Author | Lightnews

halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 11h

Did they overlook what has been going on at the state level? The gerrymandering & voter suppression in red states, IMO, means there wasn't a fully functional democracy to begin with. That, plus the complete capitulation of the GOP, plus the right wing concentration of media & soc media.

halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 11h

Sort of like gerrymandering the media, isn't it?

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 11h

So you could listen to the rambling old fool with a history of lying and incompetence, or ask a doctor who has relevant education, experience, and an oath to do his/her best for the patient. Not a hard choice, surely.

halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 14h

Excellent! Give that guy $50k, a gun, a vest and let's go beat on some brown people. Your tax dollars at work.

halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 14h

Since Johnson doesn't seem to have any interest in doing his job, why does he still have the position? "Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days..." doesn't sound like it's ok to take a couple of months off.

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 15h

I think he's partly right - there's too much apathy, & I hope he's right that it's dissipating. There's also a real problem with the firehose of disinformation & the constant lying of every GOP in Congress. Overcoming the gerrymandering & suppression will take a massive effort. Tell the story!

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 15h

Buchenwald on the Great Salt Lake. Buchenwald included some sub-camps that were privately owned, the inmates often used as slave labor in for-profit enterprises. Didn't think this history was something you'd want to emulate, but here it is, coming to a state near you.

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 16h

I keep coming back to GW Bush after Trump's first inauguration: "That was some weird shit." Every day, every member of the Trump 2.0 entourage, it's more of Bush's "weird shit", whether excreted from a plane or on Signal. BTW, texts are official govt coms, right? So disappearing them isn't right.

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 17h

What a great time to be a DOJ lawyer.

halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 17h

"Classy"? I think you're right about the clientele, though.

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 18h

One of the results of the Republican bill passed in the Republican House is to more than double health care premiums under the ACA. Another is to push millions of Americans off Medicaid. Democrats are trying to stop this. Duffy lies, Trump parties; these people are not here for YOU, America.

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 18h

I think it's more vicious than stupid. It causes the victims stress and expense, and it gets Trump publicity on the public's dime, so it's a win-win for him. T believes any publicity is better than no publicity.

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 18h

Sway public opinion with a TV ad? What a novel approach. But the best part is a Republican accusing Reagan (the entire ad is his words in his voice) of conducting psy ops against the American people. Bessent is just not good at this. Neither is Welker.

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 1d

Just trying to rile up his cult. And "documents show" - lying as usual.

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 1d

Yup.

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 1d

Who's going to tell him? Fox?

halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 1d

Sue him again. The ad used Reagan's words in Reagan's voice, from a speech that is in the public domain.

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 1d

It's not really insidious - it's blatant. And the GOP is enabling it. This should be disqualifying in the next several elections until they decide they will represent their constituents, instead of their donors. Election funding reform is desperately needed.

halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 1d

The essence of a tariff economy is how much you can get for the exemptions.

halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 1d

I'm guessing they didn't enjoy the first one. Go Jays!

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 1d

If it gets to court. I'm anticipating a summary judgement, in which the judge recognizes there is no case to be tried and dismisses right off the bat (which is what will prob happen in the Comey/James cases if they don't get Halligan DQed).

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 1d

As in so many things, Trump wants the announcement, the headline, and to make a problem for the people who have to defend themselves. He has no interest in prosecuting crime - he knows there's no crime - it's all about the show & causing trouble to people he hates.

halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 1d

The real question is who writes the book. Tapper? Woodward? Habberman?

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 2d

Are the voters paying attention? It blows my mind that Trump got elected with the popular vote, and the GOP got both houses. The do nothing Congress under McCarthy & then Johnson wasn't obvious enough?

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halfbackjack @halfbackjack.bsky.social · 2d

I don't think they're that stupid, politically, which is why they want to quiz him (in cte) in camera. He'll refuse that to deny them the ability to misrepresent his testimony. In court, it's hard to see how it would get past opening statements.

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