Let’s set aside the horrific implications for a moment. And let’s ignore the part about deporting American citizens as a form of collective punishment.

Just reading this in the most charitable way possible, he’s saying that we could let businesses sponsor the migrant workers and in doing so allow them to stay. What a clever idea, why haven’t we tried that before? Oh wait, we have, they’re called work visas. Too bad half your party opposes them (while the other half wants to use them as a form of indentured servitude). Not that it even matters that much when you are deporting people who are here legally anyway.

Doesn’t matter what promises Trump makes (even if he had actually meant them), when ICE has an absurdly high quota to meet and free reign to deport people without due process, no paperwork will be able to keep immigrants safe. They will just continue to go for the easiest targets

What’s wrong with the classic volcano sacrifice?

While on ketamine.

The article cites a strategist who argues that bringing attention to immigration only helps Trump because immigration is his strongest issue. The unstated assumption is that sentiment on any given issue is basically static and unchanging, that you can’t change minds you can only change topics.

So, you need to be working a job that pays like shit and doesn’t provide healthcare, thus subsidizing the shittiest employers.

Or you need to prove you are disabled. Which of course probably requires supporting medical evidence. Which would require access to healthcare.

Oh, and even if you have an obvious disability, we’re gonna make it as hard as possible to apply for disability benefits.

Justified by the idea that somehow having access to a doctor enables people to sit on the couch and play video games all day.

Just admit that you (at best) don’t care if poor people suffer and die as long as it benefits you and your donors in some small way.

Just wait, before you know it Russia will be our biggest trading partner, with their chief export being all the shit we were buying from China but now with a cut lining Putin’s pocket.

As disgusting as it is, he’s a lot more likely to make progress with some narrowly constructed flattery than with overt criticism no matter how well deserved.

Trump is a narcissistic manbaby who would do damn near anything just to satisfy his own ego. It makes him particularly vulnerable to manipulation, and at the same time it makes it virtually impossible for him to take criticism without throwing a tantrum and doubling down on whatever shitty thing he’s doing.

Kasper will remain an adviser at the Pentagon in a special government employee role, limited to working no more than 130 days a year.

And also consequences are for show, he’s not really fired.

Not like they were going to get any help from this administration anyway.

It’s long since become clear that the time we are trying to go back to in order to “Make America Great” is a time when we had no rights and were under the rule of a mad king.

He may have 0 qualifications, but I wouldn’t say his judgement is exactly equivalent. His judgment goes much more into the negatives, since everything he says and every decision he makes is actively causing harm. We would be better off simply having the role vacant, or giving the job to someone in a coma.

Ironically, even the most profoundly autistic people, the ones that resemble his characterization of the condition, would still be better at the job than he is.

He has done (and sold) a lot of drugs. So, no surprise there.

They did it because they wanted to trot out the mother of a victim to endorse their unlawful deportations and didn’t want to ruin the PR stunt by risking someone asking questions and injecting a little reality into the event.

Friendly media will run with a story about an emotional plea from a grieving mother that makes it sound like the only thing standing between mass rape and murder is the Trump administration deporting illegals before they get a chance to strike. The rest of the media will describe the event and basically let the same message get through with a footnote about the lack of questions and maybe a quote from someone on the other side for balance. Any outlet that would lead with the refusal to answer questions is one that was going to be critical anyway. There’s really no downside for them.

At this early stage when there isn’t an obvious choice (like an incumbent or VP), this is really a measure of name recognition more than anything.

I don’t know what the field is going to look like when the primaries roll around, but I highly doubt that Kamala will make it anywhere near the nomination again. She had her chance, she’s extremely unlikely to get another one. The last time a Democrat got the nomination a second time after a loss was Adlai Stevenson in 1956, and he only got it because most of the other possible candidates stayed out of the race because they expected Eisenhower to win in a landslide.

Actually no. Pardons cannot cover future actions.

Also, as long as the crime happens outside of DC, the pardon wouldn’t be able to prevent charges from being filed at the state level.

That said, it’s still a ridiculously broad power that should absolutely be severely restricted or eliminated with a constitutional amendment. Which would probably only happen if a Democrat started using the pardon power to protect people who were going after Republicans.

Legally? Absolutely.

Realistically? Not a chance in hell. Not while Republican votes are required.

I mean, if the mid terms go badly for Republicans (as they really, really should) the Democrats would take the house and could certainly start the impeachment process. But they would still need two thirds of the senate to vote to convict. And the only way that happens is if the democrats win every senate race, even the ones in safely red states. That or the necessary number of Republicans would have to decide that Trump is a liability after getting absolutely devastated in the mid terms. Given the fact that January 6th wasn’t enough to make that happen, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

What the fuck does that have to with access to medical care you absolute fucking waste of flesh‽

No one is living off of Medicare or Medicaid. No one is able to not work and instead play video games all day because of these programs. All a work requirement does is make it harder for these programs to help the people who need them. Which of course makes it more likely that they will be stu k with deteriorating health issues which will make it harder for them to work.

This is just an attempt to cut benefits for the poor to make room for tax cuts for the rich. It’s all about obfuscating the cuts so they can try to dodge accountability.

Fuck you Mike Johnson. You are net drain on humanity. You are actively working to increase suffering and death. Stop pretending to love Jesus because the last time he met someone like you he whipped them and drove them out of the temple.

And yet, they are even more incompetent than that. Because even if we go along with the idea that all trade deficits are bad, that still wouldn’t explain why they would put tariffs on the countries where we already have a trade surplus.

“Free”

Hmm. Need bigger scare quotes.

About 44% too high.