Platner, Platner Platner, Platner

[malaise]

but not an effin word about Donvict’s refusing to pay E Jean

M$Greedia is effed up beyond repair.

[Mike Nelson]

1. The Media people have an...

... obvious and important tie-in to the Platner story. The President not accused... not maybe. PROVEN. GUILTY. They should be asking why he hasn't registered as a sex offender.

[GusBob]

2. Whelp

In the last 2 days I have trashed 40 Platner OP's on DU, many were dupes
so

[bif]

5. Same here

And when I tag a post as a Dupe, I get scolded that dupes aren't allowed in LBN but okay in GD. Gets rather annoying. Seems like every third post is about Platner.

[barbtries]

87. i see my weariness with this story

is widely shared.

sigh.

[GusBob]

89. Way over 60 posts now

He was done at 1

Don’t get me wrong sexual harassment is way way way out of bounds

Dirty laundry sells, hey

The guy set my creepdar off a month ago

But I don’t live in Maine so not my beeswax

[WinningAgain]

3. Seriously?

If you don't see the difference .......

[Manatee]

4. These two

issues could not possibly be further apart from each other.

[TBF]

7. The point is the media focus -

Specifically, what the media is choosing to focus on. And what the billionaire media always chooses to focus on. Which is whatever will help Trump and his fascist regime the most. Because mainstream media is owned by billionaires and they are 100% good with the fascism.

[eShirl]

6. sorry

hopefully we'll stop hearing about him forever, very soon

[malaise]

22. I have no problem with that

I am sick of all these predators but let’s have some balanced coverage.
:

[TBF]

8. We know who the mainstream media works for -

I look at the NYTimes to know what their latest talking points are & the Wall Street Journal to know how bad most of us are getting screwed by Capital.

The billionaires are in charge y'all, that's our fight. Trump's just their latest spokesperson.

[BComplex]

34. And they are determined to take down the democratic candidates who have

liberal views, by any means necessary.

ANY. MEANS. NECESSARY. Even the Pope is onto the billionaires, and they are fighting back really hard.

[Wednesdays]

49. The Pope better have some good bodyguards.

And I mean REALLY good bodyguards.

[BComplex]

77. Amen to that!

I love this Pope!

[TBF]

54. Yeah, we've got to be really careful w/candidates

They were going to go after Platner no matter what (they are going to be laser-focused on keeping Maine); but from all the scuttlebutt it sounds like he just made it easy for them. This is going to be a long primary season.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

65. I can't with that tabloid crap

[PatrickforB]

74. If the Catholic Church does this, it will be very good for this earth and all its people. n/t

[nycbos]

9. Maybe just maybe we should've looked at the SS tattoo and the blog post blaming women who get drunk...

... getting raped and said,"These seem like major red flags. Let's find a different mainstream progressive candidate who can beat Sue Collins in November while we still have time."

If we did that, we wouldn't be in the situation we are in now.

I am a lifelong Democrat. I started volunteering on campaigns at 13, collecting signatures to get Bill Bradley on the ballot in New York when he ran for president. I have worked on campaigns as both a volunteer and a paid staff member in six states at all levels of the ballot, from city council races to presidential elections. I've slept in strangers' basements. I've gotten on a plane to a different state to start work with 24 hours' notice. I am also Jewish. I am absolutely disgusted by the fact that the party I have been a part of my entire life has embraced a man with an SS tattoo.

The left has long had a problem with antisemitism. Either because people believe that Jews are collectively responsible for the actions of the Israeli government or because they believe all Jews are "white" and "rich," so it doesn't matter if they face discrimination in the first place. Watching these people cry victim after their candidate got exposed as a horrible human being brings me a high level of satisfaction.

[MakeThemCry]

21. I see

Good to know

[lapucelle]

29. Exactly which part is good to know?

Is that a gif of someone taking notes?

[MakeThemCry]

39. Yes to the GIF

The last sentence is good to know.

[lapucelle]

42. Help me out here.

What is the antecedent for "these people" in the last sentence?

[MakeThemCry]

78. In context, leftists

Do you disagree?

[lapucelle]

80. That's not what the last sentence refers to in context or otherwise.

The last sentence is calling out anti-Semitic leftists.

The left has long had a problem with antisemitism. Either because people believe that Jews are collectively responsible for the actions of the Israeli government or because they believe all Jews are "white" and "rich," so it doesn't matter if they face discrimination in the first place. Watching these people cry victim after their candidate got exposed as a horrible human being brings me a high level of satisfaction.

[MakeThemCry]

81. I get your point, but

I didn't take it that way.

[malaise]

23. All valid points

But E Jean is still waiting for her money

[Wednesdays]

50. And there's not much chatter about her on the M$M today, is there?

[malaise]

71. Of course not

[lapucelle]

76. Actually, there was news about her case today.

Judge orders the release of Trump’s $5 million payment to E. Jean Carroll
Updated Jul 8, 2026, 3:00 PM ET
PUBLISHED Jul 8, 2026, 1:32 PM ET

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the release of more than $5 million to E. Jean Carroll rejecting President Donald Trump’s attempt to delay paying the former magazine columnist a jury found he sexually abused and defamed.

The ruling from federal Judge Lewis Kaplan comes after Trump had asked him not to release the money to Carroll until the Supreme Court decides whether it will reconsider his petition to challenge the jury’s finding that he sexually abused and defamed the former magazine columnist.

Lawyers for Carroll could not immediately be reached for comment.

Trump filed a notice with the court that he will appeal the decision.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/08/politics/judge-orders-the-release-of-trumps-usd5-mil-to-e-jean-carroll

==================

Judge orders transfer of Trump’s $5 million payment to E. Jean Carroll

President Donald Trump’s legal team swiftly appealed the ruling and filed a motion seeking an emergency administrative stay to block the release of the funds.
Jul. 8, 2026, 6:14 PM EDT
By Lisa Rubin and Clarissa-Jan Lim

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered that writer E. Jean Carroll be paid $5 million plus interest in damages stemming from a judgment in one of her two civil cases against President Donald Trump.

Trump had made a last-ditch effort late Tuesday to stop Carroll from collecting the money. In a brief requesting that the disbursement of the damages be halted, the president’s lawyers argued that because his request for the Supreme Court to reconsider its refusal to hear his appeal is pending, there is no final denial from the justices on the matter of his appeal, and so the distribution of those funds to Carroll is not justified.

Trump’s legal team swiftly appealed the judge’s ruling Wednesday. They also filed a motion seeking an emergency administrative stay to block the release of the judgment funds in the case, arguing the money could be impossible to recoup if it is distributed before his appeal is resolved.

https://www.ms.now/news/trump-again-tries-to-block-e-jean-carrolls-5-million-payout

[nycbos]

57. True

But we don't have the power to fix that injustice at this time. What we do have the power to do, and hopefully we learned our lesson, is that when a "progressive" candidate shows such glaring red flags as Platner did, we can find a Plan B before it's too late.

I'm not holding out any hope, though, because the left didn't learn its lesson from 2000, 2016, and 2024. We are now at the point where the rights that were won in the 20th century are now under attack and, in many cases, under threat of being lost entirely. Many on the left still have not learned how to tell the difference between an imperfect friend like Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, and Kamala Harris from a deadly enemy like George Bush and Donald Trump.

[OldBaldy1701E]

99. I am sorry... did you just say the words 'plan' and 'left' in the same sentence? (n/t)

[PCB66]

31. I don't think he is anti Semitic

I just think he did the macho thing in his Army unit and got the tattoo.

To me that was not a red flag. It was low class to post the video bashing his fellow soldier but the real red flags were the credible reports of sexual harassment and even rape.

I know how important it is for us Democrats to take the Senate. However, surely there are better candidates in Maine that doesn't have his baggage.

The MAGA crowd will beat him up everyday in the media if he stays in. Not much chance of him winning.

[BComplex]

38. So far there have been no proven "red flags" that have held water.

This latest one, dropped at the very same timeline in the election as the first one who came out, was it one week or two, before the primary? Just before it was found that she worked for Susan Collins?

Now this second one, who CONVENIENTLY deleted all the texts she wrote to her friends about being a victim (so there's no proof) just ONE WEEK before he has to drop out to allow a different candidate, or is it two weeks? The same woman who just recently went to see a therapist about it?

Here's what she had said previously.



I cannot believe so many democrats are so ready to believe the right wing media. Graham Platner was against supporting Israel until they quit with the genocide. Follow the money.

[sheshe2]

43. Cenk Uygur and The Young Turks?

The Young Turks – Bias and Credibility
The Young Turks is rated Left with Mixed factual reporting by Media Bias Fact Check.

These media sources are moderate to strongly biased toward liberal/progressive causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appealing to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information that may damage liberal/progressive causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy.

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-young-turks/

[BComplex]

46. I was more focused on the MSNBC reporting on that post.

I didn't do the homework to go check out the original MSNBC link. Sorry.

[sheshe2]

47. No problem.

I just can't stand Cenk.

[blue_jay]

93. I don't listen to Cenk so can't speak on that bias but for what it's worth the Bangor Daily News had an article

a while ago with links to his numerous Reddit posts. Summary of them is that the posts that mentioned fascism were anti-fascist . Also, he said a number of flippant and/or dumb male comments but mostly stuff about military, guns, Maine. The link below will let you see them all, I didn't read them all but they are searchable. The quote is part of the article. I don't know if the Bangor Daily News is biased.

https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/05/13/politics/elections/maine-graham-platner-reddit-comments-archive/

"Platner, who has called Israel’s war in Gaza a “genocide,” faced accusations of antisemitism after news broke that he had a Nazi-linked tattoo (which he then covered, saying he did not realize the connection), and again after he appeared on a podcast whose host had engaged in antisemitic conspiracy theories. But there is nothing in the archive to suggest allegiance with those ideologies. On the contrary, he repeatedly wrote about opposing fascism and Nazism. His only mention of the Jewish people was to push back against a commenter who likened the Holocaust to the Armenian genocide; the Holocaust represented more of a societywide effort to wipe out a population, Platner argued."

[BComplex]

94. Thanks for the link, blue_jay!

[blue_jay]

95. YW, I thought it was a good find. Also, here's an interesting update, I just searched on the word

women in the search bar. The few posts I read were surprisingly logical about the standards for women in the military if only slightly biased though realistic about strength differences, and others were actually quite positive and non misogynistic from what I saw. It I had time I'd search more.

Here's one sample below:

r/worldnews (someone's post he is responding to)
Lifting the ban on women in combat roles will "drag our infantry to far below the required standard" and put people at greater risk of dying, according to a former SAS commander. --maybe the military should only enlist people with self control

Platner's response:
"Don't know much about killing, do you?
I've served in infantry units in both the Marine Corps and US Army. Saw direct combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Men who are great at vicious and efficient killing also happen to not always be awesome people, and often times it is immature brotherhood and false masculinity that keep them focused and in line. You f***ing civilian pansies tend to be shit at murder in my experience, and yet you want to judge us by your standards? Feel free to f*** off and try to just keep us all from going to war in the first place."

I know the topic of the comment is a bit rough but it does make me question whether he is the 100% flawed person he is being made out to be by MSM right now, current allegations and all.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

68. You keep posting that like it means something

She was contacted by the New York Times, she didn't contact them. Can you see the difference? The New York Times contacted a rape victim and she didn't immediately spill every single detail to them so she's lying??

What right do they have asking her anything of that nature at all? Not a doctor or a therapist, the freaking New York Times.

Rape is traumatic. Talking about it is traumatic. Being accused of lying about it is traumatic. Having it splashed all over the internet is traumatic, especially when it includes vile accusations and disbelief.

This stupid highlighted snippet means nothing.

[Betty Boom]

97. Hear, hear.

It’s almost as though a lot of men don’t understand the trauma of rape. It’s almost as though they almost immediately dismiss women as lying. It’s almost as if they don’t believe women when we tell them how common sexual assault is, about how all of us know somebody. About the girlfriends we had who didn’t come forward because they blame themselves because they put themselves in the situation where they had too much to drink or etc. etc. etc. all of the stuff that should not matter because it’s never the victim’s fault!!! It’s almost as though they don’t have any understanding of how coming forward can destroy someone’s life. That poor woman is probably getting hate mail and death threats right now.

I’m so fucking sick and tired of the rape culture in this country

[hadEnuf]

53. LOL, not long ago tattoos like that used to be called "youthful indiscretions" by the GOP.

And it's a given that a lot of MAGATs have similar ones as well. Just look at Pete Hegseth.

[Skittles]

88. is that our bar now?

MAGAts and Kegseth?

[hadEnuf]

90. We set our own bars.

But MAGAs would have no problem voting for him if he was a Republican. The fake GOP pearl clutching because of Platner's past is beyond hypocritical.

[Skittles]

91. that I agree with

hearing repukes carry on about Platner while pimping for Trump and hiding the Epstein files

[BComplex]

36. "The left has long had a problem with antisemitism."

That is historically untrue. Democrats are not the ones who are anti-Semitic. Do you remember the march in Charlottesville? "Jews will not replace us"?

Democrats are not the ones who look at people's skin color or religion and try to shame them.

It is the right wing Netanyahu wing of the Israeli government that democrats everywhere are fighting against, just like we are fighting the right wing here.

[nycbos]

62. Did you read the part where I've been working on Democratic campaign since I was 13.

I also remember October 7, when people on the left celebrated the largest massacre of Jews since the holocaust. I remember Jewish students being stalked and harassed on college campuses. And I watched the mayor of the city I grew up defending the phrase "globalize the intifada" after terrorists targeted Jews in Boulder, Colorado, and Bondi Beach. A person just got elected to Congress from New York City, who attended and spoke at a pro-Hamas rally in Times Square. And Hakeem Jeffries is embracing these people.

The frontrunner for being the Democratic nominee as Senator from Michigan said: "the synagogue attack needs to be viewed in the context of Israel's actions." It is the height of antisemitism to say American Jews are responsible for the actions of the Israeli government. And it's also part of the centuries-old dual loyalty trope.

Antisemitism is one of the causes that unites the far left and the far right. The horseshoe theory of politics is real. But seeing it become acceptable in Democratic circles is worse for me because I spent my entire life working in Democratic politics, and it feels like a personal betrayal.

[sarisataka]

63. Explain October 8th

That was a problem with antisemitism

[lapucelle]

45. Some folks will gaslight you about the anti-Semitism and others will be taking names,

but you are absolutely right.

If folks had taken the concern over the SS tattoo seriously way back in October when the story broke, we wouldn't be where we are now.

[nycbos]

59. The gaslighting is why I prefer right wing antisemitism to left-wing antisemitism.

The right-wing antisemitism is direct and honest with its hate and it's totally free from gaslighting.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

67. He used the drunk card multiple times as an excuse for his crap

If women don't want to get raped, don't get drunk!

And that's the guy people thought was gonna stand up for women??

[CaptainTruth]

10. I'm tired of hearing about Platner. I'm over the guy.

[Pinback]

11. The Platner revelations are a gift from the gods

to RW media and conservatives (and mainstream media, for the most part).

To be clear, I don’t blame Jenny Racicot for one nanosecond for sharing her story, and Platner needs to get lost, like yesterday. But this is predictably being used as ammunition against the Democratic Party and progressives in general.

And for lazy pseudo-journalists, this means they can coast for a while on a wave of scandal.

Meanwhile, as you say, the off-the-charts depravity of the Slobfather, his family, and the criminal enterprise known as the modern Republican Party go unchecked. Somebody wake us up from this fucking nightmare.

[malaise]

15. We're on the same page

but their dear leader and more than a few elected ReTHUGs shoukd have got lost ages ago.

[Gum Logger]

12. If the Repukes can't find something, they will make it up

[SamuelAdams]

13. We're all sick of Platner.

Hopefully he drops out today and we never have to hear about him again.

[BComplex]

41. No. I'm not sick of Platner. I'm sick of lynch mobs.

And people believing stuff they should seriously question.

[TBF]

55. My personal opinion is that AIPAC wants either

Susan Collins or Jared Golden in that seat. They don't care about parties as much as they care about Israel. Both Collins & Golden have taken their donations in the past.

[notinkansas]

61. The timing of this is truly suspect - at best.

Given the margins Platner won by in the primary, I really feel that him leaving the race will hand the Senate seat to Susan Collins. With no time left for investigations/defense - that's just too convenient. It's a sorry situation. Lose a Senate seat or accept a candidate who will have no opportunity to defend himself. Anybody remember Al Franken?

[johnp3907]

75. I've been seriously questioning Platner all along.

Questioning a lot of DUers these days too.

[LeftInTX]

14. Platner is a problem that needs to be solved.

[malaise]

17. You know I agree with you

but so is Paxton and Donvict is worse

[LeftInTX]

19. People are waiting for Platner to resign. Hopefully he will.

Once the July 13th deadline passes, there will be a new story.

If he stays on the story will die. But the voters won't forget.

If there is a new "primary", that will then be the story.

[LeftInTX]

51. Cornyn asked Paxton to resign numerous times. It didn't work.. LOL

It's up to Paxton to exit the race and then the Texas GOP will put another MAGAT in his place. However, I don't think Paxton is going to quit.

The issue with Platner is a "Democratic primary race" issue. Yes, he won, but if he resigns there will be another primary of sorts and a new candidate.

Paxton is crookeder than crooked.....But Democrats can't do anything about him being on the ballot.

[Raftergirl]

16. People didn't want to hear the truth about Platner. It was all out there. Especially on this site they didn't want to

hear it.

[ShazzieB]

24. Some of us let ourselves get carried away by our excitement at the possibility of unseating Collins. 😕

Guilty as charged here. I don't think it would have happened under "normal" circumstances (i.e., if the need to take control of Congress so that Trump can be reigned in wasn't so great), but it did. For a few brief, exciting moments, the possibility of getting rid of Collins seemed close enough to touch, and it was too much for some of us. Mea culpa.

At this point, I just hope he goes quietly and does so as quickly as possible. The only place I ever want to see him again is in my rear view mirror.

[LeftInTX]

40. When I heard that he had a Nazi tattoo, I thought

he was done.

The governor of Maine was running anyway, so I thought, "Then it will be her"

A few months ago, people were saying Mills was "too old" and they were coming up with excuses for his Nazi tattoo.

I'm like "whatever".

I don't know what all happened in between.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

69. Some still don't

[krawhitham]

18. I've read multiple articles and saw 3 tv stories in the last 24 hours about the turd refusing to pay E Jean

[Wednesdays]

52. Links?

[republianmushroom]

20. Deflecting well from the EPSTEIN FILES.

[Martin68]

25. I was offended by the Washington Post putting a headline about Platner's failure to use a condom at the top of the

front page today. They never gave Trump's rape conviction, conviction for his "university's" fraud, or any of his other sins that kind of exposure.

[malaise]

27. Precisely

Rec

[WinningAgain]

26. Platner is in the news

Because he handed the Senate to the Repubs.

Probable another justice on the SC.......

[BComplex]

30. And his accuser went out with him AFTER the alleged rape, and just like the previous

accuser, came out in the same time frame of the primary election. This has AIPAC written all over it.

All of her supposed texts to her friends have somehow disappeared. She just finally spoke to a therapist recently.

As soon as many of Platner's backers walked away from him, they started on Abdul Al-Sayed. It's not Platner. It's all the candidates who are against supporting Israel financially, after the genocidal positions the Netanyahu government keeps supporting.

AIPAC has unlimited money (supported by our tax dollars) to "find" people who are somehow scarred by the candidates that are calling out Netanyahu and the Israeli government for their genocides. The deeper the dive on these accusers, the more their stories seem convenient.

And our AIPAC infused media throws everything they have at the democratic candidates that support getting our tax dollars out of Israel until they quit with their extreme right policies and genocidal actions.

[AloeVera]

48. Yes, Al-Sayed is next. It will start with the NYT. And then...

I would be amused by the predictability of it all if I were not so horrified.

[obamanut2012]

60. wtf

[MorbidButterflyTat]

70. Gross and sickening

[maxsolomon]

32. The Platner story is hot. It's today's news.

The E. Jean Carroll payment hasn't budged in a couple days. His lawyers are still contesting it in court.

WHEN he pays up (he will because he put the money in trust) it will be a 2-day story in the middle of his ongoing maelstrom of offensive bullshit.

[BlueTsunami2018]

33. No Paxton, no Epstein, no Piss.....

You know who the corporate media works for.

[OC375]

35. The media has been out of control since at least the OJ trial.

It’s business.

We do love dirty laundry, but even that has to be fresh.

This is fresh. That’s the business.

Sometimes it helps you, sometimes doesn’t.

[Joinfortmill]

37. No shit, right?

[themaguffin]

44. Why wouldn't it be covered?

[Retrograde]

56. We have the best media money can buy

and it's nothing new - the biggest difference now is how few media outlets there are. Even in the Good Old Days when even small towns had at least one newspaper, those papers had editorial biases and slanted the news. It usually wasn't as blatant, and the news empires weren't as big. Another problem IMHO has been the continuous shift to the Right since the 1970s - the Republican Party (which under Eisenhower was radical by today's standards) becomes a bit more conservative, the Democrats move a little to the right to meet them in the middle, on and on.

If the people responsible for reporting did their jobs, and if the people voting did theirs (i.e., become even the least bit acquainted with candidates and issues), we'd never have elected as unqualified person as the current president. Maybe - the US has always had its share of incompetent demagogues and clowns who somehow get elected time and again.

[senseandsensibility]

58. You expect them to call out the PROVEN sexual abuse of the CURRENT president?

Even when there is breaking news about it? Yeah, not gonna happen.

[MorbidButterflyTat]

64. I saw it

It's a day that ends with Y, and Piggy is a corrupt criminal asshole. Who can really keep up with all of his shit. I'm sick of hearing about him!

[AdamGG]

66. Alleged sexual assault vs. adjudicated rapist

Trump had 23 women willing to come forward and be named to claim that he sexually assaulted them. In addition to Trump being found guilty by a jury of assaulting E. Jean Carroll, there was someone who came forward and said that Trump and Jeffery Epstein raped her when she was underage.

As ridiculous as it is for Trump supporters to jump on the Platner case, he should step aside. Before the latest allegation, it was documented that he had sext messaged with 12 women shortly after being married, he had a lot of offensive Reddit posts, he kept the Nazi tattoo for 18 years before covering it up and must have realized what it was long before removing it.

It's lucky that the latest story came out with a week to go before the deadline when his name can be changed on the ballot. That makes me thinks that maybe R's weren't involved in leaking this story because they would likely have rather have hit him with it when a change was no longer possible.

If Platner gives an eloquent speech that acknowledges his shortcomings but also his genuine passion for the issues, he could still have a decent career. He'll have huge name recognition and can probably get book contracts and be a pundit. He could have valuable advice as a political consultant since he was able to do extraordinarily well with going from unknown to candidate and probably would have useful advice for others.

Maine needs to pick his replacement carefully and choose a very strong candidate who has no potential baggage. I'd be hesitant on Janet Mills because she's 78 and didn't inspire people in the primary. There must be someone dynamic and qualified who could appeal broadly and say that although he had some personal issues, Platner connected with people over some serious problem with the system and they are going to passionately carry that fight forward and rally people to remove a Trump puppet from the Senate.

They should repeatedly list all the pro-Trump votes that Susan Collins has taken in the Senate at every public appearance. There are 4 months to completely switch the focus away from Platner, who should go silent during that time.

[Skittles]

85. we never want repukes to set the bar for who we accept as candidates

certainly everyone has "FLAWS" but some people are just pure slime

[slightlv]

72. malaise

I don't think I've said anything about Platner because the media is so hypocritical when there's E. Jen waiting for money she's been awarded since what... 2015? and then there's all the girls/women still waiting for justice surrounding Epstein. And yet, *suddenly* all eyes are on Platner. Now... understand, I'm NOT saying whether that's good or bad. If he's an abuser and/or rapist, he has no place in our party. Period. But Al Franken stands so strong in my mind, and I still can't help but feel we railroaded a good man out of our party for antics and showtime shenanigans - not hardcore abuse or casting call couches. THOSE people have gotten off with pardons or never made to stand trial.

One thing WE need to keep in mind as it comes close to election time is wolves among us. With AI, smearing is going to become so much easier to do, and it IS common knowledge (I would hope) that we democrats DO have solid family values that far outstrip what the republicans call "family values." And, just like Laura Loomer tried to do yesterday to Mark Kelly... we're going to see more and more of that crop up around our people - male and female, I'm afraid. Now Laura's idiocy ran so far to range afield that EVERYONE knew it was complete idiocy - after all, it was a maga idiot who shot Mark's wife (shown in the picture with him) in the head! But make no mistake, the republicans know the only way they can lose the elections across the states is if they can make the democrats lose the elections, themselves. And boy, have we shown in the past that we can do it. They'll pick on our favorites... which for a large number of people out there are people in the vein of Sanders, Mamdani, and AOC... others like Newsom, Pritzker, and, oh, malaise... we have such a HUGE number of excellent democrats to choose in our 50 states!!!! But like everyone else, they're only human, and someone will find *something* in every single one of them with which to bash them. The Repuglicans took a solid movement that needed to come into being... the "Me Too" movement, and turned it against us. Just like they do everything good. They took a tool and turned it into a weapon.

Again, I'm not saying ANYTHING about Platner. I honestly admit I know nothing about ME politics, other than Susan Collins... and don't get me started on her! (LOL) What little money I have to contribute I use to fight my butt off for democrats here in my little rural area in KS. We've got some real uphill battles forming here. Platner may be guilty as sin, and in that case, may he get what he deserves. I'm just coming from an angle of fear around losing some candidates who may not even WANT to run because they may not want their lives or the lives of their friends and family dissected by republicans like frogs on slides. At some point, politics is going to be a zero sum game, where the zero sum is gonna be the least capable is going to be all who WILL run. I mean, Lordy... can you imagine what the U.S. would have done to JFK today? And we'd have ended up in nuclear war over the Bay of Pigs without him, IMO.

I've probably said too much, for having no dog in this fight, other than being a hardcore democrat ever since I could vote. I just was beginning to see tears show up around this subject... and for good reasons... but it hits us in a soft spot for us. And we've got to unify with each other and watch out for each other. I hope I haven't been too far out of line. If so, I sincerely apologize....

[malaise]

79. Great post

Rec

[MorbidButterflyTat]

73. Deadline White House Nicole Wallace discussing now

With Andrew Weissman and Joyce Vance looking way too skinny.

[Skittles]

82. doesn't affect the Senate

[malaise]

83. He withdrew from the race

Per M$NOW a few minutes ago

[Skittles]

84. hopefully he remains in the dustbin of political history

truly a shameful chapter

[barbtries]

86. no shit.

platner needs to step down. in the meantime I cannot stomach any of the news about this issue, especially since it is not accompanied by reiterating that the crimes of the sitting president are far worse.

just can't right now.

[Locutusofborg]

92. The lede story in most major newspapers today

Is the end of the cease fire in Iran. In the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal, the Platner story is below the fold and usually right next to the story on E. Jean Carroll finally getting her $5.8 million from Trump for his liability for sexual assault and defamation of her character.

[Betty Boom]

96. What's with all the MS now bashing on here lately?

I saw several stories today covering the e jean story. It was on MS now that I first heard that she’s planning on donating the entire 5 million to a charity that will piss off Trump.

I for one am grateful for the existence of MS now. They cover the stories that nobody else does, and they give Trump the hell he deserves.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

98. Maybe "Platner" seems more urgent, because of the time limits ...

... for getting his Dem replacement on the ballot.

Trump's payment is in the news occasionally, but is tied up in strange legal proceedings.