Outside the Beltway

Monday Tabs

Steven L. Taylor · Monday, December 1, 2025 · 3 comments

Via the NYT: Patel Under Scrutiny for Use of SWAT Teams to Protect His Girlfriend.
By Jonathan Bernstein at Good Politics/Bad Politics: Johnson’s Chaotic House.
By Peter Wehner at The Atlantic: The Intellectual and Moral Decline of the American Right.
Via the AP: German far-right party sets up its new youth wing as thousands protest.
Via Politico: The challenge of moving special education out of the Education Department.
Via the AFP: France’s far-right leader hit by egg, days after flour attack. Next up: sugar?
Via NBC News: The ‘ShamWow guy’ is running for Congress in Texas.

FILED UNDER: Tab Clearing, NBC, POLITICO, SWAT, Texas, The Atlantic

About Steven L. Taylor

Steven L. Taylor is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter and/or BlueSky.

Comments

Slugger says:

Monday, 1 December 2025 at 12:38

I think that there are no legal occupations that should disqualify someone from running for office, and I am ok with the ShamWow guy taking a shot. Of course, he’ll have an uphill battle against the RealWow guy. BTW, when he says he intends to fight wokeism, does that mean he’s a white supremacist?

1
gVOR10 says:

Monday, 1 December 2025 at 14:30

From Wehner’s piece at The Atlantic,

The latter (Heritage) would conform to the wishes of the former (Trump), under any and all circumstances, even if it meant jettisoning conservative principles.

I’m sorry, but I always get a chuckle out to claims conservatives before Trump had principles. Or at least principles beyond I donwanna pay no taxes and keep the darkies in line. I’d be way more impressed if people like Wehner or Tom Nichols or even David French, career Republicans, had the self awareness to admit that they helped push us to where we are.

5
Eusebio says:

Monday, 1 December 2025 at 16:57

I don’t want the guy to get any more publicity, but… Since the ShamWow guy is the same person as the Slap Chop guy, I expect that “You’re gonna love my nuts” will emerge as a campaign slogan.

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