Swenson

Swenson

@swenson.bsky.social

Retired regional scientist & university lecturer. Runner, hiker, meanderer, antifascist, free-thinker, Army veteran, and sadly, too often an invasive species.

405 followers198 following908 posts

Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

“The Republican congressional candidates on the ballot this year deserve to pay a price for both the damage their party has done and the damage it has failed to stop. In the face of a power-grabbing president, they have mostly shown cowardice.” www.nytimes.com/2026/10/27/o...

nytimes.comOpinion | Inflation. War. Corruption. Hold Trump Accountable. (Gift Article)The American people have a chance to allow the nation to glimpse the end of the Trump era and the start of something brighter.
Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

What an ass

The Bulwark@thebulwark.com

RFK: "There's five hundred million Arabs in the world. And yet they don't produce science. They don't win the Nobel Prize. They don't win the Fields Prize. They don't win the Wolf Prize. They don't produce literature."

Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

My senate candidate, Turek, posted ads of late decidedly anti-trans and anti-immigrant. I voted for him, but anticipate being quite disappointed in him.

Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

Ah, autumn in Iowa where we are blessed in the city with the cloying odors and accompanying gasses and fine particulates of freshly applied hog shit on recently plowed farmland.

Swenson reposted

Francesca D'Annunzio
@francescadnunz.bsky.social

Early this year, I visited Ingram, a TX town of ~1,900, to check out a tip. The area was starting to recover from its worst flood in a century. But as Latino workers drove to jobsites to help rebuild, the tipster said, a cop in a black Dodge Charger kept stopping them ... 🧵

Swenson reposted

Caroleeena
@caroleeena.bsky.social

I have a friend who is a social worker doing the same work as this social worker. She has also told me stories of women like Amy Acton's mother.

Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

Live that an ad by Nunn gets national attention and makes him eat some shit

Sarah Trone Garriott@sarahforiowa.bsky.social

Paid actors, corrupt politicians, and now this. This is who Zach Nunn has speaking for him in his ads.

Swenson reposted

Scott Horton
@robertscotthorton.bsky.social

The whole role of Rupert Murdoch TV as a fount for fact-free partisan political disinformation is really amazing. As reported in media around the world, Pope Leo placed calls to Putin and Zelenskyy and got them to agree this ceasefire for relief to the encircled city.

Swenson reposted

Brendan Nyhan
@brendannyhan.bsky.social

What a headline. Also, just incredible staff work here. Did Eric Schmitt's staff cast this ad?

Justin Baragona@justinbaragona.bsky.social

"A preliminary breath test displayed a .254 blood alcohol content, three times the .08 legal limit for driving, and a test taken at the jail displayed a .192 level, the affidavit says. She later pleaded guilty to a count of child endangerment..." www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

washingtonpost.comWoman in ad who said a Democrat endangers kids pleaded guilty to endangering kidsShellie Flockhart, who called Iowa Democratic House candidate Sarah Trone Garriott “dangerous” for kids, pleaded guilty after authorities said she drove drunk with her children in the car in 2017.
Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

Well, that’s discouraging

Jake Grumbach@jakemgrumbach.bsky.social

We found that as of right now 73% of your campaign donation goes back to the consultants and vendors (!!!), four times more than just 20 years ago. Only 13% to ads. Even I was shocked.

Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

Know who that hurts?

Rick Hasen@rickhasen.bsky.social

Post Edited: “Ballot Rejections Soared in Rural Counties After USPS Reduced Mail Service” https://electionlawblog.org/2026/ballot-rejections-soared-in-rural-counties-after-usps-reduced-mail-service/

Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

Seems bad

Bill McBride@calculatedrisk.bsky.social

Bankruptcy Filings Increase 11.4 Percent www.uscourts.gov/data-news/ju... Business filings rose 12.5 percent, from 24,039 to 27,054 in the year ending Sept. 30, 2026. Non-business bankruptcy filings increased 11.4 percent to 594,057, compared with 533,337 in the previous year.

uscourts.govBankruptcy Filings Increase 11.4 PercentBankruptcy filings increased 11.4 percent in the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2026, compared with the previous year.

Swenson reposted

Pat Bagley
@bagleycartoons.bsky.social

There is no voter fraud, Americans commit way more crimes than immigrants and schools are not “transitioning” children 90% of what Republicans think they know is horseshit

Swenson reposted

Kevin M. Kruse
@kevinmkruse.bsky.social
Karen Tumulty@ktumulty.bsky.social

People who have been around politics a long time may be struck as I was by the sheriff's signature on this arrest warrant for Amy Acton's stepfather, who at the time was a fugitive. Does the name James Traficant ring a bell?

Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

Don’t answer any knocks

Phil Lewis@phillewis.bsky.social

Armed federal agents “have been knocking on doors in several states to ask residents about their immigration status — and to inquire if they have registered to vote or cast votes in past elections”

cbsnews.comFederal agents knock on doors to track down possible noncitizen voters ahead of midtermsArmed and in uniform, agents from the Department of Homeland Security have been knocking on doors to ask residents about their immigration status whether they're registered to vote.
Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

Who, too, became a guest of the state

Karen Tumulty@ktumulty.bsky.social

People who have been around politics a long time may be struck as I was by the sheriff's signature on this arrest warrant for Amy Acton's stepfather, who at the time was a fugitive. Does the name James Traficant ring a bell?

Swenson
@swenson.bsky.social

Of late I have noticed a handful persons who are on the Iowa ballot as Democrats, but are voicing quite non-binary political messages. It’s a tad confusing to me. Perhaps we should call them Pat. IYKYK.

Swenson reposted

Jacob T. Levy
@jacobtlevy.bsky.social

Center for Intellectual Freedom guy is very, very mad that the university wants a say in what happens at the university; real intellectual freedom consists only in obedience to the legislature. www.insidehighered.com/news/governm...

insidehighered.comOutgoing Iowa Civics Center Leader Lambastes BoardThe Center for Intellectual Freedom’s interim director accused the regents of violating at least the spirit of the law creating the center. The board president says, “We definitely deny that anything ...

Swenson reposted

emptywheel
@emptywheel.bsky.social

Me: Why did Abdul send AOC to the UP. Smart Michiganders: Bc it's ripe for the outreach.

Abdul El-Sayed@abdulelsayed.bsky.social

“He's gunna go up to the Upper Peninsula and get a pretty cold welcome.” And the UP said…