What She Deserves December 10, 2024December 9, 2024 Robert Reich on What Liz Cheney deserves from Joe Biden: She doesn’t need a pardon from Biden because Trump’s claim wouldn’t last an instant in federal court. What she deserves from Biden is a Presidential Medal of Freedom. → So true. And speaking of democracy defenders . . . Kris M.: “I was excited to read (listen to) On Freedom but about a quarter of the way through I switched to another book. It requires more reflection than I can give it when I’m mucking my horses’ stalls and filling hay bags. My plan is to buy a paper copy and use my eyes, so that I can give it undivided attention. One book that does make great listening: Professor Corey Brettschneider’s The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It. I found it inspiring; it made me more hopeful and ready to do my part, however tiny a bit part that may be. (And, it completely changed my impression of John Adams, which had been mostly formed by David McCullough’s biography.)” Jim L.: “You’ve stopped linking to DNC. I assume this is due to the horrifying news of mishandled DNC funds (which would have been far less scrutinized had Kamala won). I can’t be your only reader who’d love to hear your perspective on the topic. It’s an awful time to be a (strongly anti-MAGA) Centrist, dismayed by all the nonsense.” → Never fear, Jim – I’ll be linking to the DNC again before you know it. In a presidential year, the DNC only nominally controls its funds – it’s the campaign that mostly runs the show. With hindsight, some money could doubtless have been more wisely spent, some contracts more aggressively negotiated. But in the heat of a 107-day campaign to save democracy (as many saw it), some bad judgments and bad deals were likely inevitable. (And it would have cost nothing to go on Joe Rogan. All so easy in hindsight.) To put the scale of the campaign’s spending in context — $1.5 billion or so — Americans spend more than that every 107 days . . . on ketchup. But still — I hear you. As to your being a centrist . . . hats off to you. Most Americans, I think, basically are — a little to the left or the right. If only we had ranked-choice voting, moderates would have a far better chance of winning and “the sensible center” would once again have a powerful voice.