When we last convened for an episode of KK&F, Kamala was still looking to fill the VP slot on the Democratic ticket. Since then, VP pick Tim Walz has received an outpouring of enthusiasm from the left-of-center and relief from progressives, but at the same time, the right has looked for weak points to hit him on (and it must be said, Walz doesn’t make it as easy as Vance does). Now, after some comments from J.D. Vance calling Walz’s service and dedication into question, the right is attackingWalz, who served for over twenty years in the National Guard before deciding not to complete the preparation to retire as a command sergeant major. By his own admission, Walz was partially motivated by the desire to make political statements about events like the Iraq War. So it’s not that Walz has the kind of tawdry history in his service career that the right is implying — but it’s sure to be only one scandal the right tries to manufacture before November.
Omar and Kyle also speak at length about the awful revelations regarding the Israeli detention camps, where Palestinian prisoners are brutalized and sexually assaulted (as recently released footage documents), and about the Biden admin’s position on and response to this information. As they point out, Democrats and Republicans are in a perpetual race to see who can support Netanyahu’s genocidal regime more, and the right’s tactic is to paint Democrats as antisemitic, a claim that Democrats often scramble to reject in the wrong ways. They also discuss developing political crises in the region: at this point, is war with Iran inevitable?
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Episode 186 Audio: Omar Baddar