johndbecker.bsky.social

MN Rep. Tom Emmer, w S. Varney on Fox: "[High gas & grocery costs'] are headwinds that you've got to deal with". Mr. Varney, why no follow-up question, i.e., "Deal with? How?" Does Emmer not see the war in Iran as the source of these "headwinds"? Any thought of pushing T to settle, as we're losing?

I've been in the dumps, maybe depressed, since T was elected. The best we can do pre-election is play defense, and much needs doing. I am also widowed, so often alone. But I want to thank people who have helped me hang in there, sometimes not even directly, but just by decency and compassion. U 2?

Repeal Amend 22 so Trump could run again? Keep this talk up, GOP; tear yourself apart. Also: GOP Senators in '21 who voted against convicting T will live in infamy. They figured he was a spent force, so they could avoid offending donors & base by doing their duty. Supreme Court joins them there.

Feel better about Trump doing worse. Ask: how do things improve for him? They won't. Recall, when Iran got tough, how T said he was "bored" with the war. Now the midterms are getting tough. Yet T's not even going through the motions; people, even MAGA, notice. His support will keep slipping.

This question may seem silly, but after seeing Interior Sec'y Burgum show himself both clueless and corrupt, I'm posing it. If Dems win control of both chambers of Congress, how about articles of impeachment for the whole infernal Trump administration? If someone in it is worth saving, list them.

Ali Vitali of MS NOW, citing CNBC reporting: Sen. Thom Tillis offers Trump an off-ramp so that he can back K. Warsh as Fed Chair. Trump: No; He still thinks he can bend Senate GOP to his will. Isn't this just like Iran? T has to win; but he can't on either. Time is running out, world's pain growing.

If people need any more reason for hope re '26 election, ask this question: Is Trump capable to pivoting, finding a new approach, which is at least a tacit admission of error? I'd argue that, No, he's not capable. He can't admit error. So things won't improve for the GOP; and MAGA may stay home.

A rant. The GOP Congress has no legislation to its credit, other than the Big Ugly Bill. But rather than, well, trying to aid people struggling w high prices, they're considering the SAVE Act, which is voter suppression, including GOP voters. Now gerrymandering is backfiring w no Plan B. Losers!

I just heard Rev. James Martin w C. Hayes, MS NOW. He had to explain why JD's admonition to erudite Pope Leo re Just War theory was silly w/o being "political". Martin is a national treasure, but I wanted deeper topics. One of the worst things about T's WH is a colossal waste of our time.

Pushing back vs. calling Vance an "heir apparent". No, no. That is how Dems think: Clinton selecting Gore; Obama selecting Biden; I think Harris fits here, too. Trump is the opposite; he fears an able, inspiring VP, seeing a threat. Neither Pence nor Vance is that. Dems nurture, T ruins futures.

Ponder this: There is no situation so bad that Trump can't make it worse.

Sad and eloquent: earlier today, Rep. Madeleine Dean said on MS NOW, "This president is going to be known for rubble, from the East Wing to the Middle East." But this was, sadly, predictable pre-election. Trump the builder? Please. What he's "good" at is wrecking things. Trouble and rubble.

Thinking ahead. Wonder why many GOP are retiring? Q: WHAT DO THEY RUN ON? Their tax bill favors the rich, and not much else passed. Bring up DOGE? Isn't that like Putin's UKR strategy? (Sure, we're suffering, but we're making our enemies suffer more.) Hit 'em with this, Dems; ads write themselves.

My latest fantasy: A reporter asks Trump, "Sir, once you are impeached and convicted, then removed from office, are you worried about being hauled into court in The Hague for your unjustified attack against Venezuela?" I'd like to see reporters do what they can to hasten T's mental collapse

Melania, sadly, provokes me (cogito ergo irritatum?). All the links re the film include a glamorous photo of M. I worry that these images might seduce our minds. Even while text engages the rational mind w film info, the siren image also speaks: My, how elegant M is (worse, & I want this, too).

Pass this along, please. Tim Miller of The Bulwark has a curated look at a Nat'l Review article (Andy McCarthy) that finally clearly condemns T's corruption and its massive scale (it's not yet posted here). Miller calls out cautious conservatives, too. All hands on deck. Late, yes, NR, but on board.

There’s a rally going on in Boston rn and they’re chanting “we’re not cold, we’re not afraid, MN taught us to be brave!” and I might cry

Scorecard of recent Trump abuses. Cover-up of Ross murder. ICE thuggery. Likely war crime by Hegseth. Vindictive prosecutions. Epstein files w/held illegally. There are likely others. But this (and alas, more!) is what comes of Sup Court failure to hold an obvious criminal accountable.

ICE in Mpls, claimed to be "in law enforcement." NOT. House-to-house, warrantless searches. And J Ross, shooter of Renee Good? Filmed scene on his cell phone, stood in front of the car, shot as it was leaving, all no-nos. Cussed at Good post-crash, no urgency to save her. Left active crime scene.

I, a nobody, must post this. The account of the George Floyd murder given by arresting officers contained clear lies. Without a teenage girl's filming, those lies might have kept the cops from accountability. Now VP Vance is telling clear lies re yesterday's ICE murder. No cover up! Insist on truth

Odd thought: I might finally get why Obama was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, even before inauguration. I think that in the wake of W's military action, esp in Iraq, the world was really worried about new US military adventures. And the GOP candidate was John McCain, who might have been up for them.

A bit ago, Max at UNFTR Media (MeidasTouch, I think), said that likely the main target of US action is Cuba, whose economy will fail w/o Venezuela's oil. (I had wondered about Cuba when the US impounded an oil tanker headed there from V.) What if a "Cuban plant" is not a Commie, but its opposite?

Re: how insane this coup is. First, T is channeling W Bush. And T was pretty early in calling out the imprudence of W trying to run Iraq. Second, even W had (GOP) "expert" advice. How will T fare with folks like Noem, Hegseth, Patel, and Gabbard? T will learn the hard way: loyalty isn't expertise.

I'm watching host David Pakman (worth taking in generally) with Dr. John Gartner, who has warned about Trump's cognitive decline for years. It's chilling as he he lists the signs of Trump's rapidly worsening mental state. And again, all of this was not only predictable, but predicted by '24.

BofA CEO Brian Moynihan, whom I respect, was just on Face the Nation (I saw it noted in Fortune). He said we think too much about the Fed, we shouldn't know names of members, but we'll be punished if it loses independence. Well, yeah; we must guard vs. T wrecking everything; please just say that!

Steve Liesman, CNBC, just suggested discussing small business rebates for tariffs. In some ways, they are end users, like consumers. But they also produce with those goods. Anyway, they are suffering. If the Supremes invalidate tariffs, maybe they'll get something. Consumers out of luck?

As people find the costs of ACA-related healthcare spiking next year, "thanks" to Trump and the GOP, there is an odd bit of good news. Right-wingers have long griped about calling the law the "Affordable" Care Act. But gosh, it turns out that title was pretty accurate after all. And now we all know.

Not sure if folks have seen Jen Psaki today on MS NOW, but she has a superb takedown of Susie (lack of) Wiles. It's something that a former insider might manage better than the rest. And no one can "save" Trump. But this is one more portrait of RW hubris. And dang it, I was surprised once again.

We're little more than a week away from the celebration of the Prince of Peace. Yet here is Donald, "FIFA Peace Prize" Trump preparing for war against Venezuela. (We need Bueller's teacher: "How do they threaten us? Anyone? Anyone?") Maybe someone can give T the Orwell ("war is peace") Peace Prize.

Today in Mpls, ICE "arrested" a citizen. No warrant. The arrestee offered to show proof of citizenship; not allowed. Detained for an hour in a car, then another two hours in a holding place. Once they let him prove citizenship, he could go. Q: What if police arrested THEM for kidnapping?

Re Aftyn Behn. Much ado until Tues. eve. on her race, then little on Bluesky Wed. Articles said it was "close", but she lost by 9 %age points. Things she said irked MAGA; they turned out. Would a "centrist" have won? I'm a big tent guy; apologies from left? Make room, not enemies? Humble analyses?