And, just to jump on, they are almost always incredibly reluctant to be seen as messing with political processes in corruption cases, so the window is very small to wrap something of this kind up (and was one of the things that made the Comey shitshow re: Clinton so weird). My point of reference is the Illinois probe…

What you just described though is Bill Clinton’s “third way” triangulation, which is very much a part of Democratic politics for the last 30 years (albeit one that’s appeal has dwindled to a handful of Senate seats in the last couple of cycles). It isn’t the center mass of the Democratic party, but it is similar to…

This is closely linked to the idea that guys can only bond if they are talking about what they know are inappropriate subjects in “polite company” (ie around their wives and daughters) - the taboo use of swearing, or sexual innuendo or objectifying language.  And if you can’t bond with your future leaders you can’t…

They may not get fined, but the ref who missed the call will all but certainly be downgraded to a point where their crew doesn’t work a playoff game next year - which has about the same effect.

Oh yeah, she’s a go to punchline at any writer’s conference because almost every sentence she writes is so terrible.  Reads like absolutely no thought was put into it, and no effort at editing.

Essential employees don’t get paid in the present if there is no pre-existing appropriations to pay them out of - that’s why TSA , air traffic controllers and uniformed security are all working despite no paychecks. People who aren’t essential - which beyond core functions of government (why WH senior staff is never…

Don’t forget he also said since it is only 800k employees it can’t have a big impact on the economy/GDP. He apparently is ignoring contractors at multiple levels and all the stuff these combined workers do that interacts with the rest of the economy.  This is right up there with his genius line that tarriffs don’t…

The backpay bill has been signed. However, a much briefer (but wider) shutdown under the Obama administration still had unresolved backpay claims as of the current shutdown - 2 years after the Court of Claims ruled in workers favor that there were violations of the FLSA - and I’m not sure the bill will fully address…

If you ever live in a state capital you’ll see a lot this - union protected government workers who support the Tea Party because they have completely lost the thread of how the union protects them/are focused on their micro issues over macro questions. They’ll even complain about how the union protects lazy or…

Not just that, the GOP specifically talked Trump out of shutting down the government before the elections over this because they didn’t want the fight.

That was my immediate response - it is somehow divisive for Obama to show empathy for a person of color but but not French to do the same damn thing for a white kid.

I had one student who would have given the chance. She was also the only woman I’ve ever had surface the line “regret is not rape” in a discussion of sexual assault laws. She really frustrated me - she was smart, but had been home schooled to believe scientists actually endorsed the idea that life began at conception a…

I’m guessing the administrators were more worried about their limited ability to control the little MAGA-babies from doing something stupid than they were about what the Roosevelt students would do on their own. At least that’s what would worry me - because you know they have parents who would raise hell if the banner…

To be clear I don’t say this as a knock on Harris - I think it is a very smart move for her politically, and I like her as a candidate.

“Kamela Harris for the people” is a direct nod to her prosecutorial background - it is how a prosecutor announces their representation (at least in California, where Harris practiced). It suggests she’s going to stress rather than run away from what more progressive candidates will try to use to tear her down - her…

I’m not currently a Federal worker, but I am someone who in theory should be applying for the Presidential Management Fellowship and other entry programs  - recent doctorate in public policy, track record of working for government and the private sector - and this has just reinforced my lack of interest in doing any…

Well your friend’s first mistake was replying to Sen. Piglet Castrator. I don’t really think her page is apt to be filled with pro-government types, at least until their farm subsidy or social security payments are withheld.

While true it is even more profound than that. A recent study suggests that as white identity becomes more politically salient (i.e. self-identifying white people become aware of the fact they won’t be a majority soon and may not even be a plurality for all that much longer) white voters of all ages become more likely…

Trump is at root a white identity supporter, and so are these voters. The whole theme of the evening was and is “we, the God fearing White people of this town, are the US and you aren’t”. This is of a piece with the entire outrage over protests of the anthem and its roots in white identity politics. The protests are…

I could see Trump desperate enough for an audience to gin up something with McConnell to address a session of the Senate (and really just the Rs, maybe with the seats filled by GOP Reps)- obviously not a real SOTU as we understand it, but when have norms stopped this guy to date?