@smerconish.bsky.social Pls host David Callahan, author of 'The Givers/ Wealth, Power, and Philanthropy in a New Gilded Age.' There are more Geo. Soros type conservs than prog Soros(es).

@smerconish.bsky.social All taxpayers subsidize the efforts of the wealthy donors to influence public policy. Leagues of conserv. donors outnumber prog donors by wide margin. The givers' agenda is not often aligned with ordinary people. Hence, the healthcare debacle.

😳😮😲. As the Joe Turns

Trump's role is more like the final signature on a recommendation from the actual regulatory body (CFIUS) that does the substantive review. Trump has the authority to block deals on nat'l security grounds, but the underlying analysis comes from career officials and experts, not presidential whim.

#thegivers Want to know who the 'Deep State' is? The billionaire philanthropists. They exert influence over agendas, politicians, causes and are not always good at picking them.
They can be good, getting things done that gov't isn't good at. Some of their influence marginalizes middle class.

To my Fine MAGA friends I will say, "You know there is something going, but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?"

The retribution. The tearing down of our government. Running rough-shod over people's lives is not governing. He isn't here to govern. He is here to expand exec power and run the country like it's his personal profit center. What mechanisms are available for forcibly removing him?

inre: Steven Miller -I'm sure there is some Fine Karma behind the Pitbull Act he has going on. But he and the others of his ilk are wrong about a Landslide Victory by Trump. It's all bluster. Just like Mr. Bluster of Howdy Doody Time. Look it up.

So, is it any surprise about Gaetz? The Donald ran and won with an enemies list. Who better to prosecute the list?

It's not the bacon.

There is a wide swath of our neighbors that think nothing of spending several hundred dollars on a tattoo.

I get it. It's a form of social currency. A 'must have.'

If tattoos were cheaper, there would be more money available for bacon, baby formula -the 'other essentials.'

A Bad Week for Backers of the Big Lie Two influential purveyors of Donald Trump’s web of lies recently faced trouble.

@juliemason.bsky.social Will Salem's public apology and climbdown be heard and seen by the people who are in most need to hear and see it? www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

in re: student protesters. Yes they are a PITA. However, it's nice to see some action reminiscent of the Viet Nam war protests. It's been a while since students got behind something meaningful. And, like late 1960s, the G Abbotts and M Johnson's are sounding like R. Nixon, who was wrong.

A boring science that enjoys too much power over the public discourse. People put WAY too much significance on poll results, IMHO.

Rather, I am convinced people conflate shortage of $$ with a bad economy. I NEVER felt like I had enough $$. The math is simple. If you don't have enough money, a side hustle is needed to make ends meet. OK, not everyone can do that. Many can. Many just won't. For them, it's NOT the economy, stupid

I can't agree with all the reporting about how bad the economy is. I'm 75 this year. With few exceptions there has been inflation to some degree my entire life. Interest rates are high now compared to zero, but still lower than they were for the 1st 65 years of my life.

@juliemason.bsky.social Let's scale back on coverage of poll results. Who are they talking to? Rural or urban Americans? They can sway the results any way they want by who they poll. Polls may sway opinion in this way and it's a disservice, meaningless, boring.

This is a vape pen AND a writing pen. It is not a joke or a toy as I found this recently in a shop in Oklahoma. (Parents) Would you have noticed ?
(Courtesy of 'Tall Cop Says Stop')
Laurenm@tallcopsaysstop.com

Parents, would you have noticed?
Delta-8, an unregulated form of THC, is popular among high school students. www.npr.org/sections/hea...

To be clear, I am speaking about Mainstream politicians, Not my fine fellow Americans who may have unwittingly drunk the Kool-Aid. Pols know exactly what they're doing and should know better.

Trump and his ilk attempted to overturn a legal election. Now the Mainstream "Rs" (Toadys) are poised to allow him a second attempt. IMHO, mainstream politicians who endorse Trump are insurrectionists by association -a threat to Democracy, a proponent of Mobocracy.

@juliemason.bsky.social Trump and his ilk attempted to overturn a legal election. Now the Mainstream "Rs" (toad-eaters) are poised to allow him a second attempt. IMHO, mainstream politicians who endorse Trump are insurrectionists by association -a threat to Democracy, proponents of Mobocracy.