MadisonBelmar
@madisonbelmar.bsky.social
Retired attorney. Law, politics, history, wine, track & field, NY Mets, NJ Shore.
She doesn’t mean “right” but she does mean a word that rhymes with it
Kristi Noem: "When it gets to Election Day, we've been proactive to make sure we have the right people voting, electing the right leaders to lead this country."
February 14, 2026 at 4:55 PM
She doesn’t mean “right” but she does mean a word that rhymes with it
This Chablis was lovely tonight with shrimp in a shallot tarragon cream sauce. Creamy in texture, a bit lemony, and saline (not salty!) in the sense that you can taste the limestone in the soil, courtesy of millions of years of shellfish deposits.
Only 12.5% ABV too. #Wine #Cooking
Only 12.5% ABV too. #Wine #Cooking
February 14, 2026 at 1:11 AM
So the FAA shut down the airspace bc it believed a hostile actor was operating counter drone tech in the area? Seems like the right call, bc DHS these days is indeed a hostile actor.
February 11, 2026 at 11:56 PM
So the FAA shut down the airspace bc it believed a hostile actor was operating counter drone tech in the area? Seems like the right call, bc DHS these days is indeed a hostile actor.
February 11, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Uh huh 🙄
POLITICO reporting that the White House has now claimed the ape video was an accident and removed it.
February 6, 2026 at 10:45 PM
Uh huh 🙄
Fartcoin in and of itself is not funny. Fartcoin “outperforming” Trumpcoin and Melaniacoin is hilarious.
There are drawdowns. And then there’s Melania Coin.
February 6, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Fartcoin in and of itself is not funny. Fartcoin “outperforming” Trumpcoin and Melaniacoin is hilarious.
This exposes a risk of the gerrymandering TX did with its federal House map. When you turn, say, 30 very safe R+20 seats into 40 fairly safe R+8, seats, you risk losing most of them in a 🌊 election. Here’s hoping this plays out nationwide in November.
Big news in Texas:
A Democrat just decisively won a state legislative special election in a district around Fort Worth that Trump carried by more than 17 points in 2024.
Taylor Rehmet, a local union leader, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss 57 to 43 in the historically conservative district.
A Democrat just decisively won a state legislative special election in a district around Fort Worth that Trump carried by more than 17 points in 2024.
Taylor Rehmet, a local union leader, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss 57 to 43 in the historically conservative district.
February 1, 2026 at 1:43 PM
This exposes a risk of the gerrymandering TX did with its federal House map. When you turn, say, 30 very safe R+20 seats into 40 fairly safe R+8, seats, you risk losing most of them in a 🌊 election. Here’s hoping this plays out nationwide in November.
Precedent for Democrats to do the same at the federal level in 2029
The Utah governor just signed a bill to expand his state's supreme court by two seats.
Conservatives have been angry at a series of judicial rulings, including one that safeguarded direct democracy in 2024 & one that struck down their gerrymander. 1st step of their retaliation.
Conservatives have been angry at a series of judicial rulings, including one that safeguarded direct democracy in 2024 & one that struck down their gerrymander. 1st step of their retaliation.
February 1, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Precedent for Democrats to do the same at the federal level in 2029
Sometime after May 1, 2026:
“Sir, we accepted 8,000 female students as incoming freshmen, but fewer than 100 have enrolled.”
“Sir, we accepted 8,000 female students as incoming freshmen, but fewer than 100 have enrolled.”
Texas A&M University is ending its women's and gender studies program, changing the syllabuses of hundreds of courses and canceling six classes as part of a new policy that limits how professors can discuss some race and gender topics, school officials announced Friday.
https://cnn.it/3Z7xD7d
https://cnn.it/3Z7xD7d
February 1, 2026 at 12:06 AM
Sometime after May 1, 2026:
“Sir, we accepted 8,000 female students as incoming freshmen, but fewer than 100 have enrolled.”
“Sir, we accepted 8,000 female students as incoming freshmen, but fewer than 100 have enrolled.”
Reposted by MadisonBelmar
Epstein is the most garish and harrowing manifestation of this but oligarchy makes life miserable in a thousand other ways. A core point of democracy is that no one should have so much power that they can make themselves everybody's problem. We should have a political party that believes that
The Epstein emails should really end the debate over whether society should have billionaires. "Do you want there to be a class of people so powerful they can fuck your kids and no one will even try to do anything" seems like an easy sell if everyone in politics wasn't trying to get on their payroll
January 31, 2026 at 9:55 PM
Epstein is the most garish and harrowing manifestation of this but oligarchy makes life miserable in a thousand other ways. A core point of democracy is that no one should have so much power that they can make themselves everybody's problem. We should have a political party that believes that
The small print:
“After January 2029, you will be unemployable as a lawyer in any capacity for any entity, public or private. Even if you somehow evade imprisonment and/or disbarment.”
“After January 2029, you will be unemployable as a lawyer in any capacity for any entity, public or private. Even if you somehow evade imprisonment and/or disbarment.”
DM me? We used to get hundreds of highly qualified applicants for a single job posting. Good prosecutors are increasingly hesitant to work for this DOJ.
January 31, 2026 at 5:13 PM
The small print:
“After January 2029, you will be unemployable as a lawyer in any capacity for any entity, public or private. Even if you somehow evade imprisonment and/or disbarment.”
“After January 2029, you will be unemployable as a lawyer in any capacity for any entity, public or private. Even if you somehow evade imprisonment and/or disbarment.”
Should observers and protesters be masking up too? It’s certainly balaclava weather in MN.
One person recounted to me how ICE agents drove up to a school where he was patrolling and very ostentatiously scanned the faces of the parents standing on patrol.
January 30, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Should observers and protesters be masking up too? It’s certainly balaclava weather in MN.
Italian Passport Control/Border Guards have an opportunity to do the funniest thing ever.
“ICE will accompany the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics in Italy next month, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Tuesday,” the NYT reports. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/w...
Outcry in Italy as U.S. Says ICE Agents Will Join Olympics Delegation
www.nytimes.com
January 27, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Italian Passport Control/Border Guards have an opportunity to do the funniest thing ever.
This pot contains lamb shanks, braising away while I shoveled a foot of snow out of the driveway.
January 26, 2026 at 1:19 AM
This pot contains lamb shanks, braising away while I shoveled a foot of snow out of the driveway.
Got my sample ballot for the 2/5 special primary election to fill Mike Sherrill’s seat in Congress. There are 13 Dem candidates! 13!
Does anyone know which of these are serious contenders, which are cranks or otherwise unqualified or unelectable? #NJ #NJPolitics #Elections
Does anyone know which of these are serious contenders, which are cranks or otherwise unqualified or unelectable? #NJ #NJPolitics #Elections
January 24, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Got my sample ballot for the 2/5 special primary election to fill Mike Sherrill’s seat in Congress. There are 13 Dem candidates! 13!
Does anyone know which of these are serious contenders, which are cranks or otherwise unqualified or unelectable? #NJ #NJPolitics #Elections
Does anyone know which of these are serious contenders, which are cranks or otherwise unqualified or unelectable? #NJ #NJPolitics #Elections
Wasn’t he complaining earlier today about how bad his polling was?
Trump: "RECORD NUMBERS ALL OVER THE PLACE! SHOULD I TRY FOR A FOURTH TERM?"
January 23, 2026 at 1:08 AM
Wasn’t he complaining earlier today about how bad his polling was?
Reposted by MadisonBelmar
Mafia goon: Nice house you got here...it'd be a shame if something happened to it
Media outlets: Mafia goon rules out use of force. Expresses regret at the mere thought of it
Media outlets: Mafia goon rules out use of force. Expresses regret at the mere thought of it
January 21, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Mafia goon: Nice house you got here...it'd be a shame if something happened to it
Media outlets: Mafia goon rules out use of force. Expresses regret at the mere thought of it
Media outlets: Mafia goon rules out use of force. Expresses regret at the mere thought of it
Dementia plus jet lag produces cognitive issues. Or perhaps just reveals them.
Trump is now confusing Greenland and Iceland: "They're not there for us on Iceland, that I can tell you. Our stock market took the first dip yesterday because of Iceland. So Iceland has already cost us a lot of money."
January 21, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Dementia plus jet lag produces cognitive issues. Or perhaps just reveals them.
Looks like Norman Rockwell’s saddest painting
Hmong man detained by ICE today in St. Paul, Minnesota.
(Photo via Reuters)
(Photo via Reuters)
January 19, 2026 at 3:31 AM
Looks like Norman Rockwell’s saddest painting
Ignorance is Strength
Bessent on Greenland: "Peace through strength. Make it part of the US and there will not be a conflict because the US right now, we're the hottest country in the world, we're the strongest country in the world. Europeans project weakness. The US projects strength."
January 18, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Ignorance is Strength
If Hostetler could pull it off…
I'll be honest I am rooting for Jarrett Stidham to win the Super Bowl
January 18, 2026 at 4:01 AM
If Hostetler could pull it off…
WSJ 30 years from now: “Inexplicable increase in homelessness among seniors”
President Trump will issue a plan next week for letting Americans tap their 401(k)s for a down payment on a home, a senior White House official said Friday.
Trump Plan Would Let Americans Use 401(k)s for Down Payments on Homes, Official Says
President Trump will issue a plan next week for letting Americans tap their 401(k)s for a down payment on a home, a senior White House official said Friday.
on.wsj.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:32 AM
WSJ 30 years from now: “Inexplicable increase in homelessness among seniors”
Sure, why not, what can possibly go wrong? 🤦♂️
Why is everyone in power so stupid rn?
Why is everyone in power so stupid rn?
President Trump will issue a plan next week for letting Americans tap their 401(k)s for a down payment on a home, a senior White House official said Friday.
Trump Plan Would Let Americans Use 401(k)s for Down Payments on Homes, Official Says
President Trump will issue a plan next week for letting Americans tap their 401(k)s for a down payment on a home, a senior White House official said Friday.
on.wsj.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:30 AM
Sure, why not, what can possibly go wrong? 🤦♂️
Why is everyone in power so stupid rn?
Why is everyone in power so stupid rn?
Pack your bags, Brett Baty. You too, Mark Vientos.
The Mets and infielder Bo Bichette have agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal.
Mets news: Bo Bichette signs 3 year, $126 million contract
The Mets add another infielder to an already crowded mix.
www.amazinavenue.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Pack your bags, Brett Baty. You too, Mark Vientos.