David Klein

nytimes.comMost of Ken Paxton’s Money Can Be Traced to One Man: Elon MuskThe world’s richest person, who has become the biggest known midterm donor, gave $158 million to a group that quickly spent that much to help Mr. Paxton’s Senate bid in Texas.

Identify the Democrats you claim Musk buys off, otherwise just a lazy smear.

Wajahat Ali@wajali.bsky.social

We must crush Musk. Sadly, he pays off both political parties. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/u...

Again, reading comprehension. I posted in response to the claim local control of education is best. I did not and do not advocate for compete Soviet-style control of education. I explained my experiences with local school boards informed my opinion regarding pervasive local bias and prejudice.

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Texas is outside my area of experience. But what does it mean in practice that local Bubba knows the local student? Does living in a small Texas town give any particular expertise in developing education policy and practices that somehow better prepares students than reliance on expertise?

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Actually, I am retired. I am glad you describe teaching as a profession. But I fear American education will worsen dramatically for a number of reasons, including the destruction of the Department of Education.

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You're the one who claimed, "You think that having *Donald Trump* in control of national curriculums is fine." My response is far from a non sequitur. Republicans have pushed the local control is best claim for decades. Republicans cheer as Linda McMahon dismantles the Department of Education.

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Try reading for comprehension. I do not posit centralized control of every aspect of education is either desirable or feasible. But insisting local dimwits always knows best is bleeding moronic. The unthinking idealization of local control allows Trump to shatter the American educational system.

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You presume my position favors full centralized control of every aspect of educational policy. It is not. The problem is the conservative position presumes local control is inherently desirable makes no sense. Reliance on expertise is the important variable, not location.

Shawn McCullough@shawnmcc.bsky.social

At least with local government, their bad decisions are limited to the people in their own town. The national government is the hardest level that can be controlled by the people, and bad decisions there affect everyone.

Trump is trying to destroy centralized public education, with Linda McMahon an exemplar of the death of expertise. Trump and his minions are pursuing a purely ideological assault on education, with local control a rallying cry for the MAGA cultists who want "parental rights" for the right parents.

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In my experience, school boards have not consulted educational literature or experts. My objection has been the idealized claim local control is desirable, with a mythical ability to understand the educational needs of students. Local control of public schools often produces the Death of Expertise.

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If you want to control your child's curriculum, send her (or him) to the private school of your choice. But your bias and your neighbor's bigotry should not dictate what is taught in public schools. We actually have a good idea what works (small class sizes and well-trained teachers, for instance.

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This is precisely the absurdity of the idealization of local control. A former student who barely passed remedial American history was voted to the local school board. Bubba (not his real name) knows the local people but not a bloody thing about education.

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You presume my position is national control is inherently better. My experience with local school boards has been that expert opinion is often neither solicited nor desired. Of course, a system run by Trump minions' sucks whether nationally or locally. But idealizing local control is silly.

Shawn McCullough@shawnmcc.bsky.social

Yes, because if our education system was nationalized, Trump and Johnson would absolutely listen to experts, right?

My experience. Do you have a different one?

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Christ on crutches, you miss the point. I commended based on experience with local school boards meddling with curriculum decisions, conceding othes have differing experiences. And I never said national was inherently better, McMahon disproves that thesis. But a default local is better is moronic.

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A centralized system might use technology to monitor multiple herds more efficiently than a local one. I am neither a biologist nor experienced in monitoring herds. I would seek expert advice before making a conclusion. But I do have experience with local school boards to inform my opinion.

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I have previously qualified my statement that my experience has been local school has informed my opinion. Others may have other experiences. And a halfwit would ignore that I conceded in the herd example, a biologist could be the better choice. Context matters, obnoxious one.

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A biologist at the location is likely preferable to monitor a local herd, although distant might be more efficient with technology. That is a different context than local control of schools and curriculum, as many school boards do not consist of an equivalent to the local biologist in your example.

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How many small towns actually hire experts? My experience teaching, including in a small town, is that local school board dictate to local prejudices. But your experience may vary.

Tom Nichols@radiofreetom.bsky.social

Note the progressive conceit that only a centralized federal power can find and employ experts. Cities and states are stupid, but the federal government is enlightened and kind!

For someone who wrote about the death of expertise, this is a disappointing position. Why does local Bubba on the school board have a better grasp of educational needs tan, say, experts? A Trump neanderthal is not the only alternative to local control.

Tom Nichols@radiofreetom.bsky.social

2002? Maybe 1902 :) But yes, as conservative, I want schools controlled by the towns and cities they’re in, not by some centralized, federal entity far away. Every time you think about centralizing power, just remember what Donald Trump would do with that.

19 Aug

All the more reason for "sane" Republicans to find a spine and start fulfilling their constitutional duties

Robert Reich@rbreich.bsky.social

In recent weeks, Trump-backed candidates have lost 10 primaries — the same amount his picks lost in '18, '20, and '24 combined. His approval rating just hit a new second-term low of 33%. He's flailing on the economy and Iran War. The Emperor has no clothes. He is not all powerful. Remember this.

13 Aug

Perhaps local politicians would have an incentive to reach out for student voters if polling places were located on campus. And ignorance as a disqualifying factor would certainly extend far beyond college students.

Tom Nichols@radiofreetom.bsky.social

And that's the thing. People want this ease of voting for national elections, but it opens up small towns to kids on campuses being able to vote for local issues they have no clue about

12 Aug

Students are generally more directly impacted by the decisions of politicians representing their campus communities than hometown politicos. They should have a vote regarding who sets their labor, housing, and various other regulations.

Tom Nichols@radiofreetom.bsky.social

Other countries are - and just stay with me here - different from each other from us Campuses are usually the *least* representative part of any town

5 Aug

The same is true of every Republican who accepts campaign contributions from white nationalist Elon Musk,

Ron Filipkowski@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social

Every single campaign donor to Max Milker should be held accountable and answer for it. Every company, every individual. They are financing his career in politics despite what they know. All who write a checks going forward and donors who don’t demand a refund are complicit.

31 July

Every cabinet secretary should volunteer to live within 10 miles of a data center. And build a couple next to Mar-a-Lago.

Philip Bump@pbump.com

As I've said before: What high-paying long-term jobs do they pretend exist here? A data center isn't a place where execs come and do Big Deals. Go to the server room at your workplace; are there lots of rich people in there spending money?

4 July

Marjorie Taylor Greene probably stole a Jewish Space Laser from George Soros.

Ron Filipkowski@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social

OK, who was it? Come clean.

30 June

This would have been more effective had four of the MAGA Justices swallowed their bigotry and concurred with the decision. They could have satisfied their desire to punch down just by kicking transgender girls in the teeth. The 5-4 decision on the 14th Amendment really exposed the Court radicalism.

Mark Jacob@markjacob.bsky.social

100%. This session of the Supreme Court was a blow to our democracy (especially the Slaughter decision), and SCOTUS PR chief Roberts is giving us the birthright citizenship ruling last so we'll forget how dangerous this court is. Win the midterms. Expand the court.

20 Apr

Democrat political miscalculation and Republican ideology are the reasons marginal tax rates are still 37 percent. Many Democrats are terrified of being labeled "tax and spend" socialists, while the only remaining unifying Republican ideology is that cutting taxes is always good.

Tom Nichols@radiofreetom.bsky.social

Every budget they propose is a reaffirmation of the basic idea that low taxes spur growth. There's a reason marginal tax rates are still 37 percent.

nbcnews.comWhat we know about the U.S. service members killed in the Iran warSix U.S. service members are reported to have been killed in Iranian counterattacks. Four died in a drone strike against a port in Kuwait, the military said.

5 Mar

You know labeling this "Israel's war" will incite antisemitism. You can condemn Netanyahu (and MBS) for the war without absolving Trump of culpability.

Wajahat Ali@wajali.bsky.social

How many more American soldiers must die for Israel's war? www.nbcnews.com/news/militar...

5 Mar

You could include Mohammed bin Salman, who the NYT also indicated nudged Trump along.

Wajahat Ali@wajali.bsky.social

I'm sorry, that's just not true. This is Trump AND Israel's war. Rubio admitted it, Netanyahu owned it, and NYT corroborated how Netanyahu dogwalked the Trump Admin. I'll add it's also the war of neocons, hawks, and religious extremists.

21 Nov 2025

MAGA would have labeled as RINOs every Republican president not named Trump.

Tom Nichols@radiofreetom.bsky.social

JFK was all about cutting the marginal rate, and the capital gains tax rate. He'd be flamed by today's Dems.

5 Oct 2025

At what point did Hitler become a fascist, by your reasoning? Was he a fascist when appointed chancellor in January or perhaps upon passage of the Enabling Act in March 1933? Or did fascism in Germany arise only with the Night of the Long Knives in 1934?

Tom Nichols@radiofreetom.bsky.social

Someone call that judge and tell him that the fascists are in power and that he can't do this

5 Sept 2025

Republicans were skeptical of the costs of Kennedy's moon mission when announced. Nixon certainly used the success as president to further American soft power interests.

Tom Nichols@radiofreetom.bsky.social

Richard Nixon was president when Americans landed on the moon

6 July 2025

Trump making a corrupt bargain with RFK Jr. for his endorsement is more responsible than the two-party system. An actually competitive multiparty system would require constitutional changes, realistically too many structural impediments to a viable third or multi party system.

Mark Cuban@mcuban.bsky.social

Two party system is how we ended up with the guy in the WH

An all-white jury convicted former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali of felony draft evasion charges #TDIH in 1967. By the time the Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 1971, the public perceived shifted to embrace Ali as fighting an injustice. Boston Globe, June 30, 1971. #history #OTD

An all-white jury convicted former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali of felony draft evasion charges #TDIH in 1967. The Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 1971 in ruling that the DOJ had provided Selective Service with flawed reasoning. Des Moines Register, July 5, 1971. #history #OTD

An all-white jury convicted former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali of felony draft evasion charges #TDIH in 1967. District Court Judge Joe Ingraham sentenced Ali to 5 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and a 3-year boxing ban. Philadelphia Daily News, June 22, 1967. #histry #OTD

An all-white jury convicted former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali of felony draft evasion charges #TDIH in 1967. Informed by racial and religious bigotry, boxing authorities almost immediately stripped Ali of the heavyweight title. Indianapolis News, May 10, 1967. #history #OTD

An all-white jury convicted former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali of felony draft evasion charges #TDIH in 1967. The American press and public overwhelmingly viewed Ali as a "draft dodger", hostile to his membership in the Nation of Islam. Pittsburgh Post Gazette, May 10, 1967. #history

An all-white jury convicted former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali of felony draft evasion charges #TDIH in 1967. Ali refused induction into military service in April as a conscientious objector based on his religious beliefs. Fort Worth Star Telegram, April 30, 1967. #history #OTD

An all-white jury convicted former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali of felony draft evasion charges #TDIH in 1967. Ali refused induction into military service in April as a conscientious objector based on his religious beliefs. Louisville Courier Journal, April 19, 1967. #history #OTD

District Court Judge Joe Ingraham sentenced former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali to 5 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and 3-year ban from boxing #TDIH in 1967. The all-white jury took just 21 minutes to reach a guilty verdict, unanimously overturned by the Supreme Court in 1971. #history

Celebrity businessman Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the presidency #TDIH in 2015. Despite early widespread denunciations as a demagogic racist and shameless fraud, Trump secured the Republican nomination and ultimately the presidency in 2016. Tampa Bay Times, November 10, 2016. #history

Celebrity businessman Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the presidency #OTD in 2015. Criticized on inflammatory immigration rhetoric by Senator John McCain, Trump assailed the Vietnam War veteran as a "loser" and claimed "He's not a war hero." Passaic Herald-News, July 22, 2015. #history #OTD