2/ Incidents like the McIver prosecution and the Omar search should remind us that the fear motivating the speech or debate privilege--from its mid-fourteenth century origins through its inclusion in the US Constitution--was the prevention of executive and judicial harassment of legislators.
The Omar story today and the Talarcio story yesterday are the same story of rat-fucking your opponents before an election. Except now the government does it, out in the open.
Good summary of the keystone cops attempt by far right scam artists to claim Talarico had a mental breakdown. But I wish there was more focus on the person behind this, a groyper street thug from Oregon who is a fan of the Freikorps and whose political ideology lines up 88% with Hitler’s.
Will Sommer@willsommer.bsky.social · 15h agoThe right's evidence for a James Talarico mental breakdown debuted with a lot of fanfare this afternoon—and imploded immediately. A very special emergency False Flag for @thebulwark.com with @eggerdc.bsky.social: www.thebulwark.com/p/maga-james...
“The fact that we as a society have moved away from public executions would have mattered a lot for that earlier doctrinal understanding. That it wouldn’t mean nearly so much today is, in my view, a pretty telling indictment of #SCOTUS’s entirely recent jurisprudential shift.” Me on Nidal Hasan:
257. Public Executions and the Eighth Amendment
The shift in the Court's Eighth Amendment jurisprudence would be a significant obstacle to litigation challenging the public execution of Nidal Hasan.
stevevladeck.com
"Elon Musk has quietly funneled more than $276 million into Republican groups and his super PAC since the start of July, building a huge turnout operation to help the party battle headwinds in the midterm elections."
Inside Elon Musk’s $276 Million Midterm Rescue Mission for Republicans (Gift Article)
The world’s richest person has quietly become by far the biggest known midterm donor, trying to save Republicans’ Senate majority with some of the largest donations in American political history.
nytimes.com
BREAKING: Federal judge orders Trump administration to stop DHS's pro-Trump propaganda ads immediately, including ordering the canceling of ads set to run as soon as this evening. Background: www.lawdork.com/p/doj-does-n...
This is tangential to the point, but if the mayor can’t stop the police because they’re effectively a gang, then the only actual solution is to take their money away
I Scare You Like Sound Dog@chadstanton.blacksky.app · yesterdayThese stories, similar to the “well the Mayor can’t actually stop the police or they’ll kill him” talking point always leads me to these questions because how are the people who don’t get supposed to think about what the police will do to them?
Anatomy of how John Solomon “presents known information as revelations and omit[s] key context," releasing it into right-wing echo-chamber. By @nytimes.com's @charliesavage.bsky.social . 1/2 www.nytimes.com/2026/10/11/u...
How the White House Manufactured a Narrative About a Trump Aide’s Call Logs (Gift Article)
A release of selected records from the classified documents inquiry is a case study in how omitting context can create political ammunition.
nytimes.com
Twice he's asked about the risk of creating a martyr. Twice his answer is "no one has to watch it." Which is, obviously, not remotely an answer to the question.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · yesterdayBRENNAN: Nidal Hasan is in a wheelchair. Doesn't the administration risk livestreaming this and making him a martyr? Couldn't this be a risk to the homeland? MARKWAYNE MULLIN: No one has to watch it B: Well then why are you livestreaming it? MULLIN: The president is restoring American values
Hi, I’m a sighted alt text user! Here are some reasons I use it: - Slow Internet on an airplane - I’m over 40, I have no idea who that celebrity is - Bluesky broke images again - My vision sucks and that text is too small to read otherwise - Conveys further context and authorial intent
This is why the internet was invented... #LifuX #Dogs #Dogsofbluesky
Low-hanging fruit for reporters and Dem trackers: ask a Republican running for office, "what would you do if you were in a car with your child and men in hoodies charged at you with guns drawn?" Follow up with "do you think it's reasonable for a parent in that situation to use lethal force?"
Schrödinger's Sneetch Belly@rtodkelly.bsky.social · 2d ago😐
I read Rubio’s speech where he does a Prager U recap of Ancient Greek history, and the funniest part is where he praises Achilles for seeking glory in Troy even though it means his death. Yeah, Marco, the Iliad is great. What’s Achilles up to in the sequel?
This is truly horrifying and somewhat predictable. That said, I am a little concerned at how much this is doing the Supreme Court’s work for them by saying they “effectively ratified” this. At most, it was a likelihood standard. And the appeals courts shouldn’t be suggesting more than that.
Gabriel Malor@gabrielmalor.bsky.social · 2d ago5th Cir. issues a rare Saturday order. Holds that the Supreme Court's stay in D.V.D. forecloses a stay of removal for a Senegalese man with witholding of removal to Senegal who DHS intends to immediately deport to Sierra Leone. www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub...
I'd be curious to see what happens immediately before that video; I wish the NYPD had made that public as well. But I have to say... on initial view, that looks indistinguishable from a carjacking, and if I'd been the driver I would also probably have floored it.
Democrats must recon with the idea that, guided by ideology and in exchange for massive profits from government contracts, many of these tech companies were *fine* assisting with the erosion of democracy and civil/human rights violations en mass.
Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · 2d agoOne key point @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social makes here is that if Dems win the midterms (and win in 2028), deploying congressional power creatively to unwind Elon Musk's sway over the government (contracts, etc) will be essential to any reconstruction: www.ms.now/opinion/elon...
Portland City Council candidate Kellie Torres gave two notably different answers about PCEF funding on October 7 and 8. Here are both exchanges:
NEW: Trump's new press secretary has some deleted tweets—and we've got them for you. www.thebulwark.com/p/katie-zach...
The Deleted Tweets of the New White House Press Secretary
Katie Zacharia is ready to defend Trump. The Constitution? Less so.
thebulwark.com
I have been off work for a while for (see previous post) — but want to elevate this deeply odd story. A lot of interesting choices being made here.
Portland Mercury@portlandmercury.com · 3d agoA Multnomah County judge ordered Councilor Dan Ryan to preserve evidence on his personal phone until an ongoing public records lawsuit is resolved. “This is not a game of cat and mouse," Judge David Rees said. "There are some indications that those games are being played, and it has to stop today."
Trump choosing Russia diesel fuel over Ukrainian freedom. US warns Kyiv that strikes on Russia jeopardise intelligence-sharing. www.ft.com/content/7fd4...
US warns Kyiv that strikes on Russia jeopardise intelligence-sharing
Donald Trump’s administration delivered threat after Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised diesel deal with Moscow
ft.com
This is a double blow to Ukraine. First, we’re now funding Russia’s war of aggression. And second, now when Ukraine attacks Russian refineries, it’s effectively attacking American interests. This is fucked.
Kyle Cheney@kyledcheney.bsky.social · 3d agoThe United States is now importing fuel from Russia, per President Trump.
begging with all my heart for more Democrats running in this election cycle to pick up what Jon Ossoff is putting down CALL 👏 THEM 👏 NAZIS 👏 TO 👏 THEIR 👏 FACE
UNCONFIRMED - FRANCES ST AND CORNELIUS PASS RD HILLSBORO 97123 - They are parking on Middle School parking lot MORE INFO: https://www.stopice.net?alert=1791610791906
there's a Martin Mull documentary on Netflix that's great and surprisingly very moving
They’re desperate for you to believe that the world will end if we abolish an agency that didn’t exist before 2003.
