Why Does Jeffrey Clark Matter?
How the GOP has gone from Bob Dole to Lauren Boebert...
Recently at The Bulwark:
Across the Movie Aisle: 'The Power of the Dog,' Netflix's Awards-Minded Western
JVL: Devin Nunes and Trump Social Are Absolutely Not a Scamđ
CHARLIE SYKES: Calling Out Anti-Semites On The Right.. and The Leftđ
You can support The Bulwark by subscribing to Bulwark+ or just by sharing this newsletter with someone you think would value it.
AMANDA CARPENTER wonders: Who is Jeffrey Clark and Why Does He Matter?
When then-Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen rejected the idea on January 2, Clark told him Trump had offered to make him attorney general, but he would decline if Rosen would agree to sign the letter. Rosen refused. On January 3, Clark told Rosen he was going to accept Trumpâs offer to replace Rosen as acting attorney general. But, Rosen quickly organized with others and threatened to resign if Trump did so. Clarkâs plan fell apart. But still, it was quite the plan.
Keep in mind that Clark was proposing these steps after Trumpâs campaign had lost dozens of cases in court over alleged election fraud and the states had all certified their election results, which makes his actions all the more brazen.
And, thatâs the point. There was a plan to delegitimize the election and interfere with the peaceful transfer of power with many people involved. Not just the big, famous people, like Steve Bannon and the Kraken Lady. But also little people. People youâve never heard of before. Like Jeffrey Clark.
Stacey Abrams sees good odds in the Georgia's governor's race, while the Republican candidates are stuck in the amber of Trump's Big Lie. Plus: Nunes' job change shows that being on Fox is the new path to power. NBC News' Jonathan Allen joins Charlie Sykes on today's podcast.
In defense ofâGod help usâLauren Boebert? Thatâs what CHRIS TRUAX argues about precedent setting.
I want to be absolutely clear: Lauren Boebert is an idiot. That she was elected to Congress is a national embarrassment. But the fact remains that she was elected to Congress and punishing her for her political views, no matter how noxious, has serious implications for American democracy.
The check on a congressional memberâs political ideas, even if they are âencouraging bigotry and hatredâ is the ballot box, not the moral outrage of the majority. If those views arenât representative of their constituentsâ views, then the offender will lose her seat. (Kevin McCarthy might have taken away Republican and white nationalist Steve Kingâs committee assignments, but it was Iowa voters who sent him packing.)
But if those noxious views are representative of their constituentsâ views, then majoritarian punishments are nothing but shooting the messenger. That isnât going to shame those constituents into sending someone more reasonable to Congress as their representative. To the contrary.
Partially disenfranchising an entire congressional district because the voters in that district donât meet your moral standards is a big step towards the end of democracy. Thatâs not an exaggeration. Itâs almost a definition. A democracy where only voters who vote âcorrectlyâ get fully represented isnât really a democracy at all.
đ¨OVERTIME đ¨
If you read one piece today⌠Read this one by Tim Alberta. He is, outside of Matt Labash, one of the best long-form profile writers out there. Itâll take you a while, but I promise you, itâs 100% worth it. Our audience? Custom written for folks like you, trying to understand the few remaining âgood onesâ on the Republican side.
Albertaâs skill is that he can get people to spill, and does so over a long period of time. Keep in mind, Tim has been collecting anecdotes on this story the better part of an entire calendar year.
Like anonymously sourced with quotes from unnamed âsenior officialsâ that are quick, punchy, and conform to the ever change news cycle? Thatâs not Tim Alberta. Would it be good to have known a lot of these side stories in the mean time? Yes. Sure. But thatâs not how long-form, long-game journalism works. And Alberta is a master of it.
There are a lot of stories that can, and should, be written (were it possible in each instance) resulting from the trail of breadcrumbs that Rep. Peter Meijer, who was very careful not to name names, left us. Iâm not going to spoil a single detail. If you donât have the time, here are a few. But seriously, read the whole thing.
Meijerâs picture of the current state of the GOP is part of why this website exists. And if we want two functioning parties (which we desperately need), let Meijerâs experience serve as further warning that things are not trending in the right direction. Whether heâs a canary in the coal mine, weâll find out next year, I guess.
Today I learned⌠Big Bird, and the actor who portrays him, was supposed to be on the ill-fated Challenger flight.
When the moon is in the Seventh House, and Jupiter aligns with Mars⌠The far-right House GOP is promising the age of Jim Jordan, Marjorie Greene, and Matt Gaetz.
Is Mark Meadows scared?
First, we learn:
Then, we learn this:
January 6th Committee @January6thCmte
Mark Meadows has informed the Select Committee that he does not intend to cooperate further despite his apparent willingness to provide details about the January 6th attack, including conversations with President Trump, in the book he is now promoting and selling.Metadata could very well prove to be a problem!
Thatâs it for me. Weâll see you tomorrow. Tech support questions? Email members@thebulwark.com. Questions for me? Drop me a line: swift@thebulwark.com
-30-
Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.