District Attorney Larry Krasner’s lawsuit to block his $1 million giveaway to voters in Pennsylvania. Krasner, a progressive prosecutor in Philadelphia, filed a lawsuit earlier this week accusing the Tesla CEO and top Donald Trump ally of running an illegal lottery by promising to give away $1 million to a swing state voter every day who signs a pledge to back free speech and gun rights. But Musk’s lawyers have asked to move the case to federal court. That effectively puts the state case on hold until a federal judge decides where it belongs. — Another Trump-aligned lawyer has law license suspended for role in 2020 scheme: Kenneth Chesebro, an architect of Donald Trump’s bid to subvert the 2020 election, has had his law license suspended in New York . A five-judge panel from a state appeals court ruled today that Chesebro’s guilty plea in Georgia last year merited the indefinite punishment. In the Georgia plea, Chesebro admitted to filing false documents during Trump’s bid to overturn his loss in that state. Nightly Road to 2024 STUBBORNLY RED — In every recent election cycle, Democrats have pinned some hopes on North Carolina turning blue. This is the year, they believe, that big population growth in urban centers like Charlotte and Raleigh can help to overwhelm the rural parts of the state. But many of those rural and exurban places are growing, too, and they can serve as a powerful counterweight to the blue cities, leaving North Carolina stubbornly red. POLITICO Magazine reports on the ground from one of those places — Davidson County — to explain the complex politics of the state. FEELING THREATENED — Justice Department leadership needs to do more to protect career staff from threats of political violence heading into the election, according to a letter sent on behalf of nearly 2,000 employees today. The letter obtained by POLITICO was sent to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Assistant Attorney General Jolene Lauria, and highlights several instances where career staff were threatened with violence after their personal information was exposed online. Staff handling Jan. 6-related litigation, immigration cases and those involved in executing search warrants in high-profile cases have been specifically targeted and threatened, according to the letter. ‘I LOVE THE HISPANICS’ — Donald Trump riled up his supporters in Albuquerque, New Mexico today, campaigning in the election’s final five days in a state he lost by 10 points four years ago. Trump’s decision to visit a place that isn’t one of the seven critical battlegrounds is largely a flex of his gains this year with some traditionally Democratic voters — despite struggling with women and college-educated people. It remains highly unlikely that the former president will win New Mexico. “I love the Hispanics. I love them. I love Hispanics,” Trump said, after quizzing the crowd on whether they prefer the term “Latino” or “Hispanic” — with the latter winning. PRIMING PENNSYLVANIA — Donald Trump is turning Pennsylvania into ground zero for preemptive claims of a rigged election. When voters in Bucks County, a key suburb outside Philadelphia, faced long lines and early cutoffs while trying to request and cast mail ballots in person, Trump aides and allies not only successfully sued to extend the on-demand voting period, but also seized on it as evidence of voter suppression and intimidation. When Lancaster County said it was reviewing voter registration applications for possible fraud, Trump falsely claimed that there were thousands of “fake ballots.” York County said it had received thousands of voter materials it was reviewing — which, Trump said, were “THOUSANDS of potentially FRAUDULENT applications.” If Trump loses the state, these are the bricks that could make up the foundation of his attempts to overturn that loss. Both Democratic and Republican Pennsylvania election officials said the election is safe and secure. But for Trump and his allies, every incident, no matter how big or small, real or perceived, is evidence of a plot to rig the vote in the nation’s biggest battleground state. AROUND THE WORLD A long March-2F carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft and crew of three astronauts lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Wednesday. | Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images FINAL FRONTIER — China’s rapid development of space-based military systems is more concerning to Washington than possible Russian space nuclear weapons, U.S. Space Force chief General B. Chance Saltzman told POLITICO.  “The pace with which they put counterspace capabilities into play is mind-boggling,” Saltzman said in an interview, referring to systems deployed against satellites and spacecraft. He added it is “concerning” that Beijing is launching “hundreds of satellites” as part of a targeting system that can be used to aid missions on Earth. Both Beijing and Moscow are working together on a moon station, and have recruited countries such as Egypt, South Africa, Thailand and Pakistan into an initiative that is a direct rival to the U.S. Artemis lunar program. SHUT IT DOWN — All Iranian consulates in Germany will close following the execution of a German-Iranian dual citizen by Tehran, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said today. Jamshid Sharmahd, an opposition activist, was sentenced to death in 2020 by the regime in Tehran on terror charges. He was executed on Monday. The closure will affect 32 consular staff members, according to an official from the Foreign Office in Berlin, who said Germany last took such “drastic, but appropriate” measures after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Iranian embassy in Berlin, however, will remain open, as will the German embassy in Tehran; Berlin does not want to completely sever diplomatic ties. Nightly Number Between 51 and 55 percent The percentage of registered voters expected to vote in Detroit, Michigan, City Clerk Janice Winfrey said today. Detroit voter turnout in the 2020 general election was 51 percent. RADAR SWEEP TRICK-FOR-TREAT — For the first time in decades, Des Moines kids can trick-or-treat like everyone else. In 1938, Des Moines created “Beggars’ Night,” which is celebrated the day before Halloween. Kids knock on doors to get candy just like everyone else, but first they have to tell a joke. The history of Beggars’ Night is tied up with a history of silly teenage violence ; after police responded to 550 reports in 1938 of teens soaping windows, setting fires and throwing bricks through windows, Beggars’ Night became a tradition to curb vandalism, according to the State Historical Society of Iowa. This year, city officials moved the festivities to today due to a forecast of severe storms on Wednesday — which means children in Des Moines can celebrate Halloween on Oct. 31. Abigail Adams reports on the strange and enduring tradition for People. Parting Image On this date in 1936: President Franklin D. Roosevelt strikes a serious note in one of his last campaign speeches at Madison Square Garden in New York. | AP Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh   Follow us

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