The Joe Cunningham Show airs 3-4 p.m. every weekday on NewsTalk 96.5 KPEL. The daily show notes offer you a look into the topics of the day and the links to the top stories and Joe's own writings on the state of politics in Louisiana and around the country.

Democrats Facing Death by a Thousand Papercuts

The Democratic Party is looking at an absolute disaster come November. It's a combination of Joe Biden's bad luck and worse policies.

In some areas, Joe Biden truly is just unlucky to be the guy in charge at this moment. Yes, there is global inflation, and yes Putin declared war in Ukraine, thoroughly disrupting global energy and food costs. But inflation in America is vastly outpacing global inflation, and it's at the very least arguable that Putin only felt comfortable declaring war because it was Biden and not someone stronger who was in charge of America.

But many of the issues we're facing are the direct result of Biden's policies and the Democrats' activism. Domestic energy production is at a standstill because the Biden administration came into power ready to shut the fossil fuel industry down. They regulated domestic production to the point that it was no longer profitable. Rather than investing in new leases, investors want to see a return on what they had invested previously. The energy companies are packing up shop, despite the Biden administration now desperately begging/angrily demanding them to ramp up production.

The beginning of June is typically when midterm voters lock in their choices for November. A busy summer vacation schedule, the kids being home full time, back to school time in August, the return of popular sports on the weekends in the Fall, and so much more make voters typically tune out day-to-day politics. At the same time, voters are increasingly growing worried about the worsening economic situation hitting their families.

The New McCarthyism

In Louisiana, we've seen what ideological voids serving as House Speakers lead us to. It's becoming an issue for conservatives across the country, and it is epitomized by the (lack of) leadership offered by GOP leader Kevin McCarthy in the U.S. House.

This is the new McCarthyism in the Republican Party. Leaders who go out of their way to pretend to be conservative and then undercut the real conservatives just so they can maintain their own power. Schexnayder is reportedly using his position to create a platform to run for statewide office – like Lt. Governor – and Ralston is using his position to benefit himself and his allies. They don’t have any real interest in policy or leadership.

In Louisiana and across the U.S., Republicans have to find actual leaders.

The Eric Greitens RINO-Hunting Ad Doesn’t Make Any Sense

Former Missouri governor and U.S. Senate candidate Eric Greitens is back in the headlines after releasing a controversial "RINO-hunting" ad on social media today. On the left and the right, he's been attacked for the violent imagery, especially in the wake of high-profile mass shootings and increasingly obvious mental health crises in our country.

Phillip Klein at National Review has more.

Eric Greitens, who was forced to resign as governor of Missouri due to sexual misconduct and campaign-finance allegations, is now running for Senate. In an effort to distract from his scandalous past and trigger the libs and Beltway conservatives, he’s out with a new ad using his military background as the jumping off point for a RINO-hunting-themed ad featuring lots of guns and camo. Judging by how much it’s popping up on my Twitter feed, it seems as though his goal of getting attention was accomplished.

Aside from everything else that could be said about the ad, what strikes me is that it makes absolutely no sense. If you wanted to go RINO-hunting, why would it involve leading a Navy Seal–style team into an empty house? I thought RINOs were filling the corridors of power, inhabiting coffee shops and wine bars. Why would they be hiding in an abandoned home on a random suburban street? If nothing else, maybe go with a safari theme and hunt them in the jungle somewhere — or maybe in a swamp.

Plus, he's lying in his ad. Turns out, Greitens wasn't allowed back into the Navy Seals.

While former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is returning to the Navy, it will not be as an elite Navy SEAL — the cornerstone of his public image as an author, philanthropist and politician. The Navy’s Special Warfare community did not approve Greitens to rejoin their community, meaning he is not returning to active status to serve as a SEAL, The Kansas City Star has learned. It is unclear why. The Navy typically does not disclose internal personnel deliberations and did not provide an explanation on Thursday.
Rather than a SEAL, he is returning as an officer assigned to the Navy Operational Support Center in St. Louis. Greitens’ new designation, general unrestricted line officer, identifies reservists who do not possess a warfare qualification. “They are usually assigned to general office jobs,” Navy Personnel Command spokeswoman Cmdr. Karin Burzynski said.

It's all very bizarre, but the bottom line is this: Missouri has quality candidates on the ballot. Greitens is not one of them.

Must-Reads of the Day

• There Should Be Political Recriminations For Judge Shelly Dick (The Hayride)
• Louie Bernard is retiring. That opens up a state Senate seat in northwest Louisiana. (The Advocate)
• Texas GOP goes full MAGA at 2022 convention - Axios
• The Taboo Lifts on Discussing Biden’s Age (National Review)
• How Dr. Fauci Suppressed the Wuhan Lab Leak Theory (Washington Examiner)

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