It’s the Cruelty, Stupid

“Real power is — I don’t even want to use the word — fear.”

Donald Trump made that remark to the journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa in March 2016. Fear is, of course, a favorite tool of the president-elect. He has used it for decades to intimidate opponents, critics and allies to give up, give in or give way. He built his real estate empire through lawsuits and threats against rivals and partners.

He cowed and demolished political opponents through humiliation and invective. He consolidated control of the Republican Party and silenced G.O.P. detractors with pressure tactics and threats to end careers. And as president, he used the power of the office and the power of social media to make life miserable for anyone he chose.

His goal in these efforts has been to push people to check themselves rather than check his power.

[NYT Editorial Board 1/17/25]

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craigcrawford
1 day ago

“We don’t take an oath to a king, or queen, or a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator …we take an oath to the Constitution … and we’re willing to die to protect it”.

– Mark Milley (2023)

craigcrawford
1 day ago

Gen. Mark Milley’s security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says.. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gen-mark-milley-security-detail-and-clearance-revoked/

craigcrawford
1 day ago

Caroline unloads on her cousin.

caroline1
Caroline2
Blue Bronc
1 day ago

Anybody watch or listen to Senator Schumer’s floor speech in response to what the orange idiot is doing? i did not either. Thom Hartman tried, but was bored silly. Just reiterating what many of us have been saying, The Dems need to put in public our younger people in front of the mic and cameras. Holy Jesus Alou the Dems are boring and not winning the media battles. Far from it. The snippets of the Senate Dems, Schumer, are horrible. We need some podium pounders. Some people who will get attention. Even some people who will expand the truth.

craigcrawford
1 day ago

Next the Trump Regime will yank her security protection (the judge who just paused his government shutdown).

GibojdrXUAAe3IV
Pogo
1 day ago

Of course it’s the cruelty. He loves the cruelty. It’s what he does. No wait, it’s what he is.

craigcrawford
1 day ago

BlueBronc, agreed. As nominal party leader, Kamala should come out swinging. Not that i think she should run again, but at least she’s got some punch.

blueINdallas
1 day ago

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tim-kaine-trump-federal-workers-buyout_n_6799a2bfe4b09dcf5694ef54

“Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) is warning federal employees not to cave to President Donald Trump’s offer of a buyout that would give workers about eight months’ salary if they leave their jobs next week.”

“He’ll stiff you,” Kaine said on the Senate floor.
Contractors who’ve worked for Trump and Trump’s companies have frequently reported struggles getting paid. In 2016, USA Today reported on some 3,500 legal actions against Trump over pay disputes with contractors and others.”

Tim Kaine takes the floor to tell federal employees to NOT take the buyout, saying tRUMPsky will stiff you like he does everyone else; he doesn’t even have the authority to appropriate money for the buyout; that would be Congress. Stay until you’re dragged out.

I will add that we need moles in the government, so some need to agree to MAGAtry and stay in order to report what’s going on and to muck up the works.

Where are the teenage hackers who hate Elon (the gamer cheat) and tRUMPsky (the old creeper) and fascism (someone always telling ‘em what to do) and climate change (they’ll need air to breathe & water to drink longer than I will)?

For kicks and giggles, they could release the Epstein files, info flowing to and from Moscow, financial deals, why Mike Johnson has no bank account and what’s out their besides his porn shield app, etc.

Like, it would also be interesting if Cuckerberg got locked out of his smart-bunker in Hawaii, stuff like that. Give the chaos monsters chaos that was not of their making. Wishful thinking.

Last edited 1 day ago by blueINdallas
blueINdallas
1 day ago

https://www.ourquadcities.com/your-local-election-headquarters/democrat-mike-zimmer-anticipated-winner-for-seat-in-iowa-senate/

“Democrats flip seat in Iowa Senate”
Last night’s good news.

Now, if we can win special elections in NY and FL, we can take back the House and kick MAGAt Mike Johnson to the perv…I mean, to the curb.

Happy year of the snake – we are officially shedding our skin.

Last edited 1 day ago by blueINdallas
blueINdallas
1 day ago

Just checked Google Maps; it’s still showing the Gulf of Mexico. Deleting the app if the name changes.

Also heard an idea to delete the Amazon app if you gave it, to get Bezos’ attention if it’s done en masse, and to wean folks off of ordering out of convenience and habit.

Wear red lipstick (Hitler hated it).

Know your rights and video anything weird or sad like traffic stops by ICE. (Also, there are now sexual predators pretending to be ICE, who are assaulting Hispanic women.)

Plant as much food as you can.

Resist.

blueINdallas
1 day ago

https://abc11.com/post/raleigh-man-accused-rape-threatening-deport-victim-police-say/15844386/

“In the most recent case, Raleigh Police said officers were called to the Motel 6 off Capital Boulevard on Sunday. When officers spoke to a woman there, she told them a man had brutally kidnapped and raped her, all while threatening her and pretending to be a law enforcement officer.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/ice-barbie-kristi-noem-gets-dolled-up-for-deportation-raid-photo-op/

“Noem donned a bullet-proof vest and a cap with a police crest—while still looking like she’d stopped off at hair and make-up—to pose alongside ICE and DEA agents, some of them carrying assault rifles.”

ICE scams & cosplaying (her hair extensions are a hoot and a half – like a crappy Barbie bought on Temu)

https://abc11.com/post/trump-immigration-officers-say-worst-go-first-now-theres-no-free-pass/15843206/

“Under Trump, officers can now arrest people without legal status if they run across them while looking for migrants targeted for removal. Under Joe Biden, such “collateral arrests” were banned.”

How long before the n@zis start checking for blue eyes?

Last edited 1 day ago by blueINdallas
RebelliousRenee
23 hours ago

today’s meme…

475442429_10170745449425147_1417466606254676517_n
craigcrawford
23 hours ago

RFKjr hearing underway, C-SPAN.
Elect a clown, get a circus.

Pogo
23 hours ago

Poobah, is there some contraption that allows setting the default preference for comments to “Newest” instead of “Oldest” since the comment block is now at the top of the comment string? I’m just that lazy.

Pogo
23 hours ago

BiD, what Tim Kaine said. He certainly knows the FFFF score well.

blueINdallas
22 hours ago

Do the folks in Congress (both sides) not realize how old they are? If they would just retire, they would have the freedom now, to do what’s right…which is to not appoint RFKJ nor Tulsi, AND, impeach Orange Adolf. Honestly, now that a lot of MAGAts who voted for them are hurting, their constituents are charging them to do it. Wouldn’t it be nice to retire a la Jimmy Carter, and do something worthwhile; they could also just golf, or something. If they insist on running, wouldn’t it be nice to not need to raise huge sums of money and just do some town halls? We could definitely turn this around now if there were enough strong spines in Congress. Better to be remembered for trying to save democracy than to be a n@zi or a n@zi sympathizer.

Last edited 22 hours ago by blueINdallas
blueINdallas
22 hours ago

I hope the rest of the troops understand their oath is NOT to the Tangerine Tyrant.

craigcrawford
22 hours ago

Pogo, your comment order is by individual choice. On the right side of bar at top just above first comment, below comment box, there’s a ‘Newest/Oldest” button

blueINdallas
22 hours ago

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/01/28/congress/doj-prosecutors-trump-fired-00200933

“The lawmakers are asking for names of all reassigned or terminated DOJ employees since the start of Trump’s term last week, as well as details of communications with the White House related to their termination. Raskin and Connolly are also demanding information about efforts to review career employees’ social media accounts, and the role that these employees’ political opinions played in the decisions.”

“The Democrats also questioned the decision to rescind job offers and internship offers through the Attorney General‘s Honors Program.”

Shitler doesn’t want the best and the brightest.

Last edited 22 hours ago by blueINdallas
Blue Bronc
22 hours ago

bId- it is power. The senators are (as in the Constitution) as powerful as the president, all one hundred of them. The representatives are almost as powerful. Where they go so do their aides. Go out to eat, nice place, not the back of the room of the discount second hand pizza store.

And, as we saw with Senator Feintein,and other geriatrics, the aides like the power too.

Pogo
22 hours ago

Poobah, right. It defaults to oldest and I wondered if there is a preference setting I can’t find to make it default to Newest. I’ll just click it (damn I’m lazy).

Pogo
21 hours ago

The purge continues. WaPo.

President Donald Trump has moved to fire Democratic members of two independent federal commissions, an extraordinary break from decades of legal precedent that promises to hand Republicans control over boards that oversee swaths of U.S. workers, employers and labor unions.

On Monday night, he dismissed two of the three Democrats on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — Jocelyn Samuels and Charlotte Burrows, formerly the chair, the White House confirmed Tuesday. He also fired the chair of the National Labor Relations Board, Gwynne Wilcox, a Democrat, an NLRB spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.

All three said they are exploring their legal options against the administration — cases that legal scholars say could reach as far as the Supreme Court.

Trump also removed the EEOC’s general counsel, Karla Gilbride, who oversaw civil actions against employers on a range of issues, including discrimination claims from LGBTQ+ and pregnant workers. And he terminated Jennifer Abruzzo, the NLRB’s general counsel. Their departures throw into question the status of numerous actions underway at both agencies, including against billionaire Elon Musk’s electric car company, Tesla.

Fasten those chinstraps.

Jamie
20 hours ago

My son received his “fork in the road” letter today which he says I will enjoy reading. He was actually planning to retire next year with all sorts of goodies as a triple dipper (Army, Civil Service, Social Security). Apparently, it says he would keep working until replaced by something or other (unclear) with the bonus … will report on more later. Depending on how many jump at it, this could be very, very expensive.

craigcrawford
20 hours ago

Pogo, does your device show that button up top that says Oldest? If so, just punch it and on the drop down menu click Newest

craigcrawford
20 hours ago

Jamie, Doesn’t seem like media should be buying their narrative that this is a buyback or severance. The only “offer” I see says you can work at home if you agree to quit by September.. https://www.opm.gov/fork

Pogo
20 hours ago

Yeah, and that’s what I do. Really, no biggee.

As to the discharge letter, offer, whatever, if there’s money other than salary already approved through the budget, FFFF doesn’t have the authority under Article II to spend the money to pay it. That’s an Article I function. I saw an excerpt from the letter over at WaPo and I’d have to see the entire letter to know what it offers.

Pogo
20 hours ago

What a bunch of idiots. WaPo.

The White House budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing federal grants, according to a copy of a new memo obtained by The Washington Post, after the administration’s move to halt spending earlier this week provoked a backlash.

In a memo dated Wednesday and distributed to federal agencies, Matthew J. Vaeth, acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, states that OMB memorandum M-25-13 “is rescinded.” That order, issued Monday, instructed federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligations or disbursement of all federal financial assistance.”

Amateur hour in DC, unless… some lawyer type told WHBO to rescind the order so the case pending in front of the “unelected Muslim judge” could be dismissed as moot, then reissue the letter with some changes to make it seem like it falls into the discretionary bubble of the WH.

Last edited 20 hours ago by Pogo
Jamie
19 hours ago

That was a great big OOPs. OMB has rescinded the freeze. I guess if you point out that an action is horrendously stupid,you can get it to end.

craigcrawford
19 hours ago

Clear as mud

Screenshot_20250129_135828_X
Jamie
19 hours ago

Chris isn’t about to jump at anything until there is a legal judgement. As an 18 year old he refused an illegal order and when the lieutenant reported it up the line, the Captain forcefully backed up Chris. We take the Constitution seriously around here.

Jamie
19 hours ago

So they are going to keep doing what they are not doing?

Dexter
19 hours ago

It’s still Golfo de Mexico on GoogleMaps.
Caroline’s words about the cousin will never be forgotten, the part about blended mice and baby chicks fed to falcons.
It was 41F here at noon, nice.
“Say Nothing” on FX/Hulu is the most serious piece of film making regarding The Troubles I have ever seen. Chilling, revealing, unforgettable, 9 parts series. Must see TV for the ages.

Blue Bronc
18 hours ago

NY Times is reporting that OpenAI says Chinese DeepSeek used a shortcut to build its database. By using that which others labored over saves needing a lot of extra processing power. So, that is what I thought might have happened. It makes sense, russia and China have a long history of building things from Western designs. So really the wonder box is not so wonderous, the market sell off was going to happen and an excuse was added to make it look reasonable.

behind paywall

Jamie
18 hours ago

Absolute proof of the incredible ignorance of these letters is that if everyone in his office took the offer, it would shut down the Stryker brigades globally under the General Dynamics contract. The US Army sort of needs those.

Blue Bronc
18 hours ago

The EO halting funding of everything (almost) is still in effect. The EO/Memo or whatever it was telling the agencies to stop funding was rescinded. So the court order putting a temporary stop needs to stay in place, just in case sfb gets a midnight burger hunger and decides to reissue the EO/memo or whatever again.

Pogo
18 hours ago

Jamie, looks to me like they’re saying keep on doing what you’re doing related to grants, but we ain’t gonna send the money.

Sprinkle Stuff
Sprinkle Stuff
17 hours ago

fresh seeds at home centers now, start them end of Feb

start watching gardener’s world if you’re serious, getting good yields isn’t easy

Last edited 17 hours ago by Sprinkle Stuff
blueINdallas
17 hours ago

Bernie Sanders grilling RFKJ about onsies was not on my bingo card.

Bobby was sweating when Warren got through with him. If only everyone would vote the way they grill these folks.

MAGAts in Congress are spineless jellyfish…or n@zis, or n@zi sympathizers.

blueINdallas
17 hours ago

24 days. I finally got to the store today. I hate frozen water, be it sleet or hail.

Bought a nozzle for the garden hose and a bag of 15-bean soup so I can try to get different varieties to germinate for the garden before making soup.

blueINdallas
17 hours ago

https://reasonstobecheerful.world/monica-guzman-building-bridges/

“In her book I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times, Guzmán shows us why siloing — particularly in our digital worlds — can lead to dehumanizing the “other side.” In the book, she explains the importance of remaining curious and building bridges.”

Hmm, not since before McCain unleashed the ex-half-governor of Alaska have I felt like there was common ground. Teabaggerz walked so MAGAts could run democracy into the ground.

craigcrawford
16 hours ago

Glad you’re free again BiD!

craigcrawford
16 hours ago

Housekeeping: just making sure everyone knows that little round green button floating on the left side is for getting to the comment box wherever you are on the page

Pogo
16 hours ago

OK, here’s a link to the OPM Fork in the Road website re: the “voluntary” (forced) resignation “offer” sent out to most federal employees. Fucking nuts.

Corey
15 hours ago

The stories I’ve been hearing at work say that unmarked white vans have been seen at Walmart here in Holland and various other places near here. They are vans occupied by ICE agents. They have been rounding up people here.

craigcrawford
15 hours ago

Didn’t read every word Pogo but I just don’t see anywhere in that document that talks about buybacks or severance pay, am I missing something?

craigcrawford
15 hours ago

‘Not a buyout’: Attorneys and unions urge federal workers not to resign.. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/29/nx-s1-5279365/federal-workers-resign-offer-buyout

blueINdallas
14 hours ago

Bill criminalizing votes for immigrant sanctuary policies ‘constitutionally suspect’

“As Gov. Bill Lee’s immigration enforcement plan moves swiftly through the Tennessee Legislature, one component of the bill — aimed at arresting local officials who support sanctuary policies for immigrants — drew scrutiny Tuesday.”

“Included in the governor’s wide-ranging proposal to coordinate with the Trump Administration on mass immigrant detentions and deportations is a provision that creates a Class E felony for public officials who vote to adopt or enact sanctuary policies. Sanctuary policies can shield undocumented immigrants and limit cooperation with enforcement action.”

“The felony charge, punishable by up to six years in prison and a $3,000 fine, would apply to any public official who votes in favor of a sanctuary law, policy or on non-binding resolutions.”

WTF? Tennessee is so racist that they want to make it illegal to vote a certain way.

blueINdallas
14 hours ago

https://apnews.com/article/trump-holiday-mlk-day-pride-black-hispanic-dei-047bbdbfc12ea6e9a9731f5861d84e70

“Pentagon agency pauses celebrations for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month and more”
“The Defense Department’s intelligence agency has paused observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance and other cultural or historical annual events in response to President Donald Trump’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusionprograms in the federal workplace. 
The instructions were published Tuesday in a Defense Intelligence Agency memo obtained by The Associated Press and affect 11 annual events, including Black History Month, which begins Saturday, and National Hispanic Heritage Month.”

“The memo’s authenticity was confirmed by a U.S. official who said the pause was initiated by the DIA and appears not to be policy across the Defense Department.”

No Black History Month, Women’s Equality, Asian Pacific Islander, Disabled Awareness, Indigenous Peoples, Juneteenth, Priude, Hispanic History…but MLK Day was on the 20th. Tell me how this makes grocery prices go down. This is some n@zi BS.

I’m guessing Oktoberfest is still a go.

Last edited 13 hours ago by blueINdallas
IvyGreen
14 hours ago

“Real power is — I don’t even want to use the word — fear.”

This he knows because he’s been scared shitless his whole life.

blueINdallas
13 hours ago

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/trump-immigration-raids-citizens-profiling-accusations-native-american-rcna189203

“American citizens, including citizens of Native tribal nations, have been pulled into the vast immigration operations ordered by President Donald Trump in accordance with his campaign vow to conduct mass deportations since Day 1.”

“The Navajo Nation Office was flooded with calls from tribal members living off-reservation, with many reporting being questioned about their identity by ICE officers, Native News Online reported.

How long before blue eyes are a requirement for citizenship?

blueINdallas
13 hours ago

https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5113202-trump-schools-executive-order-crt-gender-ideology/

”President Trump signed an executive order to prohibit federal funds from going to K-12 public schools that teach critical race theory (CRT) or gender issues.”

MAGAts were saying, “You will not erase us,” but they were telegraphing what they would do to everyone else.

https://www.axios.com/2025/01/29/trump-funding-schools-transgender-children

“President Trump on Wednesday issued an executive order that threatens to cut federal funding for K-12 schools that it claims “indoctrinate” students with teachings related to race and gender.”

“The big picture: Trump’s repeated threat to defund schools accused of teaching critical race theory and that accommodate transgender students has become part of a rallying call for the right in a culture war over what children should be exposed to.”

”Trump also reinstated the 1776 Commission, which he created in his first term, “to promote patriotic education.”

Schools that “accommodate” transgender students. Just despicable what they are doing to single out and other these kids.

Hmmm, pretty sure it’ll look like the history books from the 1950s…or 1850s.

Last edited 13 hours ago by blueINdallas
blueINdallas
13 hours ago

Report: FDIC halts plan to hire new examiners

“The FDIC has rescinded job offers to more than 200 new examiners because of a government-wide hiring freeze implemented by President Trump, the Washington Post reported yesterday.”

Should we be worried?

IvyGreen
13 hours ago

Elonia Loco has turned science into hocus pocus.

Sprinkle Stuff
Sprinkle Stuff
13 hours ago

…of the dumbest, by the dumbest, for the most evil

blueINdallas
12 hours ago

https://www.latintimes.com/ice-says-sorry-after-detaining-us-citizens-speaking-spanish-report-57396

“ICE Says ‘Sorry’ After Detaining US Citizens for Speaking Spanish”

“A Puerto Rican family, including a toddler, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Milwaukee after being overheard speaking Spanish…”

“The family, all U.S. citizens, were transported to a detention center before officials acknowledged their mistake and issued an apology.
The mother, grandmother, and young child had been shopping when authorities approached and detained them. They were not allowed to clarify their status until they were already in custody, according to Telemundo Puerto Rico.

Illegal AF! Can they sue?

Last edited 12 hours ago by blueINdallas
Sprinkle Stuff
Sprinkle Stuff
12 hours ago

crashing the economy will indeed lower prices

will take a month as opposed to a day

Sprinkle Stuff
Sprinkle Stuff
12 hours ago

guess what the billionaire class will do when all of your assets depreciate

buy it all

Sprinkle Stuff
Sprinkle Stuff
11 hours ago

gardener’s note: the animals will eat everything if you let them

lilies attract deer and then they find your other stuff

Last edited 11 hours ago by Sprinkle Stuff
blueINdallas
10 hours ago

I bought a clove/garlic spray to help repel things. The moles stay away from the area with wild garlic. I’m planting lavender and dill, too.

My hyacinths are blooming indoors and smell quite sweet.

Last edited 10 hours ago by blueINdallas
Sprinkle Stuff
Sprinkle Stuff
10 hours ago

there is a fly that eats carrots, but it can only fly an inch off the ground so you only have to build a 2 inch fence around your carrots

🫠

ok have fun 👍

Last edited 10 hours ago by Sprinkle Stuff
Sturgeone
4 hours ago

Hello to new Sec of Def

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