PRELUDE TO BRAT SUMMER: Ex-Dem insider exposes what Harris told top donors days before Biden dropped out: ‘All charade.’

Just 48 hours before Biden dropped out of the race, Harris tried to peddle the narrative that the president was still seeking a second term.

“It was either on July 19th or July 20th,” Li said, describing a call Harris held with Dem donors.

“Actually, I think it was July 19, 2024; Kamala Harris held a call saying that there was no way that Biden would drop out and that she would stick with him until the end. And these were some of the biggest donors in the party.”

But some donors were unconvinced by the narrative Harris was trying to peddle, according to Li, who branded the veep’s approach “insulting.”

“A lot of us have group chats,” she said.

“And the immediate reaction is what an effing waste of time. What a charade, how fake. Like these are like the wealthiest people in the country saying that. They were very aware they were being lied to, that Biden was clearly not okay and to be told that he was okay when he was clearly incapacitated.”

Biden announced he was suspending his campaign on July 21, which prompted Harris to rush in and shore up his donors’ support.

Well, you can’t fault her for looking to gain strength from the appearance of joy.

THEY’RE JUST ON THE ROAD TO COMMUNISM — LENIN AND STALIN SAID SO: ‘Socialists’ Are NOT Communists, New York Times Insists. “Yet even by the standard of partisan cheerleading, every once in a while—okay, almost every day—an article comes along that is so shameless in its Democratic Party advocacy that it’s enough to make a reader laugh out loud, or at least engage in a visible eye-roll.”

UNEXPECTEDLY:

ONCE IS HAPPENSTANCE, TWICE IS COINCIDENCE, THREE TIMES IS ENEMY ACTION:

TIME TO CALL SOME BLUFFS:

THE CHURCHILL EFFECT: Yesterday’s Swedish Elections and Our Midterm Parallel.

Speculation is that part of what may have provided some of the malaise that led to the progressives eking out what may be a numbers win – remember, they still have to form a government and it looks to be extraordinarily difficult at the moment – is the success that the conservatives had in beginning to right the ship in such a short time.

This certainly sounded familiar to me.

Much more at the link, and here’s some background from last week: How to Virtually Eliminate Gang Violence With This One Weird Trick.

HOW THE ANTI-AI SAUSAGE GETS MADE:

Related: New op drops:

More: “Make it a rule. Carney want that? Nope.”

THE LEFT PROJECTS, ALWAYS:

INEVITABLE: A Visa Restriction Too Far.

Regular BattleSwarm readers know I’ve become quite the immigration hawk. All illegal aliens should be deported, NGOs that helped carry out the illegal alien invasion should be investigated, disbanded and their members prosecuted, the cost of applying for a H-1B visa should be raised above $100,000, and the government should crack down hard on companies (I’m looking at you, Microsoft) who have abused the H-1B system to avoid hiring Americans.

But now someone has finally come up with a crackdown idea that’s just stupid and counter-productive.

Even a smart and well-intentioned government will come up with some genuinely bad ideas. Keep it small and divided is the best defense.

DISPATCHES FROM TIM WALZ’S MINNESOTA:

NON-STORY: Costco nearly doubles cost of motor oil, limits purchases.

Costco’s Kirkland Signature full-synthetic motor oil 5-quart two pack now costs around $58, well above the approximately $30 it had been selling for just last year, and limiting customers to buying two boxes a week. It is also limiting purchases of Mobil 1’s full-synthetic motor oil 1-quart six pack, which sells for about $44, to five per membership.

A price hike and purchase limits may take you back to the days of empty shelves where toilet paper once stood, but this likely won’t impact you as much as you may immediately fear.

Unless you’re responsible for “a fleet of thousands of cars,” you probably don’t have to worry about it much, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, told Nexstar.

“The normal car requires four to five quarts every 5,000 miles or so,” De Haan said, describing Costco’s limit as “what would be an extremely reasonable amount.”

But putting that in the headline doesn’t generate as many clicks.

ONCE THE JEWEL OF PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION:

DON’T WORRY, THERE’S STILL ROOM FOR THINGS TO GET MORE ABSURD: