* This just in. Donald Trump has requested a mail-in ballot for a South Florida municipal election. So much for election-fraud claims—unless someone wants to take issue with that EKG signature
* So Sen. Rick Scott made a pilgrimage to MAGA-a-Lagoon. No surprise, as he had doubled down on his Trump fealty with strong support for overturning the 2020 election results to favor Trump’s voter-fraud claims. But now Scott, who’s quite familiar with fraud, leads–as it were–the establishment-friendly National Republican Senatorial Committee that prioritizes the re-election of GOPster incumbents. Can only wonder how the Trump-Scott chat went in regards to Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who’s on the ballot next year. She voted to convict Trump during his impeachment trial.
* “A united Republican Party—led by Trump or someone like him—is the greatest threat to freedom and democracy that America faces.”–Chris Vance, former chairman of the Washington state Republican Party.
* “Trump’s seizure of the Party’s leadership seemed a stunning achievement at first, but with time it seems more reasonable to ponder how he could possibly have failed. There were many pre-existing conditions, and Trump took advantage of them.”–Jelani Cobb, the New Yorker.
* How embarrassing that Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene hasn’t embarrassed all Republicans, especially Party leadership, for her odious, conspiracy-laced, performance politics that have included anti-Semitic and Islamophobic commentary.
* Speaking of embarrassments, we’ve been reminded again that the Capitol insurrection was watched by more than alarmed Americans. It was seen by the international community, including the autocratic likes of Vladimir Putin. The Russian authoritarian, whose government has interfered with American elections, was threading the disingenuous needle with his recent take on that Capitol siege. “Will all these internal controversies end there or not? rhetorically asked Putin with a likely smirk. “We do not know, but we want it to end, because we are interested in stable relations with all our main partners.” Sounds–intentionally–like a familiar American quote on unstable governments with third world issues and optics.
* Disappointing to read former Gov. Bob Martinez’s no comment in that Tampa Bay Times interview that asked his take on the Republican Party and former President Trump.