The Frankish Reich

Can we stop for breakfast at the Waffle House on the way?

perhaps you'd like to point out that fine distinction to the OP: TRUMP VOIDS AUTOPEN LAST-MINUTE PARDONS

I understand Putin always wins the Russian Federation Grand Shirtless Equestrian Fisherman Contest every year.

There wasn't always a Department of Education. It used to be within Health, Education, and Welfare. I think Carter suggested we create it and Congress did so. The idea was that something important - and who denies that education is important? - needs it's own federal department to signal that importance and to create its own internal lobby to ensure that it wasn't given short shrift in the budgetary process. The same kind of sentiment was behind the creation of the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11. I don't think anyone can look at DOE or even DHS and say that creation of a new bureaucracy helped achieve substantive goals. So I have no problem with eliminating these departments and giving their essential functions back to other departments or agencies. But (there's always a but): let's do it an an orderly manner. It can be done. Has anyone really tried? No. "Hand it over to DOGE" is an admission of defeat. If the new Republican agenda is popular, then do like Reagan and convince the American people that these goals are important and Congress will follow.

Backyard chickens! I know people who have them. Annoying as hell. They do produce eggs in addition to noise. They also attract animals that think chickens are tasty.

"by Venezuela" assumes a state actor, the Government of Venezuela. So if we really believe Venezuela is "sending" its gang members to infiltrate the US, well, we probably should declare war on Venezuela, no? Or at least do something like shut down Venezuelan shipping in the Gulf of Mexico. Or at least act like it is, you know, a War, not a law enforcement action. We'll see the Trump Administration's legal theory in the court proceedings. My guess: it will be incoherent, not meant to persuade lawyers, but meant to persuade Fox News viewers. In other words, political, not legal.

Well, yes, but only because one man has thought this through from an economics perspective and the other man is parroting political talking points. Do you really think corporations will invest heavily in US manufacturing based on Trump's tariffs? If you were the CEO of a major manufacturer would you trust that those tariffs will remain in place for the foreseeable future? It would be a gamble that Trumpism is the new Forever Politics of the United States. There is no reason to expect that. The next President - even a JD Vance - may very well revert to traditional Republicanism, or maybe a Democrat will win. So at best there is little assurance that today's policy will be next year's policy. Not the kind of assurance I'd want to invest billions in US manufacturing.

If we are "at war" with Venezuela, then they are ... prisoners of war? Think this through. Obviously Trump (read: Stephen Miller) hasn't.

I now understand that we were at war with Italy when the Mafia ruled major U.S. cities. Thank you for the clarification.

Oh, we had paneling when I was a kid too. Came with the house. Was quite the thing for the "den" of the 70s. I later helped my dad use the other end of the hammer to peel it off ...

I don't think you've been around our little PPP corner of TBD for long. I have worked in law enforcement, and I absolutely believe that immigration laws are essential and that they should be enforced. I had big issues with the Obama and Biden administrations on this point. But I also believe that it is critical that we follow the laws as they are written. The Alien Enemies Act has never been used against a country that we are not at war with, either a declared war or open armed conflict. There's a good reason for that - that's how the law was written 200+ years ago. We have laws that allow us to arrest and deport illegal aliens, and to keep illegal aliens detained until the process is over if they are not able to show that they are not a danger to the community. So my objection here isn't to vigorous enforcement; it is to an unnecessary/illegal/ultimately dangerous expansion of long settled law.

Yes, and Congress has set forth dozens of reasons that don't require a state of war. Are we at war with Venezuela?

⬆️ Hasn't explained how he knew that I made a joke about Butler PA a couple days ago.

⬆️ So the paneling rumor is correct. But because I'm a nice guy: warning - don't inadvertently share your search history like Wacka did. Incognito mode for what you do, and I don't mean Richie.

Are you suggesting that Irish Lass is neither of the above?

Right on brand!

Blockbuster revelations, coming no later than February 2025! I think Pam didn't run this one past Donnie first.

From your profile it looks like your country is the 51st state. But whatever. Yes, but the question is does the President have that right where Congress has legislated who may stay and who must go? Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act - an Act that requires that the US be at war, which we aren't - is exactly the kind of loss of democracy we ought to care about, regardless of which party has the White House. Imagine if Biden had declared a "climate emergency" as many people thought he would. Umm, @Wacka, I hate to tell you this, but the ads you just got are based on your own search history ... don't know what you're doing with that Vaseline blend, but please keep it to yourself.

Well, true. But it doesn't sound as good to say "every fat DL who has one good season probably has one, and only one, other good season left in him."

Hey, that's my Frankish Rule of Fat Defensive Tackles: every one of them will have two good seasons in his career; you just never know which one and which seasons. Larger picture: we sign 3 DL players. Two are being suspended for PEDs, one has always had PED rumors swirling around him. It's almost as if Beane said "eff all the choirboys, go get me someone who will do anything to win"

Then I'm old and crochety too. I kind of liked the days when you just knew the guy's position by his number.

The Allen thing is more about locking up Allen for as many years as possible, which strikes me as a damn good strategy

I agree with this. But does Julie Kelly, wife of Big Agra lobbyist? (Not just snark here. Mostly, but not just. I'm trying to point out some inevitable conflicts that will arise in the Trump coalition)

Prescription medicine advertising to the general public used to be banned. For good reasons.

Gateway drugs, JD. You gonna wind up like mama if you don't nip it in the bud.