It is such a relief to feel a (cautious) optimism that everyday Americans are just sick and tired of this cruel, manic, incoherent and incompetent administration.
I do believe that their level of arrogant ineptitude will eventually hoist them on their own petard.
A single Senator can block a confirmation hearing by putting a hold on a nomination and this is what the Democrats should do, what they should have done for every single unqualified person nominated by the President tohlead a Cabinet.
Now, that is one issue worth addressing. I wonder why it is not in Jen's bag of ways to address this coup? For me, reading the details presented, I remain astonished by the lack of even a mention of the Israeli "partnership" or, shall we say, possible leadership in this potential replica of attacks on Gaza!
If the Israeli state even once mentions that Iranians living in Tehran need to evacuate and move to another part of the City, how will Jen and the others justify their lack of inclusion of Netanyahu in these discussions on Trump's having no plan for this war? I would suggest that Israel has a plan, and has had one for decades. This is merely the first opportunity they have had to partner with a US President to destroy their primary adversary.v
Wow-I never knew that! Our 2 Senators here in AZ are as democratic as they come-I wonder why they didn't use that procedure last year when our national nightmare was just beginning. Thanks for the info DW.
A couple of years ago Sen. Tuberville held military promotions for months because he objected to the Pentagon's abortion policy. One Senator could put a hold on a Cabinet position nomination. I'm sure the political fallout keeps them from using this prerogative more.
Donna, I'm sure you are right. Democratic Senators have evaded "the political fallout". I believe they thought their Republican colleagues would never confirm many of the incompetent, unqualified nominees offered by Trump. Instead, they confirmed every one of them! Fool me once...!
Yes, who knows why all Democratic Senators don't use every tool they have. I can only guess that if they did, Congress would come to a standstill. But when you have a Hegseth or a Noam or a Bondi or a Kennedy nominated, they should have done everything in their power to stop these nominations from going forward.
Congress was already at a standstill via the repubs. They may have been giving trump the benefit of the doubt, when they should have been fighting him right out of the gate.
Exactly. That’s also why the Senate has resolutely refused to nuke the filibuster despite the urging Presidents from both parties. These gentlemen (and ladies) probably have as their collective motto: “What goes around comes around.”
I disagree. I believe one of the real problems with our government is the arcane rules that let one person or party bottle up the legislature. The filibuster first among them. It used to be norms or gentleman's agreements that stopped these procedures from being widely used, but now it's become standard procedure (albeit starting with the Republicans mucking up Obama's judicial nominations). We have a Senate and Congress that doesn't get anything done because it takes 60 votes.
The rules are arcane, no argument there. But once upon a time enough members of Congress concluded there were was a purpose for each rule and enacted it. We can't really know without going back and looking into the letislative histories of these things. Only Heather would have the patience for that! Yes, both parties have misused the filibuster, but also at times used it to good purpose. A lot depends on good faith, and that's in very short order today.
You used the term "norms" and "gentlemen" in your comment, Jeff. I don't see a lot of those on active duty in today's Congress, alas.
In response to your comment I had to bone up a little on the filibuster. It originated in the early 1800's and as originally conceived and practiced a member (or members) had to hold the floor by speaking as a means to delay legislation, Mr. Smith goes to Washington style. It's not in the Constitution. It was rarely used, except notably to hold up Civil Rights legislation in the 50's and 60's. So majority rule was the norm up until recently. A Senate majority passed legislation just as the founders intended and we did just fine for most of our history.
There was a change in 2010s(?) where any senator could basically say they filibuster without having to go through the speaking part and the Senate moves on. It takes 60 votes (cloture) to nullify it. Republicans broke the norm against using it when Obama was president and it became routine.
I don't know much, so I'd like to hear what Heather has to say as well.
Thanks for your reply and your research, Jeff. I'd be curious what legislation prompted the Senators to come up with this tactic in the 1800s. We all remember the valiant Jimmy Stewart--I mean Senator Jefferson Smith and his filibuster. Also Corey Booker's.
I don't know the legislative history of the filibuster, only know that even the Electoral College made some sense seen against its legislative history. (But maybe not enough sense to keep it today...)
There is nothing whose original positive purpose can't be perverted, I guess. Maybe Heather will shed more light on this one day. Thanks, Jeff.
I think Trump has done and gotten everything he wants. There hasn't been much to stop him. The problem is that the rule stops most everything Democrats want to do when they have the majority.
Mary Trump is right when she says "too much and never enough." Trump is a sociopath. He's not finished and never will be. I'll take any rule that might stand in his way.
Thank heavens our Nazi regime is so incompetent and the world refuses to knuckle under even if American CEOs do (like the German CEOs did before them in the 1930s).
World leaders' opposition to our murderous president is hanging by a thread, they are claiming wait-and-see rights before doing the moral thing and condemning these crimes and taking some meaningful action. And yes, we're the biggest animal in the jungle, but we're not invincible. They could do a lot more.
I don't see the world refusing to knuckle under; quite the opposite. Sanchez is newsworthy and noteworthy because he is the ONLY European leader to buck Trump on this. At best, the others are sounding wishy-washy, waiting to see how involved they might have to be as they get sucked into Trump and Netanayahu's aggression. The Brits and Cyprus, for instance. https://news.sky.com/story/defence-secretary-twice-declines-to-rule-out-britain-joining-strikes-on-iran-13515754
Unfortunately, this war is a win-win for the oligarchs and the administration. Endless, pointless war will destabilize west Asia and Europe. You think the refugee crisis is bad now? Wait a bit. The European neo-nazis are salivating.
Oil prices will, of course, go up. They already have. Qui bono? Our domestic fossil fuel magnates.
Trump and his fluffers love chaos. It hides their various grifts and offers all kinds of opportunities for short-term insider trading. When you know what's in tonight's Twitter storm, you know what to sell before the markets open tomorrow.
Yes kathleen, there are worse things in life than the absence of a college degree. Indeed as we see throughout our politics a degree even be it from the most prestigious school is not the deciding factor in matters of importance.
Consider this thought: both Iran and the attacks on boats in the Caribbean/Eastern Pacific tell us that Trump and Hegseth are like kids watching fireworks. It's all about the bangs and fireballs and missile launch flames. Considerations of human life or global consequences never enter into their enjoyment. That's why they cannot define the mission or the objectives. The end game is their pleasure in watching things blow up.
Yes, but what is the exit strategy? Leaving destruction in their wake, will they just (figureatively) pick up their marbles and go home, or will they just continue to rain destruction and misery interminably?
Desperate losers in life tryng to pull out a "win" with which they can soothe themselves. Hegseth's "arousal" is evident when he talks about war and especially when he discredits "rules of engagement" and dismisses the Geneva Convention. Disgusting and dangerous.
Markwayne might even be worse. Not being the brightest bulb in the box, his abilities at running such a large agency well are going to be severely tested.
You're kidding, right? Miller is the one calling out the numbers (quotas) for immigrant arrests, regardless of immigrant status. He is using the Project 2025 dicta to try to get rid of people with legal status who happen to not be white. He is all on board with the Heritage Foundation and its MAWA (Make American White Again) Christo-Nazi nonsense. He pushes the fire-ready-aim M.O. that causes after-the-fact court cases to stop illegal actions taken by this regime. I could go on. It's all there, as reported by credible sources.
Markwayne lacks some things that are far more important than a missing a bachelor’s degree(and he does have an associates). He lacks law enforcement experience(remember, DHS encompasses much more than ICE) and he lacks even temperament. He is a bantam rooster looking for a cockfight(which is why Trump likes him). He is apparently ”well-liked in the Senate” which probably means that he’ll cruise to confirmation. Please write your Senators, and tell them that just because Markwayne is not Kristi does not make him fit to be DHS secretary. We need a qualified nominee. Period.
Much as I prefer qualified people in important positions all along the only qualification has been loyalty to the dear leader. That's not going to change as long as Republicans have a majority in the Senate which has been proven over and over.
It does indeed sound familiar. In the last one, there were no weapons of mass destruction. Once again, we are being lied to. If we buy it, it's shame on us.
In a time of rampant corruption, criminal behavior, and cynicism by public figures, Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado is a north star, a beacon shining with humanity and clarity. I'm very thankful he helped bring down Noem. This is just the beginning of accountability coming for this regime.
Bondi is on her way out—may the door slap her sorry butt on the way out. It will be lovely to see the back of Noem, so incompetent! She must have felt very safe, closet full of costumes. Whatever work she was living in, I’m happy she’s gone from ours.
Sanchez speaks like a leader. One with morals and intelligence. He deftly conveyed that Europe has a clear vision of the impossibility of dealing with a madman.
A problem is that Noem isn't out of the government. She will still be able to parade her costumes and attitudes in her new made-up position, and still do it on the taxpayer's dime.
Thank you, Jen. Excellent status report. Keep up the good work!
Texas turnout best news yet!
It is such a relief to feel a (cautious) optimism that everyday Americans are just sick and tired of this cruel, manic, incoherent and incompetent administration.
I do believe that their level of arrogant ineptitude will eventually hoist them on their own petard.
A single Senator can block a confirmation hearing by putting a hold on a nomination and this is what the Democrats should do, what they should have done for every single unqualified person nominated by the President tohlead a Cabinet.
Now, that is one issue worth addressing. I wonder why it is not in Jen's bag of ways to address this coup? For me, reading the details presented, I remain astonished by the lack of even a mention of the Israeli "partnership" or, shall we say, possible leadership in this potential replica of attacks on Gaza!
If the Israeli state even once mentions that Iranians living in Tehran need to evacuate and move to another part of the City, how will Jen and the others justify their lack of inclusion of Netanyahu in these discussions on Trump's having no plan for this war? I would suggest that Israel has a plan, and has had one for decades. This is merely the first opportunity they have had to partner with a US President to destroy their primary adversary.v
Wow-I never knew that! Our 2 Senators here in AZ are as democratic as they come-I wonder why they didn't use that procedure last year when our national nightmare was just beginning. Thanks for the info DW.
A couple of years ago Sen. Tuberville held military promotions for months because he objected to the Pentagon's abortion policy. One Senator could put a hold on a Cabinet position nomination. I'm sure the political fallout keeps them from using this prerogative more.
Donna, I'm sure you are right. Democratic Senators have evaded "the political fallout". I believe they thought their Republican colleagues would never confirm many of the incompetent, unqualified nominees offered by Trump. Instead, they confirmed every one of them! Fool me once...!
I can't imagine Sens. Kelly or Gallego would let political fallout stop either of them from using it, but something made them hold back.
Yes, who knows why all Democratic Senators don't use every tool they have. I can only guess that if they did, Congress would come to a standstill. But when you have a Hegseth or a Noam or a Bondi or a Kennedy nominated, they should have done everything in their power to stop these nominations from going forward.
Congress was already at a standstill via the repubs. They may have been giving trump the benefit of the doubt, when they should have been fighting him right out of the gate.
They are STILL acting like he is a legit president. Anyone who attacks their own people--or even residents of their country--deserves no facilitation.
Exactly. That’s also why the Senate has resolutely refused to nuke the filibuster despite the urging Presidents from both parties. These gentlemen (and ladies) probably have as their collective motto: “What goes around comes around.”
I hope "it" will come around asap for a certain president.
Actually Tillis said he would keep blocking confirmation hearings. Let’s hope he sticks to it.
I disagree. I believe one of the real problems with our government is the arcane rules that let one person or party bottle up the legislature. The filibuster first among them. It used to be norms or gentleman's agreements that stopped these procedures from being widely used, but now it's become standard procedure (albeit starting with the Republicans mucking up Obama's judicial nominations). We have a Senate and Congress that doesn't get anything done because it takes 60 votes.
The rules are arcane, no argument there. But once upon a time enough members of Congress concluded there were was a purpose for each rule and enacted it. We can't really know without going back and looking into the letislative histories of these things. Only Heather would have the patience for that! Yes, both parties have misused the filibuster, but also at times used it to good purpose. A lot depends on good faith, and that's in very short order today.
You used the term "norms" and "gentlemen" in your comment, Jeff. I don't see a lot of those on active duty in today's Congress, alas.
In response to your comment I had to bone up a little on the filibuster. It originated in the early 1800's and as originally conceived and practiced a member (or members) had to hold the floor by speaking as a means to delay legislation, Mr. Smith goes to Washington style. It's not in the Constitution. It was rarely used, except notably to hold up Civil Rights legislation in the 50's and 60's. So majority rule was the norm up until recently. A Senate majority passed legislation just as the founders intended and we did just fine for most of our history.
There was a change in 2010s(?) where any senator could basically say they filibuster without having to go through the speaking part and the Senate moves on. It takes 60 votes (cloture) to nullify it. Republicans broke the norm against using it when Obama was president and it became routine.
I don't know much, so I'd like to hear what Heather has to say as well.
Thanks for your reply and your research, Jeff. I'd be curious what legislation prompted the Senators to come up with this tactic in the 1800s. We all remember the valiant Jimmy Stewart--I mean Senator Jefferson Smith and his filibuster. Also Corey Booker's.
I don't know the legislative history of the filibuster, only know that even the Electoral College made some sense seen against its legislative history. (But maybe not enough sense to keep it today...)
There is nothing whose original positive purpose can't be perverted, I guess. Maybe Heather will shed more light on this one day. Thanks, Jeff.
Do you seriously want Trump to do everything Trump wants to do??? We're damn lucky to have that rule.
I think Trump has done and gotten everything he wants. There hasn't been much to stop him. The problem is that the rule stops most everything Democrats want to do when they have the majority.
Mary Trump is right when she says "too much and never enough." Trump is a sociopath. He's not finished and never will be. I'll take any rule that might stand in his way.
Thank heavens our Nazi regime is so incompetent and the world refuses to knuckle under even if American CEOs do (like the German CEOs did before them in the 1930s).
World leaders' opposition to our murderous president is hanging by a thread, they are claiming wait-and-see rights before doing the moral thing and condemning these crimes and taking some meaningful action. And yes, we're the biggest animal in the jungle, but we're not invincible. They could do a lot more.
But getting smaller by the day. Our national debt will eventually turn us into a deal animal. No one and no nation can survive on debt forever.
I don't see the world refusing to knuckle under; quite the opposite. Sanchez is newsworthy and noteworthy because he is the ONLY European leader to buck Trump on this. At best, the others are sounding wishy-washy, waiting to see how involved they might have to be as they get sucked into Trump and Netanayahu's aggression. The Brits and Cyprus, for instance. https://news.sky.com/story/defence-secretary-twice-declines-to-rule-out-britain-joining-strikes-on-iran-13515754
Yes: Sanchez, Warren, and my Man From Takoma are rockstars. As for Noem, that's one down, several more to go. Bring on Blondi!
Noem failed the first two tests for membership in tRump's inner circle club:
1. Will you lie for me? (Blaming tRump for anything especially if true.)
2. Will you go to jail for me? (Failing to lie to Congress while under oath.)
3. Will you never upstage me, or even try to, or even do it accidentally?
My version of 3 was "Totally loyal to tRump above all others."
There are so many options!
Unfortunately, this war is a win-win for the oligarchs and the administration. Endless, pointless war will destabilize west Asia and Europe. You think the refugee crisis is bad now? Wait a bit. The European neo-nazis are salivating.
Oil prices will, of course, go up. They already have. Qui bono? Our domestic fossil fuel magnates.
Trump and his fluffers love chaos. It hides their various grifts and offers all kinds of opportunities for short-term insider trading. When you know what's in tonight's Twitter storm, you know what to sell before the markets open tomorrow.
And Trump's beloved Putin is supplying intelligence to Iran!
And did I read Ukraine may help us in Iran with drones/interceptors? Zelensky sure is a big hearted guy. Or master tactician.
Hope Congress recalls this near-brawl moment before confirming Sen. Mullin:
https://www.complex.com/life/a/alex-ocho/video-bernie-sanders-stopping-brawl-senate-hearing
Yes kathleen, there are worse things in life than the absence of a college degree. Indeed as we see throughout our politics a degree even be it from the most prestigious school is not the deciding factor in matters of importance.
Consider this thought: both Iran and the attacks on boats in the Caribbean/Eastern Pacific tell us that Trump and Hegseth are like kids watching fireworks. It's all about the bangs and fireballs and missile launch flames. Considerations of human life or global consequences never enter into their enjoyment. That's why they cannot define the mission or the objectives. The end game is their pleasure in watching things blow up.
Yes, but what is the exit strategy? Leaving destruction in their wake, will they just (figureatively) pick up their marbles and go home, or will they just continue to rain destruction and misery interminably?
Desperate losers in life tryng to pull out a "win" with which they can soothe themselves. Hegseth's "arousal" is evident when he talks about war and especially when he discredits "rules of engagement" and dismisses the Geneva Convention. Disgusting and dangerous.
Mark Wayne Mullin is just another right wing sycophant. Not any better than Noem
Markwayne might even be worse. Not being the brightest bulb in the box, his abilities at running such a large agency well are going to be severely tested.
He's just a place-holder. Stephen Miller is the one running DHS.
It's convenient to assume this, but is there any real evidence?
You're kidding, right? Miller is the one calling out the numbers (quotas) for immigrant arrests, regardless of immigrant status. He is using the Project 2025 dicta to try to get rid of people with legal status who happen to not be white. He is all on board with the Heritage Foundation and its MAWA (Make American White Again) Christo-Nazi nonsense. He pushes the fire-ready-aim M.O. that causes after-the-fact court cases to stop illegal actions taken by this regime. I could go on. It's all there, as reported by credible sources.
Markwayne lacks some things that are far more important than a missing a bachelor’s degree(and he does have an associates). He lacks law enforcement experience(remember, DHS encompasses much more than ICE) and he lacks even temperament. He is a bantam rooster looking for a cockfight(which is why Trump likes him). He is apparently ”well-liked in the Senate” which probably means that he’ll cruise to confirmation. Please write your Senators, and tell them that just because Markwayne is not Kristi does not make him fit to be DHS secretary. We need a qualified nominee. Period.
Much as I prefer qualified people in important positions all along the only qualification has been loyalty to the dear leader. That's not going to change as long as Republicans have a majority in the Senate which has been proven over and over.
Indeed, but making the Senate and particularly Republicans own it is important….we are watching👀and we vote.
“This illegal war is based on lies and it was launched without any imminent threat to our nation.”
Sounds familiar
It does indeed sound familiar. In the last one, there were no weapons of mass destruction. Once again, we are being lied to. If we buy it, it's shame on us.
In a time of rampant corruption, criminal behavior, and cynicism by public figures, Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado is a north star, a beacon shining with humanity and clarity. I'm very thankful he helped bring down Noem. This is just the beginning of accountability coming for this regime.
Right on, Janete! I love Joe Neguse 💙
Ditto.
No apology, every morning I wake up, " Is IT "over" yet,?"
Bondi is on her way out—may the door slap her sorry butt on the way out. It will be lovely to see the back of Noem, so incompetent! She must have felt very safe, closet full of costumes. Whatever work she was living in, I’m happy she’s gone from ours.
Sanchez speaks like a leader. One with morals and intelligence. He deftly conveyed that Europe has a clear vision of the impossibility of dealing with a madman.
A problem is that Noem isn't out of the government. She will still be able to parade her costumes and attitudes in her new made-up position, and still do it on the taxpayer's dime.
While I doubt Markwayne will be much, if any better than Noem, I'll miss her.....about as much as I'll miss a toothache
Puppy murderer obviously a psychopath. It’s not only men. As we’re now seeing, there are women roaming around ‘that look’ perfectly harmless.
I seem to have one neighbor on my street I thought was
kind. That was a year ago. I’ll allow you to imagine my shock when I experienced otherwise. Deeply unsettling.
I’ll miss Kristi and her Annie Oakley getups. Did tax dollars pay for those, I wonder?