James Downie
LightNews LightNews
jamescdownie.bsky.social
James Downie
@jamescdownie.bsky.social
9.3K followers 710 following 2.4K posts
Columnist and editor at MS NOW (formerly MSNBC). WGAE member. Ex-Washington Post Opinions. DC born and raised. D.C. United and Montreal Canadiens fan.

[email protected]; jdow.92 on Signal
Posts Replies Media Videos
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Of all the things no one could have predicted, this is the most not predictable thing: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/b...
But a different reality is being whispered about in the power corridors of Riyadh and Wall Street: The kingdom’s vaunted Public Investment Fund, which Saudi Arabia has typically used to fulfill commitments like the one it made this week in Washington, is running low on cash for new investments. That’s in large part because Prince Mohammed and his deputies have spent a vast portion of the nation’s bounty on projects that are in financial distress, and they are frantically trying to turn things around, according to 11 people briefed on its operations, including current employees, board members, investors and their representatives.
November 20, 2025 at 8:02 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
But I was told Democrats had a "purity test" problem!
NPR/PBS/Marist Poll: Americans More Likely to Perceive Republicans as More Closed-Minded than Democrats When discussing politics with Republicans, 60% of Americans say members of the GOP are mostly closed-minded rather than mostly open-minded (39%). However, Americans divide about whether Democrats are mostly open-minded (51%) or mostly closed-minded (48%) when discussing politics. Among independents, 69% say Republicans are mostly closed-minded when having political discussions. A majority of independents (53%) think Democrats demonstrate a more open-minded approach to political discourse than a closed-minded (46%) one.
November 19, 2025 at 2:19 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
NPR/PBS/Marist poll (Nov. 10-13, ±3.1%):

– Dems up 14% on the generic ballot
– First "notable advantage" for Dems in this survey in over three years.
– Among independents, Democrats lead 61-28!

Likely an outlier, but what an outlier: maristpoll.marist.edu/polls/a-look...
NPR/PBS/Marist poll (Nov. 10-13, ±3.1%) Generic ballot question 55% for Democrats 41% for Republicans 3% other 1% unsure
November 19, 2025 at 2:13 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Hey, I've seen this movie before.

(source: www.cnbc.com/2025/11/13/f...)
New foreclosures jump 20% in October, a sign of more distress in the housing market
November 14, 2025 at 4:03 AM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Replying to @gtconway.bsky.social, Todd Blanche claims that when he interviewed Maxwell, he "didn’t have the materials Epstein’s estate hid for years and only just provided to Congress."

I guess we're supposed to think poor lil' Todd is powerless here...
Todd Blanche: George, you’ve never been confused for a trial lawyer, and these kinds of posts explain why. When I interviewed Maxwell, law enforcement didn’t have the materials Epstein’s estate hid for years and only just provided to Congress. Stop talking. It’s unbecoming."
November 13, 2025 at 3:27 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
The fact that Dems *won* the midterm elections reportedly made the defecting senators more anxious to make a deal.

I don't even know what to say anymore.

www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/d...
One source described the private caucus meetings around this time as "40 Democrats saying Why would we cave now? We're winning, politically.'" Democrats who were quietly skittish about the party's strategy throughout the ;hutdown - such as Sen. Gary Peters, D- Mich. -spoke up in front of colleagues about the upside of holding firm. Peters eventually floated the idea of a one-year extension for the Obamacare subsidies. sources told MSNBC Only that renewed political confidence also fueled some fears. Moderate Democrats worried their party may be overreacting to the results - overreaching, according to a source close to the negotiations. If Democrats actually intended to hold out for a substantive deal on the subsidies. this shutdown could drag on for weeks more. Shaheen, King and Hassan - "the big three,'" in the words of one source - felt they needed to make progress on a deal. Fast.
November 13, 2025 at 2:17 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Mark Epstein sent this to his brother on Oct. 13 2016, in the middle of multiple women accusing Trump of sexual misconduct:
From: Mark L. Epstein Sent: 10/13/2016 To: 'jeffrey E.' Subject: "FW: Emailing - Trump 1_trump.pdf"
November 12, 2025 at 6:50 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
"Subject: Trump"

"Importance: High"

"The allegation was not at a pedophile party. It was at my house with me."
From: "paul krassner" Sent: 2/16/2017 Subject: Trump Importance: High On Feb 1, 2017, at 7:39 am, jeffrey e wrote: "The allegation was not at a pedophile party. It was at my house with me." to what wording would you suggest I change that?
November 12, 2025 at 6:21 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Fwiw: Google searches for "$2000 refund," "DOGE dividend" etc explode whenever Trump mentions them -- usually before the local news segments hit.

There are similar patterns with things he doesn't talk about, such as new "stimulus checks." People are struggling and looking for any rumored windfall.
Google Trends chart for "2000 refund" Google Trends chart for "Stimulus Check Status"
November 12, 2025 at 5:40 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
New AP-NORC survey (11/6-11/10, ±3.8%) : "Approval of the way President Donald Trump is managing the government has dropped sharply since early in his second term, according to a new AP-NORC poll, with much of the rising discontent coming from fellow Republicans." apnews.com/article/trum...
AP-NORC poll: "Trump approval drops on managing government" Percent of US adults who approve of how Trump is managing the federal government: November: 33%; March 43% Among Republicans, 68% now, 81% in March Among Independents: 25% now, 38% in March
November 12, 2025 at 4:59 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
This video placement is *chef's kiss*
“The President was not sleeping; in fact, he spoke throughout and took many questions from the press during this announcement which represents a historic reduction in prices for Americans on two drugs that help Americans struggling with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and other conditions,” spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said [to the Washington Post] in a statement. [The Post then inserts a video of the president looking very sleepy]
November 8, 2025 at 7:14 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
FHFA director Bill Pulte "appointed Mark Zarkin, a Michigan restaurateur and prominent Detroit-area Trump supporter, as a consultant."

In 1999, Zarkin "pleaded no contest to a felony sex crime involving a sexual encounter with a 'mentally incapacitated' woman."
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Court records reviewed by Reuters show that Zarkin pleaded no contest to an attempted third-degree sexual conduct charge in Macomb County, Michigan, in 1999. The plea followed a case in which investigators found Zarkin’s DNA during a “pelvic examination” of a woman, not yet of drinking age, who had been “mentally incapacitated” by alcohol and Valium, according to the records. In 2000, Zarkin was sentenced to eight months in jail and three years’ probation, and ordered to register as a sex offender. After he served his sentence and spent nine years on the sex-offender registry, Zarkin’s lawyer successfully petitioned the state court to vacate the conviction, arguing that his continued listing on the sex registry was excessive, according to the records. The attorney argued that Zarkin, when he agreed to his plea deal, hadn’t realized he would remain on the registry for so long. Court records from the plea deal show that registering as an offender was an explicit part of Zarkin’s plea agreement. The 2009 court order vacating the conviction gave no reason for the decision. Legal experts expressed surprise at the ruling afterward and said it was unusual, nearly a decade after such a conviction, for a court to vacate it.
November 8, 2025 at 7:12 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
This is more or less the deal that, just a couple days ago, a number of political reporters swore Democrats were definitely close to agreeing to.

It's pretty clear where that spin came from -- and who got played by it. www.politico.com/live-updates...
Politico: "Senate Majority Leader John Thune told fellow Republicans in a private lunch that he plans to hold a vote Friday that could pave the way to end the government shutdown, according to two people in the room who were granted anonymity to describe his comments. The plan, the people said, is to bring up the House-passed continuing resolution that Democrats have repeatedly rejected and then seek to amend it with a new expiration date very likely in January as well as a negotiated package of three full-year spending bills."
November 6, 2025 at 9:29 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Sam Altman would like to clarify his CFO's "we do not want a government bailout" t-shirt.
"I would like to clarify a few things. First, the obvious one: we do not have or want government guarantees for OpenAI datacenters. We believe that governments should not pick winners or losers, and that taxpayers should not bail out companies that make bad business decisions or otherwise lose in the market. If one company fails, other companies will do good work."
November 6, 2025 at 7:30 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
I am begging political reporters to stop treating this guy, who doesn't realize the midterms started the day after the 2024 election, like some political savant.

(Source: politicalwire.com/2025/11/05/e...)
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day November 5, 2025 at 11:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 66 Comments “The midterms start tonight and the warning signs are flashing.” — Steve Bannon, on his podcast.
November 5, 2025 at 6:33 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
(Now with alt text)
"'Pennsylvania voters retain three Democratic Supreme Court justices' –Alexandra Marquez Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht all won their retention elections tonight, NBC News projects. The three Democrats were first elected in 2015, shifting the balance of the court at the time from a Republican majority to a Democratic majority. Following tonight's election, Dougherty and Wecht will remain on the court for ten more years, while Donohue will serve until 2027, when she's set to hit the mandatory retirement age for justices of 75. Democrats, including Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin and Gov. Josh Shapiro, barnstormed Pennsylvania on the justices' behalf leading up to Election Day."
November 5, 2025 at 1:45 AM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
NBC projects all three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices will keep their seats. Republicans had hoped to oust them and undercut Dems' majority on the court.

Obviously, that didn't work. www.nbcnews.com/politics/ele...
November 5, 2025 at 1:44 AM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
A moment of silence, please, for the "young men are all MAGA now" narrative.

(Source: www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...)
Spanberger v. Earle-Sears exit poll Men 18-29: Spanberger 56%; Earle-Sears 42%
November 5, 2025 at 1:18 AM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Just to be clear, neither Trump’s hand-picked FBI Director, the CIA nor military counterintelligence want Tulsi Gabbard anywhere near their counterintelligence operations.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...
The F.B.I. informed Congress last week that it "strongly" opposed a proposal to make the Office f rhe Director of National Intelligence the lead counterintelligence agency for the federal government, bringing into public view a rift among top national security officials. The disclosure, made in a pointed and unusual letter obtained by The New York Times, underscored the broader concern other agencies, including the F.B.I., over a House billthat would empower Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, o, play a more prominent role in counterintelligence issues.
October 29, 2025 at 9:29 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Ah, they're "disconcerted" -- that's okay then.

(thehill.com/homenews/sen...)
The Hill: "GOP senators disconcerted by possible $230M Justice Department payout to Trump"
October 24, 2025 at 2:07 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Earlier this week, Sen. Jim Justice threw his dog a birthday party amid the government shutdown.

He didn't tell attendees that the IRS recently filed a tax lien against him, with one document listing "more than $8 million in unpaid assessments." www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
The IRS recently filed notices of a federal tax lien against Republican Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia — the latest example of ongoing financial troubles that have trailed the former governor, members of his family and their network of businesses over the years. One of the documents from the IRS — obtained by POLITICO — lists Justice and his wife, Cathy, as having a total balance of more than $8 million in unpaid assessments
October 18, 2025 at 5:28 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
NYT focus group: "Do you think JD Vance would be a good next leader of the party?" "1 person raised a hand."
October 18, 2025 at 3:50 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
"It was unclear why Admiral Holsey is leaving now, less than a year into his tenure...

But one of the U.S. officials...said that Admiral Holsey had raised concerns about the mission and the attacks on the alleged drug boats." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/u...
NYT: "Head of the U.S. Military’s Southern Command Is Stepping Down, Officials Say Adm. Alvin Holsey is leaving less than a year into his tenure, and as the Pentagon escalates attacks against boats in the Caribbean Sea."
October 16, 2025 at 8:26 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
In 1948, the GOP-controlled Congress spent 109 days in session, a post-WW2 low. They lost both chambers that fall.

Under Mike Johnson, the House has been in session just 20 days of the last 103. And staying home isn't working any better for him. My latest for MSNBC: www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
Concerns about Congress’ shrinking role in running the country long predate Johnson and the rest of this generation of congressional leaders, on both sides. But just 20 days in session in more than three months is an astonishingly small number — a rate of less than 80 days in session in a calendar year. The lowest since World War II, for comparison, was the 80th Congress, which had 109 days in session in 1948. But unlike this 119th Congress, the “Do Nothing” Congress (as President Harry Truman famously deemed it) had two excuses. First, it was in opposition to the sitting president, limiting the chances for legislation. Second, 1948 was an election year, and Congress typically spends less time in session when its members are campaigning. Just as the White House has been sending mixed messages — alternating between blaming Democrats for the shutdown and using it to fire thousands of federal employees — Johnson’s “stay home” approach has undercut his talking points. It’s difficult to argue that he is serious about swiftly reopening the government when his caucus is spread out around the country. Instead, Democrats seem to be winning the messaging war. The Washington Post reports, “The White House and a growing number of congressional Republicans are worried that Democrats’ demand to boost Obamacare as part of any bill to reopen the government is proving salient with voters — including their own.” Speaking of Obamacare, by keeping the House away, Johnson has hurt efforts to deal with expiring subsidies for plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. “That’s a Dec. 31 issue,” Johnson insisted last week. But that timeline is misleading. “While the enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025, the start of open enrollment is around the corner on Nov. 1,” says Miranda Yaver of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. If lawmakers don’t agree on a fix before the end of the year, it will be weeks after “marketplace insurers have submitted their initial premium rate proposals, suggesting dramatic premium increases faced by marketplace enrollees.” Without a fix to the subsidies soon, millions of people will be deciding in November whether to pay more next year or forgo coverage altogether. For them, a Dec. 31 deal would come far too late. As for the Epstein files, Johnson’s effort here seems especially futile. Clearly, neither the White House nor Republicans in Congress want a vote on releasing the files (though even if the bill passes the House, it will certainly die in the Senate). But efforts to derail the discharge petition seem to have failed, and at some point — whether for the ACA subsidies or some other legislation — the House will have to come back. By delaying Grijalva’s swearing-in, Johnson only deepens suspicions that the White House is hiding something.
October 14, 2025 at 7:49 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Mike Johnson: It's Obama's fault that we can't repeal Obamacare.
Jake Sherman: "JOHNSON this AM: 'Can we completely repeal and replace Obamacare? Many of us are skeptical about that now, because the roots are so deep, it was really sinister, the way it was created. I believe Obamacare was created to implode upon itself, to collapse upon itself.'”
October 13, 2025 at 4:12 PM