Primarily Speaking

Welcome to another edition of Primarily Speaking, because presidential primaries now begin fully one million years before the election!

Asked how he likes his debate group, Booker says, "I love it."

After I noted some people are saying it's the easier group of the two, he quips:

"I'm not going to tell people that you called Elizabeth Warren [an easy person to debate]"

— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) June 15, 2019

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Senator Elizabeth Warren is surging in the polls, so Team Trump is preparing to launch an attack on her: "Trump aides and their allies at the Republican National Committee, who initially believed their money and manpower were better focused elsewhere, are digging up opposition research, deploying camera-wielding trackers, and preparing to brand Warren as a liberal extremist." Oh no! A liberal extremist!

"Thanks for the free advertising." — Elizabeth Warren, probably.

[Content Note: Transmisogynoir violence] In other Warren news, she's talking about the murders of Black trans women: "Dana Martin. Ashanti Carmon. Claire Legato. Muhlaysia Booker. Paris Cameron. Michelle 'Tamika' Washington. Chynal Lindsey. Jazzaline Ware. Chanel Scurlock. And now Zoe Spears. The murder of Black trans women is a crisis. We'll fight this, and we will continue to say their names."

So is former HUD Secretary Julián Castro: "Muhlaysia Booker. Chynal Lindsey. Brittany White. Ashanti Carmon. Zoe Spears. There's a crisis of black trans women being targeted and murdered across the U.S. We need to act to protect and support trans women from violence — and we need to do it now."

Next time you see someone talking some obnoxious shit about how the Democratic candidates don't stand for anything, ask them why they think it's unimportant that Democratic presidential candidates are talking about anti-trans violence. Unabashed and visible solidarity with trans people fucking matters.

In other Castro news, I love this photo of him at work with his campaign manager Maya Rupert, while wearing a "Housing is a human right" t-shirt.

With @MayaRupert working on our housing policy before heading to Washington, D.C. tomorrow. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/EwLyLz5w8I

— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) June 17, 2019

Senator Cory Booker is marking the 7th anniversary of DACA by talking to Dreamers:

On the 7th anniversary of #DACA, I want to thank Dreamers for always embodying the best of who we are. We see you and acknowledge that citizenship is more than a legal status. pic.twitter.com/VMtJW4sq1T

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) June 15, 2019

Hi. It's the 7th anniversary of DACA. I wanna just say to all the DREAMers: Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your activism. Thank you for the service you give to our country in so many different ways, including fighting for immigration reform for all those who are dealing under an unjust immigration system.

We have work to do. Because you, DREAMers, are citizens in every way, except for a piece of paper. We will change that.

We will continue the activism, continue the work, until you have your citizenship and don't have to live under the insecure cloud of a president that demeans and degrades your legitimacy as a fellow countryman or -woman.

I want to thank you for your leadership, for your light. I want to let you know that we will win this battle, because justice is on our side. Here is to permanent status, citizenship, and the immigration reform that serves the best of who we are, not descends us into darkness and moral vandalism, assaulting the truth of our country.

Thank you.

Senator Kamala Harris is also talking about DACA: "DACA was announced to the world 7 years ago today, paving the way for hundreds of thousands of DREAMers to come out of the shadows in the only country they know as home. We have to keep fighting for a pathway to citizenship for these young people — America is their home."

Beto O'Rourke continues to talk voting rights and election integrity, and I am very appreciative!

That's usually Senator Amy Klobuchar's beat, but she's talking infrastructure, and I am very appreciative about that, too!

Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a fundraising juggernaut and also continues to give very bad answers about his outreach to Black voters. Also: He apparently doesn't understand how statistics work.

I have lots of questions about this Atlantic piece about Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, headlined: "This Isn't Going According to Plan for Kirsten Gillibrand." (Which, by the way, mentions how awful it is that the majority of her coverage is about how her campaign isn't going well, without a trace of irony.) My questions are as follows: Is it going according to plan for Senator Bernie Sanders? Is it going according to plan for Senator Michael Bennet? Is it going according to plan for Governor Jay Inslee? Is it going according to plan for Governor Steve Bullock? How about for Rep. Tim Ryan? Or Rep. Seth Moulton? Or...?

Joe Biden is probably off somewhere shadowboxing in a funhouse mirror.

John Hickenlooper is still definitely running for president.

Talk about these things! Or don't. Whatever makes you happy. Life is short.