“I ask you to stand in the truth.”
October 4, 2024
In a historic moment, the former Chair of the Republican House Conference spoke at the spiritual birthplace of the Republican Party to endorse the Democratic candidate for president. Liz Cheney’s endorsement of Kamala Harris was grounded in courage, honor, fealty to the Constitution, and commitment to the truth.
Although the effect of Cheney’s endorsement on the election outcome is unclear, her announcement is important because it illuminates the way for others to abandon the cult of Trump and return to pale of a democratic nation guided by the rule of law.
Liz Cheney’s speech is here: CSPAN, Liz Cheney Campaigns with Kamala Harris. If you have time, watch at least a few minutes of Cheney’s speech. Better yet, watch the entire speech. But if you cannot, some of the highlights are set forth below.
I am honored to join her in this urgent cause. As we meet here today, our Republic faces a threat unlike any we have faced before. A former president who attempted to stay in power by unraveling the foundations of our republic by refusing to accept the lawful results confirmed by dozens of courts of the 2020 election.
We cannot turn away from this truth in this election. Putting patriotism ahead of partisanship is not an aspiration. It is our duty at the very heart of our survival as a republic is the peaceful transition of power.
[O]ur institutions don't defend themselves. We the people must do that. We the people defend our institutions. And our institutions held on January 6th because there were brave men and women including elected officials at every level of our government who did their duty, who stood up for what was right, who resisted Donald Trump's efforts to pressure them to violate their oaths . . . . [¶¶]
So today, I ask all of you here and everyone listening across this great country to join us. I ask you to meet this moment. I ask you to stand in truth, to reject the depraved cruelty of Donald Trump.
And I ask you instead to help us elect Kamala Harris for president. I know that President Harris will be able to unite this nation.
I was struck by the prominent role of truth in Cheney’s remarks. If there is a single explanation for Trump's rise to power, it is that he successfully undermined the truth. He corroded the bonds of truth that had held fast for more than two centuries. Without the bedrock of truth, our nation became like bones without sinew, unable to resist even the flimsiest lies that flowed ceaselessly from Trump's con-man patter.
The key to resisting Trump is holding fast to the truth. In Liz Cheney’s words, “We cannot turn away from this truth in this election . . . I ask you to stand in truth.” The truth is that “A former president attempted to stay in power by unraveling the foundations of our republic . . .”
We need to know nothing else about Donald Trump to know that he cannot be re-elected. Kamala Harris made that point in her remarks that followed Liz Cheney’s speech. Harris reminded rally attendees that the president is required to take an oath to defend the Constitution. Harris asked,
Who will obey that oath? Who will abide by the oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution?
The question answers itself because Trump has demonstrated that he will always exalt self-interest above loyalty to the Constitution. Let’s hope that enough Republicans know in their hearts the truth about Trump to help defeat him in November.
Speaking of Trump's lies . . . .
As Liz Cheney was urging Americans to “stand in the truth,” Trump was lying—which is to say he was speaking (in Michigan). For once, the NYTimes’ headline writers got it right, describing the speech with this leader: Trump Rally in Michigan Dominated by More False Statements. (Accessible to all.) Let’s hope that the Times is responding to reader criticism about its failure to report accurately about Trump's unhinged speeches.
Although Trump has not increased the frequency of his lies (that would be impossible), the media is finally beginning to see his constant lying as the story.
Per the Times,
Former President Donald J. Trump held a rally on Thursday in the key battleground state of Michigan that was notable mainly for his continued false statements and exaggerations on a number of subjects as varied as the 2020 election and the federal government’s response to Hurricane Helene.
In the roughly 85 minutes that Mr. Trump was onstage, he repeated a pattern of untrue assertions that have characterized many of his events as the 2024 presidential race heads into its final weeks.
The Times noted that Trump unveiled a new lie on Thursday, this time claiming that the Biden administration was diverting disaster relief funds to encourage undocumented immigrants to vote for VP Harris:
Mr. Trump also mischaracterized the state of funding at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying that the Biden administration had stolen disaster-relief money allocated to the agency to give to housing for undocumented immigrants so they would vote for Democrats.
And then the Times noted that Trump adopted inconsistent positions on electric cars and Elon Musk, a major stakeholder in Tesla:
He cast electric cars as a threat to the auto industry, while at the same time praising Elon Musk, the Tesla chief executive who has endorsed his candidacy . . .
Trump will give dozens of speeches in the next month. Let’s hope that major media focuses on. his continuous lies as the story—rather than merely repeating his lies.
Speaking of election lies . . . .
In a notable prosecution of an election denier, a state judge in Colorado sentenced Tina Peters to nine years in prison for stealing an electronic image of voting data for the 2020 election in Mesa County, Colorado. See Colorado Public Radio, Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters sentenced to 9 years behind bars.
Tina Peters served as the Mesa County Clerk and was an election-denier activist who helped steal an image of the voting data for Mesa County in a misguided attempt to prove voter fraud. Nine years in prison is serious sentence that should serve as a deterrent to others tempted to compromise the integrity of election records.
The sentencing hearing was notable because of the comments by Judge Matthew Barrett, who said, in part,
You are no hero. You're a charlatan who used, and is still using, your prior position in office to peddle a snake oil that's been proven to be junk time and time again.
I'm convinced you would do it all over again if you could. You’re as defiant a defendant as this court has ever seen.
Judge Barrett’s comments were motivated (in part) by the fact that Tina Peters has appeared on podcasts that promote election conspiracy theories. There is a lesson in that for January 6 insurrectionists who continue to spread misinformation about the assault on Capitol on January 6. A little deterrence can go a long way!
Dockworkers and management settle strike
The strike by the International Longshoremen's Association was suspended until January 15, 2025, to allow for further negotiations after a tentative deal was reached on wages. The strike could have caused significant economic damage heading into the November election. But in deft management by the Biden administration—with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg taking the lead—the dockworkers and management (United States Maritime Alliance) struck a temporary deal. See NPR, The ports' strike ends as dockworkers reach agreement on wages.
President Biden pushed the compromise by refusing to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act cooling off period, saying that he was committed to allowing the collective bargaining process work. Biden deserves significant credit for backing labor at a time when there was political and economic pressure to force the union back to work without a deal.
Opportunities for Reader Engagement
Join the States Project help fund the final drive for the states.
On Sunday, October 6 at 4:00 p.m. Pacific / 7:00 p.m. Eastern, The States Project and Oath will be gathering lawmakers, celebrities, and YOU to rally and support the most critical state legislative races. The virtual fundraiser will feature Octavia Spencer, Josh Gad, Elizabeth Banks and many more!
So join us for one night — on one call — as we gather our community along with some very special guests to close funding gaps for the most crucial state legislative races in the country. The dollars we raise together will fuel governing power for lawmakers who will defend our democracy, protect our personal freedoms, and work to improve people’s daily lives — power that can protect our future no matter who wins the presidency.
REGISTER here to receive a Zoom link. DONATE here to kick off our fundraising push. SHARE the event graphic and link with your networks via email and social media — help us create a groundswell of support for this event.
Nebraska US Senate in Play with Independent Dan Osborn!
There is no Democrat running for the US Senate seat currently held by unpopular Republican Deb Fischer. Enter Dan Osborn. While the race is clearly a challenge, Dan is perfect for Nebraska, with a voice that resonates with Nebraskans. Most exciting, the most recent poll shows Dan ahead by 1 point! See HuffPo, Republicans Are Scrambling To Stop Dan Osborn, The Independent Running For Senate In Nebraska | HuffPost Latest News
A labor leader, and veteran, who works for a living, Dan wants to take on the abuses of big corporations, and billionaire tax cuts, is pro-choice and pro marijuana legalization. Dan has not committed to caucus with any political party. However, as a pro-labor, pro-choice independent, he aligns closely with our values and positions on issues, and would represent a massive improvement over Deb Fischer.
Please join me, 31st Street Swing Left and Co-Sponsor Senate Circle at our fundraiser supporting Dan Osborn, October 10 at 6 p.m. ET to hear Dan, and learn what an amazing candidate he is.
31st Street Swing Left is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to electing Democrats, up and down the ballot, through persistence and precision.
Here is the LINK TO REGISTER for this free event.
And here is the LINK TO DONATE TO DAN OSBORN.
Concluding Thoughts
Many readers have expressed concern that the damage caused by Hurricane Helene will suppress voter turnout in North Carolina. That is a legitimate concern. Governor Roy Cooper (a Democrat) and state election officials are focused on the problem. For a detailed background on efforts to ensure a smooth voting process, see Democracy Docket, Will Hurricane Helene Disrupt Elections in North Carolina?
Twelve counties (out of one hundred) have closed their election offices. But Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, is delivering emergency kits known as “election offices in a box,” to four counties, so they can continue their work even if phone and internet service is out (per Democracy Docket).
Some readers have expressed concern that voters will not be able to produce required voter ID because they lost their identification in the storm. But as explained by Democracy Docket,
The state has a voter ID requirement, but there is a Photo ID exemption form. Specifically, there is an exception for a voter who “was a victim of a natural disaster within 100 days before Election Day that resulted in a disaster declaration by the President of the United States or the Governor of North Carolina,” which would apply to voters in the 25 counties under a disaster declaration.
Voters who have been displaced can request provisional ballots. [More on that later.]
Here’s my point: Yes, the storm damage presents a serious obstacle, the state election apparatus is responding to the disaster. While we should hope that everyone who wants to vote finds a way to do so, we should recognize that the storm affected North Carolina citizens without regard to party affiliation. Although many readers have noted that Ashville has been hard hit, so have several rural counties. Let’s trust in the state election officials—appointed by a Democratic governor—to ensure that everyone is given the help they need to vote.
More on this story tomorrow. For now, let’s concentrate on getting out the vote everywhere. That is the surest path to victory!
Talk to you tomorrow!
Daily Dose of Perspective
The photo below is a botched effort at imaging the Pleaides Star Cluster. The three prominent stars are members of the cluster, which includes several thousand stars loosely bound by gravity. The star cluster is (on average) 445 light-years from Earth.
I tried to capture Pleaides late at night by programming my scope before going to bed—and then trusted that it would guide itself to capture the key features of the cluster. As with the image published yesterday (the Flaming Star Nebula), Pleaides was “off-center” in the final image. The Pleaides are known as “the Seven Sisters.” As you can see, I captured five-ish of the Seven Sisters.
Robert Hubbell - I cannot thank you enough for your daily newsletter.
I would NEVER have known any of these various state races and their significance in control of Congress and the qualifications of the candidates were it not for your insightful coverage. The feeling of despair or what leads people to voter apathy is cured by knowing where our attention and action can result in consequential change and progress. I LOVE your daily dose of perspective - we NEED inspiration and a break from the "news cycle." And best of all, I can listen to your calm voice as I prepare for the day, and not miss the information and direction because I didn't have time to sit and read the entire article.
YOU ARE A TREASURE, I cannot thank you enough!
Now, let's win this and save democracy.
Sincerely, from North Carolina.
(Never expected we would be a highlight this late in the campaign,
and despite the devastation, glad we are being recognized for the good people who call this beautiful state home,
rather than the sleaze of the MAGA Extremists promoted by Donald J Trump
who is about to meet KARMA under the hand of Jack Smith!)
I am struck once again by the NYT use of every word but the 4 letter one to describe the bulk of Trump’s statements. False statements, untrue assertions, mischaracterizations. These words in place of the four letter word LIES are reminiscent of the early days and months of the Trump presidency when the press gave him the benefit of the doubt, perhaps too polite or gobsmacked to think an American president would lie on a daily basis. Thank you Robert for using the four letter word LIES. We will know the NYT has shifted when they use that word too instead of it’s definition according to Webster.