Generally agree but I would have to say that a slogan like "deport Musk" is a bad idea. He is a citizen and there is no legitimate justification for deporting him. If we believe this, then it just provides justification to the opposition that deporting US citizens is legitimate.
Jail Musk seems fine as he has almost certainly violated many laws of the country he has taken as his own, but deportation?
I believe it is legal to deport someone and take away their citizenship if they stayed in the country under illegal terms and made false representations. That would be Musk and Melania.
Theoretically yes but it is so rare to do this, mostly because once they are granted citizenship you have to PROVE in court those allegations and I mean prove beyond a reasonable doubt, not just allege. As much as you may want to believe it to support your position, I think it will be almost impossible to prove. Plus it is the government that had to do this, the FEDERAL government and I don't think they are likely to try not at least for 4 years.
I don’t think Musk would be too hard to prove. We have his brother on video admitting to the fraud and we know he didn’t attend school on his visa. All you have to do is test Melania‘S intelligence. But, as you say, the government won’t do it.
It can be easily proven. Don’t put up a road block where there isn’t one. He and his brother told us he didn’t go. It’s common knowledge he violated his visa. We don’t have to query every school, we just ask him for proof he did.
This country needs to stop looking the other way at crimes committed by the wealthy and our own congress critters. laws for thee but not for me need to come to an end.
From the https://immigrationforum.org website which monitors immigration in the US, last year (2024) there were 800,000+ naturalization. That is an increase but the yearly average had been in the hundreds of thousands for many years.
Between 1990 and 2017 (the only period I could find data for) there were a TOTAL of 315 denaturaluzations (the process of stripping someone of their citizenship). That's an average of about 12 per year.
Most of these reversals were for the commission of VERY serious felonies like murder. It is almost unheard of to revoke citizenship for procedural issues like false applications, etc. Musk is definitely a bad guy but I doubt you are going to find any credible evidence that he has committed murder.
Even if we said 100,000 naturalizations per year, that is still only 1:10,000 which I would consider pretty freaking rare.
During WWII it was pretty common. We are potentially looking at WWIII, and nothing is off the table. All thanks to Donald John Trump.
I read that during WW2, 2000 Americans of German extraction were repatriated, whereas more were put in internment camps. There was one such place in the neighborhood where I grew up.
It's pretty hard to do that. Those subsidies were grants or contracts his companies "earned" and unless there is evidence of fraud, they are done. We can object to giving him MORE but mostly that is in the hands of Trump until we can turn him out of office in 2028.
And one could only wish it were millions. More like billions.
It's like Rump saying that Ukraine has to pay back the aid that we have been giving them. As a nine year old I learned "You can't change the rules in the middle of the game."
Except that government isn't a "game" with some time limit. It is a continuing process and there are specified rules on how to change the rules. So in fact you CAN do that and in the case of appointments the rules are relatively lax for executive officials.
Well, pretty sure that DOGE is the tool to cover up evidence of fraud that most assuredly he has committed. Didn't he say that if Trump wasn't elected that he would be going to jail? I think his attempt to cover it up will eventually fail. Can't wait.
Annie, I have used AOL since its existence. People laugh when I tell them what my email address is because the majority use Google. Honestly, I rarely ever in the 30+ years have ever had a problem. I do have a google address also and only use it for a few things.
I wish I could. I have my own domain (openstage.org) so my email comes with that but it is not cheap let alone free. It can also host my web pages although I don't use that anymore since my theatre closed a year ago. The company paid for this service for 5 years in advance when we were making money so I week have it for 3 more years but it would cost you over$100 month, money I already spent. I'm not sure where I will go but that decision is almost 3 years away. Wish I could be more help.
Well of course that makes perfect sense. Unfortunately we are now living in a world where the corrupt leader has the keys to the jail and also chooses the prosecutors. Moreover as President the top court has given him ABSOLUTE immunity for his "official" actions.
So who precisely do you think is in a position to (a) arrest him, (b) prosecute him and (c) jail him now? All of those people report to HIM!
I love and respect almost everyone on this site but sometimes I wonder if people actually think through the logic of their comments?
Thank you, Jon. I live in a community where deportations are threatened daily. Children are going to school terrified that their parents won’t be there when they get home.
Deportation is no laughing matter for anyone, citizen or undocumented community member.
That is not true. Naturalized citizens can be stripped of their citizenship and deported for committing crimes. It is the reason my mom gave for never becoming a US citizen. That is what happened to Germans, Italians and Japanese during WWII! Being given a citizenship is a privilege that can be taken if you violate say, the Constitution, and steal from the American people. Massive data theft for example.
Well theoretically you can strip someone of their citizenship. But it is hard.
It is harder when the government that has to do that (the federal justice and state departments) report to the same corrupt leader who r runs the Government and appointed the "slug" we want to deport.
I.e., if TRUMP decided he wanted to deport Musk, I guess he could do that, but if he doesn't, then how would you propose going about it? Trump just pardoned and freed all the criminals who were in jail over Jan 6. Do you actually think he is going to strip Musk of his citizenship?
If you seriously believe this, I want some of YOUR drugs because mine are much too weak!!!
Jon, I am not proposing to deport Musk, I am just saying that he fits the category of person that can be stripped of it, and should be. So, we have to obviously wait until we have a government more friendly to doing that. Then, that paperwork should be ready to go.
Except that in the present case, the department responsible for prosecuting criminals reports to the same person (Trump) that appointed the criminal. And Justice is now led by someone who agrees with Trump and isn't going to prosecute Musk (at least not until Trump wants that to happen which right now he certainly doesn't).
Just because something SHOULD happen doesn't mean it will happen or even CAN happen.
We are seeing one of the major weaknesses of our system on display and BECAUSE of that weakness, there is really no way to fix it until another election. We have had a government that depended to a great degree on good faith of all its leaders and we no longer have one who can be trusted.
Unfortunately this makes it very difficult to fix midstream and for that reason the next two years are going to be terrible for many of us.
Jon, if you can only plan for now there is not so much you can do. There must be plans 1) to get to a better day, and 2) what to do with it when you have it.
Those who would like to make lots of buttons, magnets, bumper stickers, mugs, shirts, hoodies, etc, should consider Cafe Press for this. Design your own!
Probably too long for a button, but I am not sure it is legal as a bumper sticker: "Being an asshole doesn't make you strong, it just makes you an asshole"
When I saw, “We are happy to be participate”, my first reaction was that I was reading something written by a Kremlin troll. Upon reflection, I realize I was correct.
Yeah, Ol' Ed Martin is a lousy lawyer and a corrupt one, too. Instead of taking seriously the oath to the Constitution he calls himself Trump's lawyer. I wish some sharper lawyer--or judge (preferably female)--would hand him a well-deserved drubbing on some case in court.
The 24 Hour Economic Blackout - FRIDAY February 28th
For one day we show them who really holds the power. Do not make any purchases. Do not shop online, or in-store. Nowhere! Do not use Credit or Debit Cards for non essential spending.
No, the economy will not plummet ... that is not the point. It should be a demonstration of solidarity and 'rebuke'!
Musk is clearly usurping the rights and duties of federal department heads whose positions the Constitution and statutes required the approval of the U.S. Senate. Trump has appointed his billionaire campaign backer to override these department heads without either the Senate's approval or their approval. By designating Musk, who only became a U.S. citizen at the age of 31 after growing up in South Africa, as his "Special Government Employee" does not vest in him the right to override the Constitution and the responsibility of the U.S. Senate.
Not sure I can agree here. There is NO requirement that the executive branch get Congressional approval to FIRE peyote, only to hire them. Maybe there SHOULD be a constitutional amendment to require that but it doesn't exist today. Trump can fire anyone he wants to who is not civil service (that had been true for Presidents of both parties) and like it or hate it, Trump is the President and has the legal right to install his own people (just as Biden did) in senior positions. So firing those people is not overriding the Senate or the Constitution at all.
The ability to hire, retain and fire personnel is one of the most important functions of any CEO or other manager in the public and private sectors. Musk wasn't simply relaying a message from Trump to pass along. He was, in essence, retained by Trump as an independent contractor with the title of "Special Government Employee" with full authority to make his own decisions on who to retain and who to fire in the federal government, and by doing so, to usurp the authority of the Senate approved head of that department or agency. Under your theory, Trump could have retained Matthew Gaetz as his "Special Government Employee" to dictate to the Senate approved Attorney General as to who to retain and who to fire, along with other instructions relating to the prosecution of cases and individuals, all in violation of the Senate's right to approve who will and who will not be authorized to make such decisions.
It's an interesting argument but as long as the Special Government Employee Is making decisions backed up by the President they are probably legit (although that issue is under review by the courts).
My point was to distinguish between the Senate's role in approving reviewable appointments (mandated by the Constitution via the "advise and consent" clause) and the executive's right to fire them without approval. If we ever get out of this mess, I would hope some better guardrails are put in place for the future but that isn't going to happen while Trump is in charge.
I don’t think Matt Gaetz wanted to go through all the exposure he was sure to get grilled over. That is why he slithered into his role as a commentator on TV. No one to ask him questions on his past behavior.
Hi. Hope you are well. Questions for you. A government is not a corporation, right? And corporations originally were project-specific. Did you know that? After the road was built the company ceased to exist. Isn't this a fundamental difference between a government and a business enterprise?
Who would have ever thought that Laurel and Hardy were still alive today. This is such a clown show. Would you not just want to know what is going through visiting dignitaries heads after they leave…
That’s the horrifying part, he is! He is replacing the intelligent, experienced & qualified with dumb, inexperienced & UNQUALIFIED people.
He is dismantling the agencies and firing those who can expose what he is doing and take action.
Worse, he is siding with Putin & alienating our allies, our friends. Why? What are his intentions? This is a NIGHTMARE!
But we can’t give up!
“Despair is the Autocrat’s tool. It costs nothing. It’s easiest to deploy. It’s contagious. It puts in motion all the actions they want: helplessness, isolationism, exasperation and giving up.”
Sorry, "purity tests" are one of the things that got us into this mess. Nicole Wallace is NOT a "friggin'" Republican. That party no longer exists. Perhaps, as used to be said, "get with the program." Depending on old labels and old perceptions of what creates a person and judging them by their family gives power to the MAGAts, no matter how mentally challenged they are. Refusing to notice the political growth in people is so, well trumpian.
No ... the point is to undermine the authority of our government (with loyalists to Trump) .... it is a Libertarians' fever dream. THAT is the point!! They want to eradicate government and our protections!! Read about Koch, The Heritage Foundation, The Federalist Society. Read Dark Money by Jane Mayer; read Democracy in Chains which was written in 2016 and is still relevant!
It is not what you see on the surface .... it is what is behind it!!
This is much worse & more radical. Reagan would never have sided with Russia against a democratic ally. It seems Trump is making us weak for someone to take over our country. Or why would he put unqualified, inexperienced people like Hegseth, Gabbard & Patel in charge.
For years the Right has been telling us the government is incompetent, corrupt, and evil. Trump and MAGA are doing their very best to prove themselves correct.
In this flurry of slash and burn, what do they think is going to happen to all the people who have lost their jobs -- will their houses be foreclosed upon? will they need food stamps or medicaid (assuming those aren't put in the trash too); will they default on their car payments? They certainly won't be doing much of any discretionary spending. Will they be entitled to unemployment? Will Musk keep his promise of payment for 8 months? There appears to have been no thought to the consequences except for putting on a pair of oversize shades, getting high and waving a chain saw around in feckless glee.
Exactly my concerns. I read an interesting article yesterday on how specialized some of these jobs are.
That and ageism. My husband’s company just hired a new employee that he said was about his age (60). There was a remark before making the offer that he was older, how long would he stick around. They hired my husband in 2020 and he is way underpaid for his expertise and the work he does. I asked what he said when they made that remark and he said he replied with something like he could be gone tomorrow. Hiring someone younger doesn’t guarantee they’ll stay with your company any longer than someone older. In actuality they will company hope for more money and opportunities.
“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”
Worried, angry and fed up waiting for ANY of my elected representatives to make some real pushback noise, I invited people to attend a noon protest on Saturday.
As I approached the protest site in my quaint town on the Hudson River, I saw people disbursing. A friend of mine trudged by and said she hadn’t gotten my email but she gotten one from another friend for a 10:30 protest.
What a great moment. Others showed up at noon as well. The cavalry is coming, and it is us.
Please explain where you see evidence of crumbling. Incompetence, clearly, but I see no evidence that the federal government is crumbling. It will take many months before such evidence is clear.
I had for gotten Thomas Paine was the source of “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Not anything else to say. The perils of an education. Cannot remember it all.
I sent OPM an email with my 5 bullet points despite being retired. I gladly explained that I put my mom on hospice and reflected in how vital Medicare and Medicaid are. It was short and probably passive aggressive despite likely never being viewed.
Try not to buy into conspiracies, the real world is bad enough, but I am baffled by Trump’s willingness to share the Oval&seems ok with Musk speaking. That repulsive video. One doesn’t need to be crazy to wonder what Trump owes Musk?
For me it all comes back to Trump being mentally unsound. He wasn’t intelligent enough to do the job in 2017 and signs of dementia are really obvious now.
Yes, and Senate-confirmed SS agents are now in positions to investigate, harass, spy on, and use lethal force against what J.D. Vance calls us "enemies within". (Yes, "enemies within" extends to Democrats in the U.S. and anyone else who speaks out.) These people ain't there to SERVE us, any of us. They want to make us serve THEM. And that is the most anti-American position there is.
That said a time is approaching when a critical mass of ordinary people will have had enough and will be ready to join in striking back, using the power we have to disempower this administration and hit wealthy donors and wannabe oligarchs where it hurts them most, their pocketbooks.
Federal workers could just stop doing any work, leaving agency heads no one to implement their agenda. Ordinary citizens could stage targeted or just general walkouts and strikes, sending the economy into free fall until our demands are met.
Elected Democrats should be out in the streets helping to rally the troops NOW instead of waiting to come out of their bunkers to "save us" once we've already done what it takes to save ourselves. We need action and courage, not passivity.
"...they solace themselves with hopes that the enemy, if he succeed, will be merciful. It is the madness of folly, to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice.” No one can expect mercy from Trump, from Musk, or from Putin. They inflict retribution and exact obeisance.
I call for the impeachment of Donald John Trump from office for high crimes and misdemeanors.
I call on all patriotic Americans to call for the impeachment of Donald John Trump from office (every day, using all means of communication available).
I call on all patriotic Congressmen and Congresswomen to call for the impeachment of Donald John Trump from office (every day, using all means of communication available).
My local library is loaning out a button maker and these are the slogans we are printing:
Woke means I care
NO NAZIS
I did not vote for Musk
We need a matriarchy
Do something
It’s a coup
We are the cavalry
Vive la Résistance
Please, your suggestions are welcome. What else should I print?
Pat Paulsen for President
😂
That takes me back…
Does he still hold the record for the most runs for president?
Cats have 9 lives and I’m going to use my remaining lives to run him into a ditch.
My chuckle for the afternoon, Bill!
Many thanks...I needed that !
He was nuts also.
😝👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Generally agree but I would have to say that a slogan like "deport Musk" is a bad idea. He is a citizen and there is no legitimate justification for deporting him. If we believe this, then it just provides justification to the opposition that deporting US citizens is legitimate.
Jail Musk seems fine as he has almost certainly violated many laws of the country he has taken as his own, but deportation?
No, I would strongly disagree with that.
I believe it is legal to deport someone and take away their citizenship if they stayed in the country under illegal terms and made false representations. That would be Musk and Melania.
Theoretically yes but it is so rare to do this, mostly because once they are granted citizenship you have to PROVE in court those allegations and I mean prove beyond a reasonable doubt, not just allege. As much as you may want to believe it to support your position, I think it will be almost impossible to prove. Plus it is the government that had to do this, the FEDERAL government and I don't think they are likely to try not at least for 4 years.
I don’t think Musk would be too hard to prove. We have his brother on video admitting to the fraud and we know he didn’t attend school on his visa. All you have to do is test Melania‘S intelligence. But, as you say, the government won’t do it.
How can you prove he didn't go to school? By querying every college, university and trade school in the US?
We need concrete solutions, not daydreams, but unfortunately, I rely on my Congress members and Senators - it's their job and they're not doing it.
It can be easily proven. Don’t put up a road block where there isn’t one. He and his brother told us he didn’t go. It’s common knowledge he violated his visa. We don’t have to query every school, we just ask him for proof he did.
This country needs to stop looking the other way at crimes committed by the wealthy and our own congress critters. laws for thee but not for me need to come to an end.
It is not as rare as you think.
Actually it is VERY VERY rare.
From the https://immigrationforum.org website which monitors immigration in the US, last year (2024) there were 800,000+ naturalization. That is an increase but the yearly average had been in the hundreds of thousands for many years.
Between 1990 and 2017 (the only period I could find data for) there were a TOTAL of 315 denaturaluzations (the process of stripping someone of their citizenship). That's an average of about 12 per year.
Most of these reversals were for the commission of VERY serious felonies like murder. It is almost unheard of to revoke citizenship for procedural issues like false applications, etc. Musk is definitely a bad guy but I doubt you are going to find any credible evidence that he has committed murder.
Even if we said 100,000 naturalizations per year, that is still only 1:10,000 which I would consider pretty freaking rare.
During WWII it was pretty common. We are potentially looking at WWIII, and nothing is off the table. All thanks to Donald John Trump.
I read that during WW2, 2000 Americans of German extraction were repatriated, whereas more were put in internment camps. There was one such place in the neighborhood where I grew up.
Here is about the Germans.
https://gaic.info/history/world-war-ii-civil-liberties-violations-of-german-americans-and-german-latin-americans-by-the-united-states-government/
Here is about the Japanese.
https://library.tamucc.edu/exhibits/s/hist4350/page/Repatriation
Here is a discussion of the Italians.
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/proclamation-2527-internment-italian-americans
This is on Germans and Italians many of the Germans were Jewish.
https://encyclopedia.densho.org/German_and_Italian_detainees/
Also revoke his however millions in subsidies his businesses have received by making him pay those back.
It's pretty hard to do that. Those subsidies were grants or contracts his companies "earned" and unless there is evidence of fraud, they are done. We can object to giving him MORE but mostly that is in the hands of Trump until we can turn him out of office in 2028.
And one could only wish it were millions. More like billions.
It's like Rump saying that Ukraine has to pay back the aid that we have been giving them. As a nine year old I learned "You can't change the rules in the middle of the game."
Except that government isn't a "game" with some time limit. It is a continuing process and there are specified rules on how to change the rules. So in fact you CAN do that and in the case of appointments the rules are relatively lax for executive officials.
Don' t think t sees any way to agree with you, Richard.
If the " kink" says it...its law...just ask the subpremes.!
Well, pretty sure that DOGE is the tool to cover up evidence of fraud that most assuredly he has committed. Didn't he say that if Trump wasn't elected that he would be going to jail? I think his attempt to cover it up will eventually fail. Can't wait.
Yeah. I couldn’t remember—millions, billions. It’s all a whole lotta $.
Who's going to do that?
You are right. I will go with -- I didn't vote for Elon
Make it fElon...
Make it - I didn't vote for Leon. His new name. The guy with 2 left feet in the video.
Annie -- How about "Impeach Musk Now!!!"?
Good lord I hope not!!!
Hey Jon, Could you recommend a good alternative to Gmail? I want to steer away from Google.
Annie, I have used AOL since its existence. People laugh when I tell them what my email address is because the majority use Google. Honestly, I rarely ever in the 30+ years have ever had a problem. I do have a google address also and only use it for a few things.
I wish I could. I have my own domain (openstage.org) so my email comes with that but it is not cheap let alone free. It can also host my web pages although I don't use that anymore since my theatre closed a year ago. The company paid for this service for 5 years in advance when we were making money so I week have it for 3 more years but it would cost you over$100 month, money I already spent. I'm not sure where I will go but that decision is almost 3 years away. Wish I could be more help.
I am hearing from my network security guru that DuckDuckGo is no longer secure as advertised.
Duck Duck Go has email, IIRC.
Jail Trump for all the laws and Federal rules he has broken.
Well of course that makes perfect sense. Unfortunately we are now living in a world where the corrupt leader has the keys to the jail and also chooses the prosecutors. Moreover as President the top court has given him ABSOLUTE immunity for his "official" actions.
So who precisely do you think is in a position to (a) arrest him, (b) prosecute him and (c) jail him now? All of those people report to HIM!
I love and respect almost everyone on this site but sometimes I wonder if people actually think through the logic of their comments?
Thank you, Jon. I live in a community where deportations are threatened daily. Children are going to school terrified that their parents won’t be there when they get home.
Deportation is no laughing matter for anyone, citizen or undocumented community member.
That is not true. Naturalized citizens can be stripped of their citizenship and deported for committing crimes. It is the reason my mom gave for never becoming a US citizen. That is what happened to Germans, Italians and Japanese during WWII! Being given a citizenship is a privilege that can be taken if you violate say, the Constitution, and steal from the American people. Massive data theft for example.
Well theoretically you can strip someone of their citizenship. But it is hard.
It is harder when the government that has to do that (the federal justice and state departments) report to the same corrupt leader who r runs the Government and appointed the "slug" we want to deport.
I.e., if TRUMP decided he wanted to deport Musk, I guess he could do that, but if he doesn't, then how would you propose going about it? Trump just pardoned and freed all the criminals who were in jail over Jan 6. Do you actually think he is going to strip Musk of his citizenship?
If you seriously believe this, I want some of YOUR drugs because mine are much too weak!!!
Jon, I am not proposing to deport Musk, I am just saying that he fits the category of person that can be stripped of it, and should be. So, we have to obviously wait until we have a government more friendly to doing that. Then, that paperwork should be ready to go.
Musk is a criminal, and should be treated as such. He and Trump are trying to deport other citizens, so what goes around should come around, and FAST
Except that in the present case, the department responsible for prosecuting criminals reports to the same person (Trump) that appointed the criminal. And Justice is now led by someone who agrees with Trump and isn't going to prosecute Musk (at least not until Trump wants that to happen which right now he certainly doesn't).
Just because something SHOULD happen doesn't mean it will happen or even CAN happen.
We are seeing one of the major weaknesses of our system on display and BECAUSE of that weakness, there is really no way to fix it until another election. We have had a government that depended to a great degree on good faith of all its leaders and we no longer have one who can be trusted.
Unfortunately this makes it very difficult to fix midstream and for that reason the next two years are going to be terrible for many of us.
Jon, if you can only plan for now there is not so much you can do. There must be plans 1) to get to a better day, and 2) what to do with it when you have it.
Can you make enough to sell? We can put them on #ReSIStence t-shirts.
I don't know. I will figure out how much they cost and let you know.
Where do I get the t-shirt?
Joyce is part of an awesome podcast, #sister-in-law and you can buy their merchandise at politicon.com/merch
Sounds good!
How about :
Support Ukraine and democracy
Trump is Putin puppet
Tax the billionaires
F*CK MUSK
American, but didn't vote for Trump.
Button to be worn by any person attending an event with international attendees, whether here in the US or not.
Chainsaw massacre
I love your idea.
"No Kings"
Not My President
"We warned you"
"Trump is Putin's Puppet"
Not one dollar saved!
Those who would like to make lots of buttons, magnets, bumper stickers, mugs, shirts, hoodies, etc, should consider Cafe Press for this. Design your own!
https://www.cafepress.com/
Thank you for this link! I'm already designing a bumper sticker.
Days of Infamy
Probably too long for a button, but I am not sure it is legal as a bumper sticker: "Being an asshole doesn't make you strong, it just makes you an asshole"
Resist!
Power to the People
It Can’t Happen Here
When I saw, “We are happy to be participate”, my first reaction was that I was reading something written by a Kremlin troll. Upon reflection, I realize I was correct.
Yeah, Ol' Ed Martin is a lousy lawyer and a corrupt one, too. Instead of taking seriously the oath to the Constitution he calls himself Trump's lawyer. I wish some sharper lawyer--or judge (preferably female)--would hand him a well-deserved drubbing on some case in court.
Folks ....
Please remember ..
The 24 Hour Economic Blackout - FRIDAY February 28th
For one day we show them who really holds the power. Do not make any purchases. Do not shop online, or in-store. Nowhere! Do not use Credit or Debit Cards for non essential spending.
No, the economy will not plummet ... that is not the point. It should be a demonstration of solidarity and 'rebuke'!
Pass the word!! .......
And refuse to file your income tax.
"No taxation without representation"
Musk is clearly usurping the rights and duties of federal department heads whose positions the Constitution and statutes required the approval of the U.S. Senate. Trump has appointed his billionaire campaign backer to override these department heads without either the Senate's approval or their approval. By designating Musk, who only became a U.S. citizen at the age of 31 after growing up in South Africa, as his "Special Government Employee" does not vest in him the right to override the Constitution and the responsibility of the U.S. Senate.
No one has that right!!
Not sure I can agree here. There is NO requirement that the executive branch get Congressional approval to FIRE peyote, only to hire them. Maybe there SHOULD be a constitutional amendment to require that but it doesn't exist today. Trump can fire anyone he wants to who is not civil service (that had been true for Presidents of both parties) and like it or hate it, Trump is the President and has the legal right to install his own people (just as Biden did) in senior positions. So firing those people is not overriding the Senate or the Constitution at all.
Just sayin'....
The ability to hire, retain and fire personnel is one of the most important functions of any CEO or other manager in the public and private sectors. Musk wasn't simply relaying a message from Trump to pass along. He was, in essence, retained by Trump as an independent contractor with the title of "Special Government Employee" with full authority to make his own decisions on who to retain and who to fire in the federal government, and by doing so, to usurp the authority of the Senate approved head of that department or agency. Under your theory, Trump could have retained Matthew Gaetz as his "Special Government Employee" to dictate to the Senate approved Attorney General as to who to retain and who to fire, along with other instructions relating to the prosecution of cases and individuals, all in violation of the Senate's right to approve who will and who will not be authorized to make such decisions.
It's an interesting argument but as long as the Special Government Employee Is making decisions backed up by the President they are probably legit (although that issue is under review by the courts).
My point was to distinguish between the Senate's role in approving reviewable appointments (mandated by the Constitution via the "advise and consent" clause) and the executive's right to fire them without approval. If we ever get out of this mess, I would hope some better guardrails are put in place for the future but that isn't going to happen while Trump is in charge.
I don’t think Matt Gaetz wanted to go through all the exposure he was sure to get grilled over. That is why he slithered into his role as a commentator on TV. No one to ask him questions on his past behavior.
Hi. Hope you are well. Questions for you. A government is not a corporation, right? And corporations originally were project-specific. Did you know that? After the road was built the company ceased to exist. Isn't this a fundamental difference between a government and a business enterprise?
Who would have ever thought that Laurel and Hardy were still alive today. This is such a clown show. Would you not just want to know what is going through visiting dignitaries heads after they leave…
I know this is a minority view, but I want Trump to saddle himself with nothing but unqualified, incompentent duds.
Actually that is spot on. Incompetence will perpetuate the clown show, maybe long enough that we can see some light at the end of this dark tunnel.
Competence is much more to be feared. We should not forget that it WAS competence in Nazi Germany that prolonged the war.
done and done
That’s the horrifying part, he is! He is replacing the intelligent, experienced & qualified with dumb, inexperienced & UNQUALIFIED people.
He is dismantling the agencies and firing those who can expose what he is doing and take action.
Worse, he is siding with Putin & alienating our allies, our friends. Why? What are his intentions? This is a NIGHTMARE!
But we can’t give up!
“Despair is the Autocrat’s tool. It costs nothing. It’s easiest to deploy. It’s contagious. It puts in motion all the actions they want: helplessness, isolationism, exasperation and giving up.”
~ Nicole Wallace
Yes, but you can wake up from a nightmare....
She's a friggin' Republican!
was.... watch her show MSNBC 4pm daily
I'm sorry but with friends like that --- they should have been all over the Russian interference. Never a mentioon of voter fraud.
And now, the dissention within the Republican rank and file.
Want to know what's happening....
https://www.youtube.com/live/BWs96ExEPLw
We have three(3) Rerpublicans who should flip. One of them is Jose Diaz Balart's brother.
Sorry, "purity tests" are one of the things that got us into this mess. Nicole Wallace is NOT a "friggin'" Republican. That party no longer exists. Perhaps, as used to be said, "get with the program." Depending on old labels and old perceptions of what creates a person and judging them by their family gives power to the MAGAts, no matter how mentally challenged they are. Refusing to notice the political growth in people is so, well trumpian.
She is against Trump. She was on with Rachel Maddow & O’Donnell saying goodbye to Fried (all on MSNBC).
BTW, David Muir & Lester Holt are leaving their World News anchor positions. I wonder if Trump had something to do with all 3…
Highly ineffrectual. Imagine Thom Hartmann as moderator. Keithy Olbermann.
No she is NOT! She gave up her party.
No ... the point is to undermine the authority of our government (with loyalists to Trump) .... it is a Libertarians' fever dream. THAT is the point!! They want to eradicate government and our protections!! Read about Koch, The Heritage Foundation, The Federalist Society. Read Dark Money by Jane Mayer; read Democracy in Chains which was written in 2016 and is still relevant!
It is not what you see on the surface .... it is what is behind it!!
This is deja vu. Reagan. GWB. I worked in an anti-labor Labor Department several times.
Like is said several times elsewhere, it takes most appointees 4 years to find the toilet. And that included some of the Dem appointees.
This is much worse & more radical. Reagan would never have sided with Russia against a democratic ally. It seems Trump is making us weak for someone to take over our country. Or why would he put unqualified, inexperienced people like Hegseth, Gabbard & Patel in charge.
Putin owns him, since the 80's.
And he has accomplished that, thanks to spineless R's in Congress.
What happened to Susie Wiley, who was supposed to make sure that the clown car didn't stop at the White House? She has gone invisible.
She’s not invisible. She is doing the work of the devil.
For years the Right has been telling us the government is incompetent, corrupt, and evil. Trump and MAGA are doing their very best to prove themselves correct.
Ah, that is an insult to Laurel and Hardy! 😂
In this flurry of slash and burn, what do they think is going to happen to all the people who have lost their jobs -- will their houses be foreclosed upon? will they need food stamps or medicaid (assuming those aren't put in the trash too); will they default on their car payments? They certainly won't be doing much of any discretionary spending. Will they be entitled to unemployment? Will Musk keep his promise of payment for 8 months? There appears to have been no thought to the consequences except for putting on a pair of oversize shades, getting high and waving a chain saw around in feckless glee.
Exactly my concerns. I read an interesting article yesterday on how specialized some of these jobs are.
That and ageism. My husband’s company just hired a new employee that he said was about his age (60). There was a remark before making the offer that he was older, how long would he stick around. They hired my husband in 2020 and he is way underpaid for his expertise and the work he does. I asked what he said when they made that remark and he said he replied with something like he could be gone tomorrow. Hiring someone younger doesn’t guarantee they’ll stay with your company any longer than someone older. In actuality they will company hope for more money and opportunities.
I predict that all of this will backfire on this administration. It is becoming clear that people are not going to be sitting on their hands....
“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”
― Thomas Paine, "The American Crisis"
Thomas Paine "It is the madness of folly, to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice."
Joyce: "It is indeed madness. Democracy or nothing."
Yes, yes, yes!!!!
Worried, angry and fed up waiting for ANY of my elected representatives to make some real pushback noise, I invited people to attend a noon protest on Saturday.
As I approached the protest site in my quaint town on the Hudson River, I saw people disbursing. A friend of mine trudged by and said she hadn’t gotten my email but she gotten one from another friend for a 10:30 protest.
What a great moment. Others showed up at noon as well. The cavalry is coming, and it is us.
My view is that we will be saved by incompetence
It’s only been a month and the foundation is crumbling….
Have faith in America!
Please explain where you see evidence of crumbling. Incompetence, clearly, but I see no evidence that the federal government is crumbling. It will take many months before such evidence is clear.
I had for gotten Thomas Paine was the source of “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Not anything else to say. The perils of an education. Cannot remember it all.
I sent OPM an email with my 5 bullet points despite being retired. I gladly explained that I put my mom on hospice and reflected in how vital Medicare and Medicaid are. It was short and probably passive aggressive despite likely never being viewed.
Try not to buy into conspiracies, the real world is bad enough, but I am baffled by Trump’s willingness to share the Oval&seems ok with Musk speaking. That repulsive video. One doesn’t need to be crazy to wonder what Trump owes Musk?
the election
https://youtu.be/6G8fu50VRXo?si=A6O7xq1dn5ls9SjR
For me it all comes back to Trump being mentally unsound. He wasn’t intelligent enough to do the job in 2017 and signs of dementia are really obvious now.
It's making me think the pee-pee tape is a real thing...
It reminds me of his “performance” on his mic at one of his rallies. 😳
oh I forgot about that....it was so gross...interesting he saw the mic and instinctly did that....
I notice in the AI video that Musk was given two left feet.
Musk's stupid request for email bullet points is just a distraction while Trump pursues a takeover of the military. That's the point.
Yes, and Senate-confirmed SS agents are now in positions to investigate, harass, spy on, and use lethal force against what J.D. Vance calls us "enemies within". (Yes, "enemies within" extends to Democrats in the U.S. and anyone else who speaks out.) These people ain't there to SERVE us, any of us. They want to make us serve THEM. And that is the most anti-American position there is.
That said a time is approaching when a critical mass of ordinary people will have had enough and will be ready to join in striking back, using the power we have to disempower this administration and hit wealthy donors and wannabe oligarchs where it hurts them most, their pocketbooks.
Federal workers could just stop doing any work, leaving agency heads no one to implement their agenda. Ordinary citizens could stage targeted or just general walkouts and strikes, sending the economy into free fall until our demands are met.
Elected Democrats should be out in the streets helping to rally the troops NOW instead of waiting to come out of their bunkers to "save us" once we've already done what it takes to save ourselves. We need action and courage, not passivity.
And a.distraction from the UN votes
"...they solace themselves with hopes that the enemy, if he succeed, will be merciful. It is the madness of folly, to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice.” No one can expect mercy from Trump, from Musk, or from Putin. They inflict retribution and exact obeisance.
I call for the impeachment of Donald John Trump from office for high crimes and misdemeanors.
I call on all patriotic Americans to call for the impeachment of Donald John Trump from office (every day, using all means of communication available).
I call on all patriotic Congressmen and Congresswomen to call for the impeachment of Donald John Trump from office (every day, using all means of communication available).