DeSantis's "Russia, if you are listening . . . ." moment.

March 15, 2023

          As Joe Biden took decisive action to stabilize the US banking system, the media-created aura of Ron DeSantis's inevitability and invincibility suffered major hits. DeSantis has barely dipped his toe into the presidential primary waters but has already demonstrated his manifest unfitness to hold public office, much less serve as president. We can't count on Republicans to defeat themselves, but neither should we assume they are free of the laws of political gravity. We can beat them, especially if we exploit the stumbling, erratic performance by DeSantis and the rightward lurch of Trump in response to DeSantis's culture war in Florida.

          As to DeSantis, after the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, he blamed its collapse on the bank's "woke" policies—specifically citing its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity in employment practices. The blazing ignorance of the remark makes it appear that DeSantis does not understand what a bank is, how it generates revenue, or why banks fail. See Business Insider, DeSantis, and other prominent Republicans blame 'woke' politics for Silicon Valley Bank's collapse instead of bankers miscalibrating risk. His big-money donors must be having second thoughts about a guy who doesn't know the difference between a bank run and a book ban.

          DeSantis followed his fatuous comments on the SVB failure with a disturbing description of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a "territorial dispute." He made that comment in response to a questionnaire that Fox disinfotainment czar Tucker Carlson sent to all GOP presidential candidates. Calling Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine a "territorial dispute" amplifies Vladimir Putin's effort to rewrite history to conceal his expansionist policies.

          Moreover, the comment is an insult to the tens of millions of Ukrainians who are engaged in an existential struggle for their country's survival. DeSantis's statement was too extreme even for the Russian apologists in the GOP, who condemned DeSantis's comment. See Insider, Top Republicans bash DeSantis for calling Ukraine war a territorial dispute: 'Obviously, he doesn't deal with foreign policy'.

          As a matter of politics, these events confirm the rap on DeSantis—that he is a stilted, flat-footed, uncomfortable politician who cannot extemporize beyond the four corners of the flashcards in his pocket that say, "Woke = bad. Grievance = good." If DeSantis tailors his policy positions in the 2024 campaign to please Tucker Carlson, he is charting his path to defeat.

          As a matter of substance, however, DeSantis's support for Putin's war of aggression continues the unholy alliance between the GOP and Putin that Trump created in 2016. The only explanation for the continued effort to win Putin's favor is the need of a dying party to secure foreign assistance in corrupting US elections. Candidate Trump was explicit in his quid pro quo to Russia:

Russia, if you're listening — I hope you are able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. Let's see if that happens."

          Russia couldn't find the 30,000 emails, but it did flood swing states with social media bots that spread disinformation about Hillary Clinton. See Indictment, US v. Internet Research Agency, dated 2-16-2018. ("By 2016, Defendants and their co-conspirators used their fictitious online personas to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. They engaged in operations primarily intended to communicate derogatory information about Hillary Clinton . . . .").

          DeSantis's description of Russia's war of aggression as a "territorial dispute" is his version of "Russia, if you are listening". But DeSantis's offer to Putin is more dangerous and deadly than Trump's invitation. DeSantis has essentially promised Putin that if Russian troops can hang on for another two years, DeSantis will cut off aid to Ukraine—threatening the elimination of Ukraine as an independent country.

          Worse, it will teach Putin that he is right in his (thus far) erroneous belief that the West will waver in its commitment to check Russian expansionism. DeSantis's reckless statement threatens not only Ukraine but NATO nations in Europe and, ultimately, the peace and security of the US.

          The problem for DeSantis is that complex questions of international relations do not fit neatly into the mindless syllogism created by his campaign handlers that asserts, "Woke = bad. Grievance = good. Despite his Ivy League education, DeSantis does not appear to be smart enough to navigate the complexities of American electoral politics, let alone the more difficult issues of international relations in a nuclear era.

          What's the takeaway? That we must do all we can to defeat DeSantis and Trump early. Each is worse than the other—and neither deserves the GOP nomination for president. Tell a friend!

Russian fighter jet collides with a US drone over Black Sea.

          For inexplicable reasons, the vaunted Russian air force has been missing in action over Ukraine. On Tuesday, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with a US reconnaissance drone over the Black Sea near Ukraine. The collision occurred after a series of "reckless" maneuvers by two Russian pilots. See ABC News, Russian fighters collide with US drone, force it down close to Ukraine.

          I am not an expert on air combat operations, but I do know that flying a jet into another aircraft in mid-air is a stupid idea. Indeed, US officials described the actions of the Russian pilots as "juvenile," "pure incompetence," and "flat-out dumb." The collision was unintentional and likely damaged a multi-million dollar Russian aircraft. If Russia celebrates its pilot as a hero for running into an unmanned aerial vehicle, it will be a sure sign that Russia is desperate for any narrative that suggests it still has military capability in the air near Ukraine.

New GOP majority on NC Supreme Court signals intent to reverse prior decision on redistricting.

          In yesterday's newsletter, I explained that the North Carolina Supreme Court would reconsider its 2022 decision to overturn gerrymandered congressional district boundaries established by the North Carolina legislature. The hearing on the reconsideration occurred on Tuesday, and it appears that the GOP majority will overturn a decision issued four months ago—just because it can. See Politico, North Carolina's high court seems inclined to toss past redistricting rulings.

          State elections for supreme court justices matter—a lot! Read on!

Request for help to elect Judge Janet Protasiewicz to Wisconsin Supreme Court.

          My good friend and indefatigable force of nature, Jessica Craven of Chop Wood Carry Water, sent a note asking for help in raising money for Movement Voter Project – Wisconsin Fund. Recall that Judge Janet Protasiewicz is running for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court that will determine the partisan majority on the court. Here is Jessica's note:

I know there are lots of good places to give for Wisconsin but I'm helping to raise money for the Movement Voter Project – Wisconsin Fund fund—all the money raised will go to grassroots orgs in the state doing the most effective work at registering and turning out our voters. If you feel able to help spread the word, please do. This is a GREAT place to give if folks want their money to be used effectively. Movement Voter PAC — Donate via ActBlue.

          This chart lists the programs and organizations that will receive funds from the MVP Wisconsin Fund.

Reader feedback on Biden's decision to approve the Willow project in Alaska.

          I wanted to share reader feedback on Biden's decision to approve the Willow Project oil leases on Alaska's North Slope. The following summary is meant only to help readers understand how other readers are feeling about the project. The summary is based only on several hundred comments and emails from readers who have chosen to convey their feelings—a self-selected sample that may not be representative of how all readers feel.

          With the above caveats, 98% of the responses I have received from readers on the approval of the Willow Project have been negative. Most readers are disappointed (at least), many are upset, and some are angry. Many noted that the decision violated Biden's campaign promise not to approve new oil leases.

A frequent comment was that the decision would make it more difficult to convince young voters to support Biden in 2024. No one who wrote to me said that they would abandon Biden over the issue, but I think it is fair to say that he burned a lot of political capital in approving the project. Finally, a few readers noted that it would be years before oil began flowing from the project and that we still had the opportunity to change the outcome.

          A few readers suggested that Biden was faced with a series of bad alternatives and that the move was necessary because of anti-competitive moves by Saudi Arabia and Russia. One argued that the carbon emissions from the Willow Project would pale in comparison to expected immigration into the US over the next decade.

          Surprisingly (to me), some readers felt that I had not taken a position on the issue. I have. I think it was a mistake for political, environmental, and cultural reasons. If we want to end our dependence on fossil fuels, we need to stop approving leases to produce more fossil fuels. Cheap(-ish) oil removes the incentive to invest in and develop alternative energy sources. The Willow Project sits in the National Petroleum Reserve and should remain as part of the reserve as a cushion against future market shocks.

Concluding Thoughts.

          I moderated an event sponsored by Markers for Democracy on Tuesday with Bill Kristol and Simon Rosenberg. I am an optimistic guy by nature, but I left the event feeling even more positive and hopeful about the prospects for American democracy. Approximately 500 people participated by Zoom and live stream on YouTube.

          Bill and Simon made many important points during the presentation. Bill (a former Republican now the editor at large of The Bulwark) made the point (my paraphrase) that Democrats have "generally and approximately got it right"—which is a high bar for politics. My takeaway from Bill's comments is that Democrats are underselling their accomplishments and should be proud of what we have accomplished under trying circumstances.

          Simon Rosenberg was more explicit. He said that Democrats needed to "get louder" and become "information warriors." I endorse Simon's articulation wholeheartedly (subject to the caveat that we each have psychological and emotional limits that must be respected if we are to remain effective over the long term).

A case in point is Ron DeSantis's statements this week that should end his political career—not merely his presidential ambitions. He has offered aid and comfort to an enemy of the US on a matter that is vital to our foreign policy and made a statement that is profoundly ignorant regarding the cause of a bank failure. He deserves to be condemned, mocked, and hounded with his statements until everyone associates Ron DeSantis with Vladimir Putin and voodoo economics.

          Democrats have their faults, to be sure. But as Bill Kristol said, we have it "generally and approximately right." Republicans "left the building" of sanity and patriotism years ago. Making that difference clear—loudly and proudly—should be an important part of our mission over the next two years. Doing that will help us win! As always, we have every reason to be hopeful, but no reason to be complacent!

          Talk to you tomorrow!