M Holmgren
@holmgren.bsky.social
Research and evaluation by day. Politics, policy, and hockey by night.
Reposted by M Holmgren
Okay, so, on judicial power.
Many many countries have what's called a "judicial commission" that's an independent body that manages the judicial branch, *specifically including* hiring and promotion of judges. They administer exams & peer review to determine who should advance in the profession.
Many many countries have what's called a "judicial commission" that's an independent body that manages the judicial branch, *specifically including* hiring and promotion of judges. They administer exams & peer review to determine who should advance in the profession.
if dems win congress next year they need to introduce an impeachment resolution against emil bove
Justice Department official told prosecutors that U.S. should 'just sink' drug boats
NPR interviews with current and former officials reveal more of the backstory around the military's strikes in the Caribbean.
www.npr.org
November 18, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Okay, so, on judicial power.
Many many countries have what's called a "judicial commission" that's an independent body that manages the judicial branch, *specifically including* hiring and promotion of judges. They administer exams & peer review to determine who should advance in the profession.
Many many countries have what's called a "judicial commission" that's an independent body that manages the judicial branch, *specifically including* hiring and promotion of judges. They administer exams & peer review to determine who should advance in the profession.
Reposted by M Holmgren
I’ll keep pushing this line of analysis because I’m increasingly convinced the clearest path out of this mess is for Dems to adopt a relentless anti-corruption, anti-inequality, anti-oligarchy, pro-democracy platform. The Dem leadership hasn’t realized it yet, but they’re now a reform party.
November 6, 2025 at 12:06 AM
I’ll keep pushing this line of analysis because I’m increasingly convinced the clearest path out of this mess is for Dems to adopt a relentless anti-corruption, anti-inequality, anti-oligarchy, pro-democracy platform. The Dem leadership hasn’t realized it yet, but they’re now a reform party.
Reposted by M Holmgren
Reposted by M Holmgren
Macron remarks are notable- some quotes: "We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks that are controlled either by large American entrepreneurs or large Chinese companies, whose interests are not at all the survival or proper functioning of our democracies."
President Macron: “Europeans, let's wake up!
We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.”
defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...
We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.”
defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...
October 4, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Macron remarks are notable- some quotes: "We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks that are controlled either by large American entrepreneurs or large Chinese companies, whose interests are not at all the survival or proper functioning of our democracies."
Reposted by M Holmgren
I fully understand how difficult it is to remain focused on any one particular atrocity but this really ought to be a serious scandal and people need to pay heavy prices for this
I think the Trump admin assumed no one would try to find out who the people on the boats they blew up really were
September 30, 2025 at 1:33 AM
I fully understand how difficult it is to remain focused on any one particular atrocity but this really ought to be a serious scandal and people need to pay heavy prices for this
Reposted by M Holmgren
Crazy how the executive branch goes “if we can’t break the law it’s irreparable harm to our lawbreaking,” 6 Supreme Court Justices go “yeah sure,” often with no further explanation, and 3 are left doing an eloquent version of “but checks and balances, duly passed statute, what are we doing here.”
September 27, 2025 at 1:54 AM
Crazy how the executive branch goes “if we can’t break the law it’s irreparable harm to our lawbreaking,” 6 Supreme Court Justices go “yeah sure,” often with no further explanation, and 3 are left doing an eloquent version of “but checks and balances, duly passed statute, what are we doing here.”
Reposted by M Holmgren
This Day in Labor History: September 22, 1862. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared slaves in all parts of the U.S. in rebellion free on January 1, 1863 if they did not rejoin the United States. Let's talk about what this did and did not do!
September 22, 2025 at 12:28 PM
This Day in Labor History: September 22, 1862. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared slaves in all parts of the U.S. in rebellion free on January 1, 1863 if they did not rejoin the United States. Let's talk about what this did and did not do!
Reposted by M Holmgren
No one has been more vindicated than normie resistance Dems, women’s marchers and never-Trump Republicans. They were right all along about the threat. The anti-anti-Trump Republicans and reactionary centrists, and the far left “it’s always been this bad” folks have been proved wrong over and over.
September 18, 2025 at 2:53 AM
No one has been more vindicated than normie resistance Dems, women’s marchers and never-Trump Republicans. They were right all along about the threat. The anti-anti-Trump Republicans and reactionary centrists, and the far left “it’s always been this bad” folks have been proved wrong over and over.
Reposted by M Holmgren
He's right, and it's not just Brazil.
Around the world, at least 31 democratic leaders who committed similar crimes have been jailed or banned from office since 2010. The failure to hold Trump accountable in the US was a unique and systemic failure of our institutions and political culture.
Around the world, at least 31 democratic leaders who committed similar crimes have been jailed or banned from office since 2010. The failure to hold Trump accountable in the US was a unique and systemic failure of our institutions and political culture.
July 20, 2025 at 7:26 PM
He's right, and it's not just Brazil.
Around the world, at least 31 democratic leaders who committed similar crimes have been jailed or banned from office since 2010. The failure to hold Trump accountable in the US was a unique and systemic failure of our institutions and political culture.
Around the world, at least 31 democratic leaders who committed similar crimes have been jailed or banned from office since 2010. The failure to hold Trump accountable in the US was a unique and systemic failure of our institutions and political culture.
Reposted by M Holmgren
oh we're live
this week's decision letting Trump unilaterally cancel $20 billion in congressional funding for climate projects is a new and egregious example of conservative judges building a pseudolegal house of cards to shelter Trump's brazenly illegal acts
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/clima...
this week's decision letting Trump unilaterally cancel $20 billion in congressional funding for climate projects is a new and egregious example of conservative judges building a pseudolegal house of cards to shelter Trump's brazenly illegal acts
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/clima...
September 5, 2025 at 6:26 PM
oh we're live
this week's decision letting Trump unilaterally cancel $20 billion in congressional funding for climate projects is a new and egregious example of conservative judges building a pseudolegal house of cards to shelter Trump's brazenly illegal acts
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/clima...
this week's decision letting Trump unilaterally cancel $20 billion in congressional funding for climate projects is a new and egregious example of conservative judges building a pseudolegal house of cards to shelter Trump's brazenly illegal acts
ballsandstrikes.org/scotus/clima...
This is why impeachment being a dead tool is so problematic. There is no mechanism for punishing any clearly illegal behavior by government officials. I know there is a laundry list of things broken in our Constitution, but impeachment needs to be high on the to do list.
I’ve studied US drone strikes, I wrote a book called “Drones and Terrorism,” and this Caribbean strike is different.
Lethal fire at a non-threatening target in a non-hostile environment on purpose when other means, such as capture, were easily doable, and without even attempting a legal rationale.
Lethal fire at a non-threatening target in a non-hostile environment on purpose when other means, such as capture, were easily doable, and without even attempting a legal rationale.
September 4, 2025 at 4:30 AM
This is why impeachment being a dead tool is so problematic. There is no mechanism for punishing any clearly illegal behavior by government officials. I know there is a laundry list of things broken in our Constitution, but impeachment needs to be high on the to do list.
Reposted by M Holmgren
We need to bind the hands of future presidents! The whole thing that enables Trump is 3/4 of a century of handing more and more and more power to presidents and taking away the guardrails on that power. All just sitting there with a bow on waiting for an evil lunatic to get his hands on the office
NEW from me @financialtimes.com:
Opponents of Trump’s tariffs should be wary of relying on the courts
Judicial limits on the executive today will bind the hands of future presidents tomorrow
Thread 🧵 on the stakes in the coming VOS Selections Inc. v. Trump decision.
www.ft.com/content/0ede...
Opponents of Trump’s tariffs should be wary of relying on the courts
Judicial limits on the executive today will bind the hands of future presidents tomorrow
Thread 🧵 on the stakes in the coming VOS Selections Inc. v. Trump decision.
www.ft.com/content/0ede...
Opponents of Trump’s tariffs should be wary of relying on the courts
Judicial limits on the executive today will bind the hands of future presidents tomorrow
www.ft.com
August 15, 2025 at 5:05 PM
We need to bind the hands of future presidents! The whole thing that enables Trump is 3/4 of a century of handing more and more and more power to presidents and taking away the guardrails on that power. All just sitting there with a bow on waiting for an evil lunatic to get his hands on the office
Reposted by M Holmgren
this is just straight-up dictatorship and it’s repulsive and pathetic our newspapers and TV stations still won’t say so. there is no emergency. there is no precedent for this in US history. Trump is establishing military and paramilitary control of the capital
August 15, 2025 at 3:33 AM
this is just straight-up dictatorship and it’s repulsive and pathetic our newspapers and TV stations still won’t say so. there is no emergency. there is no precedent for this in US history. Trump is establishing military and paramilitary control of the capital
Reposted by M Holmgren
We stopped expanding the House in the 1920s, decided the Supreme Court should freeze in the 1930s, added the last states in the 1950s, amended the Constitution only once in the last fifty years.
The USA and its government continued to grow, but almost all that growth came in the executive branch.
The USA and its government continued to grow, but almost all that growth came in the executive branch.
i really think the only reason we haven't created new states — which was a common political tactic in the 19th century, see nevada and the dakotas — is that 50 is a round number
August 11, 2025 at 10:21 PM
We stopped expanding the House in the 1920s, decided the Supreme Court should freeze in the 1930s, added the last states in the 1950s, amended the Constitution only once in the last fifty years.
The USA and its government continued to grow, but almost all that growth came in the executive branch.
The USA and its government continued to grow, but almost all that growth came in the executive branch.
Reposted by M Holmgren
Trump's talk about DC being "dirty and disgusting" in today's press conference reminds me how often Trump seems to hate the country he governs (rules?)
August 11, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Trump's talk about DC being "dirty and disgusting" in today's press conference reminds me how often Trump seems to hate the country he governs (rules?)
Reposted by M Holmgren
the voting rights act is, in its entirety, obviously constitutional under the 15th amendment, which gives congress broad and proactive authority to stop racial discrimination in voting. and you know it is obviously constitutional because roberts has had to invent entire new doctrines to gut it.
The Supreme Court knocked down one of the two pillars of the Voting Rights Act in 2013 in the Shelby County case. It has now gone out of its way to consider whether it should knock down the other, by rescheduling arguments in a case it could have resolved in June under existing precedent.
****Breaking:**** Supreme Court, in Order Asking for Additional Briefing in Louisiana Voting Case, Appears to Put the Constitutionality of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act into Question electionlawblog.org?p=151301
August 2, 2025 at 6:07 PM
the voting rights act is, in its entirety, obviously constitutional under the 15th amendment, which gives congress broad and proactive authority to stop racial discrimination in voting. and you know it is obviously constitutional because roberts has had to invent entire new doctrines to gut it.
Reposted by M Holmgren
If you regularly read the news and try to discuss it with another person you will sound more insane than a raving street preacher. Waving a big REPENT sign mumbling something about the bureau of labor statistics
August 1, 2025 at 6:52 PM
If you regularly read the news and try to discuss it with another person you will sound more insane than a raving street preacher. Waving a big REPENT sign mumbling something about the bureau of labor statistics
Reposted by M Holmgren
To be honest, I haven’t trusted Stephen Colbert ever since he conveniently abandoned all his right wing views as soon as he got hired to host a network talk show
July 18, 2025 at 2:44 AM
To be honest, I haven’t trusted Stephen Colbert ever since he conveniently abandoned all his right wing views as soon as he got hired to host a network talk show
Reposted by M Holmgren
Happy birthday to the greatest articulation of critical American patriotism, Frederick Douglass’ “What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July” www.blackpast.org/african-amer...
July 4, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Happy birthday to the greatest articulation of critical American patriotism, Frederick Douglass’ “What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July” www.blackpast.org/african-amer...
Reposted by M Holmgren
This is wildly unconstitutional
July 2, 2025 at 1:00 AM
This is wildly unconstitutional
Reposted by M Holmgren
If you don't have a plan to abolish, fundamentally reform, or reliably circumvent the US Senate, you don't have a meaningful constitutional politics.
The senate requires dems to average a popular vote lead of 8-10% across three successive cycles to take the chamber
Recall the dem house PV was 8% in 2018 & they **LOST** 2 senate seats
Recall the dem house PV was 8% in 2018 & they **LOST** 2 senate seats
June 30, 2025 at 3:18 PM
If you don't have a plan to abolish, fundamentally reform, or reliably circumvent the US Senate, you don't have a meaningful constitutional politics.
Reposted by M Holmgren
what’s funny is that if pro-cuomo centrist democrats were less myopic they might see that mamdani was running the kind of campaign that could help rebuild the party brand — accessible with an outsider persona and a focus on “kitchen table” issues.
June 25, 2025 at 1:34 AM
what’s funny is that if pro-cuomo centrist democrats were less myopic they might see that mamdani was running the kind of campaign that could help rebuild the party brand — accessible with an outsider persona and a focus on “kitchen table” issues.
Reposted by M Holmgren
illegal war started by a man constitutionally ineligible to be president
June 22, 2025 at 12:34 AM
illegal war started by a man constitutionally ineligible to be president
Reposted by M Holmgren
An act of war weeks in planning but unauthorized by Congress against a country that Trump's own director of intelligence testified under oath was not close to getting a nuclear weapon.
BREAKING: U.S. strikes Iran's nuclear facilities
U.S. strikes Iran's nuclear facilities
Trump's direct intervention marks a historic escalation in the Middle East.
www.axios.com
June 22, 2025 at 12:09 AM
An act of war weeks in planning but unauthorized by Congress against a country that Trump's own director of intelligence testified under oath was not close to getting a nuclear weapon.
Reposted by M Holmgren
Maybe this is because I’m Jewish and did a seder a couple of months ago, but the idea that the end of institutionalized slavery is not a good reason for a holiday just doesn’t compute. It’s easily one of the best reasons for celebration.
The fact that so many people think celebrating the end of slavery in the US is “DEI” is actually clarifying of what they mean when they use DEI. amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/06/...
Juneteenth: How cities are scaling back celebrations after Trump-era DEI rollbacks | CNN
Despite Juneteenth’s status as a federal holiday, celebrations across the country are being scaled back or canceled, as organizers cite safety problems and mounting resistance to diversity, equity and...
amp.cnn.com
June 20, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Maybe this is because I’m Jewish and did a seder a couple of months ago, but the idea that the end of institutionalized slavery is not a good reason for a holiday just doesn’t compute. It’s easily one of the best reasons for celebration.