Reporters who wrote stories titled ‘Trump vows to protect Medicaid’ or ‘Trump considers taxing the rich’ in the past few weeks should seriously reconsider whether their job is journalism or stenography.
To vow is to make an earnest promise or pledge. People getting married often vow to stick together “till death do us part,” while a presidential candidate might VOW to lower taxes. Vocabulary.com
I love the way the word "vow" is tossed around like a Frisbee by journalism types.
Because military spending is increased, it counts as an appropriations bill. I think that’s what allows it to be freighted with non-financial provisions.
"What we would do?" Restore all the supports and public services that these arsonists have burned down. Pay back pay to public servants and researchers whom they've fired. Pay for it - and slash the debt - by taxing the oligarchs into oblivion and clawing back the last decade's worth of tax breaks from the top 5%.
Is Trump a phony? Year’s ago philosophers would say that is intuitively obvious to even the most casual observer. Unfortunately, the perspicacity of casual observers has declined precipitously since then.
The evidence that Trump isa liar and a crook goes back decades. While most of the media in the NYC/NJ area were having fun covering Trump as a fun, colorful, brash, rich playboy, the excellent investigative reporters Wayne Barrett of the Village Voice and David Cay Johnston the Philadelphia Inquirer were doing serious journalism by in depth reporting of Trump’s blatant corruption, both in NYC and Atlantic City. Law enforcement also turned a blind eye. Had he been held to account back then we would not be in this mess today because he would have been toxic, not a TV star. The same goes for his grifter kids. For example:
“ How Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr., Avoided a Criminal Indictment”
There was never any question that this was going to pass the House and we were heading for a "Repeal Obamacare" moment in the Senate. Are there 4 Republican Senators willing to defy Trump and vote Nay as in 2017?
Focusing on the detail of the consequences, I think, misses the broader point. This is what Ds are missing - the massive scale of the assault that does NOT depend on trump. He clearly has never been the architect of governmental restructuring - he is merely the baby changeling happy with a lollipop and photo for good behavior. As a public administrator for 30 years, I know all too well how effective Vought’s approach can be. The focus of the resistance must be on these administrative changes. They are restructuring the Administrative State to reflect their theocratic morals to the exclusion of all else. This seems to be a perverse understanding of history. The first settlers escaped here in pursuit of religious liberty or to put it another way, in pursuit of freedom from religious tyranny.
When I read through the details of the Republican budget bill, I'm not surprised. They've wanted to punish the poor for decades and they may even get more pleasure out of the harm they are doing than they get from making the wealthy get even richer. A reasonable motto for the GOP would be "Too much is never enough," but, of course, only for the right people. In the past, the one thing that seemed to restrain them, if only a little, was the understanding that if they hurt too many of their own supporters they could face retribution at the polls. And that has happened, but it never lasts because of the stupidity, ignorance, and disengagement of so many voters. Our electorate is simply not smart enough or well-enough informed to be able to vote responsibly in any remotely consistent way. When they lash out at Republicans, it isn't because they finally understand that the GOP is incapable of governing in a coherent way, but far more likely because enough individuals were hurt to make voters reflexively vote for Democrats. But they never learn the most important lesson -- the Republican Party doesn't care about them and is unable to successfully govern. The harm they cause is because of their permanent values, not because they made a temporary mistake or misjudgment.
This legislation is so draconian that normally I would think, "They have to realize this will cost them in 2026, and while it is unlikely, it could, if things are bad enough, even make it possible for Democrats to win a majority in the Senate. Since that seems so obvious, I have to think something else is going on. I abhor conspiracy theories, which have been the lingua franca of the American Right for some time now and there are people on the Left who embrace some, as well. However, I have to try to understand how the GOP could be so oblivious to what could happen, not only to individuals, but to the nation as a whole. The gutting of health care could result in mass closings of rural hospitals. Thousands, maybe more will lose their jobs if that happens. Rural residents will face long, dangerous travel to the nearest emergency departments and that will result in many unnecessary deaths as well as sicker people whose medical bills grow even worse. The ripple effects through the economy will likely be catastrophic. It is hard to imagine if that happens that Republicans will not suffer hugely in the mid-terms even taking into account the pathetic condition of our electorate. I have no doubt that Republican politicians depend on the stupidity and ignorance of their supporters.
All that raises a question in my mind that I want to resist, but given the record of the Republican Party in the age of Trump, I can't ignore it. Do the Republicans know something we don't? I have friends who have commented offhand that they hope someone kills Trump. Aside from the moral issues, which are complicated when one considers the harm that Trump et al. are doing, I caution them to be careful. Were there an unsuccessful attempt on Trump's life, I fully expect that he would declare martial law and probably cancel the mid-term elections. Does that sound far-fetched? Think of all the things that Trump has been doing since January 20, 2025. Even with all the horrendous and previously unheard of things Trump has done, there are still many Americans who think everything will work out in the end. Either Trump will back down, and there are precedents in Trump's past that make that seem possible, or the "guardrails" will hold.
Yes, presidents have been assassinated in the past and martial law wasn't an issue. But this isn't the past and Trump isn't remotely like any president we've ever had. And, in my mind, it is even more complicated than that. If the attempt on Trump's life were successful, I would expect Vance to declare martial law with the same scenario unfolding as in the unsuccessful attempt.
OK, that is wild. And there is no guarantee that there will be an assassination attempt. So, does that leave the Republicans with no real defense against a mid-terms blow out? Not if they guarantee there is an assassination attempt, but not one made by someone who wants to kill Trump, but by someone who wants to create the scenario wherein Trump can declare martial law. Ordinarily, I would consider that to be pure fantasy. But what about Trump's first four months in office doesn't seem like something that was unthinkable before Trump descended his golden escalator and set out to destroy democracy nine plus years ago?
I raise this "conspiracy theory" not as something I fully expect to happen, but rather as something I believe is now actually imaginable. We all know how unbelievably dishonest both Trump and the GOP are. We know they don't care about the law or Constitution. We know that playing fair isn't a part of the Republican plan and we know that there is virtually noting Trump and Republicans aren't willing to do to get and keep power. Overturning a legitimate election was acceptable, but they failed. Convicting Trump in his second impeachment trial was a no-brainer, but there are a lot of very empty heads in the GOP. Breaking the law has become the Trumpian norm as has unconstitutional actions.
Taking everything into account, I simply can't get myself to reject the possibility of Trump and Republicans going to an extreme we've never before imagined was possible. Today, I find that most pundits, columnists, and, yes, Substackers, are still clinging to expectations that things aren't really that bad, that elections will fix the problem, and that Trump has limits. I don't buy any of that. I'm not a gambler, so I wouldn't bet either way on the likelihood of the scenario I proposed in this comment. However, I will say this: I would not be at all surprised if we see something happening as the mid-terms approach that changes everything. If the Republicans are willing to cause catastrophic harm to their base and other supporters, knowing that it could cause them to lose control of House in 2027 and the presidency in 2029, do they really not have a plan to prevent that from happening?
Stop saying that the poor will loose healthcare. Poor folks with heart attacks will still show up in emergency rooms and receive world class care. Until, of course, the hospitals close for the ever-increasing uncompensated care that they provide.
Wouldn't want to be a hospital administrator after this takes effect.
So why was there any reason to even give it consideration? He has no law, he has no compassion, he has no logic, he has no need to succeed for us. He has no history and wants his to be the only one remembered
Trump says fuck off Patriots of the Revolutionary War. Go away writers of the Constitution, you are in my way. All the prayers for this nation are now null and void, because they weren’t prayed to Trump.
I do hope the blowback to Republicans are massive enough that not only will control be turned over to the Democrats, but Democrats win in such a massive scale that they’ll have 2/3 of the votes in Congress, which will then enable them to change all of this fiasco back to normal, and veto-proof.
And while they’re at it, make important changes in the Constitution that will protect the American people from being taken over by fascist dictators.
First, I suggest changing the Senate infrastructure to reflect the actual population of the country (per capita), so larger states will have more senators, and smaller ones will have fewer.
SCOTUS reform. Term limits, make gifts over a certain amount illegal, not just an honor system of submitting paperwork.
Make gerrymandering illegal. Abolish electoral college. Make voting mandatory by age of 18, and available by mail. Limit contributions to a small amount only, and registered openly, no LLC’s, no foreign contributions.
Regarding presidential candidate prerequisites, it’s essential to specify: no felonies, no large debts, no fraud, no pending cases in court. These disqualifications will largely preclude criminal candidates which always historically are the precursors of fascist dictators.
Finally, abolish ICE. In fact, abolish DHS. There has to be a better way. Since its inception on 9/11, it’s brought nothing but extrajudicial crimes and grief to immigrants. Enough.
Boat loads of ink spilt by people more articulate than I commenting on what is going on, but US government is at "peak cult". Canadian here, and (touching wood as i say it) i am so glad i live where i do.
Follow the money is always a good way of discovering the truth. Truth is coming for The MAGA voters, they are finding out that government is not what was preached by conservatives dating back to pre-Birch society and Reaganites: the anti government retoric creating distrust in government.
i could go on, but thank you for the opportunity to vent, i pray it is not as ugly as i think it will get. More People will die because of this cult, Americans need to wake up. Maybe their wallets will force them to.
R's budget is terrible but the top line numbers don't account for half of the total cost to our economy from Trump Administration policies. The cuts to the IRS are estimated to lose over $2 trillion in the 10 year budget window. The cuts to NIH proposed in Trump's budget are estimated to cost over 6% of GDP in the long run. Factoring in Trump's attack on immigrant STEM students will double that 6% loss at least, and decimate America's greatest generator of wealth on Earth, our top ranking for scientific research. 4 years of anti-immigrant, anti-science, and anti-elite Ivy League institution actions by the Trump Administration are guaranteed to crash our economy without Trump's and R's trillions in wasteful tax cuts.
"...but if they do, it will signal the removal of a fiscal-profligacy brake that markets may well recognize as yet another sign of the Rs complete abandonment of any semblance of fiscal rectitude." Jared Bernstein
Oh, c'mon, is there anyone left in this country, who is serious investor, that is so stupid and out-of-touch that they haven't already understood the utter falsity of Republican "fiscal rectitude." Every time they get the chance they blow an even bigger hole in our fiscal reality. And they never do that to help those most in need, since the focus is always on helping those least in need. None of what they do is based on fiscal "conservatism." The cuts to programs that aid the poor and low income Americans aren't designed solely to reduce the deficit. The desire to hurt the poor is at the core of Republican beliefs. Trump isn't deporting people because they are in the US without documentation, he is doing it because he is a bigot and hates people of color and immigrants. Similarly, Republicans don't routinely try to savage those most in need of assistance because they want to balance the budget. They do so because they hate the poor and want to punish them whenever possible.
Any restraint the GOP has shown in the past stems, I believe, from the fear that going too far will ultimately cost them at the polls. Now, they appear to be completely unconcerned about that, which has raised a question in my mind (that I explain in another comment) about what future plans Trump and the GOP may have to prevent a mid-terms disaster. Because this is Trump, I am willing to go pretty far out on a limb to suggest we may see something that most Americans, including Substackers, consider unthinkable. I strongly believe that the majority of Americans still have accepted just how serious the threat posed by Trump et al. is.
I listened to a podcast with Steven Levitsky, the author (with Daniel Ziblatt) of two very important books ("How Democracies Die" and "Tyranny of the Minority" -- I read both books and they are excellent.) However, despite having studied countries that have lost their democracies, Levitsky, to my amazement, said that he never believed what we are seeing now was possible in the United States. Having studied both political science and history, I never thought the Trump fascist takeover was impossible. There has always been a strong authoritarian current in this country and ignorance and political disengagement, two voter characteristics that help authoritarians succeed are rampant in the US. I have a great deal of respect for Professor Levitsky, but I found his "disbelief" to be extraordinarily naive and shocking for someone with his background, intelligence, and knowledge. Wishful thinking, it turns out is common in this country, not only in average voters.
Reporters who wrote stories titled ‘Trump vows to protect Medicaid’ or ‘Trump considers taxing the rich’ in the past few weeks should seriously reconsider whether their job is journalism or stenography.
To vow is to make an earnest promise or pledge. People getting married often vow to stick together “till death do us part,” while a presidential candidate might VOW to lower taxes. Vocabulary.com
I love the way the word "vow" is tossed around like a Frisbee by journalism types.
And look at page 116 of the House bill. It blocks courts from enforcing contempt findings!
I don’t see how that is within the reconciliation rules. That’s not a monetary provision.
Because military spending is increased, it counts as an appropriations bill. I think that’s what allows it to be freighted with non-financial provisions.
"What we would do?" Restore all the supports and public services that these arsonists have burned down. Pay back pay to public servants and researchers whom they've fired. Pay for it - and slash the debt - by taxing the oligarchs into oblivion and clawing back the last decade's worth of tax breaks from the top 5%.
Professor, another class of Trump voters that will lose is farmers, who will sell less food because of cuts to SNAP.
Is Trump a phony? Year’s ago philosophers would say that is intuitively obvious to even the most casual observer. Unfortunately, the perspicacity of casual observers has declined precipitously since then.
The evidence that Trump isa liar and a crook goes back decades. While most of the media in the NYC/NJ area were having fun covering Trump as a fun, colorful, brash, rich playboy, the excellent investigative reporters Wayne Barrett of the Village Voice and David Cay Johnston the Philadelphia Inquirer were doing serious journalism by in depth reporting of Trump’s blatant corruption, both in NYC and Atlantic City. Law enforcement also turned a blind eye. Had he been held to account back then we would not be in this mess today because he would have been toxic, not a TV star. The same goes for his grifter kids. For example:
“ How Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr., Avoided a Criminal Indictment”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-ivanka-trump-and-donald-trump-jr-avoided-a-criminal-indictment
The Republican budget will make housing costs prohibitive for young people because its large will cause interest rates to increase.
sbb. “large deficits”
There was never any question that this was going to pass the House and we were heading for a "Repeal Obamacare" moment in the Senate. Are there 4 Republican Senators willing to defy Trump and vote Nay as in 2017?
Focusing on the detail of the consequences, I think, misses the broader point. This is what Ds are missing - the massive scale of the assault that does NOT depend on trump. He clearly has never been the architect of governmental restructuring - he is merely the baby changeling happy with a lollipop and photo for good behavior. As a public administrator for 30 years, I know all too well how effective Vought’s approach can be. The focus of the resistance must be on these administrative changes. They are restructuring the Administrative State to reflect their theocratic morals to the exclusion of all else. This seems to be a perverse understanding of history. The first settlers escaped here in pursuit of religious liberty or to put it another way, in pursuit of freedom from religious tyranny.
When I read through the details of the Republican budget bill, I'm not surprised. They've wanted to punish the poor for decades and they may even get more pleasure out of the harm they are doing than they get from making the wealthy get even richer. A reasonable motto for the GOP would be "Too much is never enough," but, of course, only for the right people. In the past, the one thing that seemed to restrain them, if only a little, was the understanding that if they hurt too many of their own supporters they could face retribution at the polls. And that has happened, but it never lasts because of the stupidity, ignorance, and disengagement of so many voters. Our electorate is simply not smart enough or well-enough informed to be able to vote responsibly in any remotely consistent way. When they lash out at Republicans, it isn't because they finally understand that the GOP is incapable of governing in a coherent way, but far more likely because enough individuals were hurt to make voters reflexively vote for Democrats. But they never learn the most important lesson -- the Republican Party doesn't care about them and is unable to successfully govern. The harm they cause is because of their permanent values, not because they made a temporary mistake or misjudgment.
This legislation is so draconian that normally I would think, "They have to realize this will cost them in 2026, and while it is unlikely, it could, if things are bad enough, even make it possible for Democrats to win a majority in the Senate. Since that seems so obvious, I have to think something else is going on. I abhor conspiracy theories, which have been the lingua franca of the American Right for some time now and there are people on the Left who embrace some, as well. However, I have to try to understand how the GOP could be so oblivious to what could happen, not only to individuals, but to the nation as a whole. The gutting of health care could result in mass closings of rural hospitals. Thousands, maybe more will lose their jobs if that happens. Rural residents will face long, dangerous travel to the nearest emergency departments and that will result in many unnecessary deaths as well as sicker people whose medical bills grow even worse. The ripple effects through the economy will likely be catastrophic. It is hard to imagine if that happens that Republicans will not suffer hugely in the mid-terms even taking into account the pathetic condition of our electorate. I have no doubt that Republican politicians depend on the stupidity and ignorance of their supporters.
All that raises a question in my mind that I want to resist, but given the record of the Republican Party in the age of Trump, I can't ignore it. Do the Republicans know something we don't? I have friends who have commented offhand that they hope someone kills Trump. Aside from the moral issues, which are complicated when one considers the harm that Trump et al. are doing, I caution them to be careful. Were there an unsuccessful attempt on Trump's life, I fully expect that he would declare martial law and probably cancel the mid-term elections. Does that sound far-fetched? Think of all the things that Trump has been doing since January 20, 2025. Even with all the horrendous and previously unheard of things Trump has done, there are still many Americans who think everything will work out in the end. Either Trump will back down, and there are precedents in Trump's past that make that seem possible, or the "guardrails" will hold.
Yes, presidents have been assassinated in the past and martial law wasn't an issue. But this isn't the past and Trump isn't remotely like any president we've ever had. And, in my mind, it is even more complicated than that. If the attempt on Trump's life were successful, I would expect Vance to declare martial law with the same scenario unfolding as in the unsuccessful attempt.
OK, that is wild. And there is no guarantee that there will be an assassination attempt. So, does that leave the Republicans with no real defense against a mid-terms blow out? Not if they guarantee there is an assassination attempt, but not one made by someone who wants to kill Trump, but by someone who wants to create the scenario wherein Trump can declare martial law. Ordinarily, I would consider that to be pure fantasy. But what about Trump's first four months in office doesn't seem like something that was unthinkable before Trump descended his golden escalator and set out to destroy democracy nine plus years ago?
I raise this "conspiracy theory" not as something I fully expect to happen, but rather as something I believe is now actually imaginable. We all know how unbelievably dishonest both Trump and the GOP are. We know they don't care about the law or Constitution. We know that playing fair isn't a part of the Republican plan and we know that there is virtually noting Trump and Republicans aren't willing to do to get and keep power. Overturning a legitimate election was acceptable, but they failed. Convicting Trump in his second impeachment trial was a no-brainer, but there are a lot of very empty heads in the GOP. Breaking the law has become the Trumpian norm as has unconstitutional actions.
Taking everything into account, I simply can't get myself to reject the possibility of Trump and Republicans going to an extreme we've never before imagined was possible. Today, I find that most pundits, columnists, and, yes, Substackers, are still clinging to expectations that things aren't really that bad, that elections will fix the problem, and that Trump has limits. I don't buy any of that. I'm not a gambler, so I wouldn't bet either way on the likelihood of the scenario I proposed in this comment. However, I will say this: I would not be at all surprised if we see something happening as the mid-terms approach that changes everything. If the Republicans are willing to cause catastrophic harm to their base and other supporters, knowing that it could cause them to lose control of House in 2027 and the presidency in 2029, do they really not have a plan to prevent that from happening?
MSNBC & ABC News had great comprehensive overviews of the "Big, Ugly Bill" yesterday.
Stop saying that the poor will loose healthcare. Poor folks with heart attacks will still show up in emergency rooms and receive world class care. Until, of course, the hospitals close for the ever-increasing uncompensated care that they provide.
Wouldn't want to be a hospital administrator after this takes effect.
People showing up in emergency rooms will receive emergency room treatment.
People who work in emergency rooms are there to put out fires. Emergency treatment is not healthcare.
It is the brain child of Trump
So why was there any reason to even give it consideration? He has no law, he has no compassion, he has no logic, he has no need to succeed for us. He has no history and wants his to be the only one remembered
Trump says fuck off Patriots of the Revolutionary War. Go away writers of the Constitution, you are in my way. All the prayers for this nation are now null and void, because they weren’t prayed to Trump.
All you stupid patriots, he’s here to tell you
You are wrong. Love only me, follow only me
Or I will force you and hurt you, if you do not.
I do hope the blowback to Republicans are massive enough that not only will control be turned over to the Democrats, but Democrats win in such a massive scale that they’ll have 2/3 of the votes in Congress, which will then enable them to change all of this fiasco back to normal, and veto-proof.
And while they’re at it, make important changes in the Constitution that will protect the American people from being taken over by fascist dictators.
First, I suggest changing the Senate infrastructure to reflect the actual population of the country (per capita), so larger states will have more senators, and smaller ones will have fewer.
SCOTUS reform. Term limits, make gifts over a certain amount illegal, not just an honor system of submitting paperwork.
Make gerrymandering illegal. Abolish electoral college. Make voting mandatory by age of 18, and available by mail. Limit contributions to a small amount only, and registered openly, no LLC’s, no foreign contributions.
Regarding presidential candidate prerequisites, it’s essential to specify: no felonies, no large debts, no fraud, no pending cases in court. These disqualifications will largely preclude criminal candidates which always historically are the precursors of fascist dictators.
Finally, abolish ICE. In fact, abolish DHS. There has to be a better way. Since its inception on 9/11, it’s brought nothing but extrajudicial crimes and grief to immigrants. Enough.
Boat loads of ink spilt by people more articulate than I commenting on what is going on, but US government is at "peak cult". Canadian here, and (touching wood as i say it) i am so glad i live where i do.
Follow the money is always a good way of discovering the truth. Truth is coming for The MAGA voters, they are finding out that government is not what was preached by conservatives dating back to pre-Birch society and Reaganites: the anti government retoric creating distrust in government.
i could go on, but thank you for the opportunity to vent, i pray it is not as ugly as i think it will get. More People will die because of this cult, Americans need to wake up. Maybe their wallets will force them to.
R's budget is terrible but the top line numbers don't account for half of the total cost to our economy from Trump Administration policies. The cuts to the IRS are estimated to lose over $2 trillion in the 10 year budget window. The cuts to NIH proposed in Trump's budget are estimated to cost over 6% of GDP in the long run. Factoring in Trump's attack on immigrant STEM students will double that 6% loss at least, and decimate America's greatest generator of wealth on Earth, our top ranking for scientific research. 4 years of anti-immigrant, anti-science, and anti-elite Ivy League institution actions by the Trump Administration are guaranteed to crash our economy without Trump's and R's trillions in wasteful tax cuts.
https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-proposes-massive-nih-budget-cut-and-reorganization
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/business/trump-science-funding-cuts-economy.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/05/22/trump-harvard-international-students-enrollment-revoked/
https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/revenue-and-distributional-effects-irs-funding
"...but if they do, it will signal the removal of a fiscal-profligacy brake that markets may well recognize as yet another sign of the Rs complete abandonment of any semblance of fiscal rectitude." Jared Bernstein
Oh, c'mon, is there anyone left in this country, who is serious investor, that is so stupid and out-of-touch that they haven't already understood the utter falsity of Republican "fiscal rectitude." Every time they get the chance they blow an even bigger hole in our fiscal reality. And they never do that to help those most in need, since the focus is always on helping those least in need. None of what they do is based on fiscal "conservatism." The cuts to programs that aid the poor and low income Americans aren't designed solely to reduce the deficit. The desire to hurt the poor is at the core of Republican beliefs. Trump isn't deporting people because they are in the US without documentation, he is doing it because he is a bigot and hates people of color and immigrants. Similarly, Republicans don't routinely try to savage those most in need of assistance because they want to balance the budget. They do so because they hate the poor and want to punish them whenever possible.
Any restraint the GOP has shown in the past stems, I believe, from the fear that going too far will ultimately cost them at the polls. Now, they appear to be completely unconcerned about that, which has raised a question in my mind (that I explain in another comment) about what future plans Trump and the GOP may have to prevent a mid-terms disaster. Because this is Trump, I am willing to go pretty far out on a limb to suggest we may see something that most Americans, including Substackers, consider unthinkable. I strongly believe that the majority of Americans still have accepted just how serious the threat posed by Trump et al. is.
I listened to a podcast with Steven Levitsky, the author (with Daniel Ziblatt) of two very important books ("How Democracies Die" and "Tyranny of the Minority" -- I read both books and they are excellent.) However, despite having studied countries that have lost their democracies, Levitsky, to my amazement, said that he never believed what we are seeing now was possible in the United States. Having studied both political science and history, I never thought the Trump fascist takeover was impossible. There has always been a strong authoritarian current in this country and ignorance and political disengagement, two voter characteristics that help authoritarians succeed are rampant in the US. I have a great deal of respect for Professor Levitsky, but I found his "disbelief" to be extraordinarily naive and shocking for someone with his background, intelligence, and knowledge. Wishful thinking, it turns out is common in this country, not only in average voters.