@hermetician.bsky.social
I agree with your overall point about civic actors ignoring the Constitution (loss of civic virtue), but I think the pardon power is also enabling Trump. It’s a really broad power that undermines the rule of law.
November 30, 2025 at 7:12 PM
I agree with your overall point about civic actors ignoring the Constitution (loss of civic virtue), but I think the pardon power is also enabling Trump. It’s a really broad power that undermines the rule of law.
There are a lot of RIF corner cases in the government right now because of how sloppy agencies were in conducting them and the anti-RIF provisions may cause more confusion. For instance, NIH has a group of people on the payroll with no official duties because HHS missed them in the 4/1 RIFs.
November 10, 2025 at 2:52 AM
There are a lot of RIF corner cases in the government right now because of how sloppy agencies were in conducting them and the anti-RIF provisions may cause more confusion. For instance, NIH has a group of people on the payroll with no official duties because HHS missed them in the 4/1 RIFs.
It’s nice that feds RIFed during the shutdown will keep their jobs. But what about the probies, USAID staff, HHS RIFees, and so on? A lot of these people are still looking for jobs (and unlikely to find them in the next year).
November 10, 2025 at 12:31 AM
It’s nice that feds RIFed during the shutdown will keep their jobs. But what about the probies, USAID staff, HHS RIFees, and so on? A lot of these people are still looking for jobs (and unlikely to find them in the next year).
The most straightforward way to reduce health care costs in the short term is to increase the supply of medical professionals through immigration and simplified licensing for them. I'm looking forward to Sen. Scott's open borders policy for these much-needed immigrant workers!
November 8, 2025 at 5:14 PM
The most straightforward way to reduce health care costs in the short term is to increase the supply of medical professionals through immigration and simplified licensing for them. I'm looking forward to Sen. Scott's open borders policy for these much-needed immigrant workers!
Nearly perfect predators with the intelligence to hold a collective grudge against humanity is nightmare fuel. Way scarier than sharks. We need to get on the good side of the world orca community.
November 7, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Nearly perfect predators with the intelligence to hold a collective grudge against humanity is nightmare fuel. Way scarier than sharks. We need to get on the good side of the world orca community.
It's hubris. Their attitude reminds me of the hikers who decided to climb Mt. Washington in October with T-shirts and windbreakers. Nature has a way of punishing arrogance.
November 4, 2025 at 6:30 PM
It's hubris. Their attitude reminds me of the hikers who decided to climb Mt. Washington in October with T-shirts and windbreakers. Nature has a way of punishing arrogance.
You could create a one-time special enrollment period (SEP) if the subsidies go through and let people backdate coverage to the start of the year.
October 28, 2025 at 2:23 AM
You could create a one-time special enrollment period (SEP) if the subsidies go through and let people backdate coverage to the start of the year.
He continued blundering after he dropped from the race in low-pressure venues. The biggest gaffe Harris made was failing to articulate what she would have done differently than Biden. And imagine the utter disaster another bad debate performance from Biden would have been.
October 28, 2025 at 12:14 AM
He continued blundering after he dropped from the race in low-pressure venues. The biggest gaffe Harris made was failing to articulate what she would have done differently than Biden. And imagine the utter disaster another bad debate performance from Biden would have been.
“A Republic, if you can keep it.“ Spoiler: We couldn’t keep it.
October 15, 2025 at 11:48 PM
“A Republic, if you can keep it.“ Spoiler: We couldn’t keep it.
The next Dem president could retaliate with their own use of the pardon power (maybe seizing Trump and Bessent’s assets to compensate taxpayers for illegally spending their money). But that could lead to government by pardon ping-pong.
October 15, 2025 at 11:10 PM
The next Dem president could retaliate with their own use of the pardon power (maybe seizing Trump and Bessent’s assets to compensate taxpayers for illegally spending their money). But that could lead to government by pardon ping-pong.
The next stage of our constitutional meltdown may be the pardon power escaping containment. Trump pardoning officials for illegally disbursing funds will blow up the governing structure of the country.
October 15, 2025 at 10:59 PM
The next stage of our constitutional meltdown may be the pardon power escaping containment. Trump pardoning officials for illegally disbursing funds will blow up the governing structure of the country.
Thanks for this explainer! Do you have any thoughts on whether the president could just pardon everyone involved in an ADA violation to avoid criminal penalties? Would civil remedies be possible then? I’m overall wondering what happens to spending authority once the pardon power breaks containment.
October 15, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Thanks for this explainer! Do you have any thoughts on whether the president could just pardon everyone involved in an ADA violation to avoid criminal penalties? Would civil remedies be possible then? I’m overall wondering what happens to spending authority once the pardon power breaks containment.
Trump spending money without authorization during the shutdown was pretty predictable. Dems should respond with a commitment to claw back stolen taxpayer dollars from the personal fortunes of Trump, Bessent, and other high-level officials. Promise to impoverish everyone remotely responsible.
October 11, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Trump spending money without authorization during the shutdown was pretty predictable. Dems should respond with a commitment to claw back stolen taxpayer dollars from the personal fortunes of Trump, Bessent, and other high-level officials. Promise to impoverish everyone remotely responsible.
Also, Dems need to commit to holding high-level officials who distribute these checks, including Trump, personally liable. The next Dem admin should claw back these taxpayer dollars from Trump's personal fortune and Hegseth's assets.
October 11, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Also, Dems need to commit to holding high-level officials who distribute these checks, including Trump, personally liable. The next Dem admin should claw back these taxpayer dollars from Trump's personal fortune and Hegseth's assets.
He has brilliantly defeated the antifa conspiracy to sap and impurify his precious bodily fluids.
October 11, 2025 at 3:53 AM
He has brilliantly defeated the antifa conspiracy to sap and impurify his precious bodily fluids.
The organization level of RIFees varies depending on the agency that fired them. My impression of the general sentiment is that nobody (including Dem politicians) wants to expend political capital fighting for us, and that's been demoralizing.
October 10, 2025 at 6:30 PM
The organization level of RIFees varies depending on the agency that fired them. My impression of the general sentiment is that nobody (including Dem politicians) wants to expend political capital fighting for us, and that's been demoralizing.
A lot (the majority I think) of federal departures are from DRP and VERA/VSIP takers. The absolute number of RIFees perhaps hasn't reached a critical mass.
October 10, 2025 at 6:28 PM
A lot (the majority I think) of federal departures are from DRP and VERA/VSIP takers. The absolute number of RIFees perhaps hasn't reached a critical mass.
Oh, Mackenzie, why didn't you take the Post in the settlement? Seriously, if the Post were standing up to Trump right now, it would be stealing NYT subscribers, attracting great journalists, breaking epic stories, and just doing the country a lot of good overall.
October 9, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Oh, Mackenzie, why didn't you take the Post in the settlement? Seriously, if the Post were standing up to Trump right now, it would be stealing NYT subscribers, attracting great journalists, breaking epic stories, and just doing the country a lot of good overall.
I would add that the fragmentation of America's educational system adds a lot of stress to parents who want to ensure their kids get a good education. Every school district has a bespoke curriculum. It's wasteful and makes tracking your child's progress unnecessarily complex.
October 8, 2025 at 4:01 PM
I would add that the fragmentation of America's educational system adds a lot of stress to parents who want to ensure their kids get a good education. Every school district has a bespoke curriculum. It's wasteful and makes tracking your child's progress unnecessarily complex.
These guys are part of Texas’s elite Midwest infiltration corps. Give them a plate of Polish sausages and a Bears jersey and they’ll blend right into the Chicago population. They are at the perfect weight to survive a Chicago winter.
October 7, 2025 at 10:42 PM
These guys are part of Texas’s elite Midwest infiltration corps. Give them a plate of Polish sausages and a Bears jersey and they’ll blend right into the Chicago population. They are at the perfect weight to survive a Chicago winter.
Dems need to pledge loud and clear that they’ll claw back this money from the personal funds of anyone, particularly Trump, involved with illegally distributing tax dollars.
October 7, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Dems need to pledge loud and clear that they’ll claw back this money from the personal funds of anyone, particularly Trump, involved with illegally distributing tax dollars.
Congratulations to all the Dems who supported the Laken Riley Act, which is why ICE was able to hold this guy.
October 2, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Congratulations to all the Dems who supported the Laken Riley Act, which is why ICE was able to hold this guy.
If you‘ve been to the house before, bring a tacky painting or print as a gift and tell him where the perfect spot for it is.
October 2, 2025 at 4:40 PM
If you‘ve been to the house before, bring a tacky painting or print as a gift and tell him where the perfect spot for it is.
Right. If Trump declares that spending funds is necessary to protect the national security of the country, Republicans in Congress are not going to stop him. SCOTUS would probably agree. Maybe this is too pessimistic, but it seems like a plausible outcome to the shutdown.
October 2, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Right. If Trump declares that spending funds is necessary to protect the national security of the country, Republicans in Congress are not going to stop him. SCOTUS would probably agree. Maybe this is too pessimistic, but it seems like a plausible outcome to the shutdown.