Open Thread December 12 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 122025
 

Yesterday, yet another Grand Jury refused to indict Letitia James. A (probably “the”) Democratic Congressman from Rhode Island, in a Hearing, confronted Kristi Noem over a deported veteran. Al Green introduced new Articles in the House to impeach the President. And then there’s this. Also, kudos to Missouri.

It’s no news that the Orange Ogre likes to kick people when they are down (it’s easier that way.) But sometimes we need to take a hard look at just what that looks like.

Archived from The New Yorker. No longer can one get even one free article per month. For those of us who believe in the Constitution and don’t want to, or can’t, leave the US, this is anything but good news. Not the obstacles to leaving, but the numbers of people who are in fact leaving, and therefore will not be here to vote.

Jasmine Crockett made a public apology to immigrants (and citizens kidnapped by ICE) for the government. I expect “the government (the Executive Branch) could not care less if they tried with both hands for a week, but it’s good to see someone speaking out. There’s a video at the link.

This has to be one of the best campaign announcements I have ever seen – maybe the best. I wish him a solid victory.

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Open Thread December 11 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 112025
 

Yesterday, I found in my inbox and archived a Huff Post article on the civil suit that three Representatives have brought against the Apricot Antichrist. (I didn’t get all the money-asks out, but it is much easier to read than I found it. There is a good deal of white space and multiple photos. so it’s longish to scroll.) The lawsuit is not new, but it’s news to me that is it still ongoing. Generally, the websites of Representatives will not accept contact forms from non-constituents, and I have not checked to see whether any of these three is an exception to that. But if you are mailing Christmas (Hanukkah, Diwali, whatever) cards, and can spare three, this might be a good way to use the spares to send gratitude. Also, I saw the results on the special election in Georgia (we won) and the Miami mayoral election, not won by a Democrat in 28 years. One source said that we lost the most recent prior election by 9 points, but won this one by 67 points. That is quite a flip. I’ve seen different numbers since, but all the numbers show striking flips.

This from the 19th does make a kind of very ugly sense – “Wombs are essential to ethnic nationalist movements.” It’s a natural consequence of fear of immigrants to be worried about the birth rate. If they could only relax and allow (and empower) government to do what it is meant to do, like “promote the general welfare,” the birth rate would manage itself. Not everyone is competent to be a parent.

I am NOT recommending that anyone try this from The Root. As someone implied in a response, it needs “a special set of skills.” But it gave me a smile – even though I don’t trust “Mike” as far as I could throw Rhode Island.

This from The F* News, suggests to me that we need to work much harder to demonstrate that the modern Republican Party is actually a death cult. The lead story can be Exhibit A. When we run out of letters, which sadly won’t take long – we can start over with AA, and so on.

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Open Thread December 10 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 102025
 

Yesterday, in a followup to my second article(s), we learned that Judge Boasberg has reached the subpoena stage. I don’t think he set out to be a hero I think he is just royally pissed – but if this continues, his name will end up in the history books.

This will disappoint you. It certainly disappointed me.

I get TPM’s newsletter daily, and it’s always good, and usually fairly comprehensive, but there are days when it’s up to the overwhelming level. Monday was such a day.

Harry Litman wants to reassure you that you are not crazy – it’s the regime which is crazy. And he brings receipts.

This video is 11 minutes, and yes, that is long for here. I have watched/listened three times, and in a way it’s information you can find elsewhere, but what it does that others mostly don’t is “connect the dots.”

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Open Thread December 8 2025

 Posted by at 5:52 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 082025
 

Yesterday, I read Joyce Vance‘s analysis of the case against the alleged pipe-bomber Brian Cole (Jr.) She begins with the same question we all asked: “Can we trust the FBI and this Justice Department after years of watching Donald Trump denigrate and politicize those previously independent agencies?” And then goes into detail. Lots of detail. Bottom line, it looks as though even this DOJ got something right for a change. (And that that was the result of finding actual work done by the previous DOJ, not their own.) Included in the analysis is that many people have some degree of prejudice in favor of direct evidence over circumstantial evidence. I tend the opposite way myself. Objects are less inclined to lie than people.

I tend to get nervous about Democrats making promises, and then being prevented from keeping them by Manchins and other holdouts. Sure, we can do all of these, if we have a dependable veto-proof majority. Otherwise, we might be able to accomplish some, but nowhere near all of this. But all of it certainly needs doing – Robert Reich has that absolutely right.

Yes, Pearl Harbor Day was yesterday (I recognized it with a photo of the Pearl Harbor Memorial.) But this by Steve Schmidt, and the other by Heather Cox Richardson, were not available in time to post for yesterday. And I think they need to be seen.

From The New Republic. We don’t hear about this much – or at least I don’t. But it is correct. If this is still going on, it needs to stop.

Belle Bonds

Cat

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Open Thread December 6 2025

 Posted by at 5:56 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 062025
 

Yesterday, I received two Axios alerts about the courts – one that SCROTUS will hear Metanucillini’s birthright citizenship case, and the other that a Federal judge has ordered Epstein’s grand jury transcripts unsealed. Also, The Root had an update on Baby Chance – you’ll remember the case. And the New York Times (are you sitting down?) actually did something in favor of freedom of the press.

https://joycevance.substack.com/p/a-2-1-panel-of-the-dc-circuit-makes
from Joyce Vance – “The case is styled as Harris v.o Bessent, although there are numerous parties involved and the order directly impacts the president’s ability to fire at will.”

Colorado Public Radio addresses my Secretary of State’s refusal to turn sensitive voter information over to the DOJ. I knew that was the case but it’s good to also have her legal reasons. I might also point out the request is unconstitutional – the conversation gives the states sole authority to run elections. There have been times I wished that wasn’t the case – but now is not one of those times.

This is essentially one story from Senator Hickenlooper – and it’s a story comparable to Abrego Garcia’s. Hick and his staff are doing everything they can think of and are getting stonewalled at every step.

Yes, I realize this is almost an hour long, and yes, there are some ums and aws in it. That’s why I put it in Saturday when it’s from Thursday. There is a transcript if that’s better for you (I didn’t vet it so it may have some creative spelling in it.) The first 16¼ minutes are an overview of history starting in the 1920s and then explaining how we got here from the 1980s. I lived through a lot of it, and I expect you did too. After that she goes into how we got here from 1980, including the “Some people are better than others” fallacy (of course some people are smarter and/or more competent than others, but the idea that skin color or gender has anything to do with that is such an obvious fallacy that one really has to have a mind which is out of shape to fall for it.) She explains how the unitary executive theory was proposed and is being used to make some people worth less in law. She touches on a principle that if you take a random 10 people, 2 will have actual opinions on government and 8 just want things to go smoothly and predictably so they don’t have to think about it – and just want to get along with people, and how to use that knowledge to get through to many people on whom reason and logic don’t work. She mentioned that she put so much effort into this video that she might not do a Thursday night letter (turns out she did, but it didn’t post until after 3 am her time). If you choose not to watch it or read the transcript, that’s fine. It’s your decision.

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Open Thread December 4 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 042025
 

Yesterday, Andy Borowitz headlined his Substack “Trump Boasts That International Criminal Court in The Hague Has Invited Him to Receive Award.” Considering what that would actually imply, would that it were true. Oh, well, I can dream. Also, yestersay was World Coati Day. Coatis, (or coatimundi, which was the name I learned as a kid, but I guess ispretty well limited to Brazil these days) are members of the raccoon family. They are somewhat rare jn the US, being limited to the Southwest, but more common in Central and South America, including Mexico. Oh, and also, it snowed – dirst of the season, about 3 inches and still on the ground at sunset. Unsurprisingly, it was cold.

This from The Independent was referred by Daily Dose of Democracy. I suppose it makes sense in a really, really warped kind of way. And we already knew that this regime is really, really warped. But good grief, what next?

Robert Reich tells us nothing here that we aren’t (probably) already aware of. But he does it so well – and offers possible solutions. Not easy solutions – I don’t think there are any of those – but possible. And he’s more than willing to hear about others from any reader who has any suggestions.

Harry Litman is not a veteran, but he knows a thing or two about military law, and First Amendment history, anyway. This is the second of a two-part analysis of the reaction to the veterans’ video regarding illegal orders. “I was just following orders” has not been a valid legal defense since the Nuremberg trials – almost my entire lifetime.

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Open Thread December 2 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Dec 022025
 

Yesterday, Fair Fight Colorado announced that a ballot measure has been announced in Colorado to join the redistrict fight. Colorado has officially declined to transfer Tina Peters into federal custody. And CPR also told the state that we lost a (D) state Senator last week, in a 5-car crash on I-70.

In one way it could be called good news that there is yet another prominent Reagan-appointed judge who cannot abide Metamucillini, but it’s not good news that he has therefore resigned. I do get it, and he articulates it very well, and of course he couldn’t stay – but that’s also one less judge who can be trusted at a time when he admits trust in the government, and particularly the DOJ, is at an all-time low – and for good reason.

At least I am getting to “The Week Ahead” on Tuesday this week. She apologizes for it being long, and also says it’s incomplete. So fasten your metaphorical seat belts. Here we go.

Politizoom is the only place I saw this story, and it didn’t arrive until a bit after 8 pm (7 pm Pacific), so it’s as hot a story as you are ever likely to see here. My uncle lived in Stockton until I was about 12 or 13, so that caught my eye, but it was “Child’s birthday party” that really hit me. Four dead, three of them children, and ten injured.

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Open Thread November 30 2025

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Nov 302025
 

Yesterday, the radio opera was “Arabella” by Richard Strauss, who is much better known for “Salome,” “Elektra,” and “Der Rosenkavalier.” Arabella is about the two daughters of a Count and Countess who are deep in debt and figure they can just barely manage to come up with one dowry, but two are an impossibility, so the second daughter Zdenka, has to dress as and pretend to be a boy (“Zdenko”). I can just hear MAGA screaming – or at least I would if anyone in MAGA were able to appreciate opera. But I digress. It’s essentially a comic farce, with a happy ending for both daughters and their parents. It’s also the last opera of the summer season – next Saturday the Met will be back, and hopefully I can just listen on the radio again. I say “hopefully” because the toad in the White House has cut public radio and TV funds enough that two announcers have left and the station manager is leaving as of tomorrow, and the Met costs. So I may be depending on WFMT all year now. Either way, there’s a lot for me to be excited about in the new season. Anyway, I’m off to see Virgil now and will check in when I return.

No story, just a joke (but it’s an allegory.)

Also referred by The Smile, from a local TV station on Chattanooga. No information on how her skull got fractured – unless her blindness and he running everywhere might be a factor.

This from the East Idaho News is late – it happened a few days before Thanksgiving – but good news (and referred by The Smile) is always welcome, right? I can’t skip the ad on the video but it’s not terribly long and I think it’s worth it.

?

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