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ANSWER: They are all Democrats; but beyond that.
Monday, July 13, 2026
Guardian - McConnell did NOT Franco to the netherworld - AND - Trump again does something entirely egregious, and expected.
McConnell story. It lacks any reporting of cognitive testing results, if any, attained during the month long hospital stay.
TRUMP - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/13/trump-chemical-safety-board
Same old shit. Early item quote -
The Trump administration has stacked a top chemical safety board with industry-aligned scientists who have a range of financial conflicts of interest and stand to profit from deregulation, public health advocates say.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s science advisory committee on chemicals (SACC) is slated to review research for dozens of toxic chemicals during the new members’ terms. At least 13 proposed Trump appointees are probably conflicted on the chemicals that will be reviewed, comments filed with the EPA by a coalition of public health advocacy groups alleges.
Their appointment, critics warn, is designed to provide scientific justification for the EPA’s broader campaign to dismantle the nation’s protections against toxic chemicals.
Among the appointees are Wade Barranco, employed by Lyondell Chemical Company, which in 2024 released nearly 1m pounds of chemicals likely to be reviewed by the SACC during his term, including acetaldehyde, benzene, ethylbenzene, naphthalene and styrene.
The public health groups say the appointees’ participation on reviews in which there is a conflict could be illegal. They pointed to federal law and the EPA’s internal guidelines that state that the SACC must be “both balanced and free of members who have actual or perceived conflicts of interest or an appearance of a loss of impartiality”.
[....]
The Angie Craig outspending DFL endorsed candidate Peggy Flanagan in anticipation of an August primary to fill the Senate seat Tina Smith vacates. In depth, one post down, but here, proof the situation is drawing nationwide scorn.
Perhaps nationwide attention is more neutral than scorn, but when it comes to floods of money in politics, aimed at truning aside a popular outcome; scorn is a proper word.
That said,
In a press conference Wednesday, July 8, Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan called on U.S. Rep. Angie Craig to answer for a "flood" of outside spending while touting the grassroots nature of her own campaign. Flanagan claimed $12 million in outside spending from political action committees in support of Craig has made this the most expensive primary in Minnesota history.
“You've seen them, I've seen them, my kiddo has seen them,” Flanagan said. “Minnesotans have been inundated with television ads trying to redeem Congresswoman Angie Craig and attack my record. Those ads are being paid for by five super PACs and secretive 'dark money' groups that have already spent more than $12 million trying to sway the outcome of this election.”
The Flanagan campaign claims the outside spending is funded namely by the cryptocurrency industry, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and health insurance companies.
Craig responded to the claims in a statement Wednesday.
“I’ve run in five competitive races in Minnesota and in every one of them Super PACs have come after me. I never once called a press conference to cry about it,” she said in the statement. “If you think this is bad, wait until Republicans come after you for the fraud issues in Minnesota. There is too much at risk in our nation to not just say it: Peggy Flanagan could lose this Senate seat for Democrats in November if she is the candidate.”
Craig has repeatedly called Flanagan’s assertions about outside spending “hypocrisy,” pointing to donations made to the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association while Flanagan was chair. Craig has mentioned a contribution from CoreCivic, a company known to partner with the federal government for ICE detention facilities.
"Rather than debate me on the issues and how we’re going to stand up to Donald Trump she looks to impose a litmus test she herself has failed," Craig said earlier this month.
On the issues, Craig would lose, being a conservative Democrat. In fairness, Craig lost her first MN HD2 campaign to an idiot talk show host Republican, a Michele Bachmann allay, because Craig ran a poor campaign touting some wrong things and having awful consultantcy adds with cringe-worthy background music. Improving by being more open about her family and spouse and the three children they raised, and realizing a part of her district to be rural with ag and other non-urban character, Craig adapted and improved campaign messaging greatly. She ousted Jason Lewis, the talk show Republican after a single term, and has represented MN HD2 ever since.
It being a conservative district in part channeled Craig into offering and delivering a balanced but conservative leaning campaigning message, which she delivered upon. In short, she represented the mood of her distirct, which is hard to fault.
But still.
That item continues -
Flanagan said Wednesday that during her time at the DLGA, she asked that the contribution from CoreCivic be donated, and said Craig's comparison is not “apples to apples.”
“The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association's sole purpose is to elect Democrats and Democratic lieutenant governors,” Flanagan said. “These corporate PACs, these special interest, dark money groups, their sole purpose is to elect people like Congresswoman Craig, who will vote for their interests, who will vote for the things, frankly, that they want to see happen, and will do their bidding — and I think, again, it's not an even playing field.”
The heat comes just ahead of the second round of campaign finance reports for federal elections, which are due next Wednesday, July 15. Craig’s campaign reported nearly $5 million cash on hand on July 7. DFL-endorsed Flanagan's last report through March showed $1.1 million cash on hand.
Flanagan simply does not take private prison - ICE detention money, and Craig knows that and knows better than to suggest otherwise. Next -
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/really-dark-money-fighting-keep-121608756.html carrying a native american news report. Flanagan has native american roots, so no surprise, she's favored.
Most people who read my newsletter think of Peggy Flanagan's campaign for the Senate in historic terms. She is a citizen of the White Earth Nation and there has never been a Native American woman elected to that chamber ever. It's long past time for that to happen in a representative democracy.
But others see Flanagan as a threat and are willing to spend a lot of money to make sure she doesn't make that history.
It's not uncommon for U.S. Senate races to cost millions of dollars. But in Minnesota, spending records are being shattered in a primary election, already topping $12 million. The most expensive Minnesota primary ever. And most of that money is trying to make sure that Peggy Flanagan does not win the DFL Primary next month.
The cool thing is the reasons are ideological.
Across the country there are millions of dollars being invested to make sure that "centrist" Democrats win. And the phrase "centrist" captures a few general themes, such as support for the government of Israel, status quo in health care (protecting insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry), and this year's largest big spender, the shadowy web that includes crypto traders (including sports betting and prediction markets).
"In the 2026 midterm elections, corporate money is poised to play a bigger role than ever before in influencing how Americans vote. The cryptocurrency sector's political playbook from 2024 – prioritizing corporate priorities over parties or candidates and using their financial power to discipline sitting lawmakers and candidates – is spawning copycat corporate campaigns by other sectors.
"Months before Election Day, corporations have already collectively spent $517 million to influence federal elections – a 12% increase over the $461 million that corporations spent over the entire 2024 election cycle and nearly triple the $184.1 million spent by corporations during the previous midterm election in 2022."
Most of this money is "dark" money. Secret funds that are spent directly by Political Action Funds in support of candidates. In June, one of those groups, North Star Dawn, used a "deep fake" ad to attack Flanagan. (Portraying her as a corporate shill. Cute. The evidence is a PAC for Democratic Lt. Governors. But the thing is, why is Peggy Flanagan on the other side of just about every issue that's mentioned in the attack ad?)
[...]
Last, a HuffPo item giving nationwide coverage to the big bucks for Craig. Carried by MSN.
Since it's largely cumulative, quoting will be brief:
Outside groups have spent more than $1 million a week on TV and digital streaming ads to support Craig, she said on a Wednesday press call. Eight of these ads have been airing since April, and the campaign’s “best guess” is that most of this money is flowing from the cryptocurrency industry and the powerful pro-Israel group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Also in the news: Trump Filing Shows He Took In About $1.2 Billion From Crypto Businesses Last Year
“Minnesota has never seen this kind of outside spending,” said the lieutenant governor. “Unprecedented. Historic. Unlike anything Minnesotans have experienced in our politics before.”
Flanagan, who is running to the left of Craig, has made it central to her campaign that she doesn’t take any corporate PAC money, unlike the moderate congresswoman.
On her press call, she said the “most important question to ask” is why special interest groups are flooding this Senate race: “They know Angie Craig will do their bidding.”
Well, they "know" no such thing, but the expectation is that Craig would mirror her record in the House, if gaining the Senate seat. Again, Craig represented her district and how she'd represent the entire diverse state is unknown. But her campaign and the endorsements she could obtain are not progressive voices. Far from it.
The next following post is more editorial, looking past the contest (but only a bit) to the Schumer - Gillibrand putsch against Platner, in parallel to a comparable "me-too" takedown putsch the two spearheaded against Al Franken. And how that is part of a Dem inner party bias toward a too-conservative status quo. One ripe for overturning, if they'd let us.
Frankin was the best and most progressive Senator Minnesota has had since the still strange and most unfortunate Wellstone fatal airplane disaster.
Back to Frankin - not Wellstone: They took a crap on Al and he walked away, which is most unfortunate, but illustrative of why change is imperative.
Change course, and we could even possibly get Medicare for All.
The Crabgrass understanding -- Craig's not endorsed Medicare for All, while Flanagan unequivocally has.
_____________UPDATE_____________
Recall, chickenshit dark money took out Jamal Bowman and Corrie Bush, so August primary day is a pace away and we have to wait to see. But chickenshit dark money, in an ideal world, would not rule the primary day voting in an ideal Minnesota world.
This is related to the anti-progressive political assassination of Graham Platner. To the status quo Dem Party Establishment that repeatedly went after Platner. Tons of Angie Craig dark money pouring into Minnesota's contest where Peggy Flanagan is the progressive, Craig is the one who took AIPAC money.
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| https://www.trackaipac.com/states/minnesota?rq=angie |
Open https://www.trackaipac.com/states/minnesota?rq=Minnesota, to find the one MN Rep who is clean, vs. the one Rep who's gotten the most AIPAC and related money - more than Craig, who is in second place. The clean one no surprise, the dirt bag may surprise you. It did not surprise me. Go figure.
Back to the current MN Senate race money story - MSN carrying Strib content, no paywall -
Unknown donors pouring millions into what could be Minnesota’s most expensive Senate primary
An onslaught of untraceable spending has poured into the Democratic race between Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, making the contest for U.S. Senate among the most expensive primaries Minnesota has seen.
The influx of this “dark money” has sparked criticism by Flanagan, who says industry donors want to elect Craig to do their bidding. Craig’s campaign has criticized Flanagan for accepting outside support from big tobacco and big oil when she previously chaired the Democratic Lieutenant Governor’s Association (DLGA).
To date, outside groups that must disclose their donors to federal regulators have spent more than $10 million on ads either supporting Craig or attacking Flanagan. Some of the funding for those ads has been funneled through a dark money group that doesn’t have to disclose its donors, however.
Additionally, more than $2 million in spending on ads praising Craig has come from organizations whose donors are untraceable.
“These outside groups aren’t spending millions of dollars to elect Congresswoman Craig to the Senate for no reason,” Flanagan said at a news conference last week. “They’re investing in someone who will do their bidding and attacking me because I won’t.”
Political action committees that are obligated to reveal their donors have spent more than $2 million supporting Flanagan. Those groups draw funding from labor unions, corporations, individual donors, Democratic organizations and other PACs, including some dark money groups.
Craig thinks Flanagan’s attacks are hypocritical given the corporate PAC money that flowed into the DLGA under her leadership and because one of the PACs backing the lieutenant governor began airing negative advertising against the congresswoman first.
“If she thinks this is bad, just wait until Republicans come after her if she’s our candidate,” Craig said in an interview.
Craig and Flanagan, who are vying to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith, are locked in a competitive race for the Aug. 11 primary that’s emblematic of the broader struggle between the centrist and progressive wings of the party.
Craig hopes her fundraising advantage and record of flipping a red district will persuade voters to choose her to take on the Republican candidate this fall, while Flanagan has tapped into a progressive backlash against President Donald Trump and argues her campaign prioritizes the “many over the money.”
The vast majority of outside spending for Craig comes from North Star Dawn, a super PAC that launched in January and has flooded TV and social media with ads. (Super PACs can’t coordinate with campaigns but face no spending limits.)
North Star Dawn’s ads laud Craig for standing up to Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after she suffered substantial backlash from the Democratic base in the wake of Operation Metro Surge, the immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year. In January 2025, Craig voted for the Laken Riley Act, which mandates detention of undocumented immigrations arrested for certain crimes, a vote she has since said she regrets.
Federal campaign finance filings show North Star Dawn has spent more than $7 million supporting Craig or opposing Flanagan — almost all of it in the past six weeks.
North Star Dawn’s largest supporter is billionaire Stephen Mandel, founder of hedge fund Lone Pine Capital and a longtime Democratic donor. The group also received a six-figure donation from a political action committee associated with the Teamsters union. North Star Dawn received more than $530,000 in donations between its inception and the end of May, meaning most of its fundraising has not yet been disclosed. PACs must file reports again this week.
North Star Dawn’s spokesman, Jerid Kurtz, also placed ads on behalf of Civic Progress Fund, a new “social welfare” nonprofit established in December, according to federal filings.
Civic Progress Fund’s ads don’t, and can’t, explicitly support Craig, but they praise her position on ICE. Civic Progress is considered “dark money” because it doesn’t have to disclose its donors or spending to campaign finance regulators as a 501(c)(4) group.
Kurtz did not respond to requests for comment on his ties to the group.
[... omission contains some info on Flanagan-backing money]Craig says if she could she would “wave a magic wand and say: Republicans and Democrats, no more super PACs.”
But she emphasized that the only way to change the law is to win elections and try to reverse the decision.
“I’ve run five competitive House races, and in every single one of them, I’ve had to endure millions of dollars in attack ads from super PACs in these races,” Craig said. “This is part of being in the big leagues.”
©2026 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
Craig is not a bad candidate. It is simply that Flanagan is far better, and that's why the DFL [Dem Party in MN] chose Flanagan by a whopping majority at its endorsement convention. Flanagan [https://peggyflanagan.com/endorsements/] got the better endorsements than Craig [https://angiecraig.com/endorsements/]. By far. Including Tina Smith, the retiring Senator endorsing Flanagan. And Bernie and Liz Warren!! AL FRANKEN!!
Craig got Mayor Pete, Slotkin, and Pelosi, for Christsakes. Conservative Dems where Pelosi had eighty-eight years in office quelling efforts at Healthcare for All.
Bad bunch, including Hakim Jeffries, and Josh Gottheimer. Gottheimer is someone, if endorsing me, I would not tell anyone. That awful. Republicanish to a fault.
Again, Craig is a good family person and a cut better than some [most?] of her endorsers.
The contest is night and day, with the bad money going by the millions to Craig.
As to Stephen Mandel, noted above as the pivotal figure behind the top Craig oriented money, he and spouse donate to Conservative Dems; CBS News beginning a post -
Hedge fund manager Stephen Mandel and his wife Susan are a billionaire power couple that has a history of springing into action come election season. Before the 2024 presidential contest, they hosted Joe Biden for a private fundraising dinner in Greenwich, Connecticut. Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, and John Kerry are other beneficiaries of the $84 million that the Mandels have sprinkled to Democratic campaigns over time, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Now, the couple is gearing up for the 2026 midterm elections.
The Mandels have given almost $10 million in support of Democrats seeking federal office this year, federal records show, with more expected.
[...] The Mandels' giving offers a window into how billionaire megadonors have become an unrivaled force in American politics. The ultra-wealthy donor class is preparing to pour resources into an election that will decide whether Republicans or Democrats have a majority in the next Congress.
In 2024, ultra-wealthy donors poured more than $3 billion into elections, led by the world's richest man — Elon Musk. He spent more than $290 million supporting President Trump and other Republicans, a record sum. [...]
Not bad people, but aiming wealth behind candidates who have not wanted to make waves. Status quo Dem donors. And the status quo needs boat rocking, big time.
Boat rocking is what Graham Platner wanted to do before he got done in by the Dem Establishment - by Cheyenne Hunt and others.
Sunday, July 12, 2026
AJ writes: The left-wing Lula has also navigated tensions with the right-wing government of United States President Donald Trump, a supporter of Bolsonaro. Trump vocally opposed the prosecution of Bolsonaro last year on charges of seeking to overturn Brazil’s 2022 election results. Bolsonaro has since been sentenced to 27 years in prison.
Later in the post:
In June, Trump officials proposed a new round of tariffs on Brazil, citing unfair trading practices and illegal deforestation among its reasons.
But Lula’s government has pointed to the latest deforestation data as undermining the Trump administration’s claims.
“They don’t understand the work we are doing to bring deforestation down to zero by 2030. This is not a decision by any COP or by the United Nations,” Lula said, using the acronym for the Conference of Parties, involved in the UN’s climate change initiative. “It is a decision of our government.”
Researchers have credited Brazil with playing a major role in last year’s overall drop in global rainforest loss. Brazil’s declines came as Lula relaunched an anti-deforestation action plan and increased penalties for environmental crimes.
As the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon absorbs enormous amounts of carbon and helps regulate the global climate, with scientists and environmental groups closely monitoring deforestation, which is also the leading driver of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Lula is currently campaigning for his fourth non-consecutive term as president; previously, he served two terms from 2003 to 2011.
Lula seems to be a good person, and BRICS is an interesting conglomerate.
Days of Henry Kissinger seem gone for good. Like Henry.
Apart from this headline, I am not intending to write a thing about Lindsey Graham, or Mitch McConnell being Francoed by those with a vested interest in extended transition of office structure. Chuck Schumer is more important. That's another story.
https://www.downwithtyranny.com/post/the-complex-platner-affair
The link and DWT headline both say Platner. But, trust me, the post is about Schumer. That site goes on even with Howie Kline dead.
Read it or don't.
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