Before we start the show, I just wanted to let you know that the Politics Girl's store is now officially open with our first capsule collection.

To check it out, you can go to politicsgirl.com slash store.

Now, it took me a long time to do this because the project is named after me, and I had a hard time getting my head around there being a store associated with it.

But people kept asking for mugs and shirts, and I finally thought, okay, the name might be mine, but the project of saving this country belongs to all of us.

And that's what the merchandise represents.

So, I'm excited about this store now, and I hope you'll take the opportunity to check out our initial offerings.

I'm looking forward to future collaborations with pro-democracy people in the fashion space, and to bring you some really cool choices.

Maybe we'll even see you sporting your PG merch around town in the future.

To check it out, go to politicsgirl.com slash store.

And now, onto the show.

Hello, and welcome to the Politics Girl podcast. I'm your host, Lee McGowan. Let's get into it.

I'm recording the podcast from Toronto for the next month.

So, if you're watching this, rather than listening, I haven't lost my studio. It's just 3,000 miles away.

What I would call a tough commute.

But even though I'm in a place where I was born, I'm still thinking about the country I chose to live in, and the troubles it faces.

I know it's not a surprise if I tell you that something has gone awry with America, but particularly with the American Republican Party.

I was recently on Rick Wilson's show, The Enemy's List, and we were talking about how there's this ever-growing group of people who believe in democracy.

From the people at the Lincoln Project and right-wing politicians like Liz Cheney, all the way to left-wing superstars like Bernie and AOC.

But those people and everyone in between are not remotely the same ideologically.

They wouldn't propose the same policies or favor the same positions.

But right now, with the way mega-republicanism has taken over, we find ourselves on the same side in the kind of enemy of my enemy kind of situation.

But because we all believe in a functioning democracy, we all believe in the rule of law, and we all oppose the extremism, the former Republican Party is embracing.

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