Maybe, just maybe, unregulated capitalism and a culture that puts wealth and power ahead of everything else isn't going to lead to a utopia for everyone.

In the onslaught of analysis of the political ramifications of these files, I fear too many have lost focus on the survivors. Please watch (if you can bear it) and please share. Always center survivors.

Analysis: The Post found that documents recounting President Ronald Reagan’s relations with the Soviet Union in the early 1980s, one of the most dangerous periods of the Cold War, have been removed. The State Department had deleted history.

I've believed the US has needed democratic renewal along the lines of what @joshtpm.bsky.social discusses here for ... checks calendar ... at least 30 years. Societies and cultures evolve, and governments and governance need to evolve along with them.

What's becoming abundantly clear is that a small group of very wealthy and powerful people are fighting tooth and nail to keep their long-standing project of removing agency, equality, and the rule of law from all other people in play.

Believing any intimate or sexual activity requires consent between two competent people is a low bar for acceptable personal behavior and morality, where competence is at a minimum a legally specified age. There are lots of other factors that effect consent. Decent human beings learn and live them.

IYKYK. Liquid gold. Thanks to #harveysbysoko for the chicken feet and chicken bones.

This is an interesting (and hopefully good) development.

The Epstein Files are shaping up to be the hydrochloric acid drain cleaner that one should be justifiably concerned about using, but that will clean away all the shit blocking pipes, and if you're not careful, the pipes themselves. We need to be prepared for the consequences, but need this now.

Folks are taking notes and keeping receipts. It's not retribution if it's investigation and prosecution of activities that break laws.

Also: Make DC a state and I'll run for Senate. Seriously.

Berlin Philharmonic, October 2015, Sir Simon Rattle conducting Beethoven's Eight and Sixth Symphonies. A few more lines and a lot more concerns 10 years later, but this is us, married, after 15 years together. Take that, Kim Davis. #gaymarriage

Key move in arguably the biggest story in American history

The principals are not always right. The smartest people are not always in the room. Building real consensus and solidarity takes time and trust. Admitting you are wrong is a humbling and human experience. Governing well can conflict with being re-elected.

Without resorting to assuming bad faith, being stuck in dysfunctional beliefs and practices from the 1980s and 90s makes the most sense for Senate Democrats' behavior.

This is your reminder that in the context of liberal democracies during the period 1986 - 2025 the Democratic Party in the United States has been a center-right party, regardless of statements to the contrary by Republicans and pundits.

This. Although I'd argue that the shift to the center for the Democratic Party isn't yet "dramatic" and I'm not convinced that the party's capture and corruption by corporatists isn't cause for a new political party.

In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, "It ain't over 'til it's over." The hypocrites of the Supreme Court will find a case to attempt to strip sexual minorities of the rights other people take for granted. Human and civil rights, and the protections of law apply to all people. No compromises.

I would like to see a group of people propose how to govern in 2025 planning for a safer, more secure and equitable 2030 and beyond. Very few of our current elected officials at all levels of government seem to understand this assignment. Stop pretending everything is OK. It's not.

So tonight in DC was Lucy with the football, but added, she takes a crowbar and proceeds to beat the shit out of Charlie Brown with it, only to have him repeat the whole football thing again. This has been the dynamic of "bipartisanship" in DC for some time now.

We worked hard for all those wins last Tuesday. Do NOT let that work be for not! Call these senators NOW!!

@schumer.senate.gov @markwarner.bsky.social @kaine.senate.gov @alsobrooks.senate.gov @vanhollen.senate.gov Since Washington DC doesn't have Senators, I'm asking you NOT to compromise with the Senate Republicans on a budget that limits women's access to abortions and doesn't extend ACA tax credits.

As a resident of Washington DC with no senators, please call yours and ask them to not compromise on an extension of ACA tax subsidies.

All of those years of being sold "extended warrantees" have take a toll on Senate and House Democrats. Seriously, children negotiate and understand the consequence of poor choices better than many of our elected officials.

Start thinking of Trump as King Charles I and Russ Vought, JD Vance, Peter Thiel and the technofeudalists as Oliver Cromwell and the New Model Army. Then look up the costs and outcome of the English Civil War. Don't tell me I'm overreacting. Do consider the consequences of current events.

This. @hcrichardson.bsky.social and @jbf1755.bsky.social do in a podcast what 20 years of Sunday morning shows have failed to do: discuss current events in an informed historic context and proposed actionable ways forward. Well worth listening to. And thank you, Professors.

In a walk down Nostalgia Lane, I'm revisiting making a mixed tape/play list for the gym, partly because my favorites are 20+ years old, and partly because I remembered how much fun it was to make them. I may share when I'm done, including cover art.

LCD Soundsystem made two of the best albums of the first decade of the 21st century. This is one, "Sound of Silver" is the other.

In addition to the rebirth and expansion of constitutional liberal democracy, human rights for all, and greater equality and justice, I want two things for the United States: 1. Adopting and using the metric system, and 2. Adopting the rest of the Anglophone world's punctuation, if not spelling.

Perfection. Thank you, @susiedent.com. You are a treasure to Anglophone language lovers (and beyond.)

Investigate. Prosecute. Convict. Punish. Restore and Improve.

Good advice. I'm genuinely concerned for friends traveling in or to and from the US.

Couldn't we please have at least one "Conservatives in Disarray" headline, please? The Heritage Foundation has for 50 years played both sides of the conservative movement, providing a home for both principled people and bad-faith actors like Russ Vought and Kevin Roberts. This is earned strife.

The Louis XVI-levels of delusion, inbreeding, disconnection from reality, and profligate stupidity in our c-suites is hard to communicate effectively. We have like ten people making these decisions, and included in that number are bizarre creatures like Larry Ellison and Elon Musk.

this looks like a trick daffy duck would put up to get bugs bunny into "the oval office"

There are other folks whose opinions I value greatly and have written insightfully on what's happened and what needs to happen going forward. @joshtpm.bsky.social nails both.

The most Pitchbot Pitchbot ever. I'm dead.

Do you want to know a good use for AI and data science? Use it to analyze the data on every successful and unsuccessful (for Democratic and other center and center-left candidates) and find the different factors that influence electoral outcomes.

Howard Dean tried to do this during his tenure as DNC Chair with the 50 State Strategy. He was ousted by party insiders. Don't let it happen again. Local organizations reflect local needs and wants. Value this.

Because you were a good candidate and the correct choice for voters in <some date in the late 20th or early 21st century> doesn't mean you're the right candidate now, or that you've earned a lifetime sinecure as an national elected official. This is about every Representative and Senator.

I wrote this 14 years ago, when one's writing in a blog was less constrained by character count. I still believe in and stand by it. Govern, damn it, and get a budget for the US government passed. And oversee the fuck out of how the White House is using it.

Someday soon, Republicans will figure out how population density works…

We're all going to write pieces about what you can learn from tonight but it's actually pretty simple: The frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.

Good candidates. Good campaigns. Respect for voters. Win elections. Govern well. Repeat.

This is the correct way to begin any obituary of Dick Cheney. Any obituary also needs to include his early embrace of the imperial, authoritarian presidency of Richard Nixon.

Today we cleaned the gutters after many years of neglect (long story) but we didn't take thirst trap pictures so did it really happen?

It would be good if we had a functional Supreme Court at this point.

No lies detected.

Voter suppression much?

A reminder: Dick Cheney first served in Nixon's White House and moved up the rungs and ranks through various Republican administrations. He's only different from Vance, Vought and Miller in that he was both intelligent and disciplined in a way none of the Trump claque are.