Donald Melts Down (And Here's Our Senate Scorecard)

By Sniffles

More chaos and idiocy swirling around Benedict Donald today, from his repulsive running mate telling CNN's Dana Bash to "shut up" (is JD Vance a domestic abuser? He sure seems so) to Trump's insane anti-Taylor-Swift post — and that was before somebody allegedly stuck a rifle through the fence at his tacky West Palm Beach golf club. And we haven't even gotten to the news about the latest polls. Kamala Harris is only four points down in Iowa? She's six points ahead nationally? Exciting!

You get to the point where you wonder how Donald's travails will affect Republicans' fortunes in down-ballot races. Since we cats don't believe in counting chickens, we'll take the latest positive news in stride and keep focusing on getting our vote out. In that spirit, here are our rankings of key Senate races, which you can follow (or not) as you decide which campaigns will get your hard-earned dollars.

#1: Jon Tester, Montana — While abortion is on the ballot in Montana, which should help, Tester is still our most highly endangered incumbent. Click here to send him some love.

#2: Sherrod Brown, Ohio — The Buckeye State sure has been in the news lately, and not for good reasons. Sherrod may actually benefit from the racist sh*tshow that Trump and Vance keep stoking, if voters end up turning away from the GOP in disgust. Also, their Senate nominee is pretty awful. You can support Sherrod here.

#3: Elissa Slotkin, Michigan — This national-security Democrat is running for the seat of retiring Senator Debbie Stabenow. It's a must-hold. Here's the link to her campaign website.

#4: Bob Casey, Pennsylvania — Casey is facing a well-financed carpetbagger. What is it with Republicans running for Senate in Pennsylvania when they don't live there? Click here to give to Bob.

#5: Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin — Another must-hold Democratic seat. Support Tammy here.

#6: Ruben Gallego, Arizona — Ruben's looking pretty good in the polls lately, but this race is still crucial. Just think about how great it will be to have him in Kyrsten Sinema's seat. Give here.

#7: Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland — Angela's ranking is subject to change, based on how well Democrats can tie Larry Hogan to Trump and Project 2025. Here's her website.

#8: Jacky Rosen, Nevada — Like Gallego, Jacky is ahead, but she's a must-hold. Click here.

#9: Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Florida — We're going to lose Joe Manchin's West Virginia seat, so we need a pickup. With abortion and marijuana on Florida's ballot, we're intrigued by DMP.

#10: Colin Allred, Texas — The Lone Star State always frustrates, and there's rampant voter suppression there. Plus, no abortion referendum to help Colin out. But he's competitive with Rafael Cruz. Click here if you're feeling adventurous.

#11: Dan Osborn, Nebraska — Just for fun. Nebraska Democrats are throwing their support to this independent candidate to see how much good trouble they can stir up for incumbent Republican Deb Fischer. Plus, reproductive rights are on the ballot.

That's it for now. And oh, don't worry about Minnesota (Amy Klobuchar) and Virginia (Tim Kaine). The GOP is suffering from a terrible case of Bad Candidate Syndrome in those two races. We cats PURR.

This Will Not End Well

By Hubie and Bertie

It's really too bad that you can't do recall campaigns against state or federal officials in Ohio. State laws only allow recalls of local and municipal office holders — but if the rules went further, Ohio voters would have excellent reasons to exercise buyers' remorse on disgusting Republican Senator JD Vance.

Vance has put thousands of his own constituents' lives at risk by pushing, and then refusing to disavow, the hideously racist story that Haitian immigrants in Springfield are eating pets. (Benedict Donald famously repeated it in his disastrous Tuesday debate with Vice President Harris, whose reaction spoke for all of us.)

After they denied the story, Springfield's city offices have received bomb threats, which this week prompted two nearby elementary schools to close. Now, medical offices and two hospitals had to go into lockdown after similar threats. And the Proud Boys are on the march.

The interwebs are having a terrific time with Trump's debate outburst (including the wonderful Sarah Cooper, above), but this has inevitably escalated into something very dangerous. Feeling unsafe, Haitian families in Springfield are rightfully hunkering down in their homes. Still, we're afraid that somebody's going to get killed anyway — and it will be Trump's and Vance's fault. 

Is this how all dying campaigns circle the drain to their end? No, this one is singularly awful. We cats HISS.

Kamala's Good Week

By Miss Kubelik

Every campaign has good days and bad days, and goodness gracious, did we Democrats have a passel of bad days between June 26 and July 21. Of course, it's entirely possible that we'll have more tough times ahead — that's just how things work. But for right now, Vice President Kamala Harris is having an excellent run.

This week in particular has been one to savor, and not just because Harris held huge, rapturous rallies in North Carolina this afternoon, while it looked that Benedict Donald wasn't able to fill the modest, 2,000-seat Linda Ronstadt Music Hall in Tucson, Arizona.

The week essentially started with the debate on Tuesday night, of course — and with Taylor Swift's quick endorsement, which helped kick off hundreds of thousands of voter registrations and brought $47 million to Harris-Walz within the first 24 hours after Trump stumbled off the stage in Philadelphia. We cats had been concerned about the quality of the post-debate analysis, because (except for Lawrence O'Donnell) the pundits and talking heads are pretty inadequate at their jobs. But the universal consensus was that Harris won big.

Harris did so well, in fact, that Donald has now proceeded to chicken out of a rematch. You can't help but wonder if JD Vance will do the same in two weeks. After all, aren't all the debates "rigged" now?

Then, the next day, everybody showed up in New York at the 9/11 commemoration, including Trump and Vance in matching suits and ties (jeez, they are creepy and weird). Donald managed to shake Harris's hand and tell her, "Good job." She merely nodded and said "Thank you," and turned back to her conversation with Senator Chuck Schumer. Dark Brandon didn't quite succeed in suppressing a grin.

The 36 hours since have brought one fascinating development after another. First, we heard this morning that Republican Attorney General Alberto Gonzales endorsed Harris. Then we noticed that Donald's advancing dementia is starting to get more of the media's attention. And why wouldn't it, when he goes on and on about kids getting sex changes in middle school, and immigrants eating pets? We're waiting for journalists to catch on to the fact that Trump has suffered severe narcissistic injury from his whooping. It will only get worse, because now a few post-debate national polls have come out:

• Harris 50 — Trump 45 (+5) Morning Consult 
• Harris 47 — Trump 42 (+5) Ipsos/Reuters
• Harris 49 — Trump 45 (+4) YouGov/Times (likely voters) 
• Harris 50 — Trump 47 (+3) Leger/New York Post 
• Harris 48 — Trump 45 (+3) SoCal Strategies

Poor Donald. How simply frightful. How humiliating! How delightful!

But our favorite new story is about that racist, performative fool, Laura Loomer, who is suddenly seen everywhere with Benedict Donald (and with Moose & Squirrel nowhere to be found). Republicans and Trump allies are unhappy, including Lady Lindsey Graham and — gasp! — Marjorie Taylor Greene. In fact, Loomer has descended into cat fights with both of them. Can Melania be far behind?

We can't think of anything right now that will peg Trump more as an unfit nutjob than the fact that he's hanging out with an unfit nutjob. Of course, there are tons of crazies around him, but Loomer's a real standout. We cats hope she never leaves his side, and we PURR.

Linda Tells Donald: You're No Good

"Donald Trump is holding a rally on Thursday in a rented hall in my hometown, Tucson. I would prefer to ignore that sad fact. But since the building has my name on it, I need to say something.

"It saddens me to see the former President bring his hate show to Tucson, a town with deep Mexican-American roots and a joyful, tolerant spirit. I don't just deplore his toxic politics, his hatred of women, immigrants and people of color, his criminality, dishonesty and ignorance — although there's that.

"For me, it comes down to this: In Nogales and across the southern border, the Trump Administration systematically ripped apart migrant families seeking asylum. Family separation made orphans of thousands of little children and babies, and brutalized their desperate mothers and fathers. It remains a humanitarian catastrophe that Physicians for Human Rights said met the criteria for torture.

"There is no forgiving or forgetting the heartbreak he caused.

"Trump first ran for President warning about rapists coming in from Mexico. I'm worried about keeping the rapist out of the White House.

"PS to JD Vance: I raised two adopted children in Tucson as a single mom. They are both grown and living in their own houses. I live with a cat. Am I half a childless cat lady because I'm unmarried and didn't give birth to my kids? Call me what you want, but this cat lady will be voting proudly in November for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz."

—Linda Ronstadt, September 11, 2024

No Spinning This

Before we turn in, here are a few indelible images from last night and today: the debate, the spin room (where candidates only show up if they know they've lost), and from this morning's 9/11 ceremony in New York. (As you'd expect, Trump also behaved inappropriately at the United 93 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.)

It's all marvelously reminiscent of our favorite Lincoln Project video — "Disheveled," from 2020, which mocked Trump after his failed rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. You can find it here. We cats PURR.

Swift Boated

By Zamboni

Gee, how brutal have the last 24 hours been for Benedict Donald? He tanked the debate with Vice President Harris, his "Truth Social" stock plummeted 17 percent, and in a display of exquisite timing, Taylor Swift officially endorsed Harris-Walz. See above: a snippet of her message, and a graph showing voter registration, which surged at four times the daily average just after she posted. Sweet!

It's been a total nightmare for all of Team Trump. Let's count the ways.

How are Republicans in Ohio feeling today? Donald specifically singled out Springfield, a hamlet just west of Columbus, when he raved about immigrants eating household pets. It's hard to imagine that the GOP's hold on the Buckeye State will loosen much, but Ohioans must be pretty unhappy that the Republican nominee for President and his blinkered minions are making their state a national laughingstock. (This, of course, is not to detract from the potential damage Trump is doing to the Haitian-American community. We should all try to show support for our local Haitian businesses in response.)

The world is laughing at so much of what Trump said last night — "Abdul," getting baited into defending his crowd sizes, etc. — but perhaps "I have concepts of a plan" tops the list. (That was the magic moment when ABC's Linsey Davis pressed him on alternatives to the Affordable Care Act.) Tweeps chortled as they tried to imagine how that kind of lame excuse would go over with their bosses at work. But, hey: After nine years of running for President, and his repeated attempts to kill Obamacare, at least Donald has "concepts." Third-ranking House Republican Elise "Elsie" Stefanik has been running on repeal-and-place since 2010, and she's still got nothing.

The debate and the Swift endorsement surely will just put more pressure on the Florida Republican Party, which is already fretting about tightening polls in the Sunshine State. If Florida's in play, it would be a huge embarrassment to home-stater and Trump campaign adviser Susie Wiles. And Susie's not alone: Campaign pooh-bah Chris LaCivita can't be pleased that Harris is ahead of Donald by double digits in Virginia, his old stomping ground. And we've already reported on Team Trump's apparent abandonment of New Hampshire — home to Trumpster Corey Lewandowski, who once considered running against incumbent Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

You have to think that Trump will be forced to turn to KellyAnne when he throws everybody under the bus. What else can he do to save face? He's in a pathetic zone right now. He practically had to beg Harris to shake hands with him at this morning's 9/11 memorial service. (A way-too-gracious Michael Bloomberg helped make it happen.)

So, much angst and anger in Trumpworld. If you're not feeling good enough already, just remember that Steve Bannon was unable to comment — he's still sitting in the hoosegow. We cats PURR.

Trapped.

We agree. We'll have more thoughts about Vice President Harris's stunning debate victory later. In the meantime, we cats PURR.

Zzzzzz

By Hubie and Bertie

As you can tell from our body language, we're pretty unimpressed by this whole JD Vance-says-Haitians-eat-pet-cats thing. (Besides, we're resting up for tonight's debate.) But we'll make a few comments anyway.

It is, without a doubt, the most repulsively racist trope to date from Team Trump. Ever.

That's saying a lot, because from Day One, Benedict Donald and his minions have wallowed in and promoted race-based hate and fear. They've pushed bigotry out from under the rocks where it had always hidden (and where it once again absolutely belongs). Haitians are hardworking and, sadly, historically beleaguered people, and if any of them manage to make it to the US, they deserve our respect and support, not calumny. Trump and Vance are sickening.

Even though the Trumpsters have half-heartedly backpedaled, the trope is exactly where they want it — in the social-media bloodstream. Obviously, they've given up on trying to appeal to persuadable swing voters, and are now just focusing on their rage-filled base.

Can you win an election that way? We've always been taught that you have to expand your pool of voters, not contract it. But everything is topsy-turvy these days, so we can only hope that in four years, the uber-revolting JD Vance is left merely trying to decide whether to run for re-election to the Senate. Because he sure as hell won't be Vice President. We cats HISS.

Madam Vice President Spice Girl

By Baxter

On Saturday, Vice President Harris took a break from debate prep to pop into a spice store in Pittsburgh. Her reception was rapturous. (You can watch the viral video of her visit here.)

Trumpsters were so rattled by this event that they immediately started attacking Harris for an alleged inability to relate to people. And everyone in the world who had seen the video said, "Huh?" (Just remember, everything Benedict Donald and his minions say is always, always projection and a confession.)

Since those attacks didn't land, they also went after the spice company itself, Penzeys. (Yep, we checked: They don't use an apostrophe in their name.) Headquartered in Wisconsin, they have 30 stores across the country, and they ship nationwide. They also are not shy about their disdain for what the Republican Party has become. Check out this page on their website for details.

But Penzeys didn't stop there. Owner Bill Penzey sent out an email about Harris's visit and what's happened afterward. (He also promoted a limited-time-only offer on gift boxes.) Here's some of what he said:

"Because of all she is and just who our customers are, the video of [Harris's] visit has been continuously playing on TV news and has received millions and millions of online views ever since. There are good reasons views have spread like wildfire. She's a cook. She cares. And in our store built to celebrate the kindness at the heart of cooking, surrounded by kindred caring cooks, the goodness of the moment went off the charts. Whoosh!

"Never has the media of the right tried as hard to boycott us or 'Bud Light' us as they are trying right now. Lots of angry emails coming my way. Nothing new, just a little more intense than it's been in a while.

"I'm right there with Vice President Harris on it being time to bring America together. Oddly enough, this weekend has me right there with Vice President Dick Cheney as well. But getting the Cheneys on board started with them being honest about today's Republican Party having taken a wrong turn.

"The right wing has amped up their anger at us as a punishment for us welcoming Kamala into our store. They are also doing this in hopes of deterring any other store from doing the same. Not letting them win at this would be a good thing." We cats agree, and we PURR.

And The Grievance Goes On

By Sniffles

There's been some hand-wringing on social media today over a certain New York Times poll, even though it shows Vice President Harris and Benedict Donald... well, tied. Yes, we know— clear-thinking people simply can't understand why the Presidential race is even close. Maybe it's because the wrong people are being polled, pollsters are asking the wrong questions, or folks just aren't as tuned into politics as we are.

Tuesday night might help sort some of this out. In the meantime, Team Harris just keeps working. (It was fun to learn that her TV ads were running during today's football games. When you have a ton of money to spend, these are the nifty things you can do.)

But Donald definitely seems to think he's losing. You can tell from the way he's escalating his rhetoric — at least, when he's able to put a coherent sentence together. "Trump has a history of railing against election officials, and raising unsubstantiated claims of fraud, when his political fortunes appear uncertain — as they do now in his extremely close race with Vice President Harris," The Washington Post reports.

What exactly did he say? Just that "WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again...this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters & Corrupt Election Officials."

Trump vowed that the cheaters would be "sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country."

Donald's punctuation continues to be a mystery, but there's an instantly recognizable shtick at work here: He's laying the foundation for claiming a Harris-Walz win to be fake. It's all he's got at this point, because he's weak, powerless and feeble. We're not saying that electing MAGA this November wouldn't be dangerous — Vice President Harris has consistently recognized that. We're just agreeing with her when, in the same breath, she calls Trump "an unserious man." We cats PURR.

2004 Called. They're Speechless.

 

By Hubie and Bertie

The question that this amazing news raises is this: Who's next? The Worst Person Who's Ever Lived (Before Trump Came On the Scene)?

George W. Bush, wallowing in his usual worthlessness, has been stonily silent as Russia has commandeered his political party. An alleged cozy pal-ship with the Obamas is not enough to redeem him. Heck, nothing's enough to redeem him, not really. But if heart-transplant-thief Dick Cheney can cross the aisle, why can't Smirky?

The usual names have been tossed about: Paul Ryan, Willard "Mitt" Romney, Chris Christie, Lisa Murkowski... all those Repubs who have tsk-tsk'd about Benedict Donald but who haven't had the balls to do what Liz and Dick Cheney just did. They're all inadequate in so many ways, but any of them could probably take the plunge and endorse Harris-Walz now — the Cheneys have paved the way. And of course, the timing is perfect, because early voting is fixing to start soon.

However, the one person we really want to see grow a pair is Condoleezza Rice. Talk about worthless. That so-called Soviet expert, who probably knows better than anyone the threat that Vladimir Putin poses to American democracy? Her silence may be the most despicable of all. We cats dare her to have some patriotism and decency. In the meantime, expecting nothing, we HISS.

(UPDATE, September 7: George W. Bush will not endorse in the 2024 Presidential election. Still the worst in so many ways.)

Gratification Denied. Well, Delayed.

By Miss Kubelik

Those of us who loathe Benedict Donald — and we are legion — were looking forward to September 18, when Justice Juan Merchan would sentence him for his hush-money felony convictions in New York.

Well, we're just going to have to wait until November 26, the judge decided today. "The members of this jury served diligently on this case, and their verdict must be respected and addressed in a manner that is not diluted by the enormity of the upcoming Presidential election," he said in his statement.

Speculation abounded. Did this mean that Merchan was delaying because he was leaning toward hauling Donald off to the hoosegow? Or did it mean anything at all, beyond an apparent desire to leave his decision as untainted by politics as possible? We cats believe the latter, and we're actually pretty okay with it.

Sure, it's tempting to gnash our teeth and lament that Trump always seems to be "getting away" with stuff. But in this case, he hasn't gotten away with anything. He was convicted 34 times over, for heaven's sake. He will be sentenced, and probably as a defeated former candidate for President. (Yes, the edge does seem to be with Vice President Harris at the moment. Let's keep working.)

The other reason we're okay with it is that nobody needs to provide the Trumpsters with a fresh rallying cry. They probably already feel pretty discouraged at how well the Democrats have united, how fired up we are, and how extraordinarily organized and flush with cash the Harris campaign is. Let's leave them that way. We cats PURR.

Surge

By Zamboni

Benedict Donald spoke at the Economic Club of New York this afternoon and, you guessed it, made no sense. Here, verbatim, is his answer to how he plans to make child care more affordable. (We'd embed it, but we have something else to post about right now, so you'll just have to click the link.)

We'd say it was jaw-dropping, but it's actually more proof that Trump's handlers can no longer let him loose upon the world. They're putting him out in public selectively, hoping for the best. But if he doesn't ramble nonsensically, he's positively somnambulant. Check out how flat he was today, and you'll see just how much he was projecting when he called President Biden "Sleepy Joe."

But none of that is our problem. We Democrats have been working hard, organizing, and meeting online to plan our next steps for winning in November. We attended just such a Zoom call last night, and picked up some super-interesting information to share. Mainly, that new voter registrations across the country absolutely skyrocketed after July 21.

What happened on that date? President Biden ended his candidacy and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. After which huge numbers of people felt inspired to register (and getting registered is a reliable indication of high turnout rates). The biggest increases were among young women of color, Hispanics, and Black Americans. The data dude on our Zoom call said it was "a tripling of numbers from 2020."

This didn't just happen in swing and blue states — although the reporting included Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. We're still waiting to hear what the numbers are from Georgia, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. (Also, Florida will be fun to look at.)

The other nugget of information that got our attention was this: New voter registrations since July 21 won't be fully processed for another few weeks, so these newbies won't show up as likely voters in poll results for awhile. (Pollsters rely on voter rolls to compile their call lists.) It's entirely possible we'll see a further bump for Harris as the enthusiasm of these newly minted voters seeps into the data.

As one of our favorite follows has observed, "Every scintilla, every microcosm, every nanoparticle of every narrative on the Trump and Trump-friendly side totally depend upon the continued preservation of the notion that this election is close. Once it's deemed 'not close,' the Trump myth crumbles like a house of cards." Team Trump has every reason to dread the day that polling catches up to registrations.

But as the Harris campaign says, all gas, no brakes. Let's keep working — making calls, knocking doors, writing letters and postcards, and talking to our friends, co-workers and neighbors. (Just don't try to give them Donald Trump's plan on affordable child care.) We cats PURR.

Out On The Hustings — Or Not

By Baxter

Pretty interesting that Vice President Kamala Harris is in New Hampshire this afternoon, just days after a kerfuffle erupted in the Benedict Donald campaign about whether they've abandoned it for November. As one (now former) Trump official put it, "The campaign has determined that New Hampshire is no longer a battleground state."

Which turns our thoughts to the other swing states, naturally. For example, CNN has new polling that shows Harris up in Michigan by five points and in Wisconsin by six.

If these numbers continue to hold up, Team Trump will have to take Wisconsin and Michigan off the board, and they'll redeploy their money and staff — such as they are — elsewhere. And will they quietly drop their efforts in NE-02, which, as we've noted, has Harris leading by that same stubborn five-point margin?

These are the kinds of decisions that campaign people face when races get down to the wire — which is where we are now, what with Labor Day in the rear-view mirror. They're not easy choices to make. Time grows shorter every day, and resources can get tight. However, one of the ways a campaign can cushion things is by having its candidate out on the stump, doing events, raising money, rallying supporters, signing up volunteers, and registering voters. In short, beefing up its ground game.

So what is Benedict Donald doing this week? Is he working the rope lines the way Harris and running mate Tim Walz are? Nope. He's in Pennsylvania, but merely to do an uber-friendly, tightly controlled "town hall" on Fox, hosted by Sean Hannity. He isn't holding one of his MAGA "shows" until Saturday, after a notoriously light schedule. (Unless you count incessant golfing as heavy campaigning.)

What this says to us is that Donald has mentally and physically deteriorated to the point where his handlers know they can't medicate him enough to enable any convincing cognitive function. He's not out there helping his own cause because he's not capable of it. Are the media starting to realize it? Will they ask questions? They sure screamed a lot about President Biden that way. We cats HISS.

(UPDATE: Benedict Donald is now scheduled to speak at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday. Will he talk about sharks, batteries, and Hannibal Lecter? We cats will be watching for flubs.)

Taking Labor Day Off Shows Contempt For Labor

By Sniffles

For years in South Florida, Labor Day was Dante Fascell Picnic Day. "His picnics, at Tropical Park, were red-white-and-blue family affairs featuring free hot dogs, burgers and soft drinks for all comers, much of it served up by the Congressman himself," recalled Miami journalist Michael Putney.

"After lunch, there would be an unabashedly patriotic parade led by a military or police color guard, followed by the Congressman, usually holding a grandchild’s hand, and a high school marching band playing Stars and Stripes Forever. It may have been a bit corny, but it was genuine, authentic Americana."

Congressman Fascell left us in 1998, but obviously, Labor Day is still an institution for politicians. In an election year, it's the traditional kickoff for the fall campaign, especially in the chase for working people's votes. True to form, Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are out on the stump in Detroit and Milwaukee, and President Biden is joining Harris at a rally in Pennsylvania this afternoon.

Benedict Donald and running mate JD Vance are nowhere to be found. Really?

"It doesn’t appear Trump is even trying to win," said Democratic activist Bill Palmer. Or maybe Vance is still rattled by the boos he received from the International Association of Fire Fighters last week. But hey, that's what happens when you lie and say that you're "proud to be the most pro-worker Republican ticket in history." We cats are happy that our side is out asking for Americans' support, and we PURR.

Too Many Deaths

By Hubie and Bertie

This is Tel Aviv at 1:30 PM Eastern time today: Israelis demonstrating against the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu after six Gaza hostages were found dead — i.e., recently murdered.

Israel is threatening a general strike tomorrow, to protest its government's failure to obtain the release of the remaining October 7 hostages. We cats hope they'll go through with it, because we're not seeing any other way to drive the Netanyahu coalition to its knees. And it deeply deserves it.

At the same time, we're disgusted that the awfulness of Netanyahu has essentially obscured the evil of Hamas. Not only did Hamas systematically murder, maim and rape Israelis on October 7, they apparently executed six hostages while in the middle of negotiations to free them — including an American with dual citizenship, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents spoke at the Democratic National Convention less than two weeks ago.

Yes, Netanyahu is terrible, but in spite of what some performative protesters might try to tell you on this side of the Atlantic, we cats believe that Hamas is ultimately to blame. They attacked and murdered 1,200 Israelis 11 months ago, fully knowing they could expect a Bibiesque-level response. Which means they couldn't care less about the people of Gaza. The Gaza Palestinians are just there for Hamas to build tunnels under and use as pawns in their repellent chess game. It is disgusting and depressing.

We cats HISS, and we'll let President Biden speak for us now.

"I am devastated and outraged. Hersh was among the innocents brutally attacked while attending a music festival for peace in Israel on October 7. He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas's savage massacre. He had just turned 23. He planned to travel the world. I have gotten to know his parents, Jon and Rachel. They have been courageous, wise, and steadfast, even as they have endured the unimaginable. They have been relentless and irrepressible champions of their son and of all the hostages held in unconscionable conditions. I admire them and grieve with them more deeply than words can express.

"I know all Americans tonight will have them in their prayers, just as Jill and I will. I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them, and am heartbroken by the news of his death. It is as tragic as it is reprehensible. Make no mistake. Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages."

State Fairs, And The State Of The Race(s)

By Miss Kubelik

Thanks to Governor Tim Walz's visit to the Minnesota State Fair today, we cats have rural America on our minds. (Although we'll pass on the pork chop on a stick for breakfast, thanks!) Specifically, we're thinking about Nebraska. A lot about Nebraska, actually.

Nebraska, as you may know, is funny. For 34 years, the state has awarded two Electoral College votes based on the statewide results, and one Electoral vote for each of its three Congressional districts. (Maine is the only other state that does something like this.)

Anyway, that's why you hear a lot of Democratic strategists talking about the importance of the "blue dot" — NE-02, the district in the east that encompasses Omaha. Traditionally evenly split between the two parties, the Second District presents Democrats with a viable pickup opportunity of a single Electoral vote, which in a close race can make a real difference. For example, Barack Obama targeted — and won — this district over John McCain in 2008.

Because Democrats have given NE-02 a lot of time and attention ever since, you probably won't be surprised to hear that a recent poll had Vice President Kamala Harris leading Benedict Donald there by five points. This is good. "Although it is worth just one Electoral vote, it may prove to be a crucial one," said Split Ticket/Survey USA, the conductor of the poll. "If Harris were to sweep Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, but lose the Sun Belt (Nevada, Arizona, Georgia), she would only have 269 electoral votes — necessitating a victory in Nebraska’s Second."

(Just for the record, we cats don't think Harris is going to lose Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia — but we'd be happy to bank NE-02 on our side nevertheless.)

BUT, but, but — here's a real stunner poll, also from Split Ticket/Survey USA: Incumbent Republican Senator Deb Fischer only leads her Independent opponent, Dan Osborn, by a single point, 39 to 38 percent! Even with 23 percent undecided, this figure is pretty jaw-dropping, and confirmation that the Democrats' decision about how to handle the Senate race was a wise one. The pollsters helpfully explain:

"In hopes of turning a solidly Republican state competitive, Nebraska Democrats have chosen not to nominate a candidate, choosing instead to coalesce behind Osborn, a former Navy veteran and labor union leader. This move was initially met with a flurry of controversy — Osborn, a former Democrat, has declined to commit to caucusing with either party, has declined to endorse a Presidential candidate, and has explicitly refused the endorsement of the state Democratic Party. However, it would appear that this positioning is paying off at the moment."

In short, Mitch McConnell and the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee will probably be forced to spend money on a race that they thought would be a cakewalk. Hmmm, cakes... in celebration of this savvy campaign move, we cats will deign to indulge in an Amish doughnut from the Minnesota State Fair. And we PURR.