Open Thread

What’s on your mind?

Comments

[Kazinski]

Local news is reporting that Tim Walz will drop out of the 2026 governors race tomorrow.

"Gov. Tim Walz is likely to announce on Monday that he will drop out of the 2026 governor's race, political insider Blois Olson reports, citing sources.
The governor has faced heavy criticism from President Trump and Republican opponents over his handling of the state's fraud cases.
Walz has scheduled an 11 a.m. news conference to "discuss the news of the day."

https://www.fox9.com/news/gov-walz-likely-drop-out-2026-mn-governors-race-report

[Frank Drackman]

He's going to literally "Waltz" away, like he did with the National Guard when he finally had to "do something" (HT I. Omar)

[Dr. Ed 2]

From what I hear, he is looking at possible personal criminal liability for what could be up to $1 trillion theft, if not even more. Reportedly there’s a long history of state whistleblowers, honest Minnesota state employees, complaining about this stuff, people whom he silenced. If that’s true, it’s gonna be way worse than Watergate ever could’ve been.
The feds are also boots on ground in Maine and I suspect also in Massachusetts chasing down similar fraud in Somali charities.

[santamonica811]

More than a trillion! A gajillion!!!

[Frank Drackman]

A kajillion bajillion!! Or I start destroying cities.

[Kazinski]

Slight exaggeration, it was only enough to end Tim Walz's political career.

[Bwaaah]

Half a gajillion!

[Dr. Ed 2]

Am I the only one who can see him with a tampon hanging from each ear?

[David Nieporent]

Yes.

[hobie]

Cue Doctor Evil.

[David Nieporent]

From what I hear,

You did not "hear" that. You read it on some lunatic MAGA twitter account, or you just fabricated it. He is not looking at any criminal liability, and the entire state budget for all the years Walz has been governor combined is only about a quarter of a trillion. And if it were true — which of course it is not — it would not be a trillionth as bad as Watergate actually was.

The feds are also boots on ground in Maine

"Boots on ground!" I love when Dr. Ed uses things he heard on Hollywood police dramas to make himself think he sounds sophisticated. ("Perps" is another of his favorites.)

[Sarcastr0]

Tons of Dems sources saying Walz is announcing he's not running for reelection today.

Dunno his motives. Certainly the MAGA push didn't establish any connection with his actions. Though they did target his family.

A scalp's a scalp to these people.

[Frank Drackman]

Mr. Campbell, who cares?

[Malika la Maize]

I can’t imagine hating a guy like Walz. Being disappointed, sure, but hating?

[Brett Bellmore]

I admit that for outstaters he comes across as more pathetic than hateful. I suspect that's just a product of unfamiliarity, you don't get that high up the political food chain without giving somebody cause to hate you.

Certainly hasn't given me any cause to hate him, but then I'd have a hard time naming anybody I actually hate.

[not guilty]

"Certainly hasn't given me any cause to hate him, but then I'd have a hard time naming anybody I actually hate."

Not even Hillary Clinton?

[Swede425]

He's so fluffy and cuddly.
Don't you just wanna hug him?
I mean, when he's not busy being a Man's Man.
Or ignoring fraud.

[DDHarriman]

To this clown Walz stepping down is entirely unrelated to the Somalia fraud he enabled and protected.

Smart thinking Sarcast0 - just like a typical big-brained govie

After all that's what govies are known for, their intellect.

[Riva]

Where would you be without projection? Political violence is a trademark of the left. I don't think I need to repost the victims' names again now do I, little communist girl that never smiled?

And to the staple of projection we can add deranged, irrational reflexive opposition to everything Trump, although TDS is an illness that affects both parties in various degrees.

[Bob from Ohio]

"Though they did target his family."

Oh? Give some examples.

[Commenter_XY]

It was the bad vibes.

[Joe_dallas]

David Nieporent 1 hour ago
"You did not "hear" that. You read it on some lunatic MAGA twitter account, or you just fabricated it."

Fabricated ? - He gave the link

[Drewski]

Are you on some sort of hallucinogen?

[Joe_dallas]

Kaz provided a link to his source.
Crazy Dave 's statement was dead wrong.
Your comment likewise is wrong, inane and non relevant.
Try to provide a substantive comment

[David Nieporent]

Kaz provided a link to his source.
Crazy Dave 's statement was dead wrong.

Are you just really really stupid? I was responding to Dr. Ed., not Kaz. You can tell because (a) there are dotted lines on the side of the comments that show what the response is to;¹ (b) I quoted some words that I was responding to, and they came from Dr. Ed's post, not Kaz's; and (c) I actually used Dr. Ed's name in my comment.

¹At least until one gets nested too many levels deep, which this wasn't.

[Zarniwoop]

…and DN was not replying to Kaz. He was replying to Grampa Ed. Because Grampa Ed was making his typical delusional claims.

By, y’know, directly quoting Grampa Ed.

Reading is fundamental, folks.

[Magister]

One should add that in any case Dr. Ed 2 did not hear that Walz faces criminal liability from the link Kazinski provided.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Dr. Ed wrote POSSIBLE criminal liability based on reports of him silencing state whistleblower. Can you say “violation of civil rights under the color of law”???

Disagree with the argument on the merits, if you can — or not. Childish attacks on me personally are nothing but childish.

[David Nieporent]

Can you say “violation of civil rights under the color of law”???

I can say it. You can say it. Donald Duck can't say it. But what does it have to do with the discussion?

[Dr. Ed 2]

Can you say 18USC 242?

[not guilty]

What does that statute have to do with this discussion?

Whose rights have been violated?

By whom while acting under color of law?

By what action(s) or failure to act?

And what authorit(ies) indicate that the conduct in question violates "clearly established" rights for purposes of United States v. Lanier, 520 U.S. 259, 270-272 (1997)?

[Michael P]

Well, now we know that when Dems say "Minnesota nice" they mean "tacit enabler/partner in billion-dollar frauds".

[Malika la Maize]

Is enabling like pardoning?

[Michael P]

No, enabling happens in advance, you ignoramus.

[dwb68]

If the fraud in Minnesota is this large, it has to be 50 times larger in California

[Sarcastr0]

Vibes begetting vibes.

In a similar vein, do you think Trump went into Venezuela to get at the Dominion voting data there?

[Michael P]

Sarc apparently gets quite the thrill from being a giant vibe-rater.

A small team of prosecutors has convicted almost 100 people (so far) over hundreds of millions in fraud in just the meal-provision fraud. Minnesota had substantiated reports of fraud in day care from 2014 and 2018, just like those for the meal providers in 2020 and 2021. Other programs have the same red flags that pointed to that fraud. So does California. For example, California's state auditor just released a report detailing over $70 billion of what I understand Dems call "waste, fraud and abuse".

[Joe_dallas]

but but but vibes

Being a leftist, Sarcastro has stated he is in favor of continuing programs that are rife with fraud.

[Sarcastr0]

"it has to be 50 times larger in California" is vibes. Even you should see that.

Understanding that 100% fraud reduction is an impossible and counterproductive goal is pretty elementary program management. You're just too unserious to bother thinking about it for even a moment.

[Brett Bellmore]

Sure, we understand that it's impossible to have a government subsidized daycare program, and not have the occasional daycare exaggerating a little how many children they take care of.

It IS, however, possible to have a government subsidized daycare program, and not have numerous 'daycares' that exist only on paper. So, why would we tolerate it?

[Joe_dallas]

https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/the-tim-walz-of-labor-zohran-mamdani-taps-julie-su-biden-labor-secretary-tied-to-31b-california-fraud-for-top-nyc-post/

Zohran Mamdani Taps Biden Labor Secretary Who Presided Over Mass Fraud in California for Top NYC Post
Julie Su oversaw California’s labor agency as $31 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims were paid out, leaving a nearly $20 billion hole in the state’s jobless fund

[Sarcastr0]

"50 times larger in California."

Based on your profession, you should be better at math than this.

[Joe_dallas]

Its a separate topic - not my fault you cant read or comprehend

[Brett Bellmore]

50 times is unreasonable. 6 times is more likely, given the relative populations.

[dwb68]

California reported tens of billions in COVID fraud: At least 11 billion officially in unemployment fraud, about 10% of benefits.

Now include MediCal, and I stand by my 50x figure.

[Joe_dallas]

Newsom insults Walz for those rookie numbers

[Bob from Ohio]

"he will drop out of the 2026 governor's race"

HA ha. Went from possible [though unlikely] VP to washed up liability in a year.

[Magister]

Leave Sarah Palin alone!

[Bob from Ohio]

Good comparison.

Sarah was more manly at least.

[TwelveInchPianist]

Now how are the Dems gonna communicate with white men?

[Commenter_XY]

Lame Duck Walz better get good legal representation. He will need it.

[Malika la Maize]

On Air Force One, Mr. Trump told reporters that Colombia was being “run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.”

“He’s not going to be doing it for very long,” he said of Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, who has frequently criticized Mr. Trump. “He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories.”

Mr. Trump and Mr. Petro have been locked in an escalating dispute over the United States’ series of boat strikes in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, which have ratcheted up pressure on Colombia, a nexus of the region’s drug trade.

Asked whether his administration would carry out an operation targeting Colombia, Mr. Trump replied, “It sounds good to me.”

Mr. Trump also suggested that the United States could take action against a number of other countries, including Mexico and Iran, over a range of issues.

He said that drugs were “pouring” through Mexico and “we’re gonna have to do something,” adding that the cartels there were “very strong.”

In Iran, which is being roiled by protests, Mr. Trump said, “If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States.”

Mr. Trump suggested that military intervention was unnecessary in Cuba, a key ally of Venezuela, because it was “ready to fall.”

“I don’t think we need any action,” Mr. Trump said. “It looks like it’s going down.”

“I don’t know if they’re going to hold out, but Cuba now has no income,” he added. “They got all their income from Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio had suggested earlier in the day that Cuba could face U.S. military action.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/us/politics/trump-cuba-greenland-colombia.html

[Frank Drackman]

Nice to have a POTUS with some Co-Jones, isn't it.

[Malika la Maize]

When Frankie thinks this kind of rambling is cool…

[Michael P]

When Malicia cannot even finish a sentence, you know there's no point there.

Observant people also know that from the byline.

[Malika la Maize]

Mikie Q discovers eclipses!

Are they a CCP plot? They’re kinda collective…

[Michael P]

I have been familiar with eclipses, and they are cool, but they're irrelevant here -- just like everything you say.

I'm also familiar with ellipses. They indicate an omission. In your case, an omission of thought.

[Frank Drackman]

Norm Crosby lives!
“Take Queenie here, please! Somebody take her! She’s only here because her Dad left his Condominium at home, and her Moms Hoo-haw was so big she had to draw him a Diaphragm, seriously folks, her mother had the only G-spot with its own Zipcode!!!!
Man, I would have killed on the Borscht Belt!

Frank

[Kazinski]

I really doubt Trump will take any action against Petro in Columbia, for one reason, from.Wikipedia:

"Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Colombia on 31 May 2026. Incumbent President Gustavo Petro, elected in 2022, is constitutionally barred from seeking a consecutive second term."

[Dr. Ed 2]

Didn’t Russia I was similar provision that Putin sort of ignored?

[David Nieporent]

What language English not this sort of is?

[Frank Drackman]

With most people it'd be a sign of Dementia, with Ed it's more Common Stupidity.

[Malika la Maize]

How about weird capitalization?

[Frank Drackman]

Mr. Campbell, who cares??

[Dr. Ed 2]

No, it’s actually called “trusting an iPad to actually write what you are saying” — and not totally screwing it up. Or worse, changing it later.

I am referring to what Putin did so that he could run in 2024 notwithstanding the Russian constitution that said he couldn’t. It didn’t stop him and I’m asking if it will stop Petro in Columbia.

[David Nieporent]

Asked whether his administration would carry out an operation targeting Colombia, Mr. Trump replied, “It sounds good to me.”

Someone should ask Trump if he's worried that FIFA is going to revoke his fake peace prize if he does this.

[Frank Drackman]

Mr. Campbell, who cares?

[Joe_dallas]

As compared to the guy that got the real peace prize a few years before he assisted in propping up the mullahs in Iran?

Currently massive protests going on in Iran with reports the Alyatollah making plans for exit to Russia.

Ask the people of Venzuela and not now possibly Iran who deserves the real peace prize

[Malika la Maize]

As compared to the guy that got the real peace prize a few years before he assisted in propping up the mullahs in Iran?

What about?

[Joe_dallas]

Malika la Maize 20 minutes ago
" What about?"

What about you trying to have an intelligent comment with substance - there is always a first time.

Crazy Dave was condemning someone with accusations of a fake peace prize, while failing to acknowledge the person has done more for real peace than the last president who got the real peace prize and who did more to impede peace and freedom.

[jb]

And like the dumbest whatabout he could have picked.

What about the guy who made a deal instead of going to war with Iran? If you're going to try to throw shade at Obama here, maybe try Libya or drone strikes or something where the US was actually an aggressor?

[Joe_dallas]

He made a deal to enable the nuclear program and to prop up the mullahs

Just like chamberlain - that deal was not to prevent war.

Understanding geopolitics is not your forte.

[David Nieporent]

No, like Chamberlain, the deal was to prevent a war. (Unlike Trump, Neville was not a Nazi sympathizer.) Whether it was successful is a separate question. Understanding anything is not your forte.

[Joe_dallas]

Crazy dave making shit up again

Trump is not and never was a nazi sympathizer as much as every other leftists wants to claim.

And no, Chamberlain's Munich deal was only to delay war.
And Yes Obama did prop up the mullahs of Iran
And Yes Obama's propping up the mullahs did lead to war, hamas, hezbolah, etc.

Of course crazy dave ignores real facts.

[Magister]

Trump surrounds himself with Nazi sympathizers and even neo-Nazis.

[Joe_dallas]

Magister - making shit up - just like crazy dave.

Come back to the table when you can be honest

[David Nieporent]

Trump surrounds himself with Nazi sympathizers and even neo-Nazis.

And calls them very fine people. (And then pretends he didn't.) And adopts the slogans of pro-Nazi organizations, like "America First."

[Magister]

I had in mind more recent cases: Paul Ingrassia, Nick Fuentes, Elon Musk, Ed Martin.

[David Nieporent]

And no, Chamberlain's Munich deal was only to delay war.

No, Chamberlain's Munich deal was to secure "peace for our time." And no, Obama did not "prop up" the mullahs.

Whether it was successful is a separate question.

[Joe_dallas]

David Nieporent 21 minutes ago

No, Chamberlain's Munich deal was to secure "peace for our time." And no, Obama did not "prop up" the mullahs.

Yes - "peace for our time " was a sham . 80+ years later, crazy dave still believes it was to secure peace. Get real

Yes - Obama did prop up the mullahs. You might quit repeating leftist talking points and deal with reality.

[David Nieporent]

Yes - "peace for our time " was a sham . 80+ years later, crazy dave still believes it was to secure peace. Get real

Read a book.

[Joe_dallas]

David Nieporent 37 minutes ago
Flag Comment
Mute User
Yes - "peace for our time " was a sham . 80+ years later, crazy dave still believes it was to secure peace. Get real

Read a book.

DN - Time for you to learn History - Read a book on Churchill

[David Nieporent]

What on earth is bookkeeper_joe even arguing? That Chamberlain was a Nazi sympathizer like Trump? That Chamberlain actually wanted war? (Entering into a peace agreement is an odd way to get there, if so.) He's not even saying anything coherent.

[Magister]

I think he's arguing only that ultimately Chamberlain was wrong and that Churchill was right. Not sure what alternate histories would say about Britain going to war as early as Churchill wanted.

[Area Man]

You literally just did a "what about" in the thread above. "Is enabling like pardoning?"

Then again, I've noticed that's your MO. Use whataboutism to shield your side from criticism, but use whataboutism to attack the other side. If you aren't already, you should go into politics.

[David Nieporent]

As compared to the guy that got the real peace prize a few years before he assisted in propping up the mullahs in Iran?

Whatabout whatabout whatabout.

And a particularly nonsensical one at that, as it's a complete non-sequitur.

Me: Trump threatening to bomb lots of countries — that aren't even our enemies! — is incongruous with a guy who wants to think he's a peace guy.
bookkeeper_joe: oh yeah? What about a guy who wanted to negotiate a treaty with one of our enemies?

[Joe_dallas]

Crazy Dave - Cant tell the difference between a president that frees a nation's people and one the enables a dictator to control his nations people, Venzuela and Iran.

[Sarcastr0]

Even assuming all goes well in Venezuela, it’s not called the World Police prize.

[David Nieporent]

Trump did not "free" anyone; he attacked a country, killed some people there, and arrested one guy. He's been incoherent about whether he thinks Maduro's second in command should stay, or whether he wants to personally run Venezuela, or something else entirely. (The most likely explanation is that he hasn't actually thought that far ahead; he is notorious for not having any follow through.)

But regardless, what does that have to do with the topic? We are discussing a peace prize, not an accomplished-good-things-by-starting-a-war prize.

[Bob from Ohio]

"arrested one guy"

And a gal.

[David Nieporent]

Touché.

[Joe_dallas]

Killed 32 cuban fighters - Why leave out a key detail?

[Sarcastr0]

Why is that key?

[Joe_dallas]

Sarcastr0 53 minutes ago

"Why is that key?"

That is a stupid question - Should be obvious, even for those living in an echo chamber

[David Nieporent]

In other words, bookkeeper_joe doesn't have a substantive response.

[Joe_dallas]

Why give a substantive response to an inane comment from someone that doesnt attempt to become informed.

[David Nieporent]

In other words, bookkeeper_joe is now conceding he doesn't have a substantive response.

[Sarcastr0]

You know what, Joe? I don't think the answer is obvious even to you; I think you have no answer, and when called on it, are trying to cover by getting mad.

It's a pretty common move from you, actually. It's basically how you concede defeat.

[jb]

To show how peaceful he is!

[Joe_dallas]

DN comment - "What about a guy who wanted to negotiate a treaty with one of our enemies?"

We already discussed Obama and the mullahs - why belabor the point?

[Dr. Ed 2]

With all the problems, the Russians have had with radical Islam in Chechnea and elsewhere for the past 40 years, I would be really surprised if they would accept any Iranian Islamic radicals.

The Soviets wouldn’t have, and to the extent that Putin is still thinking like the Soviet he once was, I don’t think he will.

[Kazinski]

Fears of a messy occupation in Venezuela seem to be overblown for now:

WASHINGTON — President Trump told The Post in an exclusive interview that US troops won’t be stationed in Venezuela so long as ousted strongman Nicolás Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, “does what we want” in the aftermath of a daring US raid that captured Maduro.

Trump made the clarification moments after a press conference where he said that “we are going to run the country” ahead of a democratic transition, introducing the prospect of a US occupation.

Asked by The Post if “US troops [will] be on the ground helping run the country,” Trump said: “No, if Maduro’s vice president — if the vice president does what we want, we won’t have to do that.”

https://nypost.com/2026/01/03/us-news/trump-says-us-troops-wont-be-in-venezuela-if-nicolas-maduro-vp-delcy-rodriguez-does-what-we-want/

Trump is also telling US Oil.companies they won't be paid compensation for their assets in Venezuela, they are going to have to go back in and work them if they want them.

"Administration officials have told oil executives in recent weeks that if they want compensation for their rigs, pipelines and other seized property, then they must be prepared to go back into Venezuela now and invest heavily in reviving its shattered petroleum industry, two people familiar with the administration’s outreach told POLITICO on Saturday. The outlook for Venezuela’s shattered oil infrastructure is one of the major questions following the U.S. military action that captured leader Nicolás Maduro.

But people in the industry said the administration’s message has left them still leery about the difficulty of rebuilding decayed oil fields in a country where it’s not even clear who will lead the country for the foreseeable future.

“They’re saying, ‘you gotta go in if you want to play and get reimbursed,’” said one industry official familiar with the conversations.

The offer has been on the table for the last 10 days, the person said. “But the infrastructure currently there is so dilapidated that no one at these companies can adequately assess what is needed to make it operable.”"

Which could be a hard sell.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/03/trump-venezuela-oil-us-companies-return-00709782

[Commenter_XY]

Kaz...What is more interesting to me is the sorry set of assorted nutjobs, here and abroad, protesting Maduro's apprehension. It has been revealing.

I don't think it will be too hard of a sell to persuade US oil companies to redevelop VEN oil infrastructure.

[Kazinski]

Same people who want Albrego Garcia walking the streets.

[jb]

LOL, a couple of days ago you were supportive of impeachment and possibly conviction (i.e., you were one of the people XY is complaining about).

Today you've decided anyone with the same opinion you had over the weekend is an open borders America hater.

You've got some strong principles, dude.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

Started the thread citing Mike Lee being concerned.

As I noted, Mike Lee (shocker!) soon was not concerned. Ends thread by basically saying "oh well, impeachment isn't likely."

Now, to be clear, it's theoretically reasonable. But let's move on and talk about how the concerned people seem unreasonable. I'm just being reasonable here. What?

Standard stuff. Sometimes, we will get comments that sound reasonable but then we will go back to the normally scheduled programming.

[LawTalkingGuy]

The US has had the option of sending him to Costa Rica for months now but insists on sending him to Africa to punish him for litigating his case.

[David Nieporent]

What's more revealing is the lunatic fascists defending Trump.

[Frank Drackman]

Mr. Campbell, who cares?

[hobie]

Yeah, a lot of the protesting coming from the MAGA 'you promised us no more nation building/regime change' crowd.

[LawTalkingGuy]

"I don't think it will be too hard of a sell to persuade US oil companies to redevelop VEN oil infrastructure."

You don't think it will be difficult to convince oil companies to invest billions of dollars in capital into a politically and economically volatile jungle country at a time when oil prices are low and the US is a net exporter? Okay, sure.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Crude oil is a messy soup, and different crudes contain different things. Could the Venezuelan crude contain hydrocarbons that are uniquely useful for something?

[not guilty]

"What is more interesting to me is the sorry set of assorted nutjobs, here and abroad, protesting Maduro's apprehension. It has been revealing."

I don't know if I am among those whom you characterize as nutjobs, but I have no problem with Nicolás Maduro standing trial in an American court, provided he is afforded the full measure of due process that any criminal defendant is entitled to.

As to his capture, I would have no problem with that if Doofus Trump had timely obtained Congressional authorization for use of military force against Venezuela. He didn't, despite having been engaged in hostilities for more than four months. That violation of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 is an impeachable offense.

[Krayt]

As they will be investing 10 to 20 billion, each, I'd want a greater guarantee of protection of assets against a future looting by the local government after Trump leaves office.

[Josh R]

if Maduro’s vice president — if the vice president does what we want, we won’t have to do that.”

In other words, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Disgusting.

[Bob from Ohio]

"easy way or the hard way"

Its their choice. Nothing "disgusting" about it its just Great Power hardball, a 5,000 year tradition.

[LawTalkingGuy]

Murder, rape, slavery, and other various immoral acts also have long traditions. We still call these disgusting because they are morally wrong. The fact that depravity is disguised as politics doesn’t make it any less disgusting. But I wouldn’t expect someone as immoral as you to understand that.

[Bob from Ohio]

Our efforts in V are not morally wrong. Drug dealing Marxist dictatorships are though.

[LawTalkingGuy]

Bob,

It's incredible you still have the absolute gall to claim you are moral for opposing a "Marxist Dictatorship" when you support Pinochet. I linked to reports of widespread sexual abuse of dissidents you claimed they were liars. You also support right-wing death squads in El Salvador even though they killed American nuns.

You want to be seen as moral? Disavow Pinochet! But you won't because you're not. You are okay with murder, torture and rape as long as the people doing it are on your team.

[Bob from Ohio]

"Pinochet"

He's dead, Jim.

DISAVOW!

[LawTalkingGuy]

Okay. So you agree: Pinochet was a bad guy. That his regime murdered, raped, and tortured dissidents, and it was a bad thing for you to support him and defend him. You also agree that it was bad for you to call the victims of his regime liars? And you apologize for your past support and denigrating his victims?

That's what you mean, right?

[Bob from Ohio]

Still better than if Allende was left in power.

And I still do not believe the silly dog rape stories.

Its just a standard sensational but totally made up prison allegation. Like this more recent example:

https://novaramedia.com/2025/11/25/israeli-prison-guards-are-using-dogs-to-rape-palestinians-former-detainees-say/

[LawTalkingGuy]

"Still better than if Allende was left in power."

But he wasn't in power. Pinochet was. He did what he did. You either support him or you don't. Which is it?

"And I still do not believe the silly dog rape stories."

What about human's raping other humans? Or torture. Or murder?

In any event, they testified and you weren't there for it to actually judge credibility You just don't want to believe it because what's left of your corroded soul knows that's actually wrong and it puts you in a bad position.

I'll also point out that animals were used in detainee mistreatment by the military at Abu Gharib. If Americans were doing that in 2004 with all the regulation and scrutiny that exists in US forces why do you find it so unbelievable that unrestrained thugs were using animals to sexually humiliate women in Pinochet's Chile?

[Bob from Ohio]

"But he wasn't in power. Pinochet was."

George Washington or Jesus were not options.

Marxist dictatorships are far worse than bog standard military dictators, plenty of historical evidence.

"you weren't there for it to actually judge credibility"

Neither were you.

"animals were used in detainee mistreatment by the military at Abu Gharib"

Barking, snarling and lunging is not rape.

People testify about a lot of things, dogs ripping up sexual organs would leave evidence other than just testimony. Where is it?

[LawTalkingGuy]

"Marxist dictatorships are far worse than bog standard military dictators, plenty of historical evidence."

And yet here you are trying to defend a right-wing dictator by quibbling over whether using animals as part of sexual humiliation is rape (all while ignoring, the other torture, murder, and sexual assault by humans). Think about that for a moment.

You' re already at this point so just admit the truth: there is no amount of depravity you won't accept as long as the perpetrator is on your team. You don't care how many people die or are tortured or raped as long as the guy who does it is "right-wing."

[Josh R]

We didn't take out Maduro because he was (just) a drug dealing Marxist dictator. If that was the case, we wouldn't tolerate the VP (she is as illegitimate as Maduro)

Trump doctrine applies to every policy. It's a pure Great Power play as you indicated above. And, that's disgusting, including Putin getting his sphere and Xi getting his.

[Bob from Ohio]

"you know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must"

[LawTalkingGuy]

Oh man, I love online losers LARPing as tough guys as if the acts of others makes themselves strong.

[Bob from Ohio]

Nothing in this famous quote says anything about me, personally. I'm not tough, but my country is.

Your obsession with me is creepy as always.

[LawTalkingGuy]

Well I'll stop being "obsessed" with you if you 1) admit that you are a shitty person and I'm right about you and try to improve yourself. 2) resign your law license.

So long as you degrade my membership in the Ohio bar by being also being a member....I'm going to remind you how much you suck.

[Commenter_XY]

BfO...I see you have a friend 4Life, lol.

[SimonP]

What do you think "our efforts in Venezuela" amount to?

As of now, we seem to have facilitated a coup by Venezuela's VP, who now sits atop the same corrupt, autocratic regime that Maduro inherited from Chavez. Trump is happy to let her continue operating the country as it has been managed, so long as she complies with Trump's demands, which seem most likely to be demands relating to Venezuela's oil resources and admission of deportees. It appears that the plan is to choke off Venezuela's oil industry (and threaten military action) to coerce whatever institutional choices he wants to see them make.

"Might makes right," you say. Well, wait until he applies that principle at home. This is why we were "defending" those drug boat runners months ago. We didn't stop him from doing that, and now he's gone and engaged in an act of war against a sovereign nation. What next? Do you think an administration that bootstrapped itself into abducting Maduro - and a military/CIA willing to follow his orders to assist - is going to stop short of turning that weapon against non-compliant portions of the American population?

[Sarcastr0]

Bob loves to post how other countries don't matter. And then of course he's super gung-ho about America abusing it's own power.

Maybe he was bullied as a kid, because vice signaling approval of world mafioso behavior, on display for the world to see, is not normal behavior.

[Bob from Ohio]

"Maybe he was bullied as a kid, because vice signaling approval of world mafioso behavior, on display for the world to see, is not normal behavior."

I thought you were against lay psychoanalysis here?

It was not "mafioso behavior", it was 1) arresting a wanted criminal and 2) furthering US goals as determined by the duly elected executive.

[Dr. Ed 2]

What’s the chance that we can give Venezuela to the United Nations to deal with? Aren’t they supposed to be able to do something to promote world, peace, and all the other good stuff?

[Kazinski]

The OAS possibly, but good god not the UN.

What did Venezuela ever do to us?

[Frank Drackman]

You've got it backwards as usual. Send the United Nations TO Venezuela (just knockdown the Headquarters building at night, like they did with the East Wing). The Venezuelans will make short work of them.

[David Nieporent]

What’s the chance that we can give Venezuela to the United Nations to deal with?

None whatsoever. Venezuela is neither ours to give nor the UN's to deal with.

[John F. Carr]

A UN Security Council resolution could send in peacekeepers or otherwise mess things up. You won't get Russia, China, and the United States to agree on the same plan.

[Bunny495]

I am not seeing a big upside for Trump to do much of anything more in Venezuela. He already has caused liberal heads to explode all over the globe. So far the "arrest" seems to be an unbridled success with almost no American losses. I have seen claims there were six Americans injured. While there is no mention of how bad the injuries were for this type of insertion the damage seems minimal. On the other hand Cuba claims 32 Cuban bodyguards were killed but no mention of injuries. Even the fact that the bodyguards were Cuban speaks volumes. While Mexico has largely taken over the roll of sending bargain basement oil to Cuba Pemex has the biggest debt of any oil company in the world and thing are looking worse with about 18 billion in loans coming due in 2026.

The problem often overlooked is the oil from Venezuela is some of the worst in the world and America is one of the few places it can be refined. China is the biggest buyer of Venezuela oil but production is so constricted that is not saying much. Not to mention oil prices world wide are either stable or decreasing so bringing more oil to the world market would only drive prices down. Not claiming Venezuela does not have great natural resources, just that exploiting them will be a tall order and there are better places to invest money.

Trump can sit back and do nothing as Venezuela slowly twists in the wind begging for money, Cuba lives in darkness while both countries have lost something like 20% of their human capital over the last few years. Not to mention watching liberal heads explode as he babbles endlessly. Bottom line is this was a big win for Trump and even if he does nothing else things will only get worse for Cuba, Venezuela, and their benefactors.

[Kazinski]

I think that is why Trump has announced a continued embargo on Venezuelan oil to make sure he has the leverage to make sure they play it straight and have fair elections.

Its also why he isn't trying to install Machado or another opposition figure, he'd need boots on the ground for that.

He's trying to do it cheap, hope it works.

[Josh R]

Trump doesn't give a shit about fair elections. He wants Venezuela, and every other country in the Western Hemisphere, to have policies to his liking.

[Brett Bellmore]

Trump's chief motive for doing something is that he desperately wants to go down in history as a great President, and he's got a rapidly shrinking window in which to accomplish that. So he'll be tempted to score some quick wins, which will probably be lost on account of a fail to follow up. Not even necessarily his failure. Americans just don't have the will to put in the work on a place like Venezuela that we put in for Germany or Japan after WWII.

It's foolish, of course. With most historians being left-wing at this point, Trump will go down in history as a terrible President no matter what he does. He could literally cure cancer and the history books would record him as causing mass unemployment among oncologists.

[Sarcastr0]

Trump can't suck all on his own.

Nope, it's preemptively the fault of the left-wing historians!

[Frank Drackman]

Mr. Campbell, who cares?

[DDHarriman]

Have you ever noticed how according to historians that no bad guy has ever won a world war?

What are the odds of that? Same thing here.

Remember how serious anthropologists banned sexing a skeleton by bones because it was transphobic?

Same thing here with Trump. An obviously great President, like the obviously male skeleton and any bad world war victors, will get relabeled to support The Narrative.

[Joe_dallas]

Sarcastr0 6 hours ago
"Nope, it's preemptively the fault of the left-wing historians!"

How else would you explain Biden's ranking around 14-15th best?

How else would you explain Obama's ranking around 8th when he embraced policies that set back race relations in the US or his appeasement of Russia with the "reset" or propping up the mullahs of Iran?

[Sarcastr0]

Woe betide any actual historian who disagrees with Joe the Master Expert!

[Joe_dallas]

woe is anyone stupid enough not a basic grasp of history.

Instead of complaining about Joe the master expert, you should probably why you have so little grasp of the basics.

[DDHarriman]

He only grasps the Narrative and he clings to it no matter what.

[Kazinski]

How'd that work with Reagan?

[Brett Bellmore]

Wait until the history books written when the history profession was in rough ideological balance to be replaced by the ones being written now. Reagan will be converted into an historical monster.

[Sarcastr0]

Don’t you insist the left keeps absolving their previous villains so they can hate the new one?
And thereby argue Trump is normal?

Sticking to reality keeps you grounded. Your embrace of fiction makes you inconsistent.

[Michael P]

Don’t you insist the left keeps absolving their previous villains so they can hate the new one?

Are you talking about things like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara_in_fashion, or how people like GHWB, Bob Dole, GWB, John McCain and Mitt Romney were all Literally Hitler in turn but were then converted to respected elder statesmen who were so much better than the next Literal Hitler?

[John F. Carr]

Among the online left, McCain was a hero at first. He was unlike Bush, the current Hitler. When he ran for President as a Republican he took his turn as Hitler. When Trump criticized him he was rehabilitated.

[Magister]

I remember McCain being close to Bush during Bush's two terms; hugging close, in fact. The online left did not like that. In 2008 the online left was enamored of Obama and had little time (or need) to demonize McCain as Hitler; it was the first and last time I didn't vote for a Democrat for president. McCain became popular when he opposed Trump (the deciding vote on not ending the ACA) and became more popular with everyone after his death, as politicians tend to.

[David Nieporent]

Trump's chief motive for doing something is that he desperately wants to go down in history as a great President,

In much the same way that OJ wanted to go down in history as a great husband.

[Moderation4ever]

Donald Trump's legacy was written by himself on January 6, 2021. It will not matter what the political persuasion of the author. Nothing he can do at this point will redeem that fact.

[Riva]

A good article that may sober up some of the TDS deranged left, not all but maybe some.

https://www.sashastone.com/p/january-6th-and-the-real-insurrection

[David Nieporent]

That was both poorly written and insane; that's 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

[Moderation4ever]

I did waste that much time on it. The fact of January 6, 2021 are pretty well known and Donald Trump part is well documented. He laid the groundwork, excited the crowd and refused to stop the madness until forced to do so.

[Joe_dallas]

Protest peacefully - not exactly what could be called refusing to stop the madness.

Mod is falling for the same bunk Jack smith was pushing

[Moderation4ever]

I saw the video of the January 6th insurrection, calling it madness is pretty generous.

[Riva]

Notice the childish attacks. Nothing substantive. No specifics on what is not factual or "insane." And in all likelihood they didn't even read the post. But I did note that some of the TDS deranged would not be cured, mental illness on the left runs deep.

[Magister]

I also wasted a small amount of time on this, so here's some substantive response.

But protests are the voices of the unheard and a healthy sign of any democracy, and for a grassroots movement, and millions of Americans who had been disenfranchised by the four years Trump was in power? This was the best way for them to be heard. The only way for them to be heard.

They just didn’t know they were walking into an ambush by forces far greater than them, and more powerful than any political party in American history and what they wanted to do was use that protest - a moment of desperation for desperate Americans abandoned by the government, the culture and most institutions - and demonize them further by calling them extremists, terrorists, Nazis, insurrectionists.

So, the January 6th insurrectionists represented millions of people who were disenfranchised by four years of Trump? They were abandoned by a government that held an election and was preparing for the usual peaceful transfer of power that has happened regularly in American history? They sound like sore losers who resorted to violence.

It’s just that none of it was true. Why would Trump have wanted a riot? He’d gone to great effort to convince Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz to debate the election in the Senate.

Why did he keep calling for his followers to go to the Capitol and fight? Why didn't he do anything to stop it, for hours? Why did he fuel the calls for Pence to be killed? He wanted to remain president despite losing the election.

[Riva]

You do understand that, in the context of the portion you quote from the beginning of the post, the reference to ambush is figurative and relates broadly to the overwhelming and false attacks thrown against anyone who had issues with the election? I would recommend thoughtful readers actually read the post, not out of context excerpts.

And President Trump clearly advised people to peacefully and patriotically demonstrate, not to engage in a violent insurrection. That’s the left’s twisted narrative and the subject of the post.

[Magister]

Ambush? What were they figuratively walking into? Nothing happened to ones who had the good sense not to attack the Capitol. And plenty of warning for those who went there; there were barricades manned by police. The insurrectionists brought weapons and injured police with those and improvised weapons and chanted for Pence's and others' deaths.

Trump's speech?

fight fight fighting fighting fight fight fight fighting fight peacefully and patriotically fighting fight fight fight fight fight fight fight fight fight fight

[Riva]

I don’t think you quite grasp what is meant by figurative language. If metaphors give you such trouble, stick with comic books. Maybe pop up books?

[Magister]

After Trump lost the election, after he lost all relevant legal challenges, after he lost in all the recounts, after the electors voted in December, after his thuggish call to Georgia's election officials? After all that, nobody could expect that believing the Big Lie wouldn't expose idiots like Riva to criticism. Being too stupid to realize there would be consequences for illegal actions in support of the Big Lie also does not mean being ambushed.

In any event, the ambush statement was not what I criticized in that quotation. I was more struck by the phrases I alluded to: people were disenfranchised by four years of Trump? people were abandoned by their government (which was led by Trump)? This for Riva is a good article?

[Riva]

As noted above, some who have descended into TDS madness are lost forever.

[Magister]

Riva demands substantive responses but fails to reply substantively.

[Riva]

I did respond substantively. You then vomited out another TDS deranged rant, which actually merited no response but I gave you one anyway. There’s no pleasing the TDS deranged. Take your meds now.

[Magister]

Apparently Riva does not know what substantively means.

[Frank Drackman]

Only one killed was an unarmed Veteran

[Magister]

Incompetence is hardly a defense, as they discovered in court. But you ignore at least one police officer who died as a result of the insurrectionists' actions.

[not guilty]

I read the linked article. Nothing there apart from self-indulgent blather.

[Riva]

I’m not surprised you’re confused by an honest, sincere post based on facts given your preference for the NY Times.

[Bob from Ohio]

"Donald Trump's legacy was written by himself on January 6, 2021."

No, it was written on November 5, 2024.

Your side's obsession on a single riot is just strange.

[Frank Drackman]

People tend to get upset about stolen elections.

[Magister]

I'm only glad the insurrectionists failed to steal the election and install their insurrectionist king. But I probably would have been upset if they had succeeded.

[Malika la Maize]

“and even if he does nothing else things will only get worse for Cuba, Venezuela, and their benefactors.”

JFC.

[Brett Bellmore]

Well, it's true: These places are stuck on an inevitable downward trajectory, because they're locked into a failed economic model that's just unsustainable.

[Malika la Maize]

My point was Trump claims his actions helped Venezuelans.

[ThePublius]

The Venezuelans certainly think so.

"The initial reaction from a vast majority of Venezuelans, both within the country and especially among the diaspora, was one of celebration, cheering, and an outpouring of happiness.
Long-awaited change: Many saw his removal as the "second liberty" or "independence day," a moment they had waited years or decades for.
End to a humanitarian crisis: For those who experienced hyperinflation, crime, food scarcity, and political repression under his rule, Maduro's ouster represents the possibility of recovery and a future built on the rule of law.
Hope for reunification: Numerous Venezuelans who fled the country hope this change means they can one day return to a free Venezuela and reunite with their families. "

It's the opposition liberals and radicals in the U.S. who are opposed, only because they are opposed to anything Trump does. Many Democrats were opposed to Maduro, until they weren't.

[David Nieporent]

"The initial reaction from a vast majority of Venezuelans, both within the country and especially among the diaspora, was one of celebration, cheering, and an outpouring of happiness.

First, of course, is that the unknown author of this piece has no idea what the "vast majority of Venezuelans" think. Second, I hope things are better in Venezuela, but as people have already pointed out, the "initial reaction" we could see to the toppling of Saddam Hussein was also celebration. And then reality set in: chaos, violence, insurgency.

[ThePublius]

Finding the most negative construction of anything the 'opposing' party does, yet again.

[Joe_dallas]

Malika la Maize 55 minutes ago
"My point was Trump claims his actions helped Venezuelans."

Ask Venzuelans - you might find they like Trump

[Brett Bellmore]

Whether it helped them will be determined in the next year or two, but it certainly has the potential to help them.

To the limited extent I've been following this, (A combination of a respiratory bug and my wife dragging me on an 8 mile hike yesterday has limited my news intake.) I take it that Maduro's VP gets to handle the transition to real democracy without US boots on the ground, so long as she actually does it, and fairly promptly.

If they promise her a better retirement plan than Maduro, she might find that attractive.

[Sarcastr0]

The key to regime change is to judge it immediately, in the very short term.
Preferably based on 'many people say' type quotes.

[Josh R]

I am not seeing a big upside for Trump to do much of anything more in Venezuela. He already has caused liberal heads to explode all over the globe.

That was Trump's purpose in taking out Maduro?

[Bob from Ohio]

Just a fringe benefit.

The reason was pour encourager les autres.

[Brett Bellmore]

This whole Venezuela thing has got me thinking about something that's previously occurred to me.

With so many people wanting to come to the US, and so much of the world having terrible government, why don't we try establishing a franchise system? Teach people how to locally run a small copy of America, so they don't HAVE to move here to get to live in "America"?

I suppose the real problem is that too many of our political class don't actually LIKE the things that made America a nice place to live, and would never teach others to do them. When we basically rebuilt Japan, we didn't give them a constitution that looked much like ours, and that was an era when our politicians weren't as radically opposed to limited government and free markets as today.

[Frank Drackman]

I saw that Movie
"Inside every Venezuelan is an Amurican trying to get out!"

Frank

[Brett Bellmore]

We're not talking about birthright tourism here.

[Sarcastr0]

I suppose the real problem is that too many of our political class don't actually LIKE the things that made America a nice place to live

Every fucking time.

[Frank Drackman]

Well I don't think Black People picking Cotton was so great, much better having "Migrants" do it.

[Malika la Maize]

What an incredibly sad and pathetic thing for someone to love Trump so much he apes his weird writing.

Is he the Daddy you never had?

[DDHarriman]

Yeah me too. I like having a large underclass of cheap POCs working for pennies on my estate. It harkens back to the good ol days.

I even have one I let inside, he's the House Spic.

[Malika la Maize]

“I even have one I let inside, he's the House Spic.”

Your mom’s lover?

[DDHarriman]

I am reporting you to FARA for not registering as a stinky pajeet foreign agent.

I am also reporting you to the local police so you stop shitting in people's yards and on beaches.

[Malika la Maize]

Wow, someone’s touchy.

I mean not as touchy as his mom with those guys.

[DDHarriman]

Stop shitting on beaches and wiping your ass with your hand like an animal.

[Estragon]

“stinky pajeet”

I once again urge the community to take note of things like this when they start appearing. This particular formulation has now started to appear here in the last week or two. Mere dittoheading of Fuentes or something that has predictive value for where MAGA is going next? To ask the question is to answer it: we can all read the Young Republican text chain. Who will be next? Somehow I have a feeling “Heritage Americans” will be safe.

“The Hate continued exactly as before, except that the target had been changed.”

[DDHarriman]

Get 50 calls a day from these immoral street shitters trying to scam you and you'll feel the same way.

Or unmask all the pajeet grifters online. Just like Queenie.

Or get a sense of all the racist discrimination they do on everyone not in their chaste when they take over management.

Or work with them and feel up close and personal how their culture is based on fraud as they cheat and fake tests and degrees to steal jobs from people who earned it and beg you to "Do the needful".

Or be on the receiving end of all the India retards who are well-credentialed (from Indian institutions) and are placed in important positions in your organization, but don't know shit because they lied and cheated their way into the employment or got hired by another stinky pajeet of the same social chaste.

I live in reality. I wish Democrats did too.
Their culture is as disgusting as their morals and IQ are low. My disdain for pajeets is thoughtfully considered and well earned.

[Estragon]

That is, indeed, quite the list of grievances. Do you think there will be a place for someone like Usha Vance in your movement in the future? How about her kids? Any other folks we should be watching out for? How do you feel about say, Cambodians? Or Filipinos?

[DDHarriman]

Do you really not know anything about Indian culture or society or what they're doing in the US tech sector? Really?

https://search.brave.com/search?q=indian+us+tech+sector+hiring+discrimination&summary=1

Just poke around.

[Estragon]

I am not really interested in the bases for your prejudice and how rational you believe them to be. I am marginally more interested in what it says about where your movement is headed. I’ll ask again, any other folks we should watch out for? Would you consider the child of an immigrant from India to be a “heritage American”? How about the child of a mother from the Philippines?

[Frank Drackman]

When Dingle Dick Harriman says he's "Got a little Mexican in him" he's not talking about his heritage.

[DDHarriman]

Next time make a clear point instead of pointing and expecting everyone else to be thinking what your thinking.

Pro tip - we aren't smooth brained govies on a limited and controlled diet of information. We don't think like you do.

[Frank Drackman]

Is that House Spick "Inside" right now?
Would you like him to be?
See, now I know not only did you never serve in the Military, you never played any competitive Sports, because you don't have the Instinct "Real Men" possess to realize when what you said leaves you wide open for Ball Busting.
But it's a new year, I'm trying to be "kinder and gentler" like EV's been asking everyone like, forever, man. (HT T. Chong)
So tell Uncle Frankie,
how did the Jewish Kids putting Atomic Balm in your Jock Strap make you feel?
I mean besides your Scrotum being on fire.

Frank

[Brett Bellmore]

Yeah, "every fucking time" you just say "every fucking time" instead of advancing an argument you don't have. I'm not sure whether this is the argument from incredulity, or some novel fallacy.

[Sarcastr0]

Your bare assertions on the secret liberalism of everyone except Trump comes from your own weird vibes. One can’t argue against telepathic fiction.

One can only point it out.

[Brett Bellmore]

How much telepathy does it take to realize that our own political class don't like our Constitution, when every time they get a chance to write a constitution from scratch for another country, and impose it on them, it looks nothing like our own constitution?

Our politicians aren't supposed to like our Constitution, it's not there to enable them, it's there to restrict what they do. As you can see from countries like Israel or England, you don't actually NEED a constitution to have a government. Constitutions don't exist to enable governments, they're the chains we put on governments to try to keep them in check.

[David Nieporent]

Yeah, "every fucking time" you just say "every fucking time" instead of advancing an argument you don't have.

The "argument" is that you're utterly delusional, and you don't understand what or how actual human beings think. You don't even understand libertarians, which you nominally claim to be, let alone anyone else.

[dwb68]

Be nice if we could provide conditional foreign aid to these countries to improve.

What they act on though is the drug money.

Anyway, with mandami doing struggle sessions with landlords, it would be hypocritical to tell South America not to vote for communists.

[Longtobefree]

How can they vote for democrats if they don't come here?

[John F. Carr]

After independence South America tried to copy the United States but the American system did not work as well there. One historian asserted that system established by the US Constitution has never worked anywhere except the United States.

[Malika la Maize]

“It’s an old and obvious pattern. An unpopular president – failing on the economy and losing his grip on power at home – decides to launch a war for regime change abroad. The American people don’t want to “run” a foreign country while our leaders fail to improve life in this one.”

https://x.com/PeteButtigieg/status/2007499206106185913

[Brett Bellmore]

Well, except for the failing on the economy and losing his grip on power at home part, anyway.

[Moderation4ever]

You need to keep up with the news. People are not happy with the economy. Unemployment is up and healthcare cost will be jumping. As for losing power more Republican politicians are voting with Democrat politicians on Epstein and Healthcare. Trump had to issue vetoes. It is a trickle now but expect far more after the midterms.

[Brett Bellmore]

Unemployment is up to...4.6%. That's actually fairly low in terms of the last couple of decades. But I will grant you that the media are talking it up.

Trump's got the same problem Republicans have had for a couple decades now: The American media mostly are aligned with one particular political party, and it's not his. Republicans have always been too stupid to try to fix that problem.

[Moderation4ever]

America media aligning with one party? Are you daft or living under a rock? Ever hear of Fox News, or OAN? How much of the print media is consolidated under conservative leadership. This the media is against us just will not hunt anymore.

[Brett Bellmore]

Yes, I've heard of both of them. Fox News is not a right-wing outlet, it's a centrist outlet, which admittedly makes it look right-wing in a generally left-wing industry. OAN is a right wing outlet.

Hm, FOX is doing better than last I looked at them, 64% market share for cable news, that's impressive. OAN, OTOH, is a rounding error.

So, forget OAN, but you may have something of a point for FOX.

[Absaroka]

"Fox News is not a right-wing outlet, it's a centrist outlet"

If you surveyed people who, say, in any given election vote at least 1/3 for one party and 2/3 the other, you think those people would generally label Fox as centrist?

I'm pretty skeptical of that.

[jay.tee]

America media aligning with one party? Are you daft or living under a rock?

Just like with Cassidy Hutchinson’s lies, you’re letting your partisan vibes override reality.

https://www.cjr.org/special_report/trumped-up-press-versus-president-ed-note.php

And for the most part, the media has only doubled-down since then.

[DDHarriman]

He took time off from pretending to be heterosexual to make that tweet?

Homosexuals adopting children as heterosexual costume jewelry is cultural appropriation and should be outlawed. It's harmful for the children.

[Malika la Maize]

Harriman prefers kids be raised in cuckolded families like his.

[DDHarriman]

I prefer what the data say and what the entire world acknowledges.

The biologically intact natural family is the ideal family structure, acts as a bulwark against the encroachment of the State and deserves special status and societal protections.

[Malika la Maize]

Holy shit, your Nelson Muntz!

Well, a pussy version, but otherwise same.

[DDHarriman]

What's that in your native South Indian dialect, Farsi? I reasoned you were from the lower chaste, and thus much much darker and less European than the high chastes.

I am always interested in learning new languages.

[Malika la Maize]

Don’t your mom’s boyfriend’s teach you that?

Have you considered getting out of her basement and doing something with yourself like her Jewish, Indian and other lovers?

[DDHarriman]

I never understood why you pajeets worshipped the Jews more than deluded evangelicals, but here we are.

Is it because they're lighter skinned than you and closer to the White ideal?

[Malika la Maize]

I’m whiter than anyone that’s banged your mom.

[Frank Drackman]

Only after you've had an Enema!!!!
I've still got it! only 5 days into the New Year and I've done the "What color is a (Redacted) after an Enema" joke.
I get that that one's a little "Blue" even Michael Richards, Louis CK, and the "Diceman" wouldn't do it.

Frank

[Frank Drackman]

nah, Nelson might be a Bully, but he's not a Pussy,
oh wait, thats sort of what you said.
Actually it's exactly what you said.
So maybe, for the New Year lets pretend it's 1940.
No, I don't mean you have to ride in the back of the bus (When I rode the bus, the back was where the cool kids sat, i.e. I never got to sit there)
I mean how about a "Non-Aggression" Pact like Hitler and Stalin,
Dibs!!!!!
(did anyone else grow up where you routinely called "Dibs" on stuff??, riding in the front seat, last Ice Cream Sandwich, your friends younger sister...)
I've got Dibs on the Stalin character, so you get to be, um, you know. Seriously, we can split up the Dingle Dicks on this Blog like they partitioned Poland, I'll take Dingle Dick and Dr. Ed, you can take Suck-Castro and David Never-potent

Frank

[Josh R]

Perhaps you agree with Tucker: we took out Maduro to get gay marriage to Venezuela.

[DDHarriman]

If that turns out to be the case, I swear I will never vote for President Trump again.

Fuck those homos.

[not guilty]

"Fuck those homos."

Why do you want to do that, DDH? I thought that the manner they fuck is distasteful to you.

Or are you one of the Ted Haggard types who kvetches long and loud about same sex coupling while getting loads of hot monkey buttsex on the downlow?

[DDHarriman]

NYC Mayor Mamdani's Tenant Director, Cea Weaver:

"We'll transition from treating property as an individual good to a collective good. Whites especially will be impacted."

Welcome to the Warmth of Collectivism fellow Whites.
---
Notice how in all these Leftwing revolutions, they always dehumanize and target a group for their flaming hot hate and blood lust?

[Michael P]

I think that is technically a paraphrase, but it definitely captures the essence of what she said.

New York City elected a disaster, and the city is going to get it good and hard.

[Sarcastr0]

Captures the essence? Oy.

You seem to be getting closer and closer to this antisemitic white nationalist poster, to the point of acknowledging but still endorsing his lies.

We are all shocked.

[Malika la Maize]

They attend the same conferences.

[DDHarriman]

https://x.com/i/status/2008031475057439076

There is a video of her speaking in her own words. It's very short and you can watch it for yourself and see that the quote does accurately represent her statements.

But don't let reality or facts get in the way of you doing your job. It hasn't before, no need to start now.

[ThePublius]

I have transcribed exactly what she said in the video in question:

“I think that the reality is that for centuries we really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good, in transitioning into treating it as a collective good and towards the model of shared equity will require that we think of it differently and it will mean that families, especially White families, but some POC families who are homeowners as well, are going to have a different relationship to property than the one that we currently have.”

[Krayt]

Freedom means freedom from government. Honestly, at this point, any "for the people" effort severed from ameliorating the rough edges of capitalism, should be viewed as snake oil. We have well over a century showing it cannot come close to keeping up, or of providing a general steady increase in the average health, wealth, and longevity of "the people" these frauds claim to love and care for.

[Michael P]

"Every fucking time", you resort to stupid ad hominems, straw men, denialism and name-calling instead of even trying to make a cogent argument. And it's the same here. ThePublius transcribed it for you, and I stand by what I wrote.

[Sarcastr0]

I don’t feel you have captured the essence of my posting.

[Michael P]

You are probably right; my boss often says I'm too nice.

[Bob from Ohio]

He forgot convenient anecdotes.

[DDHarriman]

Of course you've vanished after you stepped on yet another rake I left for your dumbass.

[ThePublius]

That exact quote is all over X and FB, but in the accompanying video she says:

“I think that the reality is that for centuries we really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good, in transitioning into treating it as a collective good and towards the model of shared equity will require that we think of it differently and it will mean that families, especially White families, but some POC families who are homeowners as well, are going to have a different relationship to property than the one that we currently have.”

How have they the audacity to think they can pull this off, that they can fundamentally change the notion of private property in the U.S. by virtue of being the mayor of a city and members of his administration? It's insane. There will be countless legal actions and lawsuits, and in the extreme, civil unrest and even war.

Imagine this scenario: you own a big house in the Bronx, and the city says 'that's more living space than you need, we require that you convert it to a two family and let this family move in, and transfer 1/2 the equity to them. Sound crazy? This was East Germany after WWII. I know, I have relatives there who, in order to avoid this in their rural town, moved farm animals into part of the house so they were fully using it.

Where's Kathy Hocul on this? Where's the DOJ on this? You can't just seize people's property in the name of 'shared equity.' Certainly, they can do a lot (of harm) via regulations and taxes, and probably will. But that, I think, would require a compliant legislature and courts.

Perhaps it's time for landlords and homeowners to revolt; just stop paying their real estate taxes, charge whatever rent they want, and without government support, employ private enforcement to evict renters who don't comply, not unlike the guys who take back houses from squatters. Of course they would have to do this as a unified block. Maybe its time for a new landlord and homeowner organization.

Addendum: re: Cea Weaver, Mamdani’s new director of the city Office to Protect Tenants:

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newly appointed tenant advocate called to “seize private property” and blasted home ownership as a “weapon of white supremacy” in a series of pro-communist social media posts.

Cea Weaver, Mamdani’s new director of the city Office to Protect Tenants, made the statements and urged her followers to elect more communists in several lecturing posts on her now-deleted X account that were unearthed by internet sleuths.

“Seize private property!” she said on June 13, 2018.

Weaver previously worked as a campaign coordinator for Housing Justice For All and served as an advisor for Mamdani’s mayoral campaign.

She later doubled down on that in a mini-manifesto on August 2019.

“Private property including any kind of ESPECIALLY homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy,” she said then.

Weaver also pushed to “Elect more communists” in December 2017 — when a Harlem street corner was being renamed in honor of former Manhattan Rep. Vito Marcantonio, who was a communist.

[John F. Carr]

Communist China also put strangers into private homes. Check out the Chinese house in the Peabody-Essex Museum. For about 150 years it held the family that built it. After WW2 the communists appropriated some of the rooms. Over time it became empty and was moved to America as a museum exhibit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_Yu_Tang_House

[jb]

"How have they the audacity to think they can pull this off, that they can fundamentally change the notion of private property in the U.S. by virtue of being the mayor of a city and members of his administration? It's insane. There will be countless legal actions and lawsuits, and in the extreme, civil unrest and even war."

So much LOL here. First, the people in Mamdani administration are aware their authority only applies to NYC. Don't worry, they're not trying to disrupt your cozy suburban lifestyle.

Also, war? What is wrong with MAGAs that every time someone has an opinion different than them that the natural response is war? Weren't you the guys telling us elections have consequences when Trump won?

[ThePublius]

0. When I said "in the U.S." I was referring to the fact that NYC is, last time I checked, in the U.S., and subject to the constitution and federal laws.

1. I am not calling for war, I'm saying seizure of homes, private property, could lead to it.

2. Elections can't overturn the constitution.

You are very good at misreading and misinterpreting things to suit your own viewpoint.

[David Nieporent]

To be clear, she said this in 2019, not just now. Somehow I suspect she's going to find that rhetoric on Twitter does not translate into actual policy very well. But these people really are socialists; it isn't just an epithet applied by the GOP, as it often is.

I've pointed out before, Bill de Blasio said this:

I think people all over this city, of every background, would like to have the city government be able to determine which building goes where, how high it will be, who gets to live in it, what the rent will be. I think there’s a socialistic impulse, which I hear every day, in every kind of community, that they would like things to be planned in accordance to their needs. And I would, too. Unfortunately, what stands in the way of that is hundreds of years of history that have elevated property rights and wealth to the point that that’s the reality that calls the tune on a lot of development.

Look, if I had my druthers, the city government would determine every single plot of land, how development would proceed. And there would be very stringent requirements around income levels and rents. That’s a world I’d love to see, and I think what we have, in this city at least, are people who would love to have the New Deal back, on one level. They’d love to have a very, very powerful government, including a federal government, involved in directly addressing their day-to-day reality.

And he said that while he was mayor, not seven years earlier. Of course it didn't happen, because that's not the way law works.

[ThePublius]

What does it matter that she said it in 2019? She hasn't repudiated it, as far as I know.

Hitler wrote Mein Kampf in 1924. He became chancellor in 1933. That's 9 years, but I assume he still meant every word, since it was required reading in the schools.

[Bob from Ohio]

David defends Democrats, no matter what. He's a libertarian, you know.

[David Nieporent]

Nothing in my comment was a defense of her.

[ThePublius]

Then you perhaps unwittingly did. You opened the door to saying she doesn't really mean today what she said then. Why else would you say what you did?

[David Nieporent]

Because I'm not a partisan, so I don't feel the need to attack someone solely for being on the other side or defend someone solely for being on my side. I can put things in context without feeling like I'm violating such a stricture. I think noting that she said this a while ago, as opposed to right now when she was nominated, is relevant context. That doesn't make the idea she expressed less objectionable, but it does at least raise the possibility that it was said as an online bullshitter rather than as something she was going to try to implement in office.

[jay.tee]

Because I'm not a partisan

lol, you’re not fooling anyone, David. You’ve repeatedly demonstrated your partisan vibes hold more sway to you than the facts on the ground.

[Commenter_XY]

Do you have a fever? = Because I'm not a partisan....

[ThePublius]

"...I'm not a partisan."

Ha, ha, ha, ha. Right.

[Brett Bellmore]

As I've remarked before, more and more I'm convinced that what divides the right from the left is simply that, somehow, people on the left skipped a key developmental step akin to object permanency: Internalizing the notion that other people's stuff is other people's, not their's.

[not guilty]

"I think that is technically a paraphrase, but it definitely captures the essence of what she said."

Enclosing a paraphrase within quotation marks is dishonest.

IOW, par for the course for DDH.

[dwb68]

Just words though, the left equivalent of virtue signalling. Property rights are too deeply embedded in New York State law; they cant simply take property. Discrimination is illegal.

It'd be really dumb to build anything in NYC right now. Owners that cant fix up rent controlled property will simply go bankrupt. Maybe the city will end up owning it that way.

More interesting: companies are going the accelerate their plans to move out. short JP Morgan, buy any bank moving to Dallas or Charlotte.

[ThePublius]

Property rights are already significantly eroded in NYC, and have been for many decades. Rent control started in 1943. My view is that if you own property you should be able to do with it what you want, including charging whatever you want for rent, according to the lease you negotiate with the tenant. That hasn't been so in NYC for 83 years. If you could charge what you wanted, there would be a much better supply of housing, and much higher quality.

The City certainly can take property, by harassing a landlord with regulations and violations, suppressing rents to below the amount needed to maintain the property, and causing abandonment of it. Or, burning of it, so-called Jewish lightning. I lived through the burning of the Bronx in the '60's, and it was virtually all arson since landlords, mostly merchants who had their life savings, their retirement tied up in buildings, couldn't live on the proceeds due to rent control and oppressive regulation and fines. So, the City can take your building, by hook or by crook. And believe me, there is no worse landlord than the City of New York.

[Frank Drackman]

"Jewish Lightning"???
and just because it's in the Vernacular doesn't make it cool, so are "Nigger Lips", "Slopes", "Nips", "Chinks", "Dot Heads", "Sand Niggers", "Towel Heads", "Beaners", "Crackers" and yes, "Hayseeds" (HT Hobie-stank/Reverend Kurtwell)

Frank

[ThePublius]

I didn't make up the term, that's what it was commonly referred to back then. I report, you decide.

[Frank Drackman]

Well I didn't make up any of the ones I cited, but I don't commonly say them, at least when any of them are around.

[Brett Bellmore]

No right is so deeply embedded that it can't be eroded with enough hard work and time, and property rights have been under attack by the left since at least the New Deal.

[Malika la Maize]

Frankie, Ed, Harriman, etc.,

Ever notice the number of deranged racist Trump supporters that show up here?

More importantly, ever notice how the other Trump supporters don’t rebuke them.

Is it no enemies to the right or birds of a feather?

[DDHarriman]

*holds out both palms*
Namaskaram, ela unnaru?

[Frank Drackman]

Dingle Dick, it's hard to understand you with Julio's Juevos in your Mouth.

[DDHarriman]

Will you give your better half control for the morning? I am trying to rebuild our e-bond and your nickle-rubbing Jew half keeps shitting it up.

[Frank Drackman]

Sorry, it's in my nature to take advantage of the dim-witted.

[DDHarriman]

That's right. We know how you Jews think of and treat the Goy.

Typical fuckin' Jew. It's so easy to get you Canaanites to drop your masks. Your big noses stop the mask from fitting tightly.

[Frank Drackman]

Can’t punch a man for telling the truth, you see my Nose, the theme from “Jaws” starts playing. Sort of like the theme from “Pee Wee’s Playhouse” is your “walk up music”

Frank

[DDHarriman]

Historically speaking, this is why no one has ever liked your kind.

[Frank Drackman]

Only the several Billion who worship one.
And I ain’t talking Moe-hammed, Odin, (The) Buddha or whatever Deity the Indians suck up to.
But mess with the Bull, get the (Rams) horn.

[DDHarriman]

It's good to see you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior.

That warms my heart. Brother.

[Michael P]

I sure notice the number of deranged TDS sufferers that show up here. And I notice that they never rebuke each other, either. Even when one of them comes along and posts this kind of retarded claim IMMEDIATELY AFTER a libertarian posted a clarifying qualification to one of the people you named.

And I did the same twice yesterday (about a video of Maduro and about extradition of Hernández vs seizure of Maduro).

You are a pathological liar.

[Michael P]

(In candor, I will note that DMN does, in fact, occasionally call out leftoids who say something particularly egregious. But he's the only one I can remember, and there are several examples of right-leaning commenters critiquing each other in most open threads.)

[Bob from Ohio]

" ever notice how the other Trump supporters don’t rebuke them"

One muted, one is harmless and best just ignored, and Frank is great.

Sarcasto once said that it was not his role to police others on the left. I don't see you doing it either. Randall is a virulent Jew hater, start with him.

[Sarcastr0]

If you ignore Frank and Lex to point at someone who has issues with Israel, you're just using accusations of antisemitism as a partisan cudgel.

Which cheapening of the accusation makes you no friend of the Jewish people.

[Bob from Ohio]

"someone who has issues with Israel"

Sure that's all he has. Issues with Israel. Just Israel. Only Israel.

No enemies to the left!

[Commenter_XY]

Mention Israel or the Jews, and Sarcastr0 will appear, like a moth to a flame. It has been a real disappointment.

[Brett Bellmore]

Well, I can hardly be expected to rebuke a grey box such as Ed.

[Zarniwoop]

Oh c'mon, Grampa Ed is so far gone he's actually funny.

[Dr. Ed 2]

Ever notice that some lobsters are left-handed?

[DDHarriman]

Do liberals have any room left on their arms for a Venezuela flag tattoo? Or are the J&J, Pfizer, Ukraine flag tattoos taking up all the space?

[Frank Drackman]

Is there any room left in your Rectum with your domestic employees taking up all the space?
That was too easy, like the 50mph batting cage.

Frank

[Frank Drackman]

If I didn't know Sergeant Major Pepper Waltz was born before Phil Hartman died (Yeah, right, I guess getting shot to death by your Crazy Wife can be described as "died") I'd swear he was the reincarnation of him, or at least one of his SNL characters.

Frank

[Mr. Bumble]

"FLASHBACK: 1989 JOE BIDEN would love what President Trump just did:

"Let's go after the drug lords where they LIVE! With an international strike force. NO safe haven for narco-terrorists."

[SRG2]

I doubt Biden - or anyone else - used the term "narco-terrorist" in 1989.

[ThePublius]

Well, you doubt wrong. Here's the video with those exact words coming out of his mouth:
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6386043448112

[SRG2]

And now my doubt is assuaged.

[ThePublius]

I'll take that as a concession, but I don't get the use of the term assuaged in this context. 🙂

[SRG2]

I don't get the use of the term assuaged in this context

In context, synonymous with "dispel".

[SRG2]

Just in case you want to get nitpicky, assuage is not always a synonym for dispel. But it serves the same function here, because when a doubt is removed, it is both assuaged and dispelled.

[ThePublius]

I'm not picking nits, I just didn't get it, and even double-checked the definition of assuage, which still didn't clarify it for me. I really wanted to know what you meant.

[Zarniwoop]

A quick goog indicates the term was coined in 1983. I can’t see whatever inanity about Biden you’re replying to, tho.

[DDHarriman]

Well aren't you Virtuous! Everyone give him some big e-props for self-restricting his knowledge in support of The Narrative!

Big Ups to you Zarniwoop for protecting our sacred democracy by choosing to inoculate yourself from "outside the narrative" voices in support of you maintaining good social standing with your peers!

[Estragon]

When you reflect on your day’s work around here do you think of it as virtuous?

[DDHarriman]

If I thought my knowledge sharing and exhortations could actually pierce the Narrative grip that's captured your brains then yes, I would see it as virtuous.

But since I am not trained in deprogramming brainwashed humans and half-humans, my work here is more cathartic and for self-satisfaction.

E.g.
I enjoy watching stone brained lefty dipshits embarrass themselves over and over again as they struggle in the battle between The Narrative and reality.

E. e.g.
I enjoy watching ideological fanatics struggle with the cognitive dissonance it takes to be a modern liberal. It wasn't that long ago, krychek_2, who claims to be on a MENSA board (MENSA!) but couldn't define male or female. lol wtf

Seeing how stupid "very serious people" on the Left are --- there are plenty of lefty lawyers who comment here -- is also quite fun.

Could you imagine someone as stupid as DN in some sort of court room? lol that would be hilarious. The other side would present irrefutable proof of a claim, and he would just stand up and go "False, your honor". And sit back down expecting to win. lol what a retard

Remember when Sarcastr0 was touting his scientific bonafides and how they're the Reality Based Community? But then claims the purpose of government is equity not efficiency? lmao as if

[Estragon]

“Catharsis” is an interesting word choice. Here is a definition:

the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

Are you experiencing release from repressed emotions by posting here, as you do, on a daily basis? Given that you seem compelled to seek this catharsis every single day by coming here to talk about, for example, “stinky pajeets” do you ever question the utility of this cathartic exercise? It doesn’t exactly seem to be providing you any type of lasting relief or release.

[Estragon]

If you could name the strong and repressed emotions you are seeking to relieve and release, how would you describe them? As anger? Sadness?

[DDHarriman]

What emotions do you have when you see, what you believe, is Teflon Don getting away with yet another crime and nothing being done about it?

Any?

[Krayt]

I know for a fact the idea of considering drug running as akin to terrorism was around at least since the mid 1990s. One of my best anecdotes was the Congress passing a law in response to one or another terrorist attacks under Clinton with expanded surveillace authority to deal with terrorism.

They swore they would only use it for terrorism and not on prosaic crime.

Immediately they used it against drugs. Civil rights people got angry. At a news conference, someone asked them this directly. They said, "Ha ha! Joke's on you! The law doesn't actually say for terrorists only!" Minus the "Ha ha!" part. Verbalized, anyway.

And how it relates here: I recalled at the time they did not even bother to haul out the sophistry that drug running was akin to terrorism, as half-assed rationalization.

[DDHarriman]

Anne Frank’s stepsister, Eva Schloss, who informed the world who revealed to the world the most important truth has died. Never again!

https://x.com/realStockes/status/2008021778992419322

RIP

[Frank Drackman]

Still pissed that she pussy-blocked you with that hot Peter Schiff?
I just did an Anne Frank reference, unlike 99% of you Schlubs, I’ve read it(you gotta get the “Blue” edition)

Frank

[Krayt]

How is that the most important truth? Even if true, which it isn't, there are many more vastly more important truths, like history is lousy with nasty, evil dictators attacking small internal groups, or larger external, to focus the people's anger on someone besides themselves. It's proven to work. It's taught in introductory psychology.

[DDHarriman]

New Narrative Prediction:
From a Lefty Billionaire -> Salon -> Reddit -> Volokh (soon)

Minnesota day care hoax is fueled by MAGA psychosexual weirdness
The racism underlying MAGA's latest obsession is intertwined with misogyny

https://www.salon.com/2026/01/05/minnesota-day-care-hoax-is-fueled-by-maga-psychosexual-weirdness/

How long before the usual suspects around here start parroting this like it's the gospel and when they start, you know that they will be unmoved by any amount of evidence. They have their cognitive anchor firmly in the Narrative stream and they will not ever ever every violate the Narrative.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

This was covered before but I'll re-quote my ending comment from the last open thread.

Aaron Rupar on Bluesky (You can find the quotes various places):

Trump in a single gaggle on Air Force One just threatened:

-- a second strike against Venezuela ("If they don't behave, we will do a second strike")
-- Cuba ("Cuba is ready to fall. Cuba looks like it's ready to fall. I don't know if they're gonna hold out.")
-- Mexico ("You have to do something with Mexico. Mexico has to get its act together ... every time I talk to [Sheinbaum] I offer to send troops. She's a little afraid.")
-- Colombia ("TRUMP: Colombia is very sick too. Run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the US, and he's not gonna be doing it very long. Q: So there's will be an operation by the US in Colombia? TRUMP: Sounds good to me")
-- Iran ("If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're gonna get very hard by the US")
-- Greenland (which in turn would be an attack on the EU and Denmark) ["We need Greenland from a national security situation. It's so strategic. Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. And Denmark is not gonna be able to do it ... the EU needs us to have it"]

Denmark officially was not pleased:

https://www.arctictoday.com/danish-pm-urges-trump-to-stop-threats-against-historically-close-ally/

The Finnish President (basically same comment as Sweden) and Sweden P.M. ("Only Denmark and Greenland have the right to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland. Sweden fully stands up for our neighboring country.") also were upset.

https://bsky.app/profile/publius24.bsky.social/post/3mbndjectm22l

===

This is notably unhinged, yes, and the optimistic thing might be to just deem it as senile rambling, but that isn't that helpful. Or hope that might be the case. If that works for you, go at it. Where is that Obama "Hope" poster?

Partially this is because it is unlikely that Trump is just some figurehead & the people around here will just let him ramble and it won't mean anything. Also, that won't be the response of foreign countries. It's a question of how bad it will all be.

To quote something a document cited by the Chief Justice Roberts' end-of-the-year report:

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

At some point, however, something might give. Forty or so people being killed in Venezuela or over 100 in the Caribbean or ... might not be enough.

"But the signs are evident and very ominous, and a chill wind blows."

[Bob from Ohio]

"Forty or so people being killed in Venezuela"

22 Cuban soldiers included.

[LawTalkingGuy]

What a shock, Bob doesn’t care about dead civilians.

[Bob from Ohio]

Joe was implying they were all just random "people".

Dead enemy soldiers are a good thing.

[LawTalkingGuy]

Joe was implying they were all just random "people".

I didn’t realize that soldiers weren’t humans. BTW what’s 40-22?

“Dead enemy soldiers are a good thing.”

We’re at war with Cuba? And let’s be real: you wouldn’t care if they were 40 children.

There’s not a murder or killing you won’t defend or dismiss as long as you think the victim is not worth your time.

[Bob from Ohio]

My mistake, it was 32 cuban soldiers

ABC News@ABC
13h
LATEST: At least 32 Cuban nationals were killed during the United States' operation in Venezuela, the Cuban Communist Party said in a statement.

We have been told one civilian was killed. 32 cubans means 7 left. We attacked numerous military targets so I bet the other 7 are V soldiers.

[LawTalkingGuy]

Even taking you at your word on the numbers: do you feel bad about that dead civilian?

[DDHarriman]

As bad as you feel when an illegal kills a Heritage American, or an illegal with a CDL runs over an American family.

[LawTalkingGuy]

So he feels terrible? Somehow I doubt that. See unlike you, I think bad things are in fact bad no matter the identities of the perpetrator or victim.

While we're imagining things, I imagine you not only would not care if a "Heritage American"* killed an illegal immigrant but would actively be happy about it.

*Heritage American is among the lamest things the right has ever come up with. It's so openly pathetic to think you're better than people because of who your ancestors were. It just screams "I am a huge loser with no accomplishments of my own to be proud of." And if we were to take the concept seriously: black Americans would have far more claim on the country than anyone else.

[DDHarriman]

>So he feels terrible? Somehow I doubt that. See unlike you, I think bad things are in fact bad no matter the identities of the perpetrator or victim.

You feel so bad about it it never altered your beliefs about policies, or ideas, or platforms, or anything!

That's how bad you felt, it changed you zero.

>And if we were to take the concept seriously: black Americans would have far more claim on the country than anyone else.

This is such a stupid and offensive lie you people tell. Do you not know history? Or is it only the Narrative?

Right, black Americans are the only blacks that built a modern first world country. Meanwhile no other blacks anywhere at and probably at any point in history have ever done that. But you believe our blacks are special blacks. Even though look around and see for the most part, they are special... special ed.

[LawTalkingGuy]

I have always believed in the inherent human dignity of everyone. Therefore, I won't demonize entire populations for horrible incidents caused by individuals. Perpetrators of bad acts should be held individually accountable after fair proceedings.

If I took your view of things, I would want to deport all white people after every mass-shooting one perpetrates in order to properly feel bad.

[DDHarriman]

>*Heritage American is among the lamest things the right has ever come up with

"Heritage American" are people who are culturally American.

It's too bad you don't know what words mean.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

Heritage Foundation: Bad. Heritage Americans: not bad?

[LawTalkingGuy]

"Heritage American" are people who are culturally American.

Even accepting this framing as accurate....that can be anybody who lives here. So everyone who is American can claim the label.

[DDHarriman]

You can't even acknowledge there is an American culture.

[LawTalkingGuy]

Sure I can. I love jazz and R&B and fortune cookies and Tex-Mex and hookah bars

[DDHarriman]

When someone says "hookah bar" "American culture" comes to mind for you?

What culture comes to mind for other people when they see "hookah bar", can you speculate?

[LawTalkingGuy]

If they're talking about one in American it should be American. America is great and we have a lot of cool stuff due to people from various backgrounds. It's awesome. But you're a loser who hates cool stuff so you want to pretend real American culture is something boring and lame because no one would ever invite you to a hookah bar.

[DDHarriman]

lol that's pathetic.

As soon as the weakness in your beliefs gets even the slightest stress, you get all flustered and flounce.

Don't worry, there is literally zero amount of argumentation or evidence that will cause you to update your beliefs.

You can continue to feel the warmth of (the Narrative) collectivism unthreatened.

If you want to be like the rest of the opened-minded Leftists, mute everyone who isn't also a fanatical Leftist. lol

But make sure you bray and preen about it like the others so you'll get those very important e-points.

[LawTalkingGuy]

Sure. Anyway, I'm going to keep enjoying America's wonderful diverse culture and everything it has to offer. You can keep being mad about it.

[DDHarriman]

So now you're celebrating cultural appropriation? lol wtf

I bet if you made a list of all the countries with cultures, and all the countries that are a wonderful blend of diversity with no culture of their own as you define it we'd find a pretty obvious pattern.

I'd also guess, with much certainty, that you're Jewish. Since this belief structure/system is very very strong tikkum olam signal.

[LawTalkingGuy]

“I'd also guess, with much certainty, that you're Jewish.”

Not everyone who is cooler than you is Jewish, you know.

In any event you are wrong: Italian/Slavic/Irish roots and was raised Roman Catholic.

[DDHarriman]

Sure thing Schlomo.

>Italian/Slavic/Irish

Three other demographics without their own culture too, right?

[LawTalkingGuy]

I don’t even believe in God anymore but I still have a couple sets of rosary beads around my house. So yeah I’m pretty sure I was raised Catholic.

[DDHarriman]

*wrong spot*

[Bob from Ohio]

"do you feel bad about that dead civilian"

You won't believe me but sure.

Do you feel proud that our wonderful military accomplished its goal with only one collateral death?

[LawTalkingGuy]

No? Why would I feel proud of someone else's accomplishment?

[Bob from Ohio]

Because its your military.

[Dr. Ed 2]

The issue is that a foreign power was guarding the head of state. It would be like us having the IDF guarding Trump. And what’s worse, this was in the middle of a purported Venezuelan military base.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

One horrible thing Trump does is spreading conspiracy theories to harm his enemies. Just "what people say" and all.

https://electionlawblog.org/?p=153721

Sometimes, people are upset when unhinged sounding people here do something like this. It isn't better when Trump does.

[DDHarriman]

As they always say, last years right wing conspiracy is next years headline.

[LawTalkingGuy]

So the last time the right-wing made up a conspiracy about a politically motivated attack on a democrat, there was eventually a trial where the defendant testified about why he did the attack. And then the right never talked about it ever again. I'll let you guess why.

[DDHarriman]

Tell us again how ANTIFA doesn't exist.

[David Nieporent]

Antifa — it's not an acronym, so not sure why you're capitalizing it — doesn't exist.

[LawTalkingGuy]

Didn't Kristi Noem claim we captured the founder of antifa's girlfriend?

[DDHarriman]

>Antifa — it's not an acronym, so not sure why you're capitalizing it

I'm not sure what you're referring to. "Antifa" doesn't exist.

[SRG2]

As they always say

They don't.

[LawTalkingGuy]

The right's reaction to Melissa Hortman's shooting has been one of the most disgusting things I've seen. It's just truly depraved. When they're not spreading conspiracies and lies, they're just ignoring it and pretending it didn't happen. DOJ still hasn't decided whether to pursue capital charges despite there being far more aggravating factors than Luigi or many other cases. They truly don't care about her, her husband, or the Hoffmans or their families.

Mike Lee should have been censured immediately for how he was cracking jokes on Twitter about the murder of his coworker's friends. He literally posted a photo of the moment before the murder! Imagine doing that to your coworker and still having a job afterward. But he's still in good-standing with the party and they're all too cowardly to call one of their own out. In years past he would have actually had to resign! People used to resign for less.

[DDHarriman]

Tell us the conspiracy theories and lies you believe about Hortman's shooting?

[LawTalkingGuy]

I don't believe any. A lone weirdo life-long loser with documented right-wing sympathies killed Democrats and planned to kill more. His only connection to Walz is because he was re-appointed to a 50 person all volunteer bi-partisan advisory board. His "no kings" "fliers" was just "no kings" written on some printer paper. That's not a flier. No one would actually take 100s of those to a protest. His weirdo explanation about being ordered by Walz was dismissed by the DOJ as delusional.

The explanations about it being because of how Hortman voted on something make no sense considering the attack on the Hoffmans and the politics of the situation. She made the difficult vote to pass a budget in a 50/50 House so one of her colleagues wouldn't have to.

No conspiracy necessary. It is entirely what it seems to be.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

There was something around here about why we should care about this sort of thing. So, Trump said something horrible about Rob Reiner, and it was as if he was just some random asshole.

At least in the minds of some people.

It made me think of the importance of reputation and civility was in the era of George Washington. How others saw him, his public image, was very important to him. Being a trollish asshole would make him a bad citizen. Still is for many people and public officials.

In Washington's day, if someone acted like this, they might become a public pariah. Yes, some politicians soon figured it didn't matter. Even they tried to keep up appearances in public to some degree.

It is not the most important thing but the fact the people of this country elected a troll for president is so damn horrible IMHO.

It's really bad when public officials do this when other public officials are involved. But it's bad in general, including when ordinary Americans, Heritage or not, and ordinary people overall are involved. I realize for some YMMV.

At some point, there is something to be said about shunning. Instead, some people at most are "concerned" and then move on.

[DDHarriman]

>It is not the most important thing but the fact the people of this country elected a troll for president is so damn horrible IMHO.

You're asking the wrong question.

How pathetic, corrupt, and hated must DC and the Deep State be for so many people to want an uncouth outsider in there who will take a flamethrower to the entire $7T/year corrupt wasteland.

We were on the edge of the Commie abyss with the Great Replacement, Great Reset, and Build Back "Better" (for the corruptocrats and tyrants - naturally). Now America, and all of humanity, have some breathing room.

[A Japanese Student]

CJS-Energy-Interior minibus bill is out.

CJS notes:
- MBDA gets $50,000,000. This is a decrease from FY2024 $68,250,000.
- They for some reason kept 18 U.S.C. 925(c) language.
- Section 202 is the Hyde Amendment.
- Section 220 is the school board language, also found in FY2024. Doubt this administration would violate that.
- Section 221: "None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to investigate or prosecute religious institutions on the basis of their religious beliefs." I also believe this is just a regular language.
- Payment to Legal Services Corporation, which Trump threatened its elimination, "shall be carried out in this fiscal year in the same manner as such budget execution was carried out in fiscal year 2024 and such payment shall be made in full as an annual installment paid to the Corporation at the beginning of the fiscal year in such amounts as specified under this heading".
- Section 511 concerning religious discrimination, also regular language.
- Section 531 is the medical marijuana provision.

Energy bill is boring. For Interior:
- Section 128: Governing board for Native Hawaiian art and culture (20 U.S.C. 4441) may include non-Native Hawaiians; and eliminates ex officio positions.
- EPA must maintain staffing levels "in order to fulfill the mission and statutory obligations of the agency". (Similar language exists for NWS, BLM, USFWS, and Forest Service.)

[DDHarriman]

Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly — and five other members of Congress — released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline. As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice. And the Department of War — and the American people — expect justice.

Therefore, in response to Senator Mark Kelly’s seditious statements — and his pattern of reckless misconduct — the Department of War is taking administrative action against Captain Mark E. Kelly, USN (Ret). The department has initiated retirement grade determination proceedings under 10 U.S.C. § 1370(f), with reduction in his retired grade resulting in a corresponding reduction in retired pay.

To ensure this action, the Secretary of War has also issued a formal Letter of Censure, which outlines the totality of Captain (for now) Kelly’s reckless misconduct. This Censure is a necessary process step, and will be placed in Captain Kelly’s official and permanent military personnel file.

Captain Kelly has been provided notice of the basis for this action and has thirty days to submit a response. The retirement grade determination process directed by Secretary Hegseth will be completed within forty five days.

Captain Kelly’s status as a sitting United States Senator does not exempt him from accountability, and further violations could result in further action.

These actions are based on Captain Kelly's public statements from June through December 2025 in which he characterized lawful military operations as illegal and counseled members of the Armed Forces to refuse lawful orders. This conduct was seditious in nature and violated Articles 133 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, to which Captain Kelly remains subject as a retired officer receiving pay.

https://x.com/SecWar/status/2008189258528665898

Some accountability for the coup plotter. Not enough, but it's progress.

[SRG2]

Should the military obey illegal orders? You must think the answer is, yes.

[DDHarriman]

These actions are based on Captain Kelly's public statements from June through December 2025 in which he characterized lawful military operations as illegal and counseled members of the Armed Forces to refuse lawful orders.

HTH

He's getting his due process and it isn't turning out that well for your side as the facts get reviewed by the arbiters.

[David Nieporent]

If he had actually done what Hegseth pretends — in fact, Kelly never characterized lawful military operations as illegal or counseled members of the Armed Forces to refuse lawful orders — there would be a court martial. There isn't. Instead, they're "taking administrative action" because they think it will be easier to get away with, and less embarrassing when it doesn't happen.

[LawTalkingGuy]

With some exceptions, like Judge Dugan, its notable that many of the administration's attempts to target individuals go awry when they have to deal with an actual adversarial proceeding where they actually need good evidence, the other side gets lawyers, and there are rules that have to be followed.

[Commenter_XY]

You mean Convict Dugan, not judge Dugan. She ain't a judge.

[DDHarriman]

Vibes doing alot of work in that post

Sincerely,
Sarcastr0

[SRG2]

You did not answer my question, I note.

[DDHarriman]

Because it's an unrelated strawman.

I refuted your premise with official government statements.

[SRG2]

I provided no premise. (I didn't say, "Mark Kelly said X. Is he right?" where there would have been a premise.) I simply asked whether the military should obey illegal orders. An official government statement doesn't address that point. But your response or lack thereof strongly implies that you think the military should - presumably when the orders are from the regime.

[DDHarriman]

The premise of your subtext.

>I simply asked whether the military should obey illegal orders.

So what? Is the sky blue? Does the sun set in the west? Do Somalians often have bulbous heads?

You're trying to cherry pick a few words and take them out of context and then argue they were fine. The DoD disagrees with your ass covering.

[SRG2]

The regime's and hence cultists' argument is that Kelly was advising the military to disobey Trump, which is seditious. The logic, however - as implicitly conceded by the regime and the cult - is this:

Kelly advised the military to disobey illegal orders.
Kelly advised the military to disobey Trump.
Therefore Trump's orders are illegal.

[ReaderY]

Even if Senator Kelly’s video wasn’t a simple and completely accurate statement of the law, which it is, he would be protected by legislative immunity.

Soldiers in our military swear an oath of obediance to the Constitution of the United States. Unlike German soldiers who were requires to swear an oath to obey Hitler personally, they do not swear an oath to obey Mr. Trump personally. For all Mr. Trump’s many efforts to make it so, this is not yet 1930s Germany.

Only a Nazi would confuse an oath to support the country’s constitution with an oath to support the leader personally regardless of what he orders. Mr. Trump’s bluster about the simple duties of being a loyal American only show his Nazi proclivities. And your bullshit about failing to support criminal and unconstitutional acts by Mr. Trump being so-called “sedition” yada yada yada blah blah blah only shows your own Nazi tendencies.

You’ve pumped yourself up with so many airs, someone should prick you with a pin and watch you sputter and spin yourself into nothing.

The many high-ranking officers who have refused to obey Trump’s orders thus far are a credit to their country. Replacing honorable and capable people by incompetent and unprincipled flunkies undermines our military’s ability to face genuine external threats with courage and effectiveness.

[David Nieporent]

Even if Senator Kelly’s video wasn’t a simple and completely accurate statement of the law, which it is, he would be protected by legislative immunity.

I don't know what you think "legislative immunity" is. Other countries have laws that say that members of their legislatures can't be prosecuted for crimes unless the rest of the legislature votes to lift said immunity, but we don't have any such rule. We only have the Speech & Debate Clause, and the Kelly et al. video could not remotely be characterized as fitting within that protection.

[Commenter_XY]

What legislative immunity? Whatchubetalkinbout ReaderY? 😉

[thesafesurfer]

When will Congress take the administration to court by invoking the War Powers Act? The answer is NEVER because the act is blatantly unconstitutional. Thanks for your attention to this matter.

[ReaderY]

It is highly questionable whether Congress can take a President to court, and while the DC Ciecuit has said it can, the Supreme Court has never decided the issue.

Congress’s primary remedy is to impeach the President. If it wants a lesser renedy, it can pass a law forbidding federal funds from being spent on the conflict.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

You are welcome though this appears to be a strawman.

Judicial review is conceivable in some fashion. "The Administration," assumingly, is not just POTUS, for instance.

The whole point of the WPA was to defend the war power constitutionally supplied to Congress. Presidents have pushed back, often with an over-the-top view of their own power.

Funding limits, a concurrent resolution regarding proper use of force, and other mechanisms are conceivable.

Congress defending its own power, for instance, can be done by showing the willingness to block something the executive wants and a trade is made.

The legislative veto was blocked by INS v. Chadha.

Impeachment, the "so I have a chance" tool except in the case of a limited subset of federal judges, is theoretically possible.

[not guilty]

"When will Congress take the administration to court by invoking the War Powers Act? The answer is NEVER because the act is blatantly unconstitutional. Thanks for your attention to this matter."

The remedy available to Congress, which it should invoke here, is impeachment, conviction, removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States.

That having been said, the constitutionality of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 can hardly be assailed. Under Article I, § 8 of the Constitution, it is the prerogative of Congress, among other things:

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces; and

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

[Emphasis added.]

When “the President takes measures incompatible with the expressed or implied will of Congress . . . he can rely only upon his own constitutional powers minus any constitutional powers of Congress over the matter.” To succeed in this category, the President’s asserted power must be both “exclusive” and “conclusive” on the issue. Zivotofsky v. Kerry, 576 U.S. 1, 10 (2015), quoting Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, 343 U.S. 579, 637–638 (1952) (Jackson, J., concurring).

By the plain language of the Constitution, the authority of Congress under the Necessary and Proper Clause includes supervision of the President's exercise of his Commander-in-chief duties under Article II, § 2. If Doofus Trump doesn't like that, tough noogie!

[Mr. Bumble]

not guilty continues in his long running role as the fool on the hill.

[not guilty]

What that I have said here do you dispute, Bumble?

[Brett Bellmore]

I will gladly admit that Minnesota's previous flag was a bit busy, but yeah, the resemblance is pretty hard to avoid noticing.

[DDHarriman]

Especially given what we now know.

[David Nieporent]

There is no resemblance. It's a different star, borrowing from Minnesota history, and a different color.

[Brett Bellmore]

Don't you ever get tired of that "Flat denial of the obvious and documented" shtick? In fact, the original winner of the competition looked even more like a Somalian flag, and had to be modified to moderate the resemblance.

[Swede425]

Our very own Nathan Thurm.

[LawTalkingGuy]

So this is actually just a reddit-inspired flag. The vexillology subreddit is very popular. It's especially popular with liberal nerds who are obsessed with minimalist flag design and would want Minnesota to change its old seal-on-blue flag. The flag of Reno is very popular there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Reno,_Nevada

See the minimalist similarities? To the extent Somalia is an inspiration...it's literally just the fact it's a minimalist flag. If Somalia just had a flag with stripes the Minnesota flag would still look the same.

[SRG2]

How dare you take away the opportunity for fake outrage! 🙂

[Michael P]

I am reminded how Vanilla Ice totally did not plagiarize "Under Pressure".

[ThePublius]

"There is no resemblance. It's a different star, borrowing from Minnesota history, and a different color."

You are ridiculous. Of course there's a resemblance, a strong resemblance, to the Somali flag, and other Somalian flags for other regions there.

You should have your head examined.

[Sarcastr0]

The flag as a secret symbol of...allegiance to Somalia or something?

That's a QAnon-level conspiracy.

Like, before you even check whether your vibes might be subjective, consider whether humans would act like you're claiming.

[ThePublius]

Do you live in a vacuum or something?

"Ilhan Omar Brags About Advancing a Somalia First Agenda in Congress"

https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/ilhan-omar-brags-about-advancing-somalia-first-agenda-congress

[Sarcastr0]

Apart from that not being what she said - heritage is dangling racism bait and you are biting - that has jack shit to do with anything flag related.

[DDHarriman]

Insider tip: Buy Airbus.

I heard rumors that ICE was ordering a dozen Airbus A300-600ST in preparation to deport the fraud committing Somalians.

These are solid rumors from a very high up govie that I just had lunch with.

[ReaderY]

I take it you got some Airbus stock to sell us?

At any rate, so much for the supposed Buy American campaign.

[jay.tee]

Back to the future: the last A300 delivery was almost 20 years ago (2007).

[DDHarriman]

https://www.airbus.com/en/products-services/commercial-aircraft/freighter/beluga

Hey you're right, I put the wrong model number. The current one was based off that design.

mea culpa

[ReaderY]

Could someone explain what evidence the administration has against Mr. Maduro, and why his conduct isn’t covered by the common law of foreign sovereign immunity?

Things like issuing diplomatic passports would appear to be quintessentially sovereign activities.

[Zarniwoop]

"Drugs are bad, m'kay?"

Oh, and Venezuela has large oil reserves.

[Michael P]

Among other factors, Maduro lost the 2024 election, so he doesn't represent the sovereign of Venezuela.

[ThePublius]

1. (Google):
"March 2020: The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Maduro with narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. The Trump administration, at that time, offered a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
January 2025: The reward was increased to $25 million by the Biden administration.
August 2025: The reward was doubled to its current amount of $50 million by the Trump administration. This was announced by Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
The current $50 million reward is offered by the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Justice under the Narcotics Rewards Program for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Maduro for violating U.S. narcotics laws."

2. Maduro is not the legit president of Venezuela, he lost the last election but declined to step down.

[Sarcastr0]

ReaderY's question is answered in the indictment linked below.
What you got here sure isn't "evidence" as he requested.

[John F. Carr]

The indictment is at https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1422326/dl. It describes some evidence. It also alleges that Maduro is not the President of Venezuela. So, according to the indictment, he does not have the traditional immunity of a head of state.

[John F. Carr]

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting voted to dissolve itself. It was dependent on federal funding and board members chose not to keep existing in name only.

https://apnews.com/article/public-broadcasting-pbs-npr-b68f441c227ec7e076c038821b4a5931

[ThePublius]

Gee, we were assured for years that federal funding was but a minute fraction of their funding!

[John F. Carr]

CPB was completely dependent on federal funding. Individual stations rely largely on donations. They used to get federal funds via CPB.

[Absaroka]

I looked up the Form 990 of our local station, and they say about 5% was govt funding.

This isn't disagreeing with CfPB's being axed; CfPB's function was to administer grants to public radio/tv, and that money is gone. But it wasn't a big part of public media funding, at least at our local station.

[John F. Carr]

The First Circuit affirmed a permanent injunction against Trump administration "guidance" capping indirect cost overhead at 15%.

The court ruled that this was not a contract dispute that needed to be heard in the Court of Federal Claims. Justice Barrett's controlling concurrence in NIH v. American Public Health Association allowed the court to review the government's policy of terminating politically unsound grants but not termination of individual grants. Plaintiffs in the present case chose to challenge the policy rather than its application to a specific contract.

On the merits, Congress prohibited such unilateral setting of overhead rates.

In my opinion the District Court should have simply set aside the policy under the APA. An injunction is not required and is not appropriate when the APA expressly provides a form of relief.

Massachusetts (and a cast of thousands) v. NIH, https://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/sites/ca1/files/opnfiles/25-1343P-01A.pdf

[MarkJawz]

Regarding the rogue Hilton franchisee who canceled ICE agent reservations, Democrats are now cheering private property rights.

I would be thrilled to let Hiltons ban government agents if it meant Heart of Atlanta and the entire tyrannical CRA went away.

[Dr. Ed 2]

My guess is that Hilton, which includes lesser brands, had the contract to provide hotel rooms. That’s how the government and large companies do things. They have a contract that gives them a set price per night, less than the list price, and everybody who’s traveling on their dime stays at that brand. They probably bill the government directly, saving everyone a lot of paperwork.

Corporate now has a major problem because the franchisee has now breached a contract that Hilton Inc. makes a lot of money on nationally. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

[MarkJawz]

Hilton deserves it for letting FOB Indians take over 85% of their hotels.

[David Nieporent]

"ICE employee" is not a protected class.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

Democrats are fans of "private property rights" in many ways, including defending the Fourth Amendment.

The broader ability of the government to regulate public accommodations has been recognized for centuries.

Justice Douglas noted the difference between a home and a public accommodation in Lombard v. Louisiana:

A private person has no standing to obtain even limited access. The principle that a man's home is his castle is basic to our system of jurisprudence.

But a restaurant, like the other departments of this retail store where Negroes were served, though private property within the protection of the Fifth Amendment, has no aura of constitutionally protected privacy about it. Access by the public is the very reason for its existence.

(His comment might be a bit too broad, but the two things are significantly different. A home is a castle, so goes the saying, not an inn. Inns had to welcome the public at large since medieval times in some jurisdictions.)

The comment seems to be talking about this:

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/05/dhs-hilton-hotel-immigration-reservation-minneapolis.html

[JoeFromtheBronx]

Corporation For Public Broadcasting formally dissolves after federal funding cuts

"The organization was created by the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, which built the organization to support NPR and PBS, along with 1,500 locally owned and operated public media stations. The organization was tasked with distributing $500m worth of funding annually to NPR, PBS and its network of local broadcast stations."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/05/corporation-for-public-broadcasting-board-dissolves

"The cuts to federal funding have inspired donors from across the country to go on a “rage-giving” spree, sending $70m in donations to public broadcasters over the last year. But it’s unclear how long the broadcasters can survive on donations alone: one analysis estimates that 15% of local stations are at risk of closing in three years because of the cuts."