Scott tells me that Jake Auchincloss has disavowed Platner:
Auchinloss appeared on CNN’s The Arena to speak with anchor Boris Sanchez, stepping in for Kasie Hunt, to talk about the senatorial race in Texas when the host pivoted to Platner’s bid for Maine in the November midterms.
“So, no weighing in on Graham Platner?” Sanchez asked.
The Massachusetts Democrat said, “I’ve been clear about Graham Platner. I find that tattoo and his commentary about it to be personally disqualifying. I hope Maine voters agree with me.”
Rounding on his party colleagues, he continued: “I think it would be a mistake for the Democratic Party to think that Graham Platner’s brand of the Democratic Party is what wins us durable majorities throughout this country.”
In the past, producers at weekend news shows have said that it’s hard to get Democrats to appear as guests on those shows. I don’t know if that’s still true, but the notion that it’s somehow politically smart to shit on other Democrats during a weekend show appearance is something that’s well-accepted among elected Democrats, Auchincloss being a prime example here. According to TrackAIPAC, he’s the recipient of $915K from AIPAC, so perhaps he should be concerned about his penchant for taking money from right-wing groups.
Moving on to the Pope, his AI encyclical is getting some press. I’m not about to read the whole thing, but assuming the Vatican’s press release is right, he’s not all-in:
Pope Leo XIV has taken up the legacy of his predecessor, writing a social encyclical which addresses one of the principal challenges of the contemporary age: artificial intelligence.
Divided into five chapters, Magnifica humanitas has an underlying premise: technology is not “a force antagonistic to humanity” (4), nor is it “inherently evil” (9). However, “technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate, and use it.
Therefore, Pope Leo XIV appeals for people to build “for the common good” and to “remain human,” following a courageous mentality of shared responsibility and communion, so that the world “will come to recognize the human heart as the place where God desires to dwell” (16).
Well, good for him, I guess. But I will note that his own church uses AI to try to bring kids into the fold:
Juanito.AI, taken at the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico City around Christmas. Roughly translated: “Hi, I’m Juanito, ask me anything about the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe”
Like any other big organization, the Church is going to try to see if a new technology works for them even if they’re concerned about its affect on the rest of the world. That’s just how they roll, so, as usual, I’m happy when Leo agrees with me, but I don’t expect major changes from him or the Church he leads.
(The short story of the Virgin of Guadalupe: she appeared before a peasant, Juan Diego, in 1531. As a sign of her presence, she placed flowers in his cloak. Miraculously, the cloak then contained a painting of the Virgin in all her glory. The cloak is on display in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where you can stand on a conveyer belt to catch a brief glimpse of the cloak.)
