James Downie
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jamescdownie.bsky.social
James Downie
@jamescdownie.bsky.social
9.2K followers 710 following 2.4K posts
Columnist and editor at MSNBC Daily and WGAE member. Formerly Washington Post Opinions. DC born and raised. D.C. United and Montreal Canadiens fan.

jim.downie@nbcuni.com; jdow.92 on Signal
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jamescdownie.bsky.social
This video placement is *chef's kiss*
“The President was not sleeping; in fact, he spoke throughout and took many questions from the press during this announcement which represents a historic reduction in prices for Americans on two drugs that help Americans struggling with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and other conditions,” spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said [to the Washington Post] in a statement. [The Post then inserts a video of the president looking very sleepy]
November 8, 2025 at 7:14 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
FHFA director Bill Pulte "appointed Mark Zarkin, a Michigan restaurateur and prominent Detroit-area Trump supporter, as a consultant."

In 1999, Zarkin "pleaded no contest to a felony sex crime involving a sexual encounter with a 'mentally incapacitated' woman."
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Court records reviewed by Reuters show that Zarkin pleaded no contest to an attempted third-degree sexual conduct charge in Macomb County, Michigan, in 1999. The plea followed a case in which investigators found Zarkin’s DNA during a “pelvic examination” of a woman, not yet of drinking age, who had been “mentally incapacitated” by alcohol and Valium, according to the records. In 2000, Zarkin was sentenced to eight months in jail and three years’ probation, and ordered to register as a sex offender. After he served his sentence and spent nine years on the sex-offender registry, Zarkin’s lawyer successfully petitioned the state court to vacate the conviction, arguing that his continued listing on the sex registry was excessive, according to the records. The attorney argued that Zarkin, when he agreed to his plea deal, hadn’t realized he would remain on the registry for so long. Court records from the plea deal show that registering as an offender was an explicit part of Zarkin’s plea agreement. The 2009 court order vacating the conviction gave no reason for the decision. Legal experts expressed surprise at the ruling afterward and said it was unusual, nearly a decade after such a conviction, for a court to vacate it.
November 8, 2025 at 7:12 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
This is more or less the deal that, just a couple days ago, a number of political reporters swore Democrats were definitely close to agreeing to.

It's pretty clear where that spin came from -- and who got played by it. www.politico.com/live-updates...
Politico: "Senate Majority Leader John Thune told fellow Republicans in a private lunch that he plans to hold a vote Friday that could pave the way to end the government shutdown, according to two people in the room who were granted anonymity to describe his comments. The plan, the people said, is to bring up the House-passed continuing resolution that Democrats have repeatedly rejected and then seek to amend it with a new expiration date very likely in January as well as a negotiated package of three full-year spending bills."
November 6, 2025 at 9:29 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Sam Altman would like to clarify his CFO's "we do not want a government bailout" t-shirt.
"I would like to clarify a few things. First, the obvious one: we do not have or want government guarantees for OpenAI datacenters. We believe that governments should not pick winners or losers, and that taxpayers should not bail out companies that make bad business decisions or otherwise lose in the market. If one company fails, other companies will do good work."
November 6, 2025 at 7:30 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
I am begging political reporters to stop treating this guy, who doesn't realize the midterms started the day after the 2024 election, like some political savant.

(Source: politicalwire.com/2025/11/05/e...)
Extra Bonus Quote of the Day November 5, 2025 at 11:00 am EST By Taegan Goddard 66 Comments “The midterms start tonight and the warning signs are flashing.” — Steve Bannon, on his podcast.
November 5, 2025 at 6:33 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
(Now with alt text)
"'Pennsylvania voters retain three Democratic Supreme Court justices' –Alexandra Marquez Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht all won their retention elections tonight, NBC News projects. The three Democrats were first elected in 2015, shifting the balance of the court at the time from a Republican majority to a Democratic majority. Following tonight's election, Dougherty and Wecht will remain on the court for ten more years, while Donohue will serve until 2027, when she's set to hit the mandatory retirement age for justices of 75. Democrats, including Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin and Gov. Josh Shapiro, barnstormed Pennsylvania on the justices' behalf leading up to Election Day."
November 5, 2025 at 1:45 AM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
NBC projects all three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices will keep their seats. Republicans had hoped to oust them and undercut Dems' majority on the court.

Obviously, that didn't work. www.nbcnews.com/politics/ele...
November 5, 2025 at 1:44 AM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
A moment of silence, please, for the "young men are all MAGA now" narrative.

(Source: www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...)
Spanberger v. Earle-Sears exit poll Men 18-29: Spanberger 56%; Earle-Sears 42%
November 5, 2025 at 1:18 AM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Just to be clear, neither Trump’s hand-picked FBI Director, the CIA nor military counterintelligence want Tulsi Gabbard anywhere near their counterintelligence operations.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...
The F.B.I. informed Congress last week that it "strongly" opposed a proposal to make the Office f rhe Director of National Intelligence the lead counterintelligence agency for the federal government, bringing into public view a rift among top national security officials. The disclosure, made in a pointed and unusual letter obtained by The New York Times, underscored the broader concern other agencies, including the F.B.I., over a House billthat would empower Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, o, play a more prominent role in counterintelligence issues.
October 29, 2025 at 9:29 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Ah, they're "disconcerted" -- that's okay then.

(thehill.com/homenews/sen...)
The Hill: "GOP senators disconcerted by possible $230M Justice Department payout to Trump"
October 24, 2025 at 2:07 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Earlier this week, Sen. Jim Justice threw his dog a birthday party amid the government shutdown.

He didn't tell attendees that the IRS recently filed a tax lien against him, with one document listing "more than $8 million in unpaid assessments." www.politico.com/news/2025/10...
The IRS recently filed notices of a federal tax lien against Republican Sen. Jim Justice of West Virginia — the latest example of ongoing financial troubles that have trailed the former governor, members of his family and their network of businesses over the years. One of the documents from the IRS — obtained by POLITICO — lists Justice and his wife, Cathy, as having a total balance of more than $8 million in unpaid assessments
October 18, 2025 at 5:28 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
NYT focus group: "Do you think JD Vance would be a good next leader of the party?" "1 person raised a hand."
October 18, 2025 at 3:50 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
"It was unclear why Admiral Holsey is leaving now, less than a year into his tenure...

But one of the U.S. officials...said that Admiral Holsey had raised concerns about the mission and the attacks on the alleged drug boats." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/u...
NYT: "Head of the U.S. Military’s Southern Command Is Stepping Down, Officials Say Adm. Alvin Holsey is leaving less than a year into his tenure, and as the Pentagon escalates attacks against boats in the Caribbean Sea."
October 16, 2025 at 8:26 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
In 1948, the GOP-controlled Congress spent 109 days in session, a post-WW2 low. They lost both chambers that fall.

Under Mike Johnson, the House has been in session just 20 days of the last 103. And staying home isn't working any better for him. My latest for MSNBC: www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...
Concerns about Congress’ shrinking role in running the country long predate Johnson and the rest of this generation of congressional leaders, on both sides. But just 20 days in session in more than three months is an astonishingly small number — a rate of less than 80 days in session in a calendar year. The lowest since World War II, for comparison, was the 80th Congress, which had 109 days in session in 1948. But unlike this 119th Congress, the “Do Nothing” Congress (as President Harry Truman famously deemed it) had two excuses. First, it was in opposition to the sitting president, limiting the chances for legislation. Second, 1948 was an election year, and Congress typically spends less time in session when its members are campaigning. Just as the White House has been sending mixed messages — alternating between blaming Democrats for the shutdown and using it to fire thousands of federal employees — Johnson’s “stay home” approach has undercut his talking points. It’s difficult to argue that he is serious about swiftly reopening the government when his caucus is spread out around the country. Instead, Democrats seem to be winning the messaging war. The Washington Post reports, “The White House and a growing number of congressional Republicans are worried that Democrats’ demand to boost Obamacare as part of any bill to reopen the government is proving salient with voters — including their own.” Speaking of Obamacare, by keeping the House away, Johnson has hurt efforts to deal with expiring subsidies for plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. “That’s a Dec. 31 issue,” Johnson insisted last week. But that timeline is misleading. “While the enhanced premium tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025, the start of open enrollment is around the corner on Nov. 1,” says Miranda Yaver of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. If lawmakers don’t agree on a fix before the end of the year, it will be weeks after “marketplace insurers have submitted their initial premium rate proposals, suggesting dramatic premium increases faced by marketplace enrollees.” Without a fix to the subsidies soon, millions of people will be deciding in November whether to pay more next year or forgo coverage altogether. For them, a Dec. 31 deal would come far too late. As for the Epstein files, Johnson’s effort here seems especially futile. Clearly, neither the White House nor Republicans in Congress want a vote on releasing the files (though even if the bill passes the House, it will certainly die in the Senate). But efforts to derail the discharge petition seem to have failed, and at some point — whether for the ACA subsidies or some other legislation — the House will have to come back. By delaying Grijalva’s swearing-in, Johnson only deepens suspicions that the White House is hiding something.
October 14, 2025 at 7:49 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Mike Johnson: It's Obama's fault that we can't repeal Obamacare.
Jake Sherman: "JOHNSON this AM: 'Can we completely repeal and replace Obamacare? Many of us are skeptical about that now, because the roots are so deep, it was really sinister, the way it was created. I believe Obamacare was created to implode upon itself, to collapse upon itself.'”
October 13, 2025 at 4:12 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
MIT tells Trump to take a long walk off a short pier. wapo.st/4niC09b
MIT’s president turned down the Trump administration’s offer of priority access for federal funding Friday, publicly releasing a letter that emphasized the elite university’s values including free expression and “the core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”
October 10, 2025 at 3:52 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Many people are saying RFK's latest "theory" is antisemitic. That's misleading. It's also Islamophobic!

(www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion...)
"
October 9, 2025 at 5:58 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
what is happening www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...
Marjorie Taylor Greene Criticizes Senate Republicans for Government Shutdown In a social media post, the far-right Georgia congresswoman called on Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster, lowering the threshold on future legislation to a simple majority.
October 4, 2025 at 1:42 AM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
NYT: "The United States government has been shut down for nearly three days, but the Trump administration still seems at odds with itself over the most basic, fundamental question at play: Is it a good thing or a bad thing that this is happening?" www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/u...
“This madness must end,” she declared at one point. So then, she was asked, what was with all the shutdown japery from her boss on social media? Just a night earlier, Mr. Trump had posted an A.I.-generated video of his budget chief, Russell T. Vought, dressed as the grim reaper, wielding a scythe, while A.I. versions of Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance (both draped in black cloaks as well) played percussion set to the Blue Öyster Cult jam “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper.” “Look,” Ms. Leavitt said, “the president likes to have a little fun every now and then.” “We don’t like laying people off,” she insisted. “Nobody takes joy in that around here.” (She did not define the difference between “fun” and “joy.”)
October 4, 2025 at 1:38 AM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
“I’m supposed to say this is killing the Democrats. But I don’t think it helps either side, to be honest with you.” www.cnn.com/2025/10/03/p...
On Capitol Hill, aides to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson have also signaled awareness that they need to resolve the issue or risk steep cost increases for millions of people — many of whom are their own voters. That’s likely to set up a brutal intraparty fight, with House Republicans in particular being asked to vote for the first time ever to uphold a piece of Obamacare. Some conservative lawmakers have already signaled opposition to supporting an extension, while others are expected to demand sharply divisive provisions like prohibitions on federal funds going toward gender-affirming care.
October 4, 2025 at 1:35 AM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
I agree with much of this @pkrugman.bsky.social piece, but I want to push back a bit on this section, because it's important to recognize that today's GOP is not *that* far from Nixon's GOP. Most Republicans were with Nixon until the end or mere days before the end. open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
But how did we degenerate like this? Nixon, who was a piker by comparison to Donald Trump, was repudiated by his own party. Not only is Donald Trump a wannabe dictator, surely the worst person on multiple dimensions ever to occupy the White House, but he made his intentions clear in the January 6th insurrection and his promises of retribution if re-elected. But unlike Nixon, Trump is backed by a Republican party that has become so extreme, so unwilling to acknowledge that opposition is even legitimate that none of his actions matter.
October 3, 2025 at 2:40 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Gonna print out this @gregsargent.bsky.social piece and nail it to the doors of a few hundred Democratic offices on Capitol Hill. newrepublic.com/article/2011...
A senior Mamdani adviser tells me that internal campaign polling shows that attacking Trump’s abuses along these lines resonates favorably for Mamdani. Research conducted this month found that a large majority of New York voters—65 percent—see messaging as “convincing” when it criticizes the prospect of Trump sabotaging the election for Cuomo and attacks his Justice Department’s dropping of corruption charges against Adams, also a Trump ally. The adviser says this message particularly appeals to working-class voters across many nationalities and demographic groups. This counters the oft-suggested idea that focusing on Trump’s lawlessness is a “distraction” from issues that working people “really” care about.
October 1, 2025 at 2:17 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Co-signing everything in these three points from @brianbeutler.bsky.social: www.offmessage.net/p/20-thought...
But insofar as Democrats approached the funding deadline without a plan, cobbled one together clumsily and late in the game, and entered the shutdown in a confused posture that they are unlikely to sustain, I have serious misgivings about the terms they set for the fight. The confusion in their posture stems from the fact that the nature of public misgivings over the Trump regime stem from his dictatorial abuses, rather than quotidian policy disputes, but Democrats outsource their strategic thinking to pollsters and strategists who try to steer every crisis toward health care in knee-jerk fashion. In short (and to repeat myself) as long as Democrats insist their bottom-line demand pertains to extraneous health-care subsidies, I suspect they will have a difficult time maintaining an upper-hand in the determinative battle for public opinion. And that risks squandering their latest and perhaps final opportunity to either pull the country back from the brink of constitutional collapse, or tacitly declare “no confidence” in the Trump regime.
October 1, 2025 at 1:52 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
A partial list of things President Bystander (as @stevebenen.com calls him) has been unaware of:

– The end of ACA subsidies
– Pausing military aid to Ukraine
– His nominee for surgeon general
– That his admin was paying El Salvador to imprison immigrants
– Whether he has to uphold the Constitution.
NYTimes: "Schumer said he and Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and the House minority leader, 'laid out to the president some of the consequences of what’s happening in health care and by his face, he looked like he heard about them for the first time.'"
September 29, 2025 at 9:18 PM
jamescdownie.bsky.social
Definitely not a bubble, folks. (Source: www.cnbc.com/2025/09/29/c...)
Etsy pops 13% as OpenAI announces ChatGPT Instant Checkout for the shopping site
September 29, 2025 at 6:31 PM