From Pine View Farm

Political Theatre category archive

As the Twig Is Bent 0

Caption:  Donald Trump at Age 12.  Image:  Donald Trump playing Risk.  He bangs the table and says,

Afterthought:

He’s still twelve.

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The Rule of Lawless 0

PoliticalProf notes that there is a implicit caveat regarding the rule of law.

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Devolution 0

In less than two weeks, we seem to have gone from a government of checks and balances to one that is unbalanced and unchecked.

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A Tune for the Times 0

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“Nice Little Business You’ve Got Here. Wouldn’t Want Anything To Happen to It.” 0

Joe Conason marvels at Trump’s grift of grab. A snippet:

With the menacing manner of a mob boss, Trump has extorted million-dollar contributions from dozens of corporations that fear federal retribution against their shareholders or management (as in the case of Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg, who coughed up his million after Trump literally threatened him with “life in prison” not so long ago).

Follow the link for context.

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The Fires This Time 0

Farron dissects the GOP ransom note.

I don’t think it’s pushing the envelope to suggest that today’s Republican Party is willing, to paraphrase the Founders, to put faction over nation six days a week and twice on Sundays.

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A Tune for the Times 0

A short tune about Donald Trump’s reaction to the Washington–I refuse to call it “Reagan”–National Airport crash.

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A Legend in His Own Mind 0

Trump: I Have common sense

The Kansas City Star’s Melinda Henneberger: The evidence shows otherwise.

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Happy New Year! 0

Caption:  Year of the Snake.  Image:  Snake with Donald Trump's face.  Along the snake's body appear the word

Via Job’s Anger.

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Facebook Frolics 0

Copywrongs.

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Love, Love Me Do 0

Does this remind you of anyone in the news?

Inquiring minds want to know.

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A Tune for the Times 0

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Dis Coarse Discourse 0

Lane Crothers spots the thumb on the scales.

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Executive Disorders, Reprise 0

To watch the blizzard of executive orders issuing from Donald Trump’s White House, it seems that Trump thinks that executive orders are pronouncements from Caesar’s throne, sweeping all else before them.

My old Philly friend Noz, who, I would note, has some legal training, points out that they are not nearly so sweeping as Trump seems to think:

Also Executive Orders, while treated as legally binding, they are the least binding of any form of law in the federal government. The priority for laws in the federal system is like this: Constitutional Provisions > Statutes > Regulations > Executive Orders.

I urge you to read the rest of his post. Methinks it most timely.

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Executive Disorders 0

At Above the Law, Joe Patrice points out that Donald Trump’s attempt to halt disbursement of legally appropriate funds by decree executive order is–er–of dubious legality. Here’s a tiny bit of his article:

In case you’re wondering, the 1974 Impoundment Control Act (ICA), yet another good governance statute rooted in America’s Nixon hangover, explicitly bars refusing to spend congressional appropriations like this. But once and future OMB General Counsel Mark Paoletta believes the power of the purse is more of a suggestion and that presidents can take money allocated by Congress and say, “Nah, I’m good. I’ll keep this one.”

Afterthought:

Whatever you might say about the price of eggs and gas (here, they have both risen since the election), it seems clear that Trump intends to keep one campaign promise, however flippantly he made it: To be a dictator . . . ..

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A BLT on Wry 0

At NJ.com, Roy Lehman makes a strong case that the successor to DEI will be BLT. He picks as an one example our (shiver) new Secretary of Defense. Here’s a bit:

Instead of DEI-based vetting, Trump has installed a new system, the “BLT” hiring guide. BLT, in this case, stands for bootlicker, lackey and toady. Under the old guidelines, our new defense secretary would be qualified only if the definition of DEI were drunkenness, egotism and ignorance.

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A. Enron 0

Q. What business are Republicans thinking of when they say, “Run the government like a business?”

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This New Gilded Age 0

Farron follows the money.

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Gag Order 0

Heaven Trump forbid that federal agencies charged with protecting the health of the populace be allowed to have the unmitigated gall to warn persons of dangers to their health and well-being.

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A Tune for the Times 0

From the Youtube page:

In case you were wondering who the new Secretary of Homeland security would be, Kristi Noem, the South Dakota Governor of “I shot my dog’, fame is one step away from taking over that position. She still has to be approved by the full body of the Senate but that looks increasingly likely. The Freedom Toast and Cinebot Video made this video back when she was being considered for VP. It’s a good reminder.

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