Arielle Brown (Mueller)

The murder of Charlie Kirk is part of a disturbing rise in political violence that threatens to hollow out our public life. A free society relies on the premise that people can speak out without fear or humiliation. No more political violence.

Ezra Klein on Charlie Kirk: “You can dislike much of what Kirk believed and the following statement is still true: Kirk was practicing politics in exactly the right way. He was showing up to campuses and talking with anyone who would talk to him. He was one of the era’s most effective practitioners of persuasion. When the left thought its hold on the hearts and minds of college students was nearly absolute, Kirk showed up again and again to break it. Slowly, then all at once, he did. College-age voters shifted sharply right in the 2024 election. “That was not all Kirk’s doing, but he was central in laying the groundwork for it. I did not know Kirk and I am not the right person to eulogize him. But I envied what he built. A taste for disagreement is a virtue in a democracy. Liberalism could use more of his moxie and fearlessness. In the inaugural episode of his podcast, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California hosted Kirk, admitting that his son was a huge fan. What a testament to Kirk’s project.” “Kirk and I were on different sides of most political arguments. We were on the same side on the continued possibility of American politics. It is supposed to be an argument, not a war; it is supposed to be won with words, not ended through bullets. I wanted Kirk to be safe for his sake, but I also wanted him to be safe for mine, and for the sake of our larger shared project. The same is true for Shapiro, for Hoffman, for Hortman, for Thompson, for Trump, for Pelosi, for Whitmer. We are all safe, or none of us are.”

Great column by liberal NYT writer @ezraklein, on Charlie Kirk's murder. nytimes.com/2025/09/11/opi… Excerpt:

Maybe it isn’t an old Jim Crow relic, after all.

The president isn’t the only one with a transition today. Some professional news!

What does President Trump want Republicans to do: vote for the CR or shut down government? Absent direction, confusion reigns.

SUNDAY: @SenatorRomney joins @JakeTapper on #CNNSOTU Tune in on 📺 @CNN, 🌎🌍🌏 @cnni, @StreamOnMax, 🎧📻 @Audacy, @tunein, @SIRIUSXM Ch. 116 & 🖥️💻📲 cnn.com/GO!

Sinema: A "true statesman" who "exemplifies integrity, honesty, and humility" Tester: There is “not a soul” in the Senate who “doesn’t know you’re a man of faith. ... Because you exhibit that faith. You don’t preach. You walk the walk."

Booker: "The more I served with Mitt Romney, the more I found myself hoping to have more in common with him" Tillis: Senators "should ask ourselves, over the next two or four years, ‘What would Mitt Romney do?’”

Senators praise Mitt Romney: McConnell: He has "uncompromising honesty" and "earnest humility" Manchin: "I’m a better person" for knowing him Collins: "I can’t imagine the Senate without Mitt Romney" (cont)

Sen. Romney thanks colleagues on both sides of the aisle for friendship and willingness to work together. | By @sambbenson deseret.com/politics/2024/…

"What would Mitt Romney do?"

🔗: bit.ly/4gljE4g As @SenatorRomney delivered his final Senate speech Wednesday, a group of his colleagues gathered to offer thanks for Romney’s service and friendship. Senators from both parties requested floor time Wednesday to recognize Romney for his work on bipartisan legislation, his unifying leadership and his character. See what they had to say, and who quoted from a Latter-day Saint hymn at the link above. ✏️: @sambbenson, Deseret News 📸: Bill Clark, CQ Roll Call via Associated Press

WATCH: @SenatorRomney farewell address.

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney bid farewell to the U.S. Senate Wednesday, saying he hopes to be a "voice of unity and virtue" going forward. Link: ksl.com/article/512040…

Sen. Mitt Romney warned in his farewell address of those who "tear at our unity," urging America to uphold the nation's values as he capped more than two decades in public service. cbsn.ws/3CTL4Q4

Sen. Mitt Romney delivers farewell address on the Senate floor, saying he leaves “with the recognition that I did not achieve everything I’d hoped.” “Among other things, the scourge of partisan politics has frustrated repeated efforts to stabilize our national debt.”

Throughout my 25 years of public service, I have learned that politics alone cannot measure up to the challenges we face. A country’s character is a reflection not just of its elected officials but also of its people. May we each be a voice of unity and virtue.

MITT ROMNEY bid the Senate farewell today after his sixth year in office. Though he admits he “may not miss the Senate itself terribly much,” Romney said he will miss his Senate colleagues. READ MORE: ksltv.com/?p=712112

Sen. Mitt Romney delivers farewell address on the Senate floor, saying he leaves “with the recognition that I did not achieve everything I’d hoped.” “Among other things, the scourge of partisan politics has frustrated repeated efforts to stabilize our national debt.”