Paul Friedman

There's a reason Press Herald and even Susan Collins's normally deferential hometown paper ran this story a month ago today: It's credible, damning and includes e-mails to support it's bombshell claims. Challenge anyone to read it and not come away thinking Collins is corrupt as hell. #MEpolitics

Russia was never a hoax. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/22/w...

This is going to make it very difficult to know which sports we should ban them from.

Let's hope this is a parting gift instead of a participation trophy. bsky.app/profile/reut...

Sen Tom Cotton objects to giving Iran “a lot of money...we know that this terrorist revolutionary regime is not going to spend that money on day care or on hospitals." How do "we" know this? Because Republicans won't, either.

Good article in NYT on ICE shucking warehouses, but hardly an "exclusive". No mention of the excellent work of Project Saltbox or their posting on this topic on May 30: www.projectsaltbox.com/p/ice-bought...

Does this mean that ICE will be coming for Marco Rubio as a "birthright citizen"? bsky.app/profile/talk...

So here's the Collins connection. Why would she risk her "moderate" label to vote for more ICE funding while Maine is under attack? ICE has massive contracts to Palantir and Palantir sends big donations to Collins' campaign. The ICE swamp. bsky.app/profile/alex...

Yeesh. Collins votes for more ICE funding while Tommy Tuberville votes against it. How's that gonna play with her moderate pantomime?

Noem and Collins are not credible sources. This needs to be verified on the ground. bsky.app/profile/rgoo...

Thank you PTA. Kendzior's essay is essential reading. Instructive and beautifully written. bsky.app/profile/pine...

Maine Rep Golden intentionally misses the point: "So long as this remains a targeted law enforcement operation focused on individuals who have engaged in criminal activities then I believe it legitimately serves the public interest." On bounty hunting and kidnapping? Crickets.

Susan Collins' statement on the ICE assault on Maine. Could it be anymore passive? It reads like a letter to the editor. You would never guess that she is complicit, or even involved.

Is it possible that he meant “Bored of Peace”?

Susan Collins gives the term "useless" a bad name: Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) told reporters Monday that she wants to see the subsidies extended. But when asked whether a fix could be a part of a funding deal, she said, "I have no idea. That's above my pay grade."

"U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said on Thursday that she is "extremely alarmed" over the firing of U.S. CDC Director Susan Monarez". Where does "extremely alarmed" fall on the Collins Richter Scale of limp responses?

When Ted Turner asked Carl Sagan if he was a socialist, Sagan gave the answer America keeps failing to learn.

Where is our Teddy Roosevelt? “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” ― Theodore Roosevelt

The theme of my next set of calls: Where’s Susan?

Now our job is to make sure Susan Collins wears this bill even if she made a lame, last minute effort. She never used her seniority, influence and moral outrage to persuade any of her colleagues. As we speak, she should be lobbying Republicans in the House to vote against and why.

Politico: "In order to pay for the megabill, Senate Republicans are considering substantially hiking “federal employees’ retirement contributions to 15.6 percent of their salary..." BUT PLAN TO EXEMPT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THEIR STAFF? Pretty self-serving... even for Congress.

Who knew? After all these years "I like Ike". bsky.app/profile/sand...

cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thu...

Trump was in his prime in the 1980s and wants to go back there. It's a common "old person" fallacy (I should know). Having read about LA demonstrations and police panic, I think Trump turned the Wayback Machine too far and sent us into the 60's. Not good.

"Living hard will take its toll". Steely Dan, Glamour Profession. bsky.app/profile/thet...

The fog of politics briefly clears: per Robert Hubbell "In May, 96% of the cases filed against the Trump administration were decided adversely to the president. There can be no clearer or stronger signal that Trump is operating in violation of the Constitution and the laws of the United States."

I guess the Nazi torches in Charlottesville explains Russia's interference in American elections. Putin "did what he had to do..." bsky.app/profile/maks...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8CM... Justin Wolfers lays it out pretty clearly (again).

Finally I agree with a Trump post: bsky.app/profile/jim-...

Bernie doing Bernie things on CNN. #MedicareForAll

Just spitballing here, but is it wise to allow any single person authority to infect the global economy with a whipsawing tariff virus? Maybe Congress should honor its constitutional duty and stabilize things by actually managing taxes (aka tariffs). Why is this even an issue?

The old bait and switch. They gave it away, NOW they want democracy back. Rand Paul:“I don’t care if the president is a Republican or a Democrat. I don’t want to live under emergency rule. I don’t want to live where my representatives cannot speak for me and have a check and balance on power.”

Just sayin... 1991: Trump’s Taj Mahal 1992: First of two Atlantic City Trump casinos 1992: Second of two Atlantic City Trump casinos 1992: Trump’s Plaza Hotel in New York City 2004: Trump’s Hotels and Casinos Resorts 2009: Trump’s Entertainment Resorts 2025: US Economy

Augusta, Maine

How often do you wonder if Trump enablers are stupid, or they just think we are? I just realized that it's both. bsky.app/profile/thet...

Welp, this sums things up: bsky.app/profile/navi...

As a crowd sourcing patriot, I hereby report and request a deport of Laura Loomer. bsky.app/profile/norm...

Because why? bsky.app/profile/apne...

How is this even legal? Why isn’t anyone stopping him?

It's vital that professionals, through their associations and societies, speak out against the assault on the constitution and rule of law. Pleased to see ABA join the fight www.abajournal.com/news/article...

The quality of the spam texts I get has gone way down lately. I find it insulting that the scammers aren't trying harder.

Apparently blasphemy is an official US policy. Wrong on so many levels. Will his religious supporters ignore? Bets on how long before he claims his account was hacked?

Exactly. Blue states should opt out and band together.

“Patel on cusp of confirmation to run FBI as Collins says she'll oppose”… means he has the votes he needs so Susan can revert to moderate mode. Not fooling anyone.

Here’s a quote that works for me at this time: “Before you can act on a crisis you have to recognize you are in one”. Not sure who said it but shows up in thread on this excellent analysis @chrischirp.bsky.social‬:

It may help focus Democratic leadership if they accept that we have to ensure there will be 2026/2028 elections before they strategize how to win them.