Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Welcome to day five of every-bit-as-bad-as-you-thought-it-would-be.

Republicans in disarray!

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Museums are not America’s attic for its racist shit.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

A fool as well as an oath-breaker.

I really should read my own blog.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

Just because you believe it, that does not make it true.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

People are complicated. Love is not.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

These are not very smart people, and things got out of hand.

Nancy smash is sick of your bullshit.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Stand up, dammit!

You are here: Home / Economics / C.R.E.A.M. / Thursday Morning Open Thread: Fighting Back

Thursday Morning Open Thread: Fighting Back

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You can pass lots of dumb things in reconciliation or with a fillibuster proof majority and parties often do.
Then they get reamed in midterms, and the people who passed it take 7 figure lobbying jobs.

[image or embed]

— Schnorkles O'Bork (@schnorkles.bsky.social) June 25, 2025 at 8:11 PM

@sarahlongwell25.bsky.social: “Democrats' messaging is breaking through. I'm listening to voters in the focus groups — they're saying back what Democrats are putting out there, which is they are cutting your programs, programs that benefit you in order to give tax cuts to very rich people.”

[image or embed]

— The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) June 25, 2025 at 4:23 PM

TAPPER: Republicans are debating a $15m fund for rural hospitals to offset some of the concerns about what the bill does do Medicaid
DUCKWORTH: It's like the person setting the fire saying, 'Hey, you know what, we need a fire department!'…Americans did not vote for the 'we're all gonna die' party

[image or embed]

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) June 25, 2025 at 5:42 PM

I actually think this is perhaps slightly more meaningful than any of the dunks on Vought.
McConnell wouldn't be doing this without wider support in the GOP caucus, he's just a convenient (retiring) elder statesman who can go after an administration of his own party.

[image or embed]

— Schnorkles O'Bork (@schnorkles.bsky.social) June 25, 2025 at 6:45 PM

Republican congressional leaders call a demonstration by wheelchair-bound protesters "illegal" and order reluctant Capitol Police to arrest them and tie them down with zip ties. What was "illegal" about the protests? They were against the OBB bill about which the GOP is nervous.

[image or embed]

— Scott Horton (@robertscotthorton.bsky.social) June 25, 2025 at 6:16 PM

Budzinski: Families making over $700,000 a year will see a boost of $12,000 almost entirely from tax cuts. Shockingly, households making $23,000 a year or less are set to lose about $1600 a year, mostly due to deep cuts to Medicaid and food assistance

[image or embed]

— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) June 25, 2025 at 8:09 PM

Reader Interactions

104Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    Democrats’ messaging is breaking through. I’m listening to voters in the focus groups — they’re saying back what Democrats are putting out there, which is they are cutting your programs, programs that benefit you in order to give tax cuts to very rich people.

    This is nice to hear.

    Good morning, AL.

  3. 3.

    Jeffro

    Here’s more on what McConnell was talking about (gift link): US Rivals Are Filling The Void Left By the US

    America’s rivals celebrated as the Trump administration set out to dismantle its global influence and information infrastructure, including the media outlets that had helped market the United States as the world’s moral and cultural authority…

    In the months since, China, Russia and other U.S. rivals have moved to commandeer the communications space abandoned by the Americans. They have pumped more money into their own global media endeavors, expanded social outreach programs abroad and cranked up the volume when publicizing popular cultural exports.

    …since January, the Trump administration has shut down a foreign influence task force at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, closed a State Department Office that tracked and countered global disinformation, and crippled other teams that helped safeguard the American brand from overseas falsehoods and malign propaganda campaigns.  A former Trump speechwriter who is currently acting as the under secretary for public diplomacy, a role intended to engage and understand foreign audiences, once posted that “competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work.”

    so under trumpov, we’re fleeing the modern battlefield, so to speak

  4. 4.

    Baud

    @Jeffro:

    competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work.”

     

    We tried that but he was old so he had to go.

  5. 5.

    satby

    @Jeffro: he’s a traitor helping his big daddy recover influence lost in the war with Ukraine while damaging the USA. No surprises at all; except maybe at the alacrity with which his party and his corrupt jurists have leapt to aid those goals.

  6. 6.

    Mustang Bobby

    After more than twenty years of blogging at Bark Bark Woof Woof, I’ve decided to hang it up and focus on my writing, specifically playwriting.  So I’ve added a blog page to my website called On Writing where I will blather on about my work from page to stage.  The link http://www.barkbarkwoofwoof.com will not go away just yet; it will soon redirect to the blog page at http://www.pmwplaywright.com for as long as I want to.

    This was prompted by, among other things, a rather persistent DoS attack that neither WordPress nor my platform provider, FastComet, were able to handle without some rather drastic steps through Cloudfare.  But in the end, I’m getting tired of trying to keep up with the idiocy coming out of our leaders and the fact that I probably have a good twenty years left to devote to telling tales on the stage.  I’m not giving up on it altogether, though; I’ll still keep popping in here and popping off.  This is a valuable asset to the discussion, and we need more of it.  But John and the team are better at it, and I’d rather let you young whippersnappers do it so I can watch.

    Keep in touch.  Keep fighting.  Stay cool.

  10. 10.

    Chief Oshkosh

    Geeze, why can’t they just name these people? The “former Trump speechwriter who is currently acting as the under secretary for public diplomacy” is Darren Beattie, as near as I can tell. He’s a white nationalist who married a Russian, and he’s a classic grifter, literally a seller of Trump paraphernalia. Ya think any of  that might be interesting background information, NYTimes?

    And I realize that Horton is just commenting on an Independent article on Bluesky, but when you write “Republican congressional leaders call a demonstration by wheelchair-bound protesters “illegal” and order reluctant Capitol Police to arrest them and tie them down with zip ties…” why can’t we know exactly WHO “ordered” the police to zip tie people in wheelchairs? It’s not Horton’s job to do that, but it ought to be the job of the paid journalists

    ETA: Sorry to be such an Eeyore. I’m sure I’ll cheer up with a cup of coffee.

  12. 12.

    satby

    @Mustang Bobby: A great run, and concentrating more on your playwriting makes sense in this modern, more visually focused world we find ourselves in. Congratulations on your next step!

  13. 13.

    satby

    @Chief Oshkosh: our media has failed at informing us for a long time. They cover for and sanewash more than just the felon. Now they’re doing it for his entire administration and party.

  14. 14.

    Suzanne

    “Democrats’ messaging is breaking through. I’m listening to voters in the focus groups — they’re saying back what Democrats are putting out there, which is they are cutting your programs, programs that benefit you in order to give tax cuts to very rich people.”

    I enjoy Sarah Longwell’s Focus Group podcast, because it’s really interesting to hear what breaks through and what doesn’t. Not always what I expect. Also, she’s straight up about finding what some people say to be terrible.

  18. 18.

    Another Scott

    Good for fighting back.

    Meanwhile, … Phys.org:

    Scientists at the University of Western Australia and the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science have made a breakthrough in understanding how cells in our body respond to physical activity and exercise.

    Researchers discovered a direct mechanical signal that travels from outside the cell into the energy-producing parts of the cell, which could change the way we think about exercise and its benefits.

    Dr. Ziming Chen, from UWA’s School of Biomedical Sciences, and Professor Minghao Zheng, also from UWA’s School of Biomedical Sciences and Perron Institute, led the study published in Science Advances.

    Researchers found a protein production factory in the cell, the endoplasmic reticulum, can sense external mechanical forces, such as stretching or strain and transmit them deep into the cell.

    The process helps regulate energy production in the cell and maintains tissue health.

    “Cells constantly experience physical forces, especially in load-bearing tissues such as tendon, muscle and lung,” Dr. Chen said.

    “We found that the endoplasmic reticulum plays a central role in converting these mechanical cues into metabolic responses, controlling how cells produce energy and prevent tissue damage.”

    The team used custom-designed bioreactors and a suite of advanced genetic and microscopy techniques to study the effects of mechanical strain on cells.

    They discovered that while moderate physical activity and exercise could enhance energy production in cells, excessive strain or injury could disrupt this process, leading to cellular damage.

    Researchers identified a “sweet spot” of mechanical loading that can boost energy production and promote cellular health.

    […]

    (You need to click over to see the image of the cartoon cells.)

    The old adage – Moderation in all things (including moderation) seems to apply here as well. As does the truthiness that taking a pill is not the same as doing the work, no short-cuts, cheaters never [never is too strong] win, etc., etc..

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  21. 21.

    RevRick

    @Baud: you played this for laughs, but he was deadly serious. He’s saying that non-white men and all women aren’t up to the task. That is white male supremacy to the core and absolute garbage.aa

  22. 22.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Chief Oshkosh:

    You echo much of where my media and advocacy criticism comes from: sources of the material that gets regurgitated in order to frame an argument, not actually provide nuance.

  26. 26.

    satby

    @rikyrah: 👋 Good morning 🌞

    I’m dragging. 24 hour heat advisory is back on, 75° with a heat index of 88° and humidity at 87% at sun up today. None of the predicted rain fell yesterday at all. UGH

  28. 28.

    RevRick

    As has been pointed out all fascism begins with an assertion of racial or ethnic superiority. Trump and his minions fit that explanation to a tee.

  29. 29.

    zhena gogolia

    @Baud: I’m loving Leo. Have you seen him on video? He’s very cool. My YouTube algorithm seems to think I’m obsessed with him.

  34. 34.

    Steve Paradis

    It’s almost like they’re not worried about an election happening in 2026 . . . .

  35. 35.

    Librettist

    Maybe not the best timing for “big moronic Italian wedding” to be hitting social media.

  37. 37.

    Steve Paradis

    @RevRick:

    The Shootist comes from Glendon Swarthout’s discovery that many cowboys died from prostate cancer, thanks to years in the saddle.

  38. 38.

    Suzanne

    @zhena gogolia: I follow him on X and so the algorithm has been serving me up a lot of Pope content. It’s nice.

    I also am completely beholden to the paint mixing videos. Never would have thought that that’s how I would find stress relief, but it’s pretty wholesome content.

  39. 39.

    JML

    No rural legislator should vote for the horrific legislation that the Current Occupant is trying to shove through Congress, and if they can be bought off by $15M for rural hospitals (which need more like $15B) then they’re even stupider than I thought.

    This legislation is a stress test on how much hate will keep people voting GOP over their own health and economic interests, because the GOP’s plans to keep gutting government programs, ruining medicare, their cruel immigration policies, etc are destructive to rural communities. But being mean to trans kids and going after abortion may be more important than actually having a community that exists to a majority of these idiots.

  40. 40.

    Baud

    @JML:

    This legislation is a stress test on how much hate will keep people voting GOP over their own health and economic interests,

     
    QFT

  41. 41.

    Harrison Wesley

    So the United States is the world’s moral and cultural authority? I’ll be damned. Learn something new every day.

  42. 42.

    narya

    Also: Happy Obergefell Day! Or Love Is Love Day.

    I was working at a LGBTQ organization at the time, but I was home because I had a dermatology appointment in the late morning, and the announcement brought tears to my eyes, and it was very much on my mind. My dermatologist asked how I was doing, and I said, hey, great news, and . . . he basically came out to me. (“Oh, I hadn’t heard yet; I’ll have to tell my boyfriend,” or something like that). It was a lovely moment that has stayed with me.

  45. 45.

    Ohio Mom

    @Chief Oshkosh: Also, a nit, but it’s wheelchair users. No one is “bound” by their wheelchair, they are liberated to move through the world autonomously by their chairs.

  47. 47.

    Baud

    Bloomberg is all in.

     

    Andrew Cuomo’s backers — many of them opposed to Zohran Mamdani’s populist platform of taxing the wealthy and raising corporate levies — are discussing whether to pivot their support to Eric Adams, according to people familiar with the matter.[image or embed]— Bloomberg News (@bloomberg.com) Jun 26, 2025 at 8:30 AM

  49. 49.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Mustang Bobby:

    Thank you for 20 years of your Bark Bark Woof Woof blog, that’s some commitment. Sorry to hear that internet fuckery influenced your decision to move on and I wish you much success and satisfaction with your redirection to playwriting.

  50. 50.

    Soprano2

    @Jeffro: A former Trump speechwriter who is currently acting as the under secretary for public diplomacy, a role intended to engage and understand foreign audiences, once posted that “competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work.”

    This guy is saying what most MAGA’s believe, either openly or secretly, and that includes the women. This is one of the most core of their core beliefs, that only white men are truly fit to be in charge of anything important. Their definition of “competent” is pathetic, though – basically if you’re a white man and breathing they think you’re probably competent.

  51. 51.

    PAM Dirac

    @RevRick:

    That is white male supremacy to the core and absolute garbage.

    I think we shouldn’t use the phrase “white supremacy”, but call it what it really is: white delusions.

  54. 54.

    Soprano2

    @Suzanne: I need to find that podcast and listen to it. I always enjoy hearing her on other podcasts because she’s a no-bullshit person who isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. I find her insights valuable.

  55. 55.

    Baud

    This is how you do it.

     

    The American Academy of Pediatrics has affirmed that it will continue to follow its own evidence-based childhood vaccination schedule, regardless of the recommendations made by RFK Jr.’s American Institute for Childhood Protection (AICP).
    That’s what responsible leadership looks like.

    — SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@covid19disease.bsky.social) Jun 25, 2025 at 11:03 PM

  56. 56.

    Steve in the ATL

    @satby: ​
     

    he’s a traitor helping his big daddy recover influence lost in the war with Ukraine while damaging the USA. No surprises at all; except maybe at the alacrity with which his party and his corrupt jurists have leapt to aid those goals.

    Very well said.

    Man, this country has gone downhill fast.

  57. 57.

    sixthdoctor

    @Baud: Mamdani is already getting coverage and institutional opposition worse than David Dinkins and if he wins it’ll go up exponentially. I hope he’s got plans and backers to address that.

  59. 59.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Jeffro: ​

    A former Trump speechwriter who is currently acting as the under secretary for public diplomacy, a role intended to engage and understand foreign audiences, once posted that “competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work.”

    There are competent white men out there. But precious few of the hordes of white men in the Trump administration have any quality remotely resembling competence. Vance? Hegseth? RFK Jr? [bitter laughter] And the few that do are competent in being evil or in just tearing things down.

    So even by their own racist, misogynist standards, they’re a total fail.

  61. 61.

    Soprano2

    @Baud: So the PTB believe that a guy who won big in the primary will be defeated by the hugely unpopular current mayor because they don’t like him? Talk about delusional……

  62. 62.

    lowtechcyclist

    @PAM Dirac: ​

    I think we shouldn’t use the phrase “white supremacy”, but call it what it really is: white delusions.

    Yeah, white male delusions of supremacy. Or maybe white male fear of their own mediocrity, which is why they would rather not have to compete with women or with people of other races, who have largely had to work twice as hard to get to the same place.

  63. 63.

    Soprano2

    @sixthdoctor: I think it will be a really, really nasty race. I hope he can keep his positive message, because I think that’s a lot of what attracts people to him.

  64. 64.

    Librettist

    @Baud:

    I thought Cuomo gave some polite indication at his concession speech that these out of touch fools steered him off a cliff.

    Adams is polling at 20% job approval. Good luck with that.

    Running the wrong campaign with the wrong candidate has consequences.

  65. 65.

    Baud

    @Soprano2:

    I don’t know what the PTB’s believe. They know what they have to try to do and they do it. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. They’re not libs who second guess everything. That’s why they’re the PTB.

  66. 66.

    NotMax

    @Steve in the ATL

    Unrelated but reading “downhill fast” brought to mind part of a program which focused on a gentleman whose job was using explosives to create planned avalanches to belay the possibilities of natural ones.

    Sure he’s a nice fellow yet couldn’t suppress a chill hearing his thick Austro-German accented voice say, “Ven zere’s any doubt ve blow it up.”
    ;)

  67. 67.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @RevRick: He said “Competent white men” and in the context of the Trump admin, that makes no sense.  With Trump’s “a brain is a terrible thing” policy, being competent is an automatic disqualification for this admin.

    All snark aside, because of the insidious nature of racism, it might just take competent white men to get things done properly under our system, but that doesn’t mean any old useless idiot of a white guy will do.

  68. 68.

    lowtechcyclist

    @NotMax: ​

    Sure he’s a nice fellow yet couldn’t suppress a chill hearing his thick Austro-German accented voice say, “Ven zere’s any doubt ve blow it up.”

    “Vunce the rockets are up, who cares vere they come down…”

  69. 69.

    Betty

    @Baud: That is some desperation. Let’s fund the crook. Yay! Who knew the word socialist could be so scary?

  70. 70.

    Soprano2

    @Baud: The actions that are being reported indicate this is what they believe. Of course, if Cuomo runs as an independent then I’m sure they’ll all throw their support to him. I think he and Adams would split the anti-Mandami vote if they both ran as independents.

  74. 74.

    Denali5

    @Another Scott:

    Thanks for letting  us know about this discovery. It reinforces my commitment to moderate exercise to keep both my brain and body healthy.

  76. 76.

    MoCaAce

    @Soprano2:

    Their definition of “competent” is pathetic, though – basically if you’re a white man and breathing they think you’re probably competent.

    I’ll take it!

    but that doesn’t mean any old useless idiotof a white guy will do.

    shit

  77. 77.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: let’s hope.  There was an old Russian toast that was something like “Death to the Tsar!” because the tsar was so horrible, followed by “Long live the Tsar!” because they knew that the next one could very well be worse.

    Russians are so lovable!

  79. 79.

    satby

    @Denali5: AAoP is a private professional organization. The felon or his brain-damaged cabinet secretary minion can’t fire people there.

  80. 80.

    trollhattan

    Holy shit, BBC cut live to Drunkboy at the Pentagon discussing synonyms for “destroyed” and railing at “fake news” while clearly hoping for somebody to come close enough to punch. Meanwhile, Iran’s grand poobah emerges from hiding long enough to praise Iran for winning so biglly over the zionists and great satan-attaboys all around (you wimmins keep those heads covered or else).

    What a world.

  81. 81.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Soprano2: For the past few years, in all these fora unrelated to politics, I’d been seeing this uptick in complaints that everything in the world (science, transit, entertainment, *theme parks*) went to shit because of “DEI”, often justified with vague insinuations that the speaker has special inside information about this.

    Since Trump got in, I’ve noticed an increasing willingness for others to tell these people to go to hell, instead of just tolerating it in “oh, it’s just racist Grandpa being himself” form.

  82. 82.

    WTFGhost

    We’ve been talking about migrants, and I just remembered a cute bit from the late, great, Molly Ivins who liked to point out that the feds know how to stop illegal immigration. Just start arresting every single person who hires an undocumented worker, and put them in jail.

    Soon, throughout the country, there will be no jobs for the undocumented. No one will be coming here to work, and few people will be able to come here, because they won’t be able to work.

    I thought this sounded cruel, and unlike Ms. Ivins. Well – her point wasn’t “we should do this.” Her point was, “Republicans already know who to fix migration. They’ve chosen not to do what needs to be done. Why?”

    The answer is, Republicans want helpless people who are forced to work, and are unable to complain about anything. That’s why they hate so called “sanctuary cities” where a worker can complain about unsafe working conditions, without being deported by ICE.

  83. 83.

    RevRick

    @PAM Dirac: Does it really matter (or antimatter?) Half spin it any way.
    In the gospels Jesus call us to repentance (metanoia), which literally means change or reversal of mind. The implication is that the assumptions we make about the world are shaped by crazy ideas and the only way out of that box is to call them out. So, yes , white male supremacy is delusional. It’s rooted in a sick belief system that the relative absence of melanin and the presence of a penis matters when measuring worth.

  84. 84.

    Jackie

    @Soprano2: I got a strong Deja Vu vibe with this:

    I think it will be a really, really nasty race. I hope he she can keep his her positive message, because I think that’s a lot of what attracts people to him her.

    sigh…

  85. 85.

    Soprano2

    @Matt McIrvin: To me this is so so hilarious. Haven’t they ever worked at a place where someone who shouldn’t have been promoted got promoted because of who they knew and whose ass they kissed? They act like the idea of poorly qualified or incompetent people getting jobs they clearly aren’t qualified for or can’t do only started when we started promoting people who weren’t white men. I can point to numerous white men I’ve known and/or worked for over the years who clearly shouldn’t have had the jobs they had. This goes to my thought that they believe pretty much any white man is qualified and competent, and that most minorities and women aren’t.

  86. 86.

    Soprano2

    @Jackie: Well, I don’t live in NYC and don’t know much about it, but what I have heard is that one of Mamdani’s big pluses was his relentlessly positive messaging. I hope the nastiness of the race doesn’t sully that, since it seems to work for him.

  87. 87.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Soprano2: PTB’s 1st choice was a credibly accused sexual harasser with their 2nd choice credibly accused of bribery and corruption while in office. At least they’re clear as to their priorities.

  88. 88.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Soprano2: My favorite is people blaming airline disasters on “DEI” when they happened in, say, Indonesia. *Maybe* there’s something analogous going on there but it’s probably some combination of an autonomic reflex and general “brown people no good”.

  89. 89.

    RaflW

    Scotus just affirmed that states can cut off Planned Parenthood (or any provider) under Medicaid.

    So I DGAF if McConnell ever so gingerly pushed back at Vought. Mitch has been the architect of the complete takeover of the Supreme Court by radicals. Theologically, I don’t believe in hell. But I bet he does, so for his sake I’d be willing to gamble that he’s right and that’s where he’s headed for all eternity.

  90. 90.

    Captain C

    @Chief Oshkosh:

    Ya think any of  that might be interesting background information, NYTimes?

    It might bias people, which would be wrong.  Just like withholding from the front page any damning information (or misinformation, “[unnamed] people [who are totally not Republican operatives] are saying…”) about Democrats would be wrong.

  91. 91.

    Matt McIrvin

    @WTFGhost: I’ve been watching a lot of Sarah Taber’s videos about agriculture, how it really works, how we got where we are– and she made one about undocumented immigration making this point. Farmers helped keep us from fixing immigration, and seemingly paradoxically kept their own workers “illegal” and drummed up general hate and fear of them, because they found the threat of deportation convenient for keeping them in line and avoiding worker protections and minimum wage. And now the hate is a monster that’s gotten away from them, with even Trump trying unsuccessfully to manage the contradictions.

  92. 92.

    Captain C

    @Baud: They could pay the man off, give themselves huge golden parachutes, and then move to a country with no extradition treaty.  Of course, in addition to being the wrong thing to do, they’d have to leave the country and their no doubt fulfilling social lives, but at least then they wouldn’t have to worry about the hoi polloi getting ideas above their station.

    They could do the right thing and tell FFOTUS to fuck off, but they’re too chickenshit and greedy.

  93. 93.

    Captain C

    @Baud: $30 million (or whatever) in Eric Adams ads might as well be flushed down the toilet.  Must be nice to be rich enough to live in a bubble in which Adams is not so unpopular that whatever remains of the corpse of Osama bin Laden could, if not win against him, at least run a competitve race.

  97. 97.

    Geminid

    @trollhattan: Laura Rozen* has been posting highlights from this press conference with Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Kaine. An example:

    Caine refuses to confirm “obliterated.” “We don’t do BDAS” [Bomb Damage Assessments].

    Hegseth jumps in with a lot of of fast talking.

      Rozen has covered a lot of State Department and Pentagon briefings, so I took this commentary seriously:

       You can just tell that Caine told Hegseth in private, you can say what you want, I am only comfortable speaking to the facts, can focus on the incredible work of U.S. personnel, etc.

    * I learned of Laura Rozen through Cheryl Rofer. She is very experience jounalist  and has served on the editorial boards of Al Monitor and JustSecurity. Rozen publishes her own long-form pieces on Substack, and reposts a lot of good reporters on her Twitter account. She also posts on BlueSky, but not very often.

  99. 99.

    dnfree

    @Soprano2: I worked at two different big companies where people in management were promoted because they were good golfers and socialized well with the other (mostly white) golfers in the company’s men’s golf league.  So even if they weren’t particularly competent at managing their departments, they got along well with the other managers.

  100. 100.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Captain C: ​

    Be fair, Hegseth is exceptionally competent at getting bombed hammered during work hours.

    Any one of you folks still in the workforce can be competent at that! Until you’re fired for it, anyway. :D

  101. 101.

    linnen

    @NotMax:  No more so than hearing someone say “Let it all burn up” when discussing back-burning in controlling forest fires.

    Controlling avalanches is serious business in mountain areas (even in the US) given that they can and have wiped out small communities.

  102. 102.

    Ruckus

    @RevRick:

    So, yes , white male supremacy is delusional. It’s rooted in a sick belief system that the relative absence of melanin and the presence of a penis matters when measuring worth.

    Go back maybe two hundred years ago and look at human history. What was a woman’s role in life? Being in charge? No. Birthing babies? Yes. When a high percentage of people are living rather often to 80-90 years old, how different is that from say 100 or 150 years ago? The answer is rather a lot. Medicine has changed significantly in the last 50-75 years. Laws have changed significantly in the last 100-150 years. How many countries had equality between men and women as a major concept back then? We’ve had that since day one – sort of. Because we say all men are created equal. Is that leaving out women or at least gives that impression that it does? I’d bet it does to some men. History has men almost always in charge or at most only a subset of women, say the queen of where ever. In the lifetime of some alive today this country and much of the world has changed rather significantly. Take school. How long ago did few women go past maybe 6th grade? Is it done making that necessary, rational, needed change? No, it’s not. Even if the laws are in place, how many men have basically zero clue or concern? More than a couple.

  103. 103.

    Geminid

    I was glad to see WaterGirl’s Congresswoman make the Balloon Juice front page. Nikki Budzinski first won election in 2022, to a district spanning from East Saint Louis through Springfield to Champaign County.

    This is Budzinski’s first stint in elective office, but she has held responsible political positions for unions and campaigns ever since graduating from the University of Illinois-Champaign in 1999.

    Budzinski played key roles in Jay Pritzker’s first campaign and first-term administration, which could be why some people speculate that Springfield Democrats drew the new Illinois 16th CD with her in mind.

  104. 104.

    Kayla Rudbek

    @Suzanne: I like furniture restoration videos,  cat/kitten videos, and Coach bag restoration videos to relax. Also the rug cleaning videos although they haven’t been showing up as much.

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