Pam Spaulding

Pam Spaulding

@pamspaulding.bsky.social

Former natl political blogger, Pam's House Blend (2004-2013) during OG citizen journo era. Dipping back into pol discourse here. Spinal fusion vet (3x). DM only if I know IRL. Durham, NC native, now in Central Valley CA. PHB history: https://is.gd/7GbAv2

26.8K followers11.9K following20.8K posts

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Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

Replying to @pamspaulding.bsky.social

📣 First step — 🗳️ VOTE. No excuses. 👉 Check to make sure you're registered: 🌐 www.nass.org/can-I-vote/v... 👉 Early vote: 🌐 www.usvotefoundation.org/early-voting... 👉 Mail-in voters: if you can, drop your ballot off *at your board of elections*. 👉 Track your ballot: 🌐 www.vote.org/ballot-track...

nass.orgVoter Registration Status | NASSNot sure if you're already registered, or need to update your information? Select your state in the drop down menu to check.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

Anyone have a gift link? I only have the paywall link to the epic, Trump-critical "Mitch McConnell" WSJ op-ed. 👉 The cowardly Rs are using Zombie Mitch to telegraph how they feel about Trump's disastrous policy harming Ukraine to please his Leashmaster Vladimir Putin. 🧾 www.wsj.com/opinion/codd...

wsj.comOpinion | Coddling Putin Won’t Bring Peace to UkraineTrump’s obeisance to the Kremlin also imperils his legislative agenda in the lame-duck Congress.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

🚨 Hell the F no. War criminal Pete Hegseth, after causing death & destruction w/Trump in Iran, & blowing up fishing boats w/ humans aboard for shiz & giggles, wants to try to escape into the Senate. Thomas Massie says he will force an impeachment process vote right after midterms. 🧾 trib.al/JGAOk2i

trib.alPete Hegseth eyeing Senate seat as impeachment threat looms: reportDefense Secretary could seek to succeed Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee rather than wait to be forced out of the Pentagon by congressional Democrats or President Donald Trump, it is claimed
Lauren Ashley Davis@laurenmeidasa.bsky.social

There’s chatter on the Hill that Pete Hegseth has been angling for Sen. Marsha Blackburn to appoint him to her Senate seat, if she becomes Tennessee governor, sparing him a potential impeachment trial. puck.news/hegseths-sen...

puck.newsHegseth’s Senate Exit Option & A G.O.P. Money PitThere’s chatter on the Hill that Pete Hegseth has been angling for Sen. Marsha Blackburn to appoint him to her Senate seat, if she becomes Tennessee governor, sparing him a potential impeachment trial...
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

‼️👀 "The explosive staff report details accounts from 11 women who link Trump to Epstein, including five who have directly accused Trump of rape or sexual assault in circumstances involving the disgraced financier." ⚖️ House Judiciary D report: t2m.co/wNpwcbQ 🧾 meidasnews.com/news/bombshe...

meidasnews.comBombshell House Report Accuses Trump of Involvement in Epstein Sex Crimes, DOJ Cover-UpHouse Judiciary Democrats detail allegations from 11 women linking Trump to Epstein and accuse his Justice Department of a sweeping cover-up.

Pam Spaulding reposted

Ruby S.
@rubyji.bsky.social

NC voters, please tell everyone you know about these Republican-proposed constitutional amendments! They're very misleading and a lot of smart people are falling for it. #ncpol

NC Budget & Tax Center@ncbudget.bsky.social

The income tax amendment will lock in low taxes for millionaires and corporations, while shifting higher costs onto regular families. Take the sales tax as just one example.

ncbudget.orgCapping income taxes for millionaires and corporations could lead to huge sales tax increase for working families - NC Budget & Tax CenterTaxes are how we come together to fund the things our families and communities want and need to live well: excellent public schools, affordable healthcare, accessible child care, effective disaster prevention and recovery, efficient transportation systems, safe environments, and more. North Carolina’s most important source of tax revenue — the state income tax — is…

Pam Spaulding reposted

Eric Michael Garcia
@ericmgarcia.bsky.social

Something that stood out to me when speaking to young Black women in Greensboro who went to vote: They are fully aware of what their ancestors and grandparents did to win them the right to vote and they don't take that for granted. #NCPol #NCSen thepoliticalspectrum.substack.com/p/theyre-att...

thepoliticalspectrum.substack.com‘They're attempting to disenfranchise us, and that's not right’In Greensboro, N.C., students from North Carolina A&T State University make the trek to turn out
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

‼️ Of the AI companies, Anthropic has been the most candid about AI perils. But no applause — whistleblowers are why we know the most about the careless behavior of this runaway industry. And the IPO is upon us... 📝 Anthropic S-1 prospectus : www.sec.gov/Archives/edg... 🧾 t2m.co/i9U3KM0

nytimes.comAnthropic’s IPO S-1 Spells Out a Future of Promise and PerilThe A.I. company took great pains to describe the many benefits that can come from using its Claude chatbot and technology, but also offered up a heavy dose of gloom.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

"We believe that AI is one of the most consequential technologies in human history." — Dario Amodei, founder of Anthropic. And with it comes... - economic disruption w/o any notion on how to handle it; - seeming inability to contain agent behavior in vanguard models; - untold impact on environment.

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

The chatbots we interact w/are just the tip of the iceberg of Anthropic's services. And that's true about all of the AI Tech Bros. They want their software embedded in govt/biz —dependencies that cannot be reversed or extracted out of. Unless Congress wakes the F up. 🦋 bsky.app/profile/carl...

Carl Quintanilla@carlquintanilla.bsky.social

FEDWATCH: “.. The filing's key message appears to be that Anthropic is no longer a consumer chatbot story. Roughly three-quarters to four-fifths of revenue comes from enterprise and API usage, making it fundamentally an AI infrastructure/software platform.” $ANT

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

👀⚠️ Trump's rolling in the 💰, & bragging on camera, how "everyone" is getting rich. That's one thing he isn't lying about. - He doesn't go to the grocery store. - He doesn't pump gas. 👉Trump really *doesn't know anyone that isn't getting rich*. He DGAF about 🇺🇸🗽. 🧾 www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-o...

cbsnews.comAs Trump brags about U.S. oil and gas company profits, his stocks gained millions during Iran warA report from congressional Democrats found the president purchased millions in oil and gas stocks during the war.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

More...our friends to the north at CBC have a good round-up of the profiteering by Decomposing Dictator & fam. Bonus: it even reminds us about the epic conjob he did on his own MAGAts —Trump Mobile T1 Phone. 😆 👉 This 24/7 criminal enterprise needs to go to the pokey. 🧾 www.cbc.ca/news/world/t...

cbc.caANALYSIS | How Trump keeps profiting from his presidency | CBC NewsU.S. President Donald Trump and his family members have earned at least $2 billion from business ventures and investments that have benefitted from his past 16 months in the White House, according to ...

Pam Spaulding reposted

FactPost
@factpostnews.bsky.social

Trump on high gas prices: I don't give a damn. We're making a freaking fortune.

FactPost@factpostnews.bsky.social

Trump currently holds up to $81 million in oil and gas stocks. His stocks have increased in value by 43% since the end of 2025.

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

R Invisible Man Michael Whatley throws spaghetti on the wall & prays something sticks. Usual "radical" drivel that no North Carolinian attaches to D @roycoopernc.bsky.social. This generic "insert any R" attack ad is a waste of 💰, IMHO. #ncpol See why after jump. 📺 bsky.app/profile/adim...

AdImpact Politics (X Mirror)@adimpactmirror.bsky.social

#NCPol: "With Roy Cooper, the far left would be in charge. Open borders, higher taxes, more crime." Michael Whatley aired his first #NCSen broadcast TV ad in over two weeks yesterday.

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

Whatley is playing big time catch up, as you can see. Independent voters have left the MAGA station; I don't see how that ad is a game changer. #ncpol But #NC, keep up the VOTE 🗳️ to ensure a Blue 🌊 down ballot! 🦋 bsky.app/profile/pams...

Pam Spaulding@pamspaulding.bsky.social

North Carolina U.S. Senate Election 2026: Latest Polls NC has an open race for the general election after Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican, decided he would not seek re-election. (Oct. 24, 2026) 🧾 www.nytimes.com/interactive/... 👉 VOTE 🗳️ #NC — make this a complete wipeout down ballot!

Pam Spaulding reposted

Murshed Zaheed
@murshedz.bsky.social

👀 ““JD Vance has said absolutely nothing about this attempted mass shooting in Illinois,” said Patel, who pointed out the vice president’s muteness on the issue was particularly offensive because his wife, Usha, is Hindu.”

huffpost.comThe Right Hates Indian Americans. It Might Cost Republicans Texas.Growing anti-Indian rhetoric within the GOP is pushing some lifelong conservative Indian American voters to reconsider their allegiance to the Republican Party.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

👏 Another L. The Trump Retribution Train keeps going off the rails. The regime must reinstate Maurene Comey — and give her back pay from Dec 2025. This ruling creates a path for other govt workers who were terminated & seeking appeal. ⚖️ Ruling: t2m.co/kDTOs03 🧾 www.politico.com/news/2026/10...

politico.comTrump admin illegally fired Maurene Comey, judge rulesMaurene Comey, a federal prosecutor and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, sued DOJ over her abrupt firing after she was terminated without explanation.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

🔥 Jesse Ventura was in the Navy as a member of Underwater Demolition Team 12 & later as a reservist w/SEAL Team 1. The former MN gov has served our country w/honor. The sick conman POS in the WH is a disgrace. We MUST defang Trump & his goons to save the 🇺🇸. #VOTE 🗳️ 📺 bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Jesse Ventura to Piker: "Here's what pisses me off -- I did 2 tours, 17 months. So did my brother. Southeast Asia. That was at the same time Donald Trump was running and hiding like the coward he is. Why didn't he join us in the Vietnam War? I've heard him talk. He said he should be a general!"

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

👋 Hey Randy...get a move on that fElon deportation. 👏 His younger bro Kimbal Musk dropped the dime on them live on stage with fElon nervously sitting right there: 📺 youtu.be/HJJN9Mjb2NE?... 📺 bsky.app/profile/atru...

youtu.beElon Musk And His Brother Reveal They Were First Illegal Immigrants To AmericaYouTube video by ThinkBefore YouType
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

GOP Rep. Randy Fine says he's been open to deporting Melania Trump and Elon Musk if it turns out they lied on their paperwork

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

👀 “They essentially made the cardinal sin of forgetting that pendulums reliably do one thing — & it swings back most of the time. They’ve got a very rough couple years ahead.” — D strategist Cooper Teboe, phone blowing up by execs asking which Ds to donate to or recruit for boards. 🎁 wapo.st/3W3WdYo

wapo.stPowerful executives cozied up to Trump. Now they fear a reckoning.Firms that aligned with the president are preparing for a political pendulum swing — and a potential barrage of investigations.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

The reckoning is coming for the cowardly corporate execs who bent the knee, & especially those who *willingly bedded down* w/the most corrupt president in US history. 👉 That reckoning comes with subpoenas & the sound of a hearing gavel. The People seek truth & accountability. 🎁 wapo.st/3W3WdYo

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

🧵 Most of us "met" Walter Koenig when he joined the crew of the Enterprise as young Ensign Pavel Chekov in TOS Season 2, appearing in 36 eps (1967-1969). He has passed at 90, but he is forever a part of the Star Trek universe. Condolences to his loved ones... 🧾 t2m.co/x6suTSu 🦋 t2m.co/Uzpbj8H

hollywoodreporter.comWalter Koenig, the Russian Crewman Chekov on ‘Star Trek,’ Dies at 90He joined the TV series for the second season but had more to do on another acclaimed sci-fi program, 'Babylon 5.'
Jesse Thorn@jessethorn.bsky.social

My pal Danielle Koenig shared that her father Walter Koenig passed away last night at age 90. A performer whose kindness and warmth shone through the screen. He will be well remembered.

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

🧵 Koenig was also in the first 6 TOS films, & the TNG crossover, Generations (1994). A new generation enjoyed his work as Alfred Bester on Babylon 5. TOS cast still with us — @georgetakei.bsky.social & recent metal god @williamshatner.bsky.social. 🦋 Takei: bsky.app/profile/geor...

George Takei@georgetakei.bsky.social

My heart is heavy. Walter Koenig, our Ensign Pavel Chekov, passed away early today. Walter and I met on the bridge of the Enterprise in the 1960s, and we stayed friends for nearly six decades. When Brad and I married in 2008, Walter stood beside us as our best man.

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

‼️ Right on time, he proves who he's going to blame & punish if there are losses...YOU. "Voters." And bc the man is mentally unstable, a cornered animal; he doesn't care what he does to us. He knows that he has the power to destroy all in response to his uncontained anger. 📺 bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Trump says if Republicans lose the election it is voters’ fault

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

Guaranteed he's freaking out over the losses in Serbia, & especially Brazil, as the son of his friend, authoritarian criminal Jair Bolsonaro — Flávio — was beaten at the polls. Trump feels the walls closing in...repeat: 👉 *He will do anything, legal or illegal, to stay in power.* 🦋 t2m.co/G14wEmM

Pam Spaulding@pamspaulding.bsky.social

🥳 👋 Trump: not a good day for RW authoritarianism... 🎁 BRAZIL: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva fends off Flávio Bolsonaro; father Jair B. convicted of a coup attempt after 2022 election. t2m.co/XzLjdM0 🎁 SERBIA: Longtime Strongman Vucic Concedes in Parliamentary Election t2m.co/FO2ZEwN

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

👀‼️🚨 No wonder Trump wants no throttling back on AI...Thx, Anthropic! It found Claude 'working around a restriction to reach data that ‌was ⁠gated by a token or a fee' & some cases involved websites run by US govt agencies at the ⁠fed, state, & local levels." 🧾 www.reuters.com/world/us/ant...

reuters.comAnthropic's Claude accessed Georgia state vote count data behind paywallAI model Claude bypassed a paywall ​and accessed publicly available US ‌state of Georgia aggregate voter counts without human authorization, Anthropic said in a ​statement on Sunday.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

🥳 👋 Trump: not a good day for RW authoritarianism... 🎁 BRAZIL: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva fends off Flávio Bolsonaro; father Jair B. convicted of a coup attempt after 2022 election. t2m.co/XzLjdM0 🎁 SERBIA: Longtime Strongman Vucic Concedes in Parliamentary Election t2m.co/FO2ZEwN

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

Oh nooooooo! 😂 When you suck so badly has a candidate that you have to pretend you can't hear the question. (Mike Rogers, you aren't the first to go the selective hearing/technical difficulties route.) 📺 bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

WELKER: Is a vote for you a vote for the Trump agenda? MIKE ROGERS: Um, I'm apologizing. I'm having some difficultly in my earpiece. But is a vote for you? I'm not sure. I'll tell you what a vote for me is. It's a great day for the state of Michigan

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

More of this HEAT. 🔥 📺 bsky.app/profile/acyn...

Acyn@acyn.bsky.social

EL-SAYED: I get that the President takes personal offense to my first name. He doesn't mind as much when it's the Saudis who are funding his son-in-law's private equity. Doesn't seem to mind as much when it's the Qataris who are giving them a $400 million private jet…

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

This WH is so brazen and incompetent all at the same time. 📺 bsky.app/profile/atru... Note, after the jump, proof that the WH believes, via the vile Temu Goebbels Stephen Miller, that voters in Alaska are as stupid as Decomposing Dictator (only further enraging them)...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

BRENNAN: The DOJ lawsuit demands the Alaska result not be certified if voters are confused. The confusion is defined as Sen. Sullivan not winning. BLANCHE: That's not what it says BRENNAN: I'm quoting from it. You are telling them not to certify it. What right does the federal govt have?

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

The bishops appeared in the Oval (w/"WH faith advisor" grifter Paula White-Cain) & prayed over Trump. Archbishop Grob appears sorry only that the event was snapped & sent out by WH. His ltr: www.archmil.org/posts/a-publ... Think he receive a ☎️ from Pope Leo? 🧾 t2m.co/jmK5ARd See my earlier 🧵...

archmil.orgA Public Apology - Archbishop Jeffrey Grob - Archdiocese of MilwaukeeDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I write this message to you from the Dominican Republic while visiting with fellow pilgrims our sharing parish, La Sagrada…
Scott Horton@robertscotthorton.bsky.social

Christopher Hale: Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee apologized on Sunday for praying over President Trump in the Oval Office last week, and he accused the White House of posting video of the prayer without the bishops’ consent

open.substack.comArchbishop Grob Apologizes for Praying Over Trump, Accuses White House of Manipulating the MomentMilwaukee’s archbishop accused the White House of manipulating a sacred prayer and posting the video without the bishops’ consent. He is the first of the twelve Oval Office bishops to say he is sorry.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

Earlier🧵 bsky.app/profile/pams...

Pam Spaulding@pamspaulding.bsky.social

👀 “We lift up our president today.” — Denver Archbishop James Golka. Wow! This act, 12 days before midterms, by Denver bishops in the Oval (w/"WH faith advisor" grifter pastor Paula White-Cain), is a slap in the face of Pope Leo & Catholic teachings. 🧾 www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/pastoral-n...

thelettersfromleo.com“Pastoral, Not Political” — Archbishop Golka Prays Over Trump 12 Days Before the ElectionDenver’s archbishop led bishops in prayer over Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, with Paula White at his side. Hours later, Trump told Vivek Ramaswamy to keep running an ad calling Amy Acton a lia
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

👀 Is Kudlow high?! As a NC to CA transplant, the embedded car culture is uniquely prevalent (uh, see "American Graffiti"). Classic cars/hot rods, trucks, gas/EV/hybrids, domestic & imports — & lots of folks love working on their cars. Plus — the state is HUGE, Larry... 📺 bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Larry Kudlow, interviewing Trump, claims that Californians "hate cars"

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

CA drivers love cars...but honestly, most logistically NEED to have one out here: 👉 CA has ~15,017 mi of state highways, 2,467 mi of Interstate highways, & about 386K to 394K total mi of public roads & highways across the entire state (t2m.co/2HVCnJe). TX is #1. Larry, GTFOH. 🙄🖕

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

Trump must be fuming. My vote was motivated by two things: deep concern about Ken Paxton's record and genuine admiration for the character and principles I see in James Talarico." — Neil Bush 🧾 www.foxnews.com/politics/bus...

foxnews.comBush dynasty delivers another blow to GOP in Texas Senate battle as family member breaks ranksNeil Bush revealed he voted for Democrat James Talarico over Ken Paxton, citing deep concerns about Trump's influence on the Republican Party.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

"Even if he is defeated on Tues, Mr. Netanyahu could decide to launch one last strike that he may believe his successor would hesitate to execute. Similarly, Mr. Trump...may want to show that at least when it comes to his powers as commander in chief, his authority is undiminished." 🎁 t2m.co/8AHy0dU

nytimes.comA New Level of Threat and Fear Risks Pushing the U.S. and Iran Back to Full War (Gift Article)With new intelligence and the possibility of all sides seeking pretexts for action, the war in Iran is entering a dangerous phase ahead of elections in the United States and Israel.
Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

😆 Between: 1. Clinton's quip that Trump's reno of the Rose Garden into Liberace's bathroom entrance is @ss; and 2. Obama's crack about DJT's faux gold-leaf WH redecorating skills = a Saddam Hussein Cheesecake factory, we all know Grandpa Chaos is crashing out bigly. 📺 bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Bill Clinton: "I think Congress made a mistake not protesting turning the Rose Garden into what looks like the entrance to Liberace's bathroom"

Pam Spaulding
@pamspaulding.bsky.social

Coverage by The Guardian: "On tariffs, Obama said Trump was toughest on “that well-known evil empire”, referring to Canada, a few minutes’ drive from Detroit across the bridge. “These are the people who gave us Martin Short and maple syrup.” 🧾 www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

share.googleObama rallies rapturous Michigan crowd for El-Sayed: ‘He’ll finish the job we started’Former president speaks to crowd of thousands in support of Abdul El-Sayed for US Senate and Democratic ticket