As Karoline Leavitt concludes her press briefing and walks off, @andrewfeinberg.com asks: "What was the president doing with Virginia Giuffre for hours at Epstein's house?" She did not respond.
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona.bsky.social) 12 November 2025 at 19:20
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Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Welp
Go For It
The more Trump, the better, I say.
President Donald Trump’s advisers have had conversations about him traveling the country to give economy-focused speeches as they privately weigh a number of strategies to improve his standing on the issue, administration officials told CNN.DO NOT REPEAT THIS INSIGHT
And Then
I'd be more into the "we can't do shit until we take back Congress" strategy if I didn't know it would be followed by the "we can't do shit until we take back the presidency" strategy.
Yes, yes, I know, no magic wands, but don't tell me Hakeem Jeffries is the man for the hour.
Yes, yes, I know, no magic wands, but don't tell me Hakeem Jeffries is the man for the hour.
2017
Larry Summers explaining his naughty joke to his pal Jeff (pdf). Click to embiggen as always.
The naughty joke is the first highlighted bit. As for the second...
Don't See How Donnie Two Scoops Wriggles Out Of This One
Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender whose death by suicide has spawned intense scrutiny of the high-profile people he knew, mentioned Donald Trump by name multiple times in private correspondence over the last 15 years with an associate and an author in Trump’s orbit, according to newly released emails from Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.
The emails to longtime Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking after Epstein’s death, and the author Michael Wolff include conversations in which Epstein asserts Trump spent significant time with a woman whom Oversight Democrats describe as a victim of Epstein’s sex trafficking. The emails also include a message in which Epstein asserts Trump “knew about the girls” — seemingly in reference to Trump’s claim that he kicked Epstein out of his Mar-a-Lago club for poaching young women who worked there, according to the newly released emails.
But What Did They Win
Yes you can argue, not necessarily convincingly, that it will be good for the November elections - a year from now - but at what cost.
They assert that in hammering away at the extension of health care subsidies that are slated to expire at the end of next month, they managed to thrust Mr. Trump and Republicans onto the defensive, elevating a political issue that has long been a major weakness for them.If by some miracle the take the House and Senate and then send "nasty" bills to Mr. Trump who will happily shut down the government again, will they go on TV and say there's no point in trying to stand up to him, again?
..
And in holding out for weeks while Republicans refused to extend the health tax credits and Mr. Trump went to court to deny low-income Americans SNAP food benefits, Democrats also honed their main message going into 2026: that Republicans who control all of government have done nothing to address voters’ concerns that the cost of living is too high.
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
Standards
For one, they try to prevent you from getting sued, but I guess it isn't Bari's money anyway.
“I’ve been hearing that standards will be eliminated or severely cut back. Bari has told people that she wants to get rid of standards and is shocked that they have so much power. She also asked openly, ‘What’s the point of standards?’” one CBS News insider claimed.
Optimism!
The optimistic take is that Republicans have fucked health care up so much that people will be mad. Which, I guess, but..
The president was back at it on Monday, promising an imminent solution to America’s growing health care crisis — on which he has repeatedly failed to deliver in the past.
“I tell you, we’re going to be working on that very hard over the next short period of time, where the people get the money,” President Donald Trump said, referring specifically to Americans thrown into crisis by expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. “We’re talking about trillions and trillions of dollars, where the people get the money,” he added, without giving details about a vague idea to send cash to affected policyholders to replace subsidies while bypassing insurance firms.
Trump’s off-the-cuff answer was a typical example of the waffle he sometimes conjures to escape a jam in a photo-op. But he could not disguise the downside of his “win” in the government shutdown, which looks set to end after Democrats failed to secure their top demand: the extension of those enhanced Obamacare subsidies.
Trump and Republicans once again own the issue of health care, with millions of citizens — not just those on ACA plans — afflicted by rising premiums and high deductibles against the backdrop of a wider cost-of-living crisis. And just as in his first term, Trump lacks a comprehensive, detailed plan to bring relief to citizens who lack health care, who can’t afford the plans they have or who know that the loss of a job could leave them without any coverage at all.
If the GOP cannot fix the immediate issue of the subsidies — and convince voters they have a serious solution to this and other affordability questions — their 2026 midterm election hopes could take a dive.
Ethered
There — I fixed the analysis so it is actually accurate to what happened when 8 Senate Dems caved instead of keeping up the righteous fight to deliver lower health care costs for Americans.
— Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (@jayapal.house.gov) November 11, 2025 at 2:09 AM
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"Far-Left"
Genuinely interested in the New York Times style guide for the use of that adjective.
NYT's reporters are famous for not crediting other outlets, but some of them love to give a nod to the NYPost.Following up on some good @nypost reporting. https://t.co/hosIykQcN9
— Ben Oreskes (@boreskes) November 10, 2025
Good Job, Chuck
If the good senators (all of them) didn't let this all get rushed through with unanimous consent, they could've had more than 5 minutes to see what was in the thing they were voting for.
Remember this next time they tell you that the slow and measured speed of the world's Greatest Deliberative Body, the cooling saucer, is important.
...you too, Chris.
Remember this next time they tell you that the slow and measured speed of the world's Greatest Deliberative Body, the cooling saucer, is important.
...you too, Chris.
This is outrageous. Another reason the CR should not pass.
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) November 11, 2025
It creates a new offense, tailored perfectly to allow Trump to write a government check of millions of dollars to 8 Republican Senators.
GOP Leader Thune just made 8 of his colleagues rich. Off taxpayer money. https://t.co/1gOwplvsnw
Monday, November 10, 2025
WE WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING FOR YOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUU
Democrats have been fighting for months to address America's healthcare crisis
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) November 10, 2025
For the millions who will lose coverage
For people with cancer who won't get the care they need
For working families who can't afford to pay $25K more a year for healthcare
We will keep fighting
Democratic Whip Dick Durbin
I know it's much less of a real role than it can be in parliamentary systems, but the Whip is supposed to round up votes in support of the Leader's agenda.
My point is not that he is bad at his job. My point is that he is very good at it!
My point is not that he is bad at his job. My point is that he is very good at it!
Yell Before It Is Too Late
I do wish people would understand more that members of congress and their staffs leak "things which might happen" to the press for two reasons: as trial balloon (by the people pro the thing happening) and as warning (by the people against).
You have to yell at them before they do the thing. It is too late after.
I don't imagine that me yelling at them on this blog matters much, but behind the scenes, powerful interests are yelling at them constantly, generally pushing them in the wrong direction.
Or you can just trust that Chuck Schumer is doing the right thing, updated hourly, because he has such a consistently good record recently.
Just ask the Baileys.
Sure Why Not
I'm sure this will get as much attention when it doesn't happen, like the "DOGE Dividend."
President Trump said Sunday that most Americans would receive a $2,000 dividend payment as a result of his administration’s tariffs levied against foreign countries.Though I guess this is a setup to yell at the Supreme Court when they take your $2,000 checks away.
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