Stop saying Republicans are "cowards" who "fear Trump." This lets them off the hook in a very fundamental way. They *want* a future in which they treat hated election outcomes as subject to invalidation. They are building this future right now. New piece: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
One ally of Liz Cheney told @sbg1 that she is a "living reproach to all these cowards."
This got lots of buzz. But it's a weak frame. It implies Rs would prefer on principle to defend democracy and would do so if only they didn't fear the consequences:
@sbg1@atrupar Relatedly, this is a good point from @jamescdownie. Jim Banks now claims Liz Cheney is a threat to GOP "unity." But Cheney is only breaking with Rs on the very narrow point that they should repudiate Trump's lies. She agrees with them on everything else:
1) My defense of liberalism and criticism of where we're falling short has generated a lot of thoughtful and interesting responses -- thanks for that! -- so I thought I'd do a thread with a bunch of further reading on this topic.
2) @HelenaRosenblat's lost history of liberalism captures a lot of the neglected ways in which liberals sought to develop a conception of the common good, which liberalism is constantly (and wrongly) criticized for lacking:
@HelenaRosenblat 3) The great Stephen Holmes' "Anatomy of Antiliberalism" is a really useful cataloging of the criticisms thrown at liberalism over the centuries, and why they falter under scrutiny. Many critiques you hear today have their roots in these old arguments:
Time to retire the wretched phrase "economic migrant."
Severe material deprivation is not somehow a "bad" reason to try to migrate. We need to lean harder into being part of actual regional solutions, for our own good.
Never forget: Trump told us that if Biden won, he'd fall prey to the radical left, driving us into depression. Instead, a broad Dem center-left is crafting ambitious solutions that are very popular, and Rs are the ones sinking into extremism. New piece: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
The next phase of Biden's plan, the caregiving phase, will include another $1 trillion in spending.
This draws heavily on core insights of progressive economics, which is why I think @DouthatNYT is off in claiming Biden is primarily repurposing Trumpism:
Let's stop saying the 1/6 commission is the victim of "partisan infighting." Only one side wants a real accounting. The party of Trump, Stop the Steal and Marjorie Taylor Green cannot credibly pretend its objections are about its structure. My latest: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
Until Republicans fully admit to these three things, they can't participate in a genuine accounting:
* Insurrection was incited by Trump
* Rioters were inspired by lies that Republicans themselves fueled
@RonWyden Some GOP senators want Democrats to do a separate bill focused just on "real" infrastructure. But Republicans won't raise corporate tax rates to pay for it.
Some Democrats see this as a trap. I gamed out how this might work here:
Trump's poison continues to harm our virus response. He suggested for a year that taking covid seriously constituted disloyalty that would lend aid and comfort to his enemies.
Vaccine-reluctant GOP voters recently interviewed by @ddiamond echoed Trump: