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While Brian was away, Graham Platner’s campaign imploded, rumors circulated that Republicans were playing Weekend At Bernie’s with Mitch McConnell’s corpse. And then Lindsey Graham went and actually died.

In this episode:

* Matt gives an on-the-ground rundown of how the Maine Democratic Party is going about choosing Platner’s replacement on the Senate ballot;

* Brian tries to sniff out whether Maine Democratic voters feel burnt by the Sanders operation, and thus may insist on a nominee from a different faction;

* Matt and Brian talk about Monday’s ICE murder in Maine, and how it’s shaken up the race even further.

Then, why did Lindsey Graham succeed where other’s failed to use flattery to get what he wanted out of Donald Trump? How will McConnell’s absence, and the fact that the South Carolina governor appointed Graham’s sister as his interim replacement, affect the GOP’s ability to advance its agenda, including Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination? And was Graham secretly a hero of American democracy?

Answers are available in full to paid subscribers—just upgrade your subscription and pipe full episodes directly to your favorite podcast app via your own private feed.

Further reading:

* Brian on how to eulogize dead fascism enablers.

* Matt on the Trump GOP’s authoritarian approach to immigration enforcement.

* Halina Bennet’s rundown of the Maine convention process.