“HOW MUCH YA GOT

“Now double it.”

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: After the Blue Wave, Ron DeSantis Has Entered the 2028 GOP Chat. “I’m a big DeSantis fan, but honestly hadn’t thought about him much for 2028. He does make the Republicans’ ’embarrassment of riches’ situation even more interesting. As I told my colleagues the other day on Slack, I am forever grateful to DeSantis for turning the biggest pain in the a** presidential swing state into a Republican stronghold. “

A DAMNING INDICTMENT OF JOHN THUNE:

Related:

AND HE’S JUST GETTING STARTED:

I MISSED THIS FROM WARD CLARK THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION, BUT IT’S WORTH REMEMBERING: US Manufacturing Renaissance: Factories Are Coming Home.

Mr. Navarro points out around 250 new factories being built from the ground up, with over $166 billion invested. Another roughly 270 projects, representing around $220 billion in investment, are being planned to expand, modernize or refurbish and re-open existing plants. Bear in mind all that entails; aside from the eventual manufacturing jobs, every one of these projects represents even more jobs, to meet the demand for endless commodities, products and services — from concrete for foundations to steel for structure to skilled construction workers, electricians, plumbers, glaziers, and more. Some of the more specialized factories, for example the ones that have clean rooms, will have to be qualified and validated, which means still more skilled jobs.

It’s jobs all the way down.

Just not quickly enough to sway midterm voters, giving Democrats the opportunity to undo what’s been done.

PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE KINSLEY GAFFE:

“A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth – some obvious truth he isn’t supposed to say.”

Just because the politician in question has a byline doesn’t make them any less of a politician.

IT’S MY THURSDAY ESSAY FOR VIP SUBSCRIBERS: So That Happened. “The polls were not wrong, gentle reader. If anything, they overestimated the GOP’s chances literally everywhere. The red flags waved all over the place, but the reddest and waving-ist was seen three weeks ago in one of the most reliably conservative districts in one of the most reliably Republican states.”

Much, much more at the link.

SURE, WHY NOT? Pete Hegseth for President.

They say everything moves faster in the age of the Internet, and that’s certainly true of Hegseth. He hasn’t even begun campaigning, and already the impeachment hearings have been scheduled for him!

SO CALIFORNIA HASN’T GONE COMPLETELY SUICIDAL… YET: California’s Billionaires Exhale as Prop 40 Goes Down.

Several Democratic state leaders campaigned against it. Gov. Gavin Newsom opposed it, as did Xavier Becerra, who cruised to victory over Republican Steve Hilton Tuesday night, and former Rep. Katie Porter, warning it would drive wealthy residents and their tax payments out of California.

In June, the day after Prop 40 qualified for the ballot, Newsom proposed a national “billionaires’ tax” instead: a federal minimum tax on Americans worth more than $100 million, new rules on inheritance, and a national public equity fund that would give Americans a stake in AI-driven wealth.

A Newsom spokesperson told ABC News last month that the governor supports a national tax on billionaires and proudly joined teachers, firefighters, reproductive health clinics, and others in opposing what the statement called a “poorly written state measure that will harm California.”

Clearly, Newsom only opposed the tax because he couldn’t build a Berlin Wall around the state to keep the billionaires in.

SELLING OUT FOR FUN AND PROFIT:

Related:

DISPATCHES FROM SCHRÖDINGER’S AYATOLLAH:

Whether or not Khamenei is still alive, his collapse was certainly accelerated this year: Mojtaba Khamenei Is (Still) Dead.