Sean Casten
@seancasten.bsky.social
U.S. Representative, IL-06. Personal account. Dad. Husband. Trained as an engineer, 16 years as a clean energy CEO, now in middle management. For official stuff see @casten.house.gov
Profiles in Sycophancy, Chapter 21. Mike Johnson gets his second award for waking up today and choosing to dress like this. (Although who's to say these aren't also his pajamas?)
December 1, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Profiles in Sycophancy, Chapter 21. Mike Johnson gets his second award for waking up today and choosing to dress like this. (Although who's to say these aren't also his pajamas?)
Our Constitution gives us 3 coequal branches that are intended to serve as a check and balance on the other.
All you need to know about Mike Johnson's fealty to that Constitution is that he chooses to dress like a cheerleader.
All you need to know about Mike Johnson's fealty to that Constitution is that he chooses to dress like a cheerleader.
December 1, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Our Constitution gives us 3 coequal branches that are intended to serve as a check and balance on the other.
All you need to know about Mike Johnson's fealty to that Constitution is that he chooses to dress like a cheerleader.
All you need to know about Mike Johnson's fealty to that Constitution is that he chooses to dress like a cheerleader.
Madison, writing to Jefferson about the decision to allocate Senators by state rather than population. Prescient as always...
November 29, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Madison, writing to Jefferson about the decision to allocate Senators by state rather than population. Prescient as always...
Bottom line: the Trump WH, along with Major Pete are not doing this because it is legal, or because it will save American lives. They are doing it because their poll numbers are tanking and they are inhumane enough to see killing foreigners as a useful distraction.
November 29, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Bottom line: the Trump WH, along with Major Pete are not doing this because it is legal, or because it will save American lives. They are doing it because their poll numbers are tanking and they are inhumane enough to see killing foreigners as a useful distraction.
If you want a good summary of the legal issues, this is a good overview. But even before this horrific attack, it's an open question whether any of these strikes were legal. www.execfunctions.org/p/a-dishonor...
November 29, 2025 at 3:02 PM
If you want a good summary of the legal issues, this is a good overview. But even before this horrific attack, it's an open question whether any of these strikes were legal. www.execfunctions.org/p/a-dishonor...
2nd in line to the Presidency, Speaker of the House of Representatives and he thinks the coolest thing about his job is he got to go to a football game.
November 26, 2025 at 10:02 PM
2nd in line to the Presidency, Speaker of the House of Representatives and he thinks the coolest thing about his job is he got to go to a football game.
One of many tragedies here is that the states that are seeing the fastest rate increases are in the central part of the country where historic reliance on coal and a political fear of change have the potential to conspire and make this much worse.
November 25, 2025 at 1:55 PM
One of many tragedies here is that the states that are seeing the fastest rate increases are in the central part of the country where historic reliance on coal and a political fear of change have the potential to conspire and make this much worse.
There are complicated, structural reasons for the recent surge in electric prices (maybe a future thread on that) and beware of simple narratives. But prioritizing the most expensive generation is, quite literally, the dumbest possible solution.
November 25, 2025 at 1:44 PM
There are complicated, structural reasons for the recent surge in electric prices (maybe a future thread on that) and beware of simple narratives. But prioritizing the most expensive generation is, quite literally, the dumbest possible solution.
Once again: the House GOP has not passed a full appropriations package since Kevin McCarthy became speaker (and Biden was POTUS). Their failure to fulfill the basic functions of Congress didn't start with Trump. He just weaponized their inherent meekness.
November 24, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Once again: the House GOP has not passed a full appropriations package since Kevin McCarthy became speaker (and Biden was POTUS). Their failure to fulfill the basic functions of Congress didn't start with Trump. He just weaponized their inherent meekness.
Then this today in Punchbowl. Republicans are angry that the White House is "treating them like garbage". You can't act like you aren't worthy of any respect and then complain that you don't get respected. They are reaping what they sowed. (2/2)
November 24, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Then this today in Punchbowl. Republicans are angry that the White House is "treating them like garbage". You can't act like you aren't worthy of any respect and then complain that you don't get respected. They are reaping what they sowed. (2/2)
I've long maintained that the Democratic party tolerates criticism of Israel as long as it doesn't trip into anti-semitism. The Republican party tolerates anti-semitism as long as it doesn't trip into criticism of Israel. And here we are.
November 21, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I've long maintained that the Democratic party tolerates criticism of Israel as long as it doesn't trip into anti-semitism. The Republican party tolerates anti-semitism as long as it doesn't trip into criticism of Israel. And here we are.
This is encouraging from a consumer perspective and depressing from an industrial perspective. Consumers keep favoring cheap energy - and Trump's policies are driving the investment in the underlying technologies outside of our borders. www.cleaninvestmentmonitor.org/reports/q3-2...
November 20, 2025 at 3:36 PM
This is encouraging from a consumer perspective and depressing from an industrial perspective. Consumers keep favoring cheap energy - and Trump's policies are driving the investment in the underlying technologies outside of our borders. www.cleaninvestmentmonitor.org/reports/q3-2...
Once again:
We had an amendment to strip the Seditioning Senate Stimulus provision in the House but GOP leadership blocked it, agreeing instead to pass a standalone bill that Thune had no obligation nor desire to take up. Faced with the opportunity to lead, Johnson cowered.
We had an amendment to strip the Seditioning Senate Stimulus provision in the House but GOP leadership blocked it, agreeing instead to pass a standalone bill that Thune had no obligation nor desire to take up. Faced with the opportunity to lead, Johnson cowered.
November 19, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Once again:
We had an amendment to strip the Seditioning Senate Stimulus provision in the House but GOP leadership blocked it, agreeing instead to pass a standalone bill that Thune had no obligation nor desire to take up. Faced with the opportunity to lead, Johnson cowered.
We had an amendment to strip the Seditioning Senate Stimulus provision in the House but GOP leadership blocked it, agreeing instead to pass a standalone bill that Thune had no obligation nor desire to take up. Faced with the opportunity to lead, Johnson cowered.
Mike Johnson doesn't stand up to Trump because he takes his oath seriously, or that he fights for Congressional prerogatives in the Constitution. He does it because he senses that his own personal politics depend on creating distance from Trump.
November 18, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Mike Johnson doesn't stand up to Trump because he takes his oath seriously, or that he fights for Congressional prerogatives in the Constitution. He does it because he senses that his own personal politics depend on creating distance from Trump.
So here’s a really fascinating thing in energy news today. According to PJM, the only thing better at meeting grid short-term power needs than load-sited demand reduction “DR” is nuclear. This is a really BFD. www.pjm.com/-/media/DotC...
November 18, 2025 at 3:25 PM
So here’s a really fascinating thing in energy news today. According to PJM, the only thing better at meeting grid short-term power needs than load-sited demand reduction “DR” is nuclear. This is a really BFD. www.pjm.com/-/media/DotC...
1. For every problem I'm about to flag, I have introduced legislation or amendments to existing legislation to fix. In every case, they have been opposed by the Republicans and the crypto industry. Thus this paragraph. If you make crime legal, is it still crime?
November 17, 2025 at 2:47 PM
1. For every problem I'm about to flag, I have introduced legislation or amendments to existing legislation to fix. In every case, they have been opposed by the Republicans and the crypto industry. Thus this paragraph. If you make crime legal, is it still crime?
And so now here are the things that aren't getting investigated while Trump & Miller chase their racist fantasies. Child predators, terrorists and human traffickers can't believe their good fortune.
November 16, 2025 at 2:40 PM
And so now here are the things that aren't getting investigated while Trump & Miller chase their racist fantasies. Child predators, terrorists and human traffickers can't believe their good fortune.
The statistics here are unambiguous, and always have been. Immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native born Americans and undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than documented immigrants. WHICH IS ENTIRELY UNSURPRISING!
November 16, 2025 at 2:32 PM
The statistics here are unambiguous, and always have been. Immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native born Americans and undocumented immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than documented immigrants. WHICH IS ENTIRELY UNSURPRISING!
A sundowning old man in Washington DC is blasting show tunes and typing unintelligible garbage on the internet. Make of that what you will.
November 15, 2025 at 4:01 AM
A sundowning old man in Washington DC is blasting show tunes and typing unintelligible garbage on the internet. Make of that what you will.
You can see this in state level data as well. The best predictor that you're going to get shot is that you live in a state with a lot of guns.
November 14, 2025 at 4:52 PM
You can see this in state level data as well. The best predictor that you're going to get shot is that you live in a state with a lot of guns.
And unfortunately the best law enforcement officer we have available to lead this case has a conflict of interest.
November 14, 2025 at 4:46 PM
And unfortunately the best law enforcement officer we have available to lead this case has a conflict of interest.
2. There's not much to it. The FBI performed "preliminary toll analysis" on 8 Senators and 1 Representative (Kelly)
November 14, 2025 at 1:32 PM
2. There's not much to it. The FBI performed "preliminary toll analysis" on 8 Senators and 1 Representative (Kelly)
…that is exactly what Exxon Mobil is arguing as they ask the SEC to grant their board the power to vote on behalf of all of their other shareholders. www.sec.gov/files/corpfi...
November 13, 2025 at 4:17 PM
…that is exactly what Exxon Mobil is arguing as they ask the SEC to grant their board the power to vote on behalf of all of their other shareholders. www.sec.gov/files/corpfi...
Trump spent his first Thanksgiving after getting elected President with Jeffrey Epstein. 2017.
November 13, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Trump spent his first Thanksgiving after getting elected President with Jeffrey Epstein. 2017.
This is performative BS, as the Senate has no obligation to take it up. The leverage was to strip this bill in the underlying text last night at rules but Republicans refused to do so. Johnson is trying to do some CYA but he isn't fooling anyone.
November 12, 2025 at 8:41 PM
This is performative BS, as the Senate has no obligation to take it up. The leverage was to strip this bill in the underlying text last night at rules but Republicans refused to do so. Johnson is trying to do some CYA but he isn't fooling anyone.