the attitude with arnie arnesen the Friday edition noon to 1pm EST on wnhnfm.org Dec 12
Arnie Arnesen
The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen
opening thoughts: Pioneer of Election Denial Tapped to Head FEMA
The Lie That Launched a Movement
Phillips first gained national prominence immediately following the 2016 election when he published a now-deleted post on X (then-Twitter) asserting, without evidence, that millions of illegal votes had been cast in the presidential election.Completed analysis of database of 180 million voter registrations,” Phillips wrote. “Number of non-citizen votes exceeds 3 million. Consulting legal team.”The allegation, which matched almost exactly Trump’s 2.9 million popular vote deficit to Hillary Clinton, quickly spread through right-wing media. Trump repeated the claim and used it to justify launching a so-called voter fraud commission. Phillips never released data, methodology or corroboration for his 3 million figure. The number, nonetheless, became one of the earliest pillars of modern election denial — a precedent for the right to reject official results and sow distrust in the voting process.Phillips’ foundational role in legitimizing fraud claims helped shape the narrative environment that preceded 2020 election denial. His tactic — asserting mass fraud in the absence of evidence — offered a template for turning any politically unwelcome result into a conspiracy theory. ...
Deep State ConspiraciesPhillips has operated on the fringes of the MAGA movement, collaborating with and praising QAnon figures as “patriots” uncovering “deep state” plots.During the transition between the Obama and Trump administrations, Phillips targeted federal agencies directly.“The most tyrannical result of Obama’s eight years was weaponization of Government against the people,” Phillips stated. “No matter what Obama or anyone else says, the only entity that hacked election systems was Obama’s Department of Homeland Security.”Such claims — portraying the federal government as a hostile force — have become central to the extremist networks that embraced Phillips’ election fraud narratives.Phillips’ promotion to FEMA places one of the earliest architects of Trump’s election denial movement at the helm of a federal agency responsible for disaster response during hurricanes, wildfires and other emergencies.For pro-democracy advocates and election experts, Phillips’ role at FEMA raises concerns beyond basic qualifications. It signals the continued normalization of federal institutions as inherently corrupt unless they serve a specific political agenda.Phillips built his career on telling Americans not to trust election results, not to trust government agencies and not to trust the systems designed to keep the country functioning. Now he is being tasked with running one of those most vital systems.
The Texas Senate Primary Will Tell Us a Lot About Where Democrats Are Headed
We’ll learn something about what voters actually crave in this moment when it comes to opposing Trump. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/12/jasmine-crockett-james-talarico-texas-senate-primary-democrats-future.html
No, Democrats Shouldn’t Give Up On Texas
After a string of disappointments, the party is tempted to give up on ever turning the state blue. History shows that that’s a mistake. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/12/texas-redistricting-democrats-republicans.html
The Supreme Court Just Took a Case That Would Have Only Recently Been Unthinkable https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/12/supreme-court-unthinkable-birthright-citizenship-case-trump.html
Is Jasmine Crockett’s Senate campaign an asset or a liability for Democrats? It depends on who you ask. Some Democrats dismissed the Dallas congresswoman as too polarizing to capture the swing voters needed to win. Others said her turnout-over-persuasion approach is the recipe to break through. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/09/jasmine-crockett-texas-senate-democratic-primary-turnout-persuasion-2026/
Here's how Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick each plan to drive down property taxes https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/property-taxes-abbott-patrick-21234908.php
Why a national Democratic group is investing money to help Texas candidates https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/state/article/texas-midterm-election-legislature-21235288.php
Adultery and divorce are becoming talking points in Texas political races in 2026. Should voters care?
Sealed divorces and adultery allegations cast shadows over some Texas election campaigns going into 2026. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/columnists/tomlinson/article/texas-adultery-divorce-election-2026-21224153.php
A national GOP push to exclude noncitizens from future redistricting could have big ramifications in Texas https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/11/texas-redistricting-republican-noncitizen-census-congress-legislature/
Why Gov. Greg Abbott wants to let taxpayers decide whether cities can raise — or cut — taxesTexas cities and counties already face limits on how much revenue they can generate. Local leaders have warned that further restrictions would mean fewer services like parks and libraries. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/10/greg-abbott-texas-local-taxes-election-2026/
Donald Trump pardons Texas Democrat Henry CuellarCuellar had faced a dozen charges of bribery, money laundering and conspiracy. On Wednesday, he filed for reelection as a Democrat, quieting speculation that he migh switch parties. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/03/henry-cuellar-donald-trump-pardon-bribery/
House Democratic Leaders Urged to Force a Vote on Stock Trading Ban
For-Profit School Opening in For-Profit ICE Family Prison
Shadow Fleet on Edge After U.S. Seizes Tanker in Venezuelan Waters https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Oil-Prices-Climb-as-US-Seizes-Tanker-Off-Venezuelan-Coast.html
'He better wise up, or he'll be next. He'll be next soon. I hope he's listening,' says US president
Extreme inequality – and what to do about it Michael Roberts
D. ARNIE ARNESEN
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