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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 1h

The thing is that Schumer and Jeffries are much more the people in control than anyone at the DNC.

Them and the donors (thanks, Cit U and the Supreme Court.)

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Reposted by Eric Blair

Michael Fletcher @mefletcher54.bsky.social · 2h

A short discussion on court reform:

Updating how SCOTUS is configured would be one of the most impactful reforms ever.
I have advocated limited 5-7 year terms with members being randomly drawn from the Appellate pool (of around 200) to which they return upon completion of their term. /1

Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 16h

Yes. And notably, FDR, to see the New Deal through, had to effectively destroy the Supreme Court majority.

The Lochner-era Court killed the beginnings of the New Deal (the National Recovery Admin, for ex) and FDR had to threaten to expand the Court to bring it to heel and do the New Deal.
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John Castiglione @johncastiglione.bsky.social · 23h

In fact, one gets the sense that FDR encountered his greatest resistance when the oligarchy realized he was quite serious about seeing the New Deal thru. That’s when the vitriol comes out most, ca. 1936, not in 1932 or immediately thereafter. Obama dodged get that fight, intentionally and tragically

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 8h

In actuality the problem is that the media was not harsh ENOUGH on Romney. The man was a serial, compulsive liar. (He had to be to run as a Republican.) What hurt Romney wasn’t his lying it was being an out of touch plutocrat.

If the media had dwelled on his lies, we might be less post-truth today.

Dan in Kansas City @daninkc.bsky.social · 15h

The media smeared Mitt Romney as Hitler. Then Republicans thought, well we might as well run Hitler.

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 10h

Do we have to do this really

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 10h

Ohhhhhhh loooord

Oliver Darcy @oliverdarcy.bsky.social · 12h

Scoop: Olivia Nuzzi has written a book during her year in exile, in which she is set to in part address her relationship with RFK Jr. Details in @status.news: www.status.news/p/olivia-nuz...

Have I Got Nuzzi For You

Olivia Nuzzi is set to address her relationship with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a forthcoming book, galleys of which are circulating among a select group of readers, Status has learned.

www.status.news

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 16h

*Loper Bright

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 16h

ah, to be explicit:

IMO the biggest tool in the Corrupt Roberts Court toolchest is separation of powers jurisprudence. That's Chevron, it's Seila Law, it's the made-up Questions Doctrine, it's overturning Humphrey's Executor. It's 'unitary executive' theory.

And we must beat it by Court reform.

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 16h

some have said that Blair-Obama liberalism meant a kind of elite disengagement from politics, where centrist-liberals felt like they didn't have to speak to anyone, didn't have to process criticism, didn't have to convince anyone outside the room.

Yes

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 16h

"destroyed by being criticized"

(In a way they had to hear)

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 16h

Big reform

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 16h

"In 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously declared that the NRA law was unconstitutional, ruling that it infringed the separation of powers under the United States Constitution."

Lol John Roberts, those are footsteps you hear. Your terrible Court is heading for reform.
cc @rauchway.bsky.social

National Recovery Administration - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 16h

Yes. And notably, FDR, to see the New Deal through, had to effectively destroy the Supreme Court majority.

The Lochner-era Court killed the beginnings of the New Deal (the National Recovery Admin, for ex) and FDR had to threaten to expand the Court to bring it to heel and do the New Deal.
1/2

John Castiglione @johncastiglione.bsky.social · 23h

In fact, one gets the sense that FDR encountered his greatest resistance when the oligarchy realized he was quite serious about seeing the New Deal thru. That’s when the vitriol comes out most, ca. 1936, not in 1932 or immediately thereafter. Obama dodged get that fight, intentionally and tragically

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 23h

Second after the setup

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 23h

“a city you can afford.” It’s his second sentence!

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 23h

Agree on both

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 23h

Also the WaPo Metro section got Youngkin elected—meaningfully changing a whole arc of our politics—and they deserve to be abandoned. I’ll never get over that.

Months after Youngkin’s election, once people learned about his actual policies, he became toxically unpopular. WaPo failed at their job

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 23h

true. Note story is from July. And it’s print circ not digital (which is also collapsing).

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 23h

He has a different mission than we do.
Was Col Allan proud of his tenure at the NY Post? Roger Ailes at Fox? Ruddy or Rees Mogg at Newsmax?

These guys are happy destroying things to get what they want (propaganda). right?

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Reposted by Eric Blair

Aaron Huertas @aaronhuertas.bsky.social · 1d

I’m in the newspaper with Julia Roberts.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/o...

In 2018, the Democratic strategist Aaron Huertas coined the term “reactionary centrism” to describe a style of politics that prides itself on even-handedness while being disproportionately obsessed with left-wing overreach. Always deployed as an epithet, “reactionary centrism” is overused by progressives to inoculate themselves from criticism. But it describes a real ethos — a loathing of wokeness so intense it led some elite former Democrats to support Donald Trump. “After the Hunt” brings reactionary centrism to prestige cinema.

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 23h

I couldn’t disagree more.

Mamdani first says democracy v oligarchy. Second, he ties it to affordability and cost of living. He connects the two ideas! Like @jenancona.bsky.social has been saying.

Anyone can do this. And it’s not just NYC. We are seeing how it works in Maine too.

Lionel Dripps @lioneldripps.bsky.social · 1d

I’m a huge fan of the Mamdani campaign but this does not prove or disprove that democracy vs oligarchy is a compelling frame. First, econ populists will say Mamdani has a relentless, authentic focus on cost of living. Second, Dems need to compete with very different electorates than in NYC.

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 1d

The first thing he talks about is democracy vs. oligarchy.

Tell us again that running on democracy is unpopular, quantbrain Dem consultants. Tell us how it “doesn’t work” and how it tests poorly.

Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 1d

In twelve days, New Yorkers will begin to cast their ballots and face a stark choice.

A choice between democracy and oligarchy. Between a city you can afford or more of the same. Between the hope of a brighter future or a broken past.

We will choose the future.

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Reposted by Eric Blair

The Editorial Board @editorialboard.bsky.social · 1d

No legal institution is going to hold Trump accountable for his crimes w/o enough political motivation to do so. That motivation can come only from the Dems, and only after they have abandoned the old “norms and institutions” view of justice. The Dems must embrace a growing desire for retribution.

The Editorial Board @editorialboard.bsky.social · 1d

Read my interview with @cjsprigman.bsky.social.

www.editorialboard.com/under-trump-...

Under Trump, there is no law. The people want payback

Forget accountability, says legal expert. Think retribution.

www.editorialboard.com

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 1d

And people in Allentown talking about affordability?

The anti-immigrant view from the center right has a lot of attraction for a certain sort of status quo centrist

Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 1d

people who are “self-censoring“ generally are cowards who cannot defend their own ideas (which are usually bad ideas).

Also when someone says “people self-censor” that is generally a proxy way to say that they themselves self-censor.

Robin Brooks @robin-j-brooks.bsky.social • 1d The US is huge. Easy to forget that Trump's
immigration crackdown is popular in many places. You don't hear about that much, because people self-censor amid all the name-calling. But I was reminded of this earlier this week while travelling through the US. This is what lost the Dems the
election...
350
Obama : Trump : Biden : Trump
Southwest land border encounters, in '000s 300 -
Arrests made by ICE; in '000s
ICE detainees released for removal, in '000s
250
200
150
-
100 Jan
'13 Jan
'17
Jan:
'21 Jan
'25
50
in Aug
0
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

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Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 1d

That said I think a decent amount of Yglesias’ work is good. its the strategic positioning around power, as he expresses in this quote, that is the worst part

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