And if we live through the next four years, we'll be able to jeer, boo and laugh as Chump leaves the White House.
Who does justice apply to?
Apparently not MAGA. Chump is a Convicted Felon who has not served
time. The insurrectionists who committed treason should have faced
firing squads. And now we have a domestic abuser who can't even get
arrested. Sophie Clark (NEWSWEEK) reports:
The
D.C. police had requested an arrest warrant for Congressman Cory Mills
to be signed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia (D.C.),
as part of their investigation into an assault reported by a 27-year old
woman at a D.C. apartment.
The U.S. Attorney's office sent the warrant back, unsigned, and said the case needed further investigation, according to NBC4 and POLITICO. The case is also now being investigated by police internal affairs.
Mills' office told Newsweek that he "vehemently denies any wrongdoing whatsoever."
Oh,
okay. As long as he "vehemently denies any wrongdoing." We always
give a pass to those who "vehemently deny wrongdoing," right?
Wrong.
My father's a police officer. I called him and asked him if he'd heard
this nonsense. He couldn't stop laughing. And he said this is further
proof of how crooked Donald Chump is.
Martin is a 2020 election denier and longtime far-right activist who
President Donald Trump officially selected as the U.S. Attorney for the
District of Columbia, after naming his as interim U.S. attorney after
his second inauguration. Martin was previously a defense counsel for
participants in the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Earlier on Monday, his
office sent a tweet accusing the Associated Press of "refus[ing] to put America first." He also referred to U.S. attorneys as "President Trumps'[sic]
lawyers," though he was fact-checked by an X community note that read:
"The DOJ is not the personal law firm of the President."
Mills,
who was elected in 2022, is married and has two children. In a
statement, the Florida Republican maintained his innocence.
"This
week, law enforcement was asked to resolve a private matter at
Congressman Mills’ residence," the statement read. "Congressman Mills
vehemently denies any wrongdoing whatsoever, and is confident any
investigation will clear this matter quickly."
Thom Hartmann has a column
arguing in favor of gerrymandering. I don't favor that. But he points
out it might be the only thing that forces a change on the system.
Gerrymandering is already being used by Republican controlled states to
control the US House of Representatives. He makes a very convincing
argument and, honestly, has won me over. Here's his conclusion:
It’s time for Democrats to start fighting back: They need to put their three extra men on the field.
—
Democratic states, instead of rejecting gerrymanders, should start to
aggressively gerrymander like Republican states have done; it could
produce a near-permanent Democratic majority in the House of
Representatives.
—
Democratic states should start mailing postcards into rural Red areas,
purging Republican voters who fail to return them from the rolls.
—
Democratic election judges should, as Republicans often do, aggressive
challenge mail-in voter’s signatures in GOP-heavy areas, leading to the
rejection of their ballots.
None of these things are “fair” but all are “legal.” It’s called fighting fire with fire.
And
if Democrats were to do these simple things, in addition to winning
more seats in the House and state legislatures, it would evoke howls of
“unfair” from Republicans. Those protests, in turn, may even lead to
Republicans working with Democrats to reform our voting system to make
it easy for everybody in America to vote. (Not holding my breath, but just saying…)
Instead, Republicans are on the verge of passing the SAVE act that will prevent millions,
perhaps tens of millions, of married women who haven’t gone to court to
change their names after marriage from voting in 2026 and 2028. And
Democratic leadership isn’t even making a concerted effort to let
Americans know about it!
As
distasteful as it may be, Democrats need to suck it up and fight
Republicans on the field by using the new rules the
Republican-controlled Supreme Court has defined over the past decade.
Otherwise, prepare for even more losses in the next two election cycles.
Tuesday, February 25, 2025. Musk has put the nation at risk and it's a
story the country is interested in but Democrats are silent when they
should be speaking about this to the media. Our focus today is on how
Musk has put undercover CIA agents at risk through his incompetence.
You
may be the stupidest person on the face of the planet. Yes, you may be
Convicted Felon Donald Chump. But even your stupidity does not act as
an excuse for the outing of CIA agents.
We've
been here before. Valerie Plame was outed by the Bully Boy Bus
administration. Some didn't get the point then. Some pretended they
did. (Glenneth Greenwald was a great pretender and a strong poser who
made an idiot of himself when he went on to out a CIA agent -- and got
called out for it by THE NEW YORK POST during Barack Obama's second term
as president.)
Stupidity isn't an excuse for Chump.
He put an idiot with no experience in place and that idiot has exposed undercover CIA agents.
The
Central Intelligence Agency is conducting an assessment of their own
security after a White House email about civil service layoffs appeared
to compromise the names of certain undercover officers, reported CNN on Monday.
This
damage control, reported CNN, is "just one of multiple aftershocks from
President Donald Trump’s push to take a jackhammer to the federal
government — including the CIA. The administration’s efforts to cut the
workforce and audit spending at the CIA and elsewhere threaten to
jeopardize some of the government’s most sensitive work, current and
former U.S. officials familiar with internal deliberations say."
The
CIA first began discussing layoffs amid tech billionaire Elon Musk's
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) task force and its rampage
through agencies across the executive branch, originally billed as a mass buyout that would infuse "renewed energy" into intelligence operations.
However,
chaos erupted after the White House sent an email over an unclassified
server suggesting the layoffs of a number of CIA employees who were on
probationary status due to being recent hires — which may have included
the first and last names of some undercover agents.
Making
matters worse, said the report, "some U.S. embassy positions that are
actually filled by CIA officers under cover may now be at risk of being
revealed — potentially angering the host nation and exposing companies
or endangering CIA assets who are known to have met with past occupants
of the role."
Grasp
what the South African born Alien Musk has now done. Valerie Plame?
Robert Novack and others outing her in the press -- or Glenneth outing a
CIA agents? That's the media. Freedom of speech protects that and
should. But before Bully Boy Bush went into the White House, his father
was already there. And it was under his father that the only real law
on outing CIA agents came into place. Government employees and
officials -- that would be Musk -- can be prosecuted.
The
agency launched an assessment to determine just how much damage was
done by the email, which was sent in early February amid President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to slash the federal workforce via the Department of Government Efficiency.
DOGE’s
breakneck speed in firing tens of thousands workers has officials
fearing harsh consequences. U.S. officials told CNN that Musk’s minions
may “jeopardize some of the government’s most sensitive work” if the
alleged recklessness keeps up.
Perhaps
the most chilling of those fears, some in the CIA’s leadership told
CNN, is the possibility that a “group” of disgruntled CIA agents swept
up in a mass layoff—or pressured into taking a buyout—may take their
sensitive knowledge to a foreign intelligence agency.
Edward Coristine, a protege of Elon Musk’s at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who has already gained notoriety for his checkered early tech career and for glorying in the nickname “Big Balls”, is the grandson of a KGB spy, according to a new report.
Coristine, 19, dropped out of Northeastern University to find work in Silicon Valley, only to be fired from a cybersecurity internship last
year for allegedly leaking insider information to a rival company and
accused of frequenting Telegram and Discord communities linked to
cybercrime.
Donald
Chump put Musk in charge. There was no reason to do so. He'd already
been assessed as a security threat by the US government. But Donald
gave him unfiltered and unlimited access to US data -- confidential
data.
The CIA is conducting an internal formal review to assess any potential damage caused by an unclassified email sent to the White House
that discussed possible layoffs, using names and initials that had the
potential to expose undercover officers, a source familiar with the
matter told CNN on Monday.
The email, sent in early February, was part of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) plan to cut the workforce and spending of the federal government.
The
Trump administration’s continuous efforts to audit federal
organizations threaten to jeopardize the government’s most sensitive
work, CNN reported, citing current and former US officials familiar with
internal deliberations.
Alien Musk has clearly broken the law -- I'm sure Steve Bannon will be all of this, covering it from the right.
Musk was never fit for this job and should never have access to the American people's data.
He
should be in prison right now for his 'mistake' -- if it was a
mistake. Considering his history, his actions seem intentional.
Here's the good news for our government -- Chump created this post. Therefore, it did not require Senate confirmation.
This
isn't Pete Hegseth, fresh off a Senate confirmation, making a fool of
everyone who voted to confirm him by outing undercover CIA agents.
Right now, a normal follow up would be the appointment of a special counsel but, as we all know, Chump doesn't believe in that.
He's the man who put Musk in charge, he's the one who gave him access to our secrets. And Musk outing CIA agents?
That falls on Convicted Felon Donald Chump.
Cleary,
Chump is not up to the job. Clearly, Chump would be impeached for this
did MAGA idiots not control the House (for now).
Chump has yet again demonstrated that he does not have the knowledge or the character to be president of the United States.
Let's talk about some more idiots. Senator Ron Wyden 's office issued the following:
WATCH: Wyden’s Exchange with University of Oregon’s Presidential Chair in Science, Dr. Richmond Here
Washington, D.C. — During a
hearing held in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, U.S.
Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., underscored that Elon Musk’s business
dealings in China pose a serious threat to national security.
According to public reporting,
Elon Musk is running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a
federal employee while remaining Tesla’s largest shareholder. Public
filings indicate Tesla invested billions of dollars in China and
annually produces nearly 1 million cars at a factory in Shanghai on land owned by the Chinese government.
“According to public reporting,
Tesla’s contract allows the Chinese government to revoke Tesla’s lease
on the land at any time if it determines doing so is in the public
interest,” Wyden said. “Now, on this committee, every
one of us works for the AMERICAN public interest. And given that is our
highest priority, I intend to come back and ask further questions about
this in the days ahead.”
Senator Wyden also questioned Dr. Geraldine Richmond, Presidential
Chair in Science at the University of Oregon and former Under Secretary
for Science and Innovation at the Department of Energy, on the national
security consequences of Musk’s decision to make drastic and abrupt
workforce cuts at the Bonneville Power Administration. Dr. Richmond
emphasized that these cuts would undermine the grid’s safety and drive
up energy prices for working families across America.
Last week, Senator Wyden demanded answers from the Trump administration in a letter regarding Musk’s workforce cuts at the Bonneville Power Administration.
###
Oh.
So, Ron, you do get the importance of national security and the threat to it that Musk can be.
Hmm.
Well where the hell is your press release on that?
Same goes for Mark Warner. Both Democrats are on the Senate intelligence committee.
They are saying nothing. Not one word.
The media is actually paying attention to this moment, to the outing of CIA agents. And yet the Democrats are AWOL.
They're not feeding the news cycle at all.
There are some non-MAGA Republicans who supported Chump.
And they can be peeled off via this issue just as the outing of Valerie Plame hurt Bully Boy Bush wihtin his own party.
But people have to know what went down.
It feeds into the perception that Musk is not to be trusted.
This is not a story you have to try to get the press interested in.
Later
today, Dems will hold a press conference and, sadly, they'll probably
continue to ignore this topic. It's an important one.
It's
an indictment of Chump's stupidity and an example of why a foreign-born
non-elected person is not put in charge of America's data.
Even on BLUESKY, people don't seem to realize what's gone down. Here are two who do grasp it.
David Corn led on covering the outing of Valerie Plame. Where's David now?
The
American people don't want Musk to have their data. His actions now
demonstrate why he shouldn't. They also call into question Chump's
ability to do the job.
You don't get stories like this that queue themselves up so well.
When you do get one, though, you need to make the most out of it.
Elected
Democrats are doing nothing with this. Even though it backs up
everything that they've said about Chump and bout Musk, they're doing
nothing with it.
At THIRD, Ava and I wrote "Media: Musk a purveyor preying on children"
about how Musk is praised by conservatives -- as he serves up porn on
Twitter. The same porn that Musk-praiser Greg Abbott (governor of
Texas) has gone out of his way to block on PORN HUB and other sites to
'save the children.' But when it comes to billionaire Musk, those
'family balues' GOPers don't give a damn.
They're okay with Musk putting porn out there.
I'm not a prude.
But
I do find it so interesting that Musk, who profits from the porn on
Twitter, is behind haled by 'family values' types across the country.
It's the height of hypocrisy.
This is who Chump chose to go through the american people's date -- a porn king.
There are no standards in the Chump administration.
Last night, Rachel Maddow had an important segment on the rule of law and how Chump's destroying it.
Last night, Rachel Maddow did more in one segment than elected Dems combined did all day Monday.
I don't hate Ron Wyden -- he's one of our country's best senators.
But he can be better and this is the perfect example of that.
The party needs to be out front calling out Musk's exposure of under cover CIA agents. They need to lead on this.
Yet they're nowhere to be found.
Again,
right now, the media is interested. Right now, this is an issue that
needs to be addressed. But it's not being addressed.
We'll wind don with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray
(D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the
following statement on the Trump administration taking action Sunday to
permanently eliminate 1,600 USAID employees’ positions and put nearly
every other agency employee on administrative leave—in flagrant
violation of the law.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to unilaterally shutter
USAID—with their latest announcement of permanent reductions in force
for 1,600 positions—are a dangerous concession to our adversaries who
will fill the void we leave behind. It is a slap in the face to the
dedicated Americans who have honorably chosen to serve their country and
help keep us all safe.
“Trump and Musk’s reckless actions are also illegal. USAID’s
existence as an independent agency has long been enshrined in law and
affirmed by bipartisan majorities year after year in annual
appropriations. Our appropriations law also requires the administration
to notify and consult with Congress before undertaking any efforts to
reorganize, realign, or downsize USAID—as the sweeping reductions in
force issued Sunday and all the other brazen actions we’ve seen clearly
seek to do. These actions make waste and fraud more likely, will prevent
even foreign assistance programs supported by the administration from
being effectively implemented, and will illegally block hundreds of
millions of dollars for other programs enacted into law by bipartisan
majorities.
“Needless to say: the Trump administration has not consulted
Congress on these changes—in flagrant violation of the law—and the
reckless, indiscriminate gutting of the agency seriously weakens
America’s credibility and our ability to advance our national security
interests across the globe.”
Section 7063 of Division F of the Further Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47) prohibits funds from the Act and prior
Acts from being used to implement a reorganization without prior
consultation with, and a detailed and justified notification to, the
appropriate congressional committees. A reorganization, redesign, or
other such plan is further defined in the Act and includes any activity
to expand, eliminate, consolidate, or downsize covered departments or
agencies, the United States official presence overseas, or the size of
the permanent Civil Service, Foreign Service, eligible family member,
and locally employed staff workforce from staffing levels previously
justified to the Committee on Appropriations for fiscal year 2024.
Second, REACHER. The first three episodes were incredible. Can't wait until this week when we get one new episode. Season three is already back on track in terms of having the focus of season one. Reacher is in a new town. He sees something. There's a kid in a car that gets plowed into. This sets him off on this season's adventure. And, by episode two, you find out that nothing is as it seems.
I didn't do spoilers by the way. On episode one, that car is the first major scene.
So it's on AMAZON and you really should stream it.
Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin offered
some cold comfort to his own constituents who have been dismissed from
their federal jobs and are struggling to pay their bills.
During an interview with NBC News’ Kirsten Welker on Meet the Press Sunday,
the Oklahoma lawmaker delivered a harsh response to the claim that
thousands of people faced mounting costs after being fired as part of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cuts.
If you're not getting how stupid he is, WIKIPEDIA notes: "He is the only currently serving senator without at least a bachelor's degree."
If you're not getting how really stupid he is, back to THE DAILY BEAST article:
“I
would tell you that the majority of American people want to make sure
that their taxpayers are being used correctly,” he told NBC News after
he was asked what message he would send to the “people in Oklahoma” who
were “hurting” after losing their jobs.
"The majority of American people want to make sure that their taxpayers are being used correctly"? What an idiot.
Someone
tell Markwayne that taxpayers are people. He's such an idiot. I
believe he meant to say "The majority of American people want to make
sure that their taxes are used correctly." What an idiot.
You
know he got his name? His mom wanted to honor one of his uncles so she
put "Mark" and "Wayne" down with a space between them on the birth
certificate while she attempted to figure out which one to honor. Then
she forgot about it and he became "Mark Wayne"
In
other words, he's so stupid his spells his name "Mark Wayne" (what's on
his birth certificate) as "Markwayne." Someone should get him for
false identity.
In
other stupidity, Donald Chump has appointed a Deputy Director of the
FBI to serve under Kash Patel. I haven't made a point to go into Patel's
nomination or confirmation. But the reality is that he has no
experience in the FBI. Does not mean he can't do the job. Does mean
that he needs people with experience around him. Note this detail about Deputy Director Dan Bongino :
He
started his career as a police officer with the NYPD in 1995. The
former police officer then joined the United States Secret Service in
1999 as a special agent, working during former president George W.
Bush's second term and under former president Barack Obama until 2012, according to media reports.
Bongino has never served in the FBI.
Get
it. Tulsi's got no experience in intelligence but she's now the DNI.
All these people with no experience or qualifications. This is
outrageous and puts us all at risk.
Dan
Bongino, the radio and podcast host tapped by President Trump to serve
as deputy FBI director, has ripped Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.)
and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) in the past, attacks that will draw more
attention to his controversial nomination.
Speaking on his program, “The Dan Bongino Show,” in 2021, Bongino slammed Cassidy as
“a dreadful RINO [Republican in name only] senator” during a
conversation with radio personality Moon Griffon about the bipartisan
push for a $1 trillion infrastructure bill, one of former President
Biden’s biggest accomplishments.
Monday, February 24, 2025. In Idaho, bully with a badge Bob Norris
has launched an attack on the First Amendment, concerns continue to
mount over convicted felon Donald Chump, and much more.
Bob Norris was a wee man
And a wee little man was he
He blustered and threatened
As long as the target was a she
Sheriff Bob Norris.
Look
at the fat goober. Bob Norris. Of Idaho. Although he seems to
believe he lives in Nazi Germany. He's a sheriff who needs to be
removed from office immediately. He's a smug looking piece of crap
because he's never been held accountable before.
Not for threatening, on duty, to pepper spray a citizen he was disgracing with. Not for anything. From WIKIPEDIA:
Norris's unauthorized removal of two books and his refusal to return them drew public attention to the county.[17][18] The Community Library Network (CLN), which operates the Post Falls library, defended the books following Norris's actions, noting that they are classified as young adult non-fiction. CLN also clarified that minors require parental or legal guardian permission to sign up for a library card.[19]
The CLN had and continues to have a process in place for people
to request that the library reconsider the materials it makes available
to youth.[20]
And:
In July 2024, Pennie Collinson, a photographer who had worked for
Norris's opponent from the 2020 election during his 2022 primary
campaign for county clerk, filed a notice of tort claim against Norris personally, seeking over $500,000 in damages for defamation.[21] She alleged that during an April 2024 campaign event, Norris made derogatory remarks about Collinson and her photographybusiness.[21][22]
After the defendants, Norris and Kootenai County, failed to respond to the initial tort claim, Collinson was able to file a lawsuit in October 2024.[23] The lawsuit accuses Norris of slander, defamation, placing her in a false light, and causing emotional distress.[24] Addressing the lawsuit
once more in a sheriff's office news release, Norris reaffirmed his
stance, describing the claim as politically motivated and promising to
contest what he termed "a hoax".[23][24]
He offered a $10,000 reward to members of the public who could assist
with defending himself from the personal lawsuit, issuing his statement
on the official sheriff's office letterhead and posting it on the
office's Facebook page.[21]
The SpokaneSpokesman-Review reported the response of Fred Scheffelmaier, owner of the Country Barn Bed and Breakfast in Cataldo,
who hosted the forum where Norris allegedly made his statements.
Scheffelmaier expressed shock at what Norris said, saying, "Why would
you call someone something like that in a public meeting?"[24]
His use of official sheriff's office resources to address
personal allegations raised concerns regarding the legality of his
actions, prompting inquiries to state agencies for clarification on
potential campaign finance violations.[25]
Local Coeur d’Alene photographer Pennie Collinson filed the lawsuit
Monday against Norris and the county over comments she said he made to
her in July. Collinson attended the Kootenai County Republican Party
Primary Election Forum in Cataldo at the time, where she was working as a
photographer for Mike Bauer, a candidate for sheriff. During the
candidate questioning portion of the forum, the lawsuit says, Norris
pointed out Collinson and accused her of performing sex acts and
photographing child pornography at a local library. More than 50 people
attended the event.
The lawsuit, filed in Kootenai County, accuses Norris of slander,
defamation, publication in a false light and inflicting emotional
distress. Collinson originally filed an intent to sue Norris over the alleged incident in August, but because there was no reply to the claim, Collinson was able to sue.
Since the lawsuit was filed, Norris wrote in a news release on a
sheriff’s office official letterhead he will be fighting the accusations
and will “expose the extent of this hoax.”
Bob
called it fake news -- apparently like the rumors that all his female
partners have had to ask repeatedly over the years, "It it in yet?"
While Norris says it didn’t happen, four witnesses provided written
statements in which they corroborated Collinson’s accusations against
Norris. Norris said “she likes taking pictures” of pornography and
accused her of molesting children, a witness wrote in a statement.
Another said he acknowledged Collinson and told the crowd she “likes”
performing certain sex acts.
All witnesses in the lawsuit stated the crowd gasped and the room went silent.
Fred Scheffelmaier, the owner of the Country Barn Bed and Breakfast
in Cataldo, hosted and emceed the forum. Scheffelmaier opened the
meeting with a prayer, he told The Spokesman-Review in August.
“I was dumbfounded,” he said. “Why would you call someone something
like that in a public meeting? … It wasn’t right. I just got through
stating we were there to promote yourselves, no negative conduct.”
He's
an idiot. The big surprise was when he went after books because,
frankly, many did not believe he knew how to read. But he's not just
any idiot, he went to a certificate training -- "LASO’s
prestigious Leadership Certification" -- guess that's supposed to make
up for any formal education.
He's in the news due to the video below.
Those are not deputies.
The
men attacking Teresa Borrenphohl in the video above are not deputies.
They are security guards with LEAR Asset Management. The sheriff, when
Tereasa refuses to surrender her Constitutional rights, calls to them.
Why? Because he's off duty and he has no power there. (He was there,
he insists now, to deliver a prayer. To Satan?)
A reality that the city's Police Chief Lee White has made clear to the media.
No,
Boss Hogg Faty Bob actually broke the law and a lawsuit needs to be
filed immediately. In addition, he needs to be removed from his post.
He has disgraced law enforcement.
Remember,
no threats of violence. Just congratulate him for things like not
committing suicide despite obviously never have been able to satisfy a
woman. Congratulate him on his carny background and how well he
performed as Ned Beatty's stunt double in DELIVERANCE. Or maybe just
e-mail him a copy and paste of the First Amendment to the US
Constitution.
If you don't
know, he's a self-described "American Warrior" -- one of those nut jobs
in Idaho who didn't believe COVID was a real threat.
You
know what's a real threat? A bully with a badge who thinks he can
override the First Amendment. He and his uneducated ass need to be
thrown out of office.
He and two men attacking a woman in public.
Thinking he had gotten away with it, he was
strutting and preening until early Sunday. Then he was informed of the
videos, of the First Amendment and that he had acted inappropriately.
He needs to be removed from office.
Borrenpohl
said she didn’t recognize Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris at first
when he approached her in the semidarkness of the auditorium because he
was dressed in jeans and a baseball cap. “I was really dumbfounded
because he said, ‘Do you want me to pepper spray you?’” she recalled.
“That was the first thing he said to me that I remember.” Footage from
the event showed Norris take Borrenpohl’s arm with both hands and make
multiple attempts to pull her from her seat. Borrenpohl said that after
she declined to leave, Norris turned to the unidentified men and said,
“Guys, get her.”
[. . .]
[Police Chief Lee]
White said it’s not appropriate for law enforcement to forcefully
remove a person from a town hall for speaking out of turn or shouting.
“I don’t care what your message is, especially in an open town hall like
this,” White said. “We have to respect everybody’s First Amendment
rights, regardless of what side of the aisle you happen to sit on. I
know there’s some people up here who probably disagree with me and would
like us to take action and maybe try to silence a voice that’s in
opposition to theirs at a town hall, but there’s very little we can do
with regard to First Amendment protections. We have to make sure people
have the protections afforded them under the Constitution.”
Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea released the following statement regarding the incident:
“Our
democracy rests on our First Amendment rights. If we can’t question
leaders elected to represent us without fear of reprisal, we are not
free. The town hall is a valued American tradition that embodies these
principles, providing a place for constituents to ask questions and
share their opinions on the issues of the day. At the recent Kootenai
County Republicans’ town hall, it was clear organizers did not intend to
allow dialogue between legislators and the constituents they serve. It
is a very sad day when a woman who voices dissent is physically dragged
out of a public venue by unidentified men while the event moderator
belittles and taunts her. Idaho deserves better.”
Now, records from Transparent California reveal
Norris collects $186,675 annually from the Los Angeles County Employees
Retirement Association - including $150,282 in disability payments and
$36,393 in benefits. While claiming in 2020 he received only pension
payments, he recently disclosed having partial disability ratings - 12% for his right shoulder and 13% for his left. However, after video surfaced of Norris physically grabbing and attempting to remove Borrenpohl from
the town hall, users online have begun questioning whether he should
still be receiving disability payments based on alleged physical
impairments.
In the video, Borrenpohl can be seen asking the men several times to
identify themselves, which they did not do. Although, in the video, it
is clear that Sheriff Norris directed the men to grab Borrenpohl, he
then told the Idaho Statesman that he did not know the security personnel.
Norris also told the Statesman that their actions were in keeping with the event's protocols, however he did not explain what those protocols were.
Chief Lee told the Statesman these security guards worked for a private firm, LEAR Asset Management
Last week, The Washington Postreported
that Donald Trump was about to announce a reorganization of the U.S.
Postal Service by executive order, firing the Postal Board of Governors
and moving the quasi-independent agency under the Commerce Department.
Liberals were outraged, and some were miffed that Joe Biden couldn’t
even fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. But everyone drove past one
fact: The very idea is ridiculous.
In his previous discussions of USPS, Trump had talked about privatizing it, not bringing it further into the federal government. Only Congress, though, can actually reorganize an agency that it established through statute.
Unlike USAID, the impact of shaking up USPS would be immediately felt
by every American with a mailbox, a group that gives the Postal Service
the second-highest approval ratings
of any federal agency. And then, there’s this little point: By law, the
Postal Service is generally exempt from executive orders.
The White House walked back the story almost immediately, saying there was no executive order in the works. When Trump was asked about it, he went into his usual mode of bulls[**]tting on something where he has no real plan: he was “thinking about doing that” and “looking at it.”
This is an administration that has set a standard of constant
consolidation of power and punishment of enemies. A month in, the Postal
Service trial balloon and quick cleanup shows it has run out of ideas.
But the real question about Trump’s second term was always whether he
would bully the country into an effective monarchy, or fall prey to the
laws of political gravity.
I’m taking a pundit risk by saying that we now have that answer, after one month in office: Trump’s cooked.
His failure has followed the usual direction of political overreach.
Brave dissidents from the political opposition, corporate America, or
his own coalition didn’t suddenly rise to the challenge. It started from
the bottom up, as the governed gradually but definitively withdrew
their consent, giving space for those we somehow call “leaders” to
distance themselves.
Last Thursday, while his henchmen were busy selling out Ukraine and Elon Musk was hoisting that chainsaw at CPAC, Donald Trump spoke
to the Republican Governors’ Association. He bragged about how much
money he’d raised. He talked about helping other candidates. Then he got
to the point: “So we’ve got that money, and I got to spend it
somewhere, and they tell me I’m not allowed to run,” Trump said. “I’m
not sure. Is that true? I’m not sure.”
This
was at least the fourth time Trump has “joked” about running again
since he returned to the White House—that is, in the last month or so.
He did it at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 6. Also at an event in Las Vegas in late January. And during a speech in Mar-a-Lago. On top of these, there was the “joke” the White House posted on social media,
apropos of Trump’s attempt to kill congestion pricing in New York, that
showed him wearing a crown with the all-caps message “LONG LIVE THE
KING!”
When this comes up on cable news, the host typically asks the guests
whether Trump is just trolling the libs or should be taken seriously.
It’s a silly question, because the answer is obviously both. He’s always
trolling. But if you’ve watched these first four weeks and think he’s
not capable of finding a way to suspend the Constitution and stay in
office, well, you’re not watching the same show I am.
Pay
attention and connect the dots. Trump installed a loyalist at the
Justice Department. Pam Bondi is qualified for the job of attorney
general on paper, but there is no question as to why she’s really there:
to wield the department’s power as Trump wishes. He installed a
loyalist—an unqualified one—as the head of the nation’s intelligence
services. Tulsi Gabbard will also do whatever Trump wants. And he’s done
the same at the FBI. Kash Patel is obviously there to investigate
Trump’s political foes and critics. Incidentally, this week, Patel is
also apparently going to be sworn in as the head of the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. These moves give Trump
personal control over the country’s legal and intelligence services.
Then, on Friday night, he took an even more ominous step with a military purge,
firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and five other senior
officers. His new chairman is another loyalist, John Dan Caine (nickname
“Razin”), who does not meet the legal qualifications for the job. Under
law, the president can override the language about qualifications if he
deems the appointment to be in “the national interest.” I’m not sure
about the national interest, but Cain is surely in the Trumpian
interest. Trump once claimed that Cain said to him, “I think you’re great, sir. I’ll kill for you, sir.”
Those terminated included the judge advocates general of the Army, Navy,
and Air Force. Why do they matter? Talking Points Memo’s Josh Marshall put his finger on it
last week: “Among many other things it’s the military lawyers who
determine what is a legal order and what’s not. If you’re planning to
give illegal orders they are an obvious obstacle.”
Donald
Chump is a coward and a liar. Things could have been so much different
for the country. However, DSA organized the attacks on Kamala Harris
and put Chump back in the White House.
At
Saturday night's NAACP's Image Awards, one of those honored was Kamala
Harris. Accepting the Chairman's Award, Kamala observed of our
struggling nation:
This organization came
into being at a moment when our country struggled
with greed, bitterness and hatred. And those who forged the NAACP,
those who carried its legacy forward, had no illusions about the forces
they were up against - no illusions about how stony the road would be.
But some look at this moment and rightly feel the weight of history.
Some see the flames on our horizons, the rising waters in our cities,
the shadows gathering over our democracy, and ask, "What do we do now?"
But we know exactly what to do, because we have done it before, and we
will do it again. We use our power; we organize, mobilize, we educate
and we advocate.
Because, you see, our power has never come from having an easy path. Our
strength flows from our faith - faith in God, faith in each other, and
our refusal to surrender to cynicism and destruction. Not because it is
easy, but because it is necessary. Not because victory is guaranteed,
but because the fight is worth it.
We'll cover
Alien Musk tomorrow. I'd hoped that Ava and I would have something at
THIRD yesterday. However, when there was nothing else completed to
post, we took it as a sing to stop. It's a disgusting topic that I'd
prefer not to cover but Republican officials have made it necessary for
us to cover since they're covering for Alien Musk.
Senator Patty Murray's office issue the following on Friday:
ICYMI: Murray Blasts Trump and Musk Decimating HHS, Risking Americans’ Health and Livelihoods
***FACT SHEET: WA State Impacts of Trump and Musk’s Reckless Mass Layoffs***
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA),
Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a senior member
of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee
joined Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kirsten
Gillibrand (D-NY), Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and the entire Senate
Democratic caucus in sending a letter demanding answers from Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for
firing more than 5,000 HHS workers, blatantly undermining Americans’
health and safety. Within days of being sworn in, Secretary Kennedy
blindly followed Trump and Musk’s baseless directive.
HHS consists of 13 operating divisions and 10 agencies responsible
for protecting the health, safety, and wellbeing of Americans
nationwide. These highly qualified, dedicated public servants protect
millions of families, seniors, people with disabilities, and other
vulnerable communities against public health threats by advancing
scientific innovations, discovering breakthrough cures, and providing
lifeline services such as child care and home-delivered meals.
Senate Democrats emphasized, “As HHS Secretary, the
consequences of epidemics, lost treatments, and lack of access to care
are your responsibility. These firings represent the abdication of your
sworn duty to ensure the health and well-being of America’s families.
You have an obligation to the American people, who rely on you as the
nation’s top public health official, to stop these ill-conceived and
dangerous attacks on agencies and programs that Americans rely on every
day.”
Specifically, these layoffs will:
Harm children, seniors, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable communities.
Agencies across HHS are responsible for delivering everyday services
that Americans rely on, including affordable child care, home-delivered
meals, placing foster children in safe environments, and so much more.
Block the development of new treatments and cures.
FDA and NIH nonpartisan staff research and develop life-saving
treatments. Firing them may delay medical breakthroughs and will weaken
America’s biomedical science leadership for years to come.
Put patient care at risk. More than 160
million Americans rely on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) programs for affordable health care coverage. CMS is
already understaffed and leans heavily on its existing workforce to
maintain current service levels. Any cuts to the CMS workforce could
have wide-ranging consequences across the health care system, including
potential disruptions in medically necessary care, delays in payments to
hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care providers, and
reductions in the frequency of safety inspections in nursing homes.
Make the nation less prepared. With the
worst flu season in more than 15 years, an Ebola outbreak in Uganda, and
the growing threat of avian influenza, firing Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) employees will make American communities
more vulnerable to dangerous diseases and less prepared to deal with any
potential outbreaks. Also, broader public health response
infrastructure would be less able to address cyber attacks, supply chain
shortages, and natural disasters.
In their letter, Senate Democrats asked the following questions:
How many HHS employees were fired between January 20, 2025 and
February 18, 2025? How many of these employees were probationary?
Provide a breakdown by agency, position type, and justification for
termination for each category of employee at each agency.
How were HHS employees notified that they were being fired, and on
what grounds? Provide the method of communication and content of the
message employees received.
Provide any analysis conducted prior to firings to determine the
immediate and long-term impact it will have on programs and activities
those employees were tasked with administering.
What role did DOGE have in identifying or prioritizing employees for termination? What metrics did they use?
As additional layoffs are anticipated according to the EO,
Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency”
Workforce Optimization Initiative, what specific guidance was given to
HHS for identifying additional employees to lay off?
Earlier this week, Senator Murray responded
at length to the Trump administration’s mass firings of dedicated
workers across HHS and its many subagencies—and last week she released a fact sheet
detailing how reckless mass layoffs across the federal government will
jeopardize essential services Americans rely on. Senator Murray was a
leading voice in opposition to the confirmation of RFK Jr. as HHS
Secretary. Earlier this month on the Senate floor, she warned of the dangers of confirming RFK, Jr.—given
his lack of health care experience and deadly rhetoric—and encouraged
her colleagues to “show some courage” by rejecting his nomination. A
longtime congressional leader on health care and former HELP Committee
Chair, she called her meeting with him the “most troubling” she’s ever had with a cabinet nominee.
