John Gaffney
@jfpgaffney.bsky.social
Old guy. Seems that I am busy doing something close to nothing. Incredibly unfazed by immobile escalators.
Reposted by John Gaffney
It’s like if Teapot Dome, Watergate, Kent State, Credit Mobilier, and Iran Contra had all happened in the same week.
January 29, 2026 at 12:57 AM
It’s like if Teapot Dome, Watergate, Kent State, Credit Mobilier, and Iran Contra had all happened in the same week.
Haha, glad I'm not the only one who has no idea what that means!
January 28, 2026 at 9:51 PM
Haha, glad I'm not the only one who has no idea what that means!
Right?? It's completely obvious on its face.
"I voted to impeach him for January 6, he should have been impeached except for the cowardly Republicans, therefore I will not support a single nominee." Not difficult.
"I voted to impeach him for January 6, he should have been impeached except for the cowardly Republicans, therefore I will not support a single nominee." Not difficult.
January 28, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Right?? It's completely obvious on its face.
"I voted to impeach him for January 6, he should have been impeached except for the cowardly Republicans, therefore I will not support a single nominee." Not difficult.
"I voted to impeach him for January 6, he should have been impeached except for the cowardly Republicans, therefore I will not support a single nominee." Not difficult.
"Pull yourself up by your bootstraps," except for every GOP presidential candidate since Dole.
January 28, 2026 at 9:13 PM
"Pull yourself up by your bootstraps," except for every GOP presidential candidate since Dole.
Excellent point!
This whole thread also reminds me of Republicans in 1993 who universally opposed the Clinton tax increases and said they would wreck the economy. Then they pretended that the "balanced budget" that they supposedly cared about was because of their spending discipline.
This whole thread also reminds me of Republicans in 1993 who universally opposed the Clinton tax increases and said they would wreck the economy. Then they pretended that the "balanced budget" that they supposedly cared about was because of their spending discipline.
January 28, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Excellent point!
This whole thread also reminds me of Republicans in 1993 who universally opposed the Clinton tax increases and said they would wreck the economy. Then they pretended that the "balanced budget" that they supposedly cared about was because of their spending discipline.
This whole thread also reminds me of Republicans in 1993 who universally opposed the Clinton tax increases and said they would wreck the economy. Then they pretended that the "balanced budget" that they supposedly cared about was because of their spending discipline.
In many ways it was worse than "nothing." They insisted on a bunch of amendments without agreeing to vote in favor of the overall bill. Quite a few of those amendments were actually accepted.
And after it passed they took it to the Supreme Court twice, the second time over an obvious drafting error
And after it passed they took it to the Supreme Court twice, the second time over an obvious drafting error
January 28, 2026 at 8:37 PM
In many ways it was worse than "nothing." They insisted on a bunch of amendments without agreeing to vote in favor of the overall bill. Quite a few of those amendments were actually accepted.
And after it passed they took it to the Supreme Court twice, the second time over an obvious drafting error
And after it passed they took it to the Supreme Court twice, the second time over an obvious drafting error
Such a simple, defensible premise, and they just completely failed.
January 28, 2026 at 8:05 PM
Such a simple, defensible premise, and they just completely failed.
Reposted by John Gaffney
Tl;dr2: Read @danielmcdowell.bsky.social for a more concerned view. Since he is one of the smartest IPE folks I know, especially on this topic, this "vibe shift" is absolutely worth taking seriously. The question is when & (per above) the vibe shift becomes a real shift, & does the work.
There's a dollar "vibe shift" happening now that is different from past bouts of dollar pessimism. You might be skeptical. That's understandable since the de-dollarization narrative has been around for years now, and little has changed about the dollar's global position. 1/
January 28, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Tl;dr2: Read @danielmcdowell.bsky.social for a more concerned view. Since he is one of the smartest IPE folks I know, especially on this topic, this "vibe shift" is absolutely worth taking seriously. The question is when & (per above) the vibe shift becomes a real shift, & does the work.
Uruguay jumped out at me too, but Paraguay not on the list...
January 28, 2026 at 8:58 AM
Uruguay jumped out at me too, but Paraguay not on the list...
Too many people are too stupid about what "high crimes and misdemeanors" are.
January 28, 2026 at 5:27 AM
Too many people are too stupid about what "high crimes and misdemeanors" are.
If Khosla doesn't fire him, this "disavowal" doesn't matter. Same thing with McGuire at Sequoia.
January 27, 2026 at 9:12 AM
If Khosla doesn't fire him, this "disavowal" doesn't matter. Same thing with McGuire at Sequoia.
Bring your jukebox money
January 27, 2026 at 8:56 AM
Bring your jukebox money
My son is not the least bit MAGA, but when I asked him about Charlie Kirk, he unleashed all the Gen Z stuff on me. It is out of hand.
January 23, 2026 at 6:28 AM
My son is not the least bit MAGA, but when I asked him about Charlie Kirk, he unleashed all the Gen Z stuff on me. It is out of hand.
I have to give him credit on that piece.
January 20, 2026 at 6:55 AM
I have to give him credit on that piece.
Willow Pond Kitchen in Concord, MA. Lobster dinners on paper plates. Super cheap. Cold beer, good fries.
January 19, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Willow Pond Kitchen in Concord, MA. Lobster dinners on paper plates. Super cheap. Cold beer, good fries.