Month: March 2025

One point on Schumer’s strategy

They’ll get rid of workers, shutdown or no shutdown

I know nobody wants to hear this, but Schumer is right. http://www.slowboring.com/p/sixteen-th…

— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T00:41:48.127Z

On #9The administration would have already identified what they consider non-essential employees in case the furlough took place. I think they would get rid of the employees anyway, shutdown or no shutdown. They don’t care about norms, rules or laws.

— Harris Levy (@harrislevy.bsky.social) 2025-03-15T00:07:52.417Z

Reactions to Schumer’s bad move

Trump liked it – you know that’s bad. I think he did that so that people who opposed Schu,mer would shit on him even more.

Republicans know that Democrats won’t stand up to them in future budget battles. (I was going to say negotiations but Republicans now know they don’t have to negotiate.)

Trump opponents from AOC to Kinzinger opposed Schumer’s tactic. I doubt they agree often.

Schumer has shattered Democratic unity in Congress. A large portion of the base (including me) is furious).

Trump praises Chuck Schumer “for doing the right thing”

— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T14:01:54.773Z

Two Republican senators told me tonight this vote shows they can execute the same strategy again — cut Democrats out of the negotiations on a gov’t funding bill, pass it thru the House, and expect Senate Dems to back down and not filibuster it.“We liked it over here,” one said.

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur.bsky.social) 2025-03-15T02:52:54.367Z

When AOC and Adam Kinzinger both agree on a strategy, it is almost objectively the Right Thing to Do.

— cuddly but deadly! (@hikeofthemenrys.bsky.social) 2025-03-15T14:04:21.140Z

Among the material devastation to everyday people, Senate Dems have now blown a hole in their ability to work with the House.We had an agreed upon plan, House took immense risk, then Senate turned around midway and destroyed it w/ a fear-based, inexplicable abdication.They own what happens next.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@aoc.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T23:18:01.737Z

http://www.huffpost.com/entry/democr…Time for Schumer to retire. This act of submission is disgusting.Senate Dems need a new leader NOW. And the rest of you who capitulated? Time for you to retire as well. Or be primaried. We need Dems with a backbone, not bootlickers.

— (@susanknieriemen.bsky.social) 2025-03-15T15:25:01.293Z

Jeffries and Schumer on different pages

— The Tennessee Holler (@thetnholler.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T03:21:24.213Z

Waiting until after Democrats caved on the CR, Trump issues a late night order to eliminate 7 agencies “to the maximum extent” allowed by law, including the organization running the Voice of America, the agency that helps fund museums and libraries in all 50 states, and so on. Order in alt text:

— Steven T. Dennis (@steventdennis.bsky.social) 2025-03-15T14:18:36.053Z

Biggest Federal Employee Unions Says Shutdown is Preferable to Elon/Trump CR talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/bigge…

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm.bsky.social) 2025-03-13T17:10:17.591Z

The New York Times needs to do better on Social Security coverage

Antonio Gracias, a close friend of Elon Musk who sat on the boards at Tesla and SpaceX and managed finances for the Twitter deal, has arrived at Social Security, along with several aides from his investment firm. w/ @rmac.bsky.social http://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/u…

— kate conger (@kateconger.com) 2025-03-14T16:53:02.015Z

The fourth paragraph of your article talks about Musk's claim of fraud. Although you call it"supposed", you should do more to balance out Musk's claim. The amount of fraud is very low. See the article I linked to. Also, Musk is wrong to say it's a Ponzi scheme.www.yahoo.com/news/trump-m…

— Harris Levy (@harrislevy.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T20:57:23.044Z

Schumer is wrong

Chuck Schumer has said he will vote for cloture so Republicans can pass their bad budget bill. He said a shutdown would be worse. He should know he’s wrong since Trump approved of him and many Democrats were critical. He has divided the Democratic party.

It’s a legitimate concern that if there is a shutdown, Trump/Musk would just RIF the laid-off workers who were classified as non-essential. However, I am sure they have the list of the non-essential workers and would RIF them even if there is no shutdown. Trump/Musk don’t play by norms, rules or laws so they will just keep getting rid of people either way.

Schumer should ask McConnell what he would do. I sure giving in to Trump is not the answer. Schumer should be replaced by someone who will stand up to Trump, even if Trump gets his wat eventually.

Update

The billl has passed. Schumer has split the Democratic party when unity is needed to fight Trump. I bet Trump/Musk uses each agency’s list of non-essential employees that would have been furloughed and gets rid of them anyway.

More on the decline of the Washington Post

Bezos is a disgrace

NEW:The Washington Post is making major changes to its newsroom that are meant to broaden the outlet's coverage and reach a wider audience, according to a staff memo from executive editor Matt Murray obtained by Axios.

— Axios (@axios.com) 2025-03-10T15:02:49.037Z

Scoop: Washington Post editor Ruth Marcus says she’s resigning after a column on Jeff Bezos’s Wall Street Journal-like opinion pivot was rejected by Will Lewis

— Ben Mullin (@benmullin.bsky.social) 2025-03-10T14:14:59.269Z

Unfreedom at the Washington Post … simply brilliant open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p…

— Jen Rubin (@jenrubin.bsky.social) 2025-03-09T18:29:34.434Z

Washington Post under Trump: "151,000 jobs is solid"Washington Post under Biden: "194,000 jobs is another weak month"

— Abel (@abeljaimes.bsky.social) 2025-03-08T02:29:08.634Z
https://www.npr.org/2025/02/28/nx-s1-5312819/washington-post-bezos-subscriptions-cancellations

Hmmmm

— Amanda Katz (@katzish.bsky.social) 2025-02-27T20:53:00.773Z

RIP, WaPo. Just the saddest screenshots to get. An absolute abandonment of the principles of accountability of the powerful, justice, democracy, human rights, and accurate information that previously animated the section in favor of a white male billionaire’s self-interested agenda.

— Amanda Katz (@katzish.bsky.social) 2025-02-26T14:53:41.719Z

Former Wash Post top editor Cameron Barr severs ties to the companyHe writes that Bezos’ revamp marks an “unacceptable erosion of its commitment to publishing a healthy diversity of opinion and opinion” http://www.linkedin.com/posts/camero…

— David Folkenflik (@davidfolkenflik.bsky.social) 2025-02-26T21:32:51.804Z

So Marty Baron says it plain: “It was only weeks ago that The Post described itself as providing coverage for ‘all of America,’” Baron wrote in his statement. “Now its opinion pages will be open to only some of America, those who think exactly as he does.” http://www.thedailybeast.com//ex-wapo-edi…

— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher.bsky.social) 2025-02-26T18:42:51.554Z

Massive encroachment by Bezos into The Washington Post’s opinion section – makes clear dissenting views will not be publishedI still have not felt encroachment on my journalism on the news side, but if Bezos tries interfering with the news side I will be quitting immediately and letting you know

— Jeff Stein (@jeffstein.bsky.social) 2025-02-26T15:28:42.652Z

Why I Left the Washington <em>Post</em>www.newyorker.com/news/essay/w… Well, interesting but misleading. The Grahams ran the paper in her early days. A great paper. Technology has altered everything for NYT, LAT, BG… Everything. Bezos no doubt took it as a loss leader. Things drifted.

— Margot Sibley25 (@margotsibley25.bsky.social) 2025-03-14T20:18:55.364Z