Brian Cook
@2ndadminstate.bsky.social
Tinkering with the Constitution has failed. The American commercial republic must be reconstructed.
Professor Emeritus of Public Administration & Policy, Virginia Tech.
"Speech is silver, silence is gold. Self is universe."
--Ursula Le Guin
Professor Emeritus of Public Administration & Policy, Virginia Tech.
"Speech is silver, silence is gold. Self is universe."
--Ursula Le Guin
One way to inform them is to put the heat on the senators up for reelection in 2026. They can try to claim that they voted 'no' on 'the deal' but voters in their states, especially at the primary stage, can send a message to the those who capitulated that they will not be safe when it's their turn.
November 10, 2025 at 7:56 PM
One way to inform them is to put the heat on the senators up for reelection in 2026. They can try to claim that they voted 'no' on 'the deal' but voters in their states, especially at the primary stage, can send a message to the those who capitulated that they will not be safe when it's their turn.
There's no longer any point to working too hard with the nuances and complications. This is the basic story and it's time to act accordingly. Elites & elected officials of all stripes no longer deserve automatic deference and respect, no benefit of the doubt, and no peace from constituent pressure.
November 10, 2025 at 4:43 PM
There's no longer any point to working too hard with the nuances and complications. This is the basic story and it's time to act accordingly. Elites & elected officials of all stripes no longer deserve automatic deference and respect, no benefit of the doubt, and no peace from constituent pressure.
I'm probably over interpreting (see Charles Beard!), but from one perspective, this is the American story. Elites write a constitution that largely protects them and is less democratic than the revolutionaries preferred. Then again and again we get these irruptions of democratic sentiment.
November 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
I'm probably over interpreting (see Charles Beard!), but from one perspective, this is the American story. Elites write a constitution that largely protects them and is less democratic than the revolutionaries preferred. Then again and again we get these irruptions of democratic sentiment.
It was true in the 1980s and the 1990s. It was why Ferguson & Rogers wrote the book Right Turn. Democratic Party elites went right and their voting base went left.
November 10, 2025 at 2:57 PM
It was true in the 1980s and the 1990s. It was why Ferguson & Rogers wrote the book Right Turn. Democratic Party elites went right and their voting base went left.
We’ll see whether the agency name helps it handle the snow better than former Chicago mayor Michael Bilandic handled the 1979 blizzard.
November 9, 2025 at 8:53 PM
We’ll see whether the agency name helps it handle the snow better than former Chicago mayor Michael Bilandic handled the 1979 blizzard.
I think the appropriate response from states is, “Your request violates federal and state laws. If you want it, come and get it, or bring suit to recover the funds. In the meantime, at least we help the citizens we are obliged to help & we actually pay our civil servants for the hard work they do.”
The US Department of Agriculture has ordered that "states must immediately undo any steps taken to issue full SNAP benefits for November 2025".
November 9, 2025 at 7:04 PM
And the guy says whenever the weather’s clear…
November 8, 2025 at 7:38 PM
And the guy says whenever the weather’s clear…
If it has led us to place law over politics, which I think it has, I am definitely not sure it's a good thing. Law has become a substitute for governing.
November 8, 2025 at 6:35 PM
If it has led us to place law over politics, which I think it has, I am definitely not sure it's a good thing. Law has become a substitute for governing.
"I've got the horse right here..."
November 8, 2025 at 6:29 PM
"I've got the horse right here..."