We begin today’s roundup with Republican attacks on the right to vote and democracy itself. First up, John Nichols at The Nation:
The second is structural. When Trump creates confusion about recounts, and seeks to discredit or derail them, he attacks the very underpinnings of a functioning democracy. Most of us are familiar with the meltdown that occurred in Florida after the 2000 election, when Republican state officials deliberately constrained and mangled a recount process and then the US Supreme Court shut things down before the process was complete. [...] Unfortunately, in an age of hyperpartisan spin and know-nothing media, there is a tendency to see demands for recounts as the burdensome expressions of sore losers. Sometimes they are that. But for those of us who concern ourselves with the functioning of the elections that confer authority on executives and legislators, recounts are understood as fundamental underpinnings of democracy. They only rarely overturn the results that were anticipated on election night. But even when they simply confirm initial impressions, recounts give us all greater confidence in systems that can only serve their purpose if citizens see those systems as fair and functional.
The Washington Post editorial board:
Last Friday, Mr. Trump floated the idea of holding a new election in Arizona’s Senate race, in which Democrat Kyrsten Sinema narrowly edged her Republican opponent. The president’s standard appears to be: When Republicans are ahead, stop counting. When Democrats are ahead, stage a do-over. The president’s first instinct is to accuse elections officials of acting in bad faith, encouraging Americans to distrust elections results that do not go their way. If anyone is acting in bad faith, it is Mr. Trump.
On another important topic, Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-28), who is currently ranking minority member of the Intelligence Committee, puts acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker on notice:
The president and Whitaker should heed this warning: The new Democratic majority will protect the special counsel and the integrity of the Justice Department. Should Whitaker fail to recuse himself — all indications are that he plans not to— and seek to obstruct the investigation, serve as a back channel to the president or his legal team or interfere in the investigations in any way, he will be called to answer. His actions will be exposed.