Wouldn’t this ‘substantial support’ be a government handout to able-bodied Americans? I guess if you voted for Trump, that’s fine.

Bessent: "It's unfortunate that Chinese leadership has decided to use American soybean farmers as a hostage or pawn in the trade negotiations. American farmers overwhelmingly voted for President Trump ... you should expect news on Tuesday on substantial support for our farmers."

www.nytimes.com/1939/02/04/a...

Can we remind ourselves of how big a trillion is? Here's the math. 1 trillion is 1000 billions, and 1 billion is 1000 millions, so 1 trillion = 1 million millions. 1,000,000,000,000. The budget bill adds 4 TRILLION to the national debt. This bill is both fiscally and morally irresponsible.

Just look at these paragraphs from the AP story.

Hegseth called Brown unqualified solely because he's Black. Then they fired him... and replaced him with a white guy so indisputably unqualified that he requires a Presidential waiver.

This is what "merit" means to them.

apnews.com/article/trum...

This unjust EO that I’ve been reminded of every year on this day feels different this year, in the company of so man unjust EOs issued this past month.

DOGE recommended firing workers at:

-FDA, which oversees Neuralink

-FAA, which oversees SpaceX

-USAID, which probed Starlink

-CFPB, which oversees Tesla's financing arm and a potential payment platform on X.

"Conflict of interest" is a severe understatement.

If you wanted to cut waste, fraud, and abuse, you would empower the inspectors general.

If you wanted more waste, fraud, and abuse, you would fire them.

The greatest political scandal today is not what Trump is doing. It is the fact that congressional Republicans have given up their role in the constitutional system as a check on the executive branch. If we are in a constitutional crisis, it is as much on Mike Johnson and John Thune as anyone else.

vaccines are truly one of the greatest achievements in all of human history. makes me legitimately very sad for all the people who will be needlessly harmed.

Is this more of a kakistocracy or kleptocracy? I think it’s both but wondering if one dominates. Finding the least qualified cabinet is certainly part of the point but they’re clearly also just in it for themselves.

"[For the Right], D.E.I...is the mere presence of a woman or nonwhite person or disabled or transgender person in any high-skilled, high-status position. And their alternative isn’t some heretofore unknown standard of merit; it is the reintroduction of something like segregation."

(gift link)

The United States Military Academy has just eliminated all Cadet clubs and activities for POC. Most of these have existed for decades like the Society of Black Engineers. They were there when I was a Cadet in 1987. All of the religious ones remain. This isn’t DEI. It’s white Christian Nationalism.

An important, essential column. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/o...

When I was a Hill staffer in 2009, a Dem trifecta was trying to pass universal healthcare. In response, Senate GOP released a memo detailing all of the tactics they in the minority could use to delay the effort as much as possible. I'm recirculating that 2009 GOP memo here. Take inspiration from it.

The past two weeks feels like a political DDoS attack.

Trump’s insane Cabinet picks are meant to shock us.
Yes, he’s handing cushy jobs to his most loyal minions, but it’s more than that.
He’s prepping the nation for what’s to come. For what he’s going to do next.
With each new outrage he moves the chains for what is considered “normal”.