PLATNER SCANDAL: SEX TEXTS, TATTOO, SMEARS

Graham Platner’s Senate campaign in Maine has achieved a rare feat: it has united Democratic stars, scandal, and the occasional moral sermon in one tidy package, all while trying to sell itself as the grown-up alternative to Susan Collins. Despite a résumé that includes communist cosplay, insults aimed at rural white Americans, a truly inspirational “Kevlar underwear” line for troops worried about rape, blanket contempt for police, mockery of Jesus and Mary, and a tattoo that looks like it wandered in from the worst chapter of history, he still managed to keep the applause from some D.C. luminaries right up until the part where at least six women received sexually explicit texts. His wife, who also happens to be on the payroll, reportedly found the messages first, which is a nice reminder that modern campaign vetting is basically marriage counseling with opposition research. And now, with a former campaign director declaring the Senate “not a training ground for redemption,” Democrats are once again discovering that “moral clarity” is very important, especially after the spreadsheet, the scandal, and the texts have