In the news today: Trump acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen testified behind closed doors on Saturday on an effort by Trump and allies to use the Department of Justice to disseminate false claims disputing the results of the U.S. presidential election. A pillow magnate (yes, that’s a thing) continues his role as prolific pro-Trump conspiracy theorist—and these sure don’t seem to be the rantings of someone who’s been getting a good night’s sleep.

After grasping at straws and watching their constituencies struggle with skyrocketing COVID-19 cases, Republican leaders are whipping out their tired old playbook once again. Leaning on racist, xenophobic tropes to instill fear into the base, the GOP hopes that this fearmongering will be able to distort and distract from the party’s abject failure to prioritize and protect American lives during this continued public health crisis.

Missouri Rep. Billy Long announced Tuesday evening that he was joining the crowded Republican primary to succeed retiring Sen. Roy Blunt. Long noted that he’d previously been elected to succeed Blunt in the southwestern 7th Congressional District back in 2010, and argued he’d continue his legacy in the upper chamber. The congressman went a little too far linking himself to the incumbent, though. While his launch event listed both Blunt and fellow Sen.

Welcome back to the weekly Nuts & Bolts Guide to small campaigns. Every week I try to tackle issues I’ve been asked about. With the help of other campaign workers and notes, we address how to improve and build better campaigns, or explain issues that impact our party.

One of the questions that will come up frequently going into 2022 will regard party neutrality.

To know Pillow Man is to laugh at Pillow Man—or it is if you’re a member in good standing of the sane community, anyway. If not, you may be willing to follow Mike Lindell down every rabbit hole he’s managed to slither through with the help of a spelunker’s headlamp and a Costco-sized tub of Crisco.

Lindell is about what you’d get if Harry Carey had switched from Budweiser to bath salts late in life.