@brent-williams.bsky.social
I feel like it is time for a (very public) primer to remind folks of the very acute problems that the ACA set out solve, back in the day; to remind folks of the "pre-existing conditions" crisis. Let's not overlook the forest of health insurance access justice for the trees of CR negotiation tactics.
November 9, 2025 at 11:00 PM
I feel like it is time for a (very public) primer to remind folks of the very acute problems that the ACA set out solve, back in the day; to remind folks of the "pre-existing conditions" crisis. Let's not overlook the forest of health insurance access justice for the trees of CR negotiation tactics.
Nope. The shutdown will end when a negotiation to end it is conducted and concluded between the White House and GOP members of Congress (House and Senate). Until White House and GOP Congress critters agree, we'll continue to read and hear noise blaming D's, which is all just projecting.
November 5, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Nope. The shutdown will end when a negotiation to end it is conducted and concluded between the White House and GOP members of Congress (House and Senate). Until White House and GOP Congress critters agree, we'll continue to read and hear noise blaming D's, which is all just projecting.
Yes, attacking Venezuela newsworthy and terrible. But it pales in comparison to the willful, deliberate decision by DJT and GOP to deny SNAP benefits to more than 40 million Americans.
November 1, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Yes, attacking Venezuela newsworthy and terrible. But it pales in comparison to the willful, deliberate decision by DJT and GOP to deny SNAP benefits to more than 40 million Americans.
Please, Ed, tell us how you really feel about it. /s 🙃
October 30, 2025 at 3:45 AM
Please, Ed, tell us how you really feel about it. /s 🙃
It seems possible that the purpose of the meeting was to coordinate the propagandistic messaging surrounding the military strikes, rather than to engage in legislative oversight.
October 30, 2025 at 12:33 AM
It seems possible that the purpose of the meeting was to coordinate the propagandistic messaging surrounding the military strikes, rather than to engage in legislative oversight.
Not a "betting market"; more like a "corruption market" ;-)
October 29, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Not a "betting market"; more like a "corruption market" ;-)
So now the members of our armed forces are funded like mercenaries? (Asking for a friend.)
October 24, 2025 at 8:50 PM
So now the members of our armed forces are funded like mercenaries? (Asking for a friend.)
This idea of using escrow accounts to temporarily condition the forwarding of federal taxes from the states could have some legs. You know, single-purpose tax equity partnerships which are created to share renewable energy investment tax credits don't seem much more complex than this. Try it?
October 22, 2025 at 3:11 AM
This idea of using escrow accounts to temporarily condition the forwarding of federal taxes from the states could have some legs. You know, single-purpose tax equity partnerships which are created to share renewable energy investment tax credits don't seem much more complex than this. Try it?
Simon, thanks for continuing to draw attention to this. Regardless of the status of the CR, a budget for the rest of the fiscal year (beyond the duration of the CR) needs to be drawn up, negotiated, and passed into law. This is what the R's should be working on, furiously, around the clock, unless..
October 21, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Simon, thanks for continuing to draw attention to this. Regardless of the status of the CR, a budget for the rest of the fiscal year (beyond the duration of the CR) needs to be drawn up, negotiated, and passed into law. This is what the R's should be working on, furiously, around the clock, unless..
Someone please notify Peter Thiel that we've found his Antichrist and he's the Speaker of the House!
October 19, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Someone please notify Peter Thiel that we've found his Antichrist and he's the Speaker of the House!
Thanks for drawing attention to this, Josh!
October 11, 2025 at 2:52 AM
Thanks for drawing attention to this, Josh!
I suspect that if "Obamacare" were simply renamed "Trumpcare," DJT (and all of his GOP/MAGA followers) would be all-in on "making it great again," so to speak. Problem solved. I wonder if the name is the sticking point (e.g., see "TrumpRX").
October 9, 2025 at 1:31 PM
I suspect that if "Obamacare" were simply renamed "Trumpcare," DJT (and all of his GOP/MAGA followers) would be all-in on "making it great again," so to speak. Problem solved. I wonder if the name is the sticking point (e.g., see "TrumpRX").
DJT's delusions or his staff's gaslighting of him (or both) are putting an increasing number of people, in America and abroad, in serious risk of harm -- bodily, financial, psychological, etc. The penumbra of harms (actual and potential) cast over all of us by DJT continues to grow and darken. 25th!
October 8, 2025 at 11:02 PM
DJT's delusions or his staff's gaslighting of him (or both) are putting an increasing number of people, in America and abroad, in serious risk of harm -- bodily, financial, psychological, etc. The penumbra of harms (actual and potential) cast over all of us by DJT continues to grow and darken. 25th!
It is also the case that the R's in the Senate could vote to set aside the filibuster in this instance, and then vote and pass the GOP/MAGA CR with a simple majority. That they have not done so is suggestive.
Stay resolute and keep fighting for access to affordable healthcare for all Americans!
Stay resolute and keep fighting for access to affordable healthcare for all Americans!
October 8, 2025 at 4:09 PM
It is also the case that the R's in the Senate could vote to set aside the filibuster in this instance, and then vote and pass the GOP/MAGA CR with a simple majority. That they have not done so is suggestive.
Stay resolute and keep fighting for access to affordable healthcare for all Americans!
Stay resolute and keep fighting for access to affordable healthcare for all Americans!
There's an easy peasy solution to all this.
Step 1: Republican majority in Senate votes to set-aside the filibuster. (They can do this on a simple majority vote.)
Step 2: Republican majority in Senate votes to approve the GOP/MAGA CR.
Bottom line: No D votes are required to re-open USG.
Step 1: Republican majority in Senate votes to set-aside the filibuster. (They can do this on a simple majority vote.)
Step 2: Republican majority in Senate votes to approve the GOP/MAGA CR.
Bottom line: No D votes are required to re-open USG.
October 6, 2025 at 5:46 PM
There's an easy peasy solution to all this.
Step 1: Republican majority in Senate votes to set-aside the filibuster. (They can do this on a simple majority vote.)
Step 2: Republican majority in Senate votes to approve the GOP/MAGA CR.
Bottom line: No D votes are required to re-open USG.
Step 1: Republican majority in Senate votes to set-aside the filibuster. (They can do this on a simple majority vote.)
Step 2: Republican majority in Senate votes to approve the GOP/MAGA CR.
Bottom line: No D votes are required to re-open USG.
This seems uncomfortably reminiscent of the scene at the beginning of "Brazil" in which Mr. Buttle is brutally arrested and his family is traumatized.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvlw...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvlw...
Brazil - Mr. Buttle's Arrest
YouTube video by Josh Morgan
www.youtube.com
October 4, 2025 at 5:59 PM
This seems uncomfortably reminiscent of the scene at the beginning of "Brazil" in which Mr. Buttle is brutally arrested and his family is traumatized.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvlw...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvlw...
If the D's give in no one will care what they say they were fighting for.
September 29, 2025 at 11:39 PM
If the D's give in no one will care what they say they were fighting for.
Yeah, going along to get along will work swimmingly, just like it did this spring.
And the R's will crow that the D's gave in and the R's prevented healthcare funding going to non-citizens and the R's prevented the rural hospitals from being de-funded. R's will win the argument and win the budget.
And the R's will crow that the D's gave in and the R's prevented healthcare funding going to non-citizens and the R's prevented the rural hospitals from being de-funded. R's will win the argument and win the budget.
September 29, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Yeah, going along to get along will work swimmingly, just like it did this spring.
And the R's will crow that the D's gave in and the R's prevented healthcare funding going to non-citizens and the R's prevented the rural hospitals from being de-funded. R's will win the argument and win the budget.
And the R's will crow that the D's gave in and the R's prevented healthcare funding going to non-citizens and the R's prevented the rural hospitals from being de-funded. R's will win the argument and win the budget.
I mean, how can we have good faith negotiations about the budget if the GOP'ers are clearly and repeatedly not acting in good faith? But as mentioned above, airing this garbage makes CNN complicit in the GOP propaganda spread and their info confusion tactic.
September 29, 2025 at 11:03 PM
I mean, how can we have good faith negotiations about the budget if the GOP'ers are clearly and repeatedly not acting in good faith? But as mentioned above, airing this garbage makes CNN complicit in the GOP propaganda spread and their info confusion tactic.
I still find it very weird that MSM continue to air live press hits which allow GOP'ers to lie shamelessly without consequence. I would like Jeffries and Schumer to say, yes, we can meet and discuss a way forward here, but a precondition is that the GOP'ers have to stop lying about our position.
September 29, 2025 at 11:00 PM
I still find it very weird that MSM continue to air live press hits which allow GOP'ers to lie shamelessly without consequence. I would like Jeffries and Schumer to say, yes, we can meet and discuss a way forward here, but a precondition is that the GOP'ers have to stop lying about our position.
In the immortal words of Admiral Ackbar: "It's a trap!"
(I certainly hope that I am wrong, for everyone's sake.)
(I certainly hope that I am wrong, for everyone's sake.)
September 26, 2025 at 3:02 PM
In the immortal words of Admiral Ackbar: "It's a trap!"
(I certainly hope that I am wrong, for everyone's sake.)
(I certainly hope that I am wrong, for everyone's sake.)
I would like to suggest 3 versions of a Project 2027 plan, predicated on various outcomes of the 2026 midterms -- 1) If the D's win back both the House and Senate; 2) If the D's win back one but not the other; and 3) If the D's win back neither. There's a lot of good that can be done before 2029!
September 25, 2025 at 10:07 PM
I would like to suggest 3 versions of a Project 2027 plan, predicated on various outcomes of the 2026 midterms -- 1) If the D's win back both the House and Senate; 2) If the D's win back one but not the other; and 3) If the D's win back neither. There's a lot of good that can be done before 2029!
Yes, this is what I suspect is the purpose of the meeting -- asking all of the military brass to swear a personal oath to DJT. I truly hope that you and I are wrong about this, for the good of all of us.
September 25, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Yes, this is what I suspect is the purpose of the meeting -- asking all of the military brass to swear a personal oath to DJT. I truly hope that you and I are wrong about this, for the good of all of us.
As stated in the Bible, "Cognoscetis Veritatem et Veritas Liberabit Vos" -- You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. We need some prophylaxis against the unending lies and propaganda of this administration!
September 5, 2025 at 5:07 PM
As stated in the Bible, "Cognoscetis Veritatem et Veritas Liberabit Vos" -- You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. We need some prophylaxis against the unending lies and propaganda of this administration!