No officer/agent involved in a citizen shooting should ever carry a gun again. Either they will be so traumatized by the experience they will never be reliable in a crisis again or they won't be traumatized at all, which is worse.

Calling for more “training” for ICE while ignoring the reality on the ground isn’t leadership. It’s avoidance. Senator Collins must vote NO on the DHS budget. This is about accountability, human decency, and stopping lawless abuse of power.

Good. ICE must be accountable for what they do. No regulation, no oversight—no support. And to be clear, I would have voted no on the House version of the DHS bill for that reason.

And three months ago. Caucus leadership has conceded to Trump every power he's seized to lead this this brutal campaign

Memory is a fragile thing in this moment, so it is important to keep in mind that Hakeem Jeffries refused to whip his caucus against ICE funding earlier this week.

Reversing Citizens United the most egregious decision by SCOTUS, should be democrats number one priority when we regain power Ruling effectively allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on independent political communications, such as advertisements, as long as they do

People in places where this doesn't happen often are given dire warnings by the news and left to fend for themselves. Responsible media wouldn't feed into hysteria and would give real advice on "snowed-in" meals, general expectations for how long to wait for clear roads.

It’s unmistakable how much the way institutions treat lying federal officials is the same way they treat lying abusers and predators. Even when they contradict themselves, admit to wrongdoing, and repeatedly undermine their own credibility, institutions support their side over their victims.

The kenebec is mighty and beautiful

Folks, I cannot overstate how important it is to document what is happening around you with ICE. This admin may attempt to bury the truth, but they cannot erase it. These videos are incredibly difficult to watch but incredibly important to have for evidence once we turn the tide.

the argument is that ice is protecting us from the invasion of brown people here to murder your sons and rape your daughters...i dont want to concede that there is an iota of truth to that because there is not, i dont think that is the way

The issue with ICE is not training, the issue with ICE is that it fundamentally should not exist. The violence is the purpose

So much for the tolerant left!

How can I confidently say we now live under a fully-fledged fascist regime, despite so-called expert pundits saying otherwise? Because I choose to accept the evidence of my eyes and ears, rather than follow the regime’s essential commands.

What in the actual fuck is wrong with these people. They denied a physician the chance to even try to help the victim. There is no attempt to actually help. All of these people are complicit in murder.

I’ve said this before but I think the model should be personal liberty laws that fought the Fugitive Slave Act in the 1850s. Maine was a leader there, refusing slave-catchers any state assistance in their evil work, however legal it might be.

I know people “don’t like politics” But when our air is dirty, breathing is political When books are banned, reading is political When births are forced, building families is political When healthcare is withheld, life is political Existence is political

My stance with the “never Trump” right remains: These are the people who fucking built Trump. Years of shit in service of Reagan, Bush, Romney, McCain paved the way for Trump. I don’t trust them. They’re rotten. I trust the people who opposed this shit all along.

Congressional statutes aren’t suggestions. They are binding legal commands issued by the only branch empowered to make law. When the Executive disregards them—whether through inaction, selective enforcement, or outright defiance—Congress must confront that breach with unmistakable force.

#MEApolitics: As those that follow me know, I am a prominent critic of Gov Mills’ opposition to most progressive legalisation since she took office. Which is why I feel the need to specifically denounce these disinformation tactics as completely unacceptable and extremely dangerous. Stay vigilant.

I have to say, as one of many progressive activists in Maine that has had to often fight Gov Mills tooth and nail to adopt progressive policies, seemingly because of her… we’ll call it, political pragmatism, the gaslighting and personal attacks coming from Mills supporters right now is infuriating.

The last 24 hours went rapidly from a celebration of communities to mourning across communities as we witnessed attacks at Brown University and in Australia. All of us must condemn these acts of terrorism and celebrate brave individuals like Ahmed El Ahmad who heroically take action to stop them.

It's finally done, part 1 of my conversation with Graham Platner open.substack.com/pub/shaystew...

The number of times I almost ate it walking home from downtown was incredible. Black ice is no joke.

This article did a very good job spelling that out. Lots of people have been either unaware or ignoring the fact that her "see you in court" comment (which was totally awesome regardless) was about upholding state law against executive overreach, not about protecting trans youth directly.

Literally the only real policy position I've heard from Mills since she started running is her flipping to support M4A like Platner has been basing pretty much his entire campaign on.

On the one hand, Platner once made posts that are definitely wrong and distasteful, that he since disavows. On the other, Collins voted to confirm multiple alleged abusers to cabinet positions or the supreme Court.

Golden became a congressman who didn't like any of the actual work our representatives do, like talking with constituents about the hard problems they're facing and building and wielding soft and real power for the movements that elected him.

As a policy person, I also think details are important. I do, however, find the Governor to have a habit of finding technical issues or complexities with a bill that feel more like excuses to veto it.

I think it’s also important to acknowledge that she’s not just lagging what the tribes want but also going against the opinion of virtually every other elected Democrat and popular opinion in general. On this issue she’s a clear outlier.

He is campaigning all throughout Maine talking to voters. He is earning their trust through his political policy message. He is running to be a legislator. We need to replace as many of the 468 incumbents & open seats with people who will fight for progress policy changes to improve our lives.

Then where is the evidence showing that. Years of his internet posts had been shown, & nothing supporting Nazis, if anything the opposite. If you want to understand who Graham is, watch one of his town halls on YouTube. Might give a better idea of who he is now & why he is popular in Maine

The vibe here is of someone fishing for reasons to doubt the campaign and not really getting them. Alludes multiple times to vague "future controversies". Why do these columnists keep granting former acquaintances anonymity to criticize Platner? There's no credible reason to me to do that.

The north and west of Maine are remote parts of an already low-accessibility state. They need real investment or they'll continue to hemorrhage jobs and residents. Maine prides itself on its rurality, but that way of life is more expensive than you think.

King decided that the costs of the shutdown were too high and accepted empty promises he knew were empty to broker an end to the shutdown. He'd argue that this end was inevitable. To Mainers, it looks like weakness and an unwillingness to fight for power.

#MEpolitics: Sen. King (likely with Sen. leader Schumer’s help, despite his public comments) coordinated a capitulation that ensured the suffering of millions during the shutdown was for nothing and the suffering for many of those same people—and millions more—will continue in the coming year.

Unfortunately for Mills, she has one of the most calcified oppositions in state politics. While she's won statewide and has extensive experience, that works against her these days. "F Mills" signs have always outnumbered the anti Biden ones, and without trump on the ballot, she's on the backfoot

It'd be easy for Maine to concoct a map that guarantees a second Democratic seat (and 4th electoral vote), but how much would that swing the balance of power?

The affordances of genAI lean toward the logic of austerity.

A month before the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Janet Mills voted against a resolution calling on President George W. Bush to take measures to avert a war with Iraq. Mills was one of just four House Democrats to oppose it. substack.com/inbox/post/1...

Lots of us (most?) feel perpetually preyed-upon and at risk of being gamed or scammed -- to a degree that's very different from, say, twenty years ago. American capitalism has gotten coarser. More fatiguing and frustrating too. It's an under-discussed issue in our politics. #MEpolitics

#MEpolitics: “MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 specifically alleges Governor Mills’ admin violated state labor laws related to prematurely declaring impasse, regressive bargaining, cancelling bargaining sessions… and otherwise engaging in behavior designed to frustrate the collective bargaining process.”

Also notable - the Maine Principals' Association has had a policy of allowing trans kids to participate in school sports since 2013, but only now Senator Collins is concerned about it? Journalists should ask her why it was fine for 12 years but is now bad.

Janet Mills today: "Whether you call it Medicare for All or something else, I think it's clear the people of the United States deserve a universal health care plan. It's time." Susan Collins today: wants to reverse a decade+ of Maine law and ban trans kids from sports and bathrooms #mepolitics

When he was governor, Paul LePage gutted working-class Mainers and then flew off to his luxury Florida beach home. Maine is done with politicians who put billionaires before working families. Paul — do Mainers a favor: go home to Florida for good.

"We need people to stop associating the Democratic Party with all of these things I say is unpopular" is the most trite and counterproductive op-ed template. If you don't want people to associate the Democratic Party with something, stop doing it yourself.

Candidates like Tucker Favereau, Andrea Laflamme, etc. have to show that they can capture even a sliver of the attention that Mills, or Platner have so far You can't convince me you're ready to take on Maine's most sophisticated politician when the only time we hear from you is in bsky replies

All the science says 8 year olds probably don't have any biological advantage greater than the intra-sex variation. And anyway it's more important to allow trans kids to build community and camaraderie on team sports with their peers