The Frankish Reich

Look at who Trump invited to his Department of Education Memorial Service: - Ron DeSantis, governor of the state bragging about how its ACT scores show a whopping 25% of graduates hitting the national Math benchmark - Mike DWine, governor of a state that says hold my beer, Ron, we at 28% - the Governor of Oklahoma (I have no idea of the name) where 15% meet the standard! These folks have obviously discovered the Secret Red State Sauce that will allow us to compete with China!

Of course not. I am pointing out that this Sean Davis guy is a moron for thinking that Zelensky is in favor of continued war. Which kind of agrees with what you just said.

So breathtaking in his stupidity, this Sean Davis. If this were true, then I supposed Russia would immediately end its invasion. Zelensky would be voted out or deposed as President. A new pro-Russia president would take over. Russia's entire casus belli would be negated. Everyone is happy. So maybe, just maybe, Russia started this war and refuses to end it with anything short of surrender?

Of course, the immediate issue here is the conflicting justifications for the tariffs. They're to stop fentanyl trafficking. No, they're to stop Canada and Mexico from taking advantage of us. No, they're to raise revenue in the most beautiful manner possible. No, they're to give companies an incentive to shift production and jobs to the US.

Folks can legitimately complain about a lot of federal court injunctions. But the one at issue here - removing people to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act - is not one of them. This one is truly unprecedented in over two centuries that the law has been in place.

Rare case where the right thing is the popular thing.

As usual, contributing nothing. Trump EOs follow the Project 2025 playbook. Trump appointees come from the Project 2025 authors. Big coincidence. Great minds think alike. Might as well appoint a career-stalled North Carolina "vaccine scientist" to a high government position.

Oh no, he lied! Or even worse, he didn't know about Project 2025 because he isn't actually running the government!!

Oh yeah? Fed's growth estimate for 2025 adjusted down; inflation estimate adjusted up. And the word "transitory" made a most welcome return...

Did the whole DEI thing go way too far? Yes. Is the story of the Navajo Code Talkers interesting and inspiring, and maybe an aid to recruitment? Yes.

Who knew? Article II, Section 2, Clause 1: The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment. Got that? Grant Reprieves and Pardons. Not "sign documents with quill pen and ink bottle rendering pardons unto his relatives ..."

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.