148 Comments
founding

Professor, with all due respect, you are flogging a horse that is not only dead, but has been butchered, grilled and served. The GOP Senators will not lift a finger to disturb der Fuhrer. It is 1933 in America, and Trump is going to do whatever he wants without opposition. I pray it does not end as did the Third Reich, with War and Holocaust, but if you really believe that the MAGAts and few remaining GOP Senators are going to stand in the way of their beloved leader, I fear you are calamitously wrong. I recommend historian Peter Fritzsche’s HITLERS FIRST HUNDRED DAYS for a view of what an unbridled and unopposed fascist megalomaniac can do. One could lift whole paragraphs out of the book, blank out the names, and ask reasonably if he were describing Hitler or Trump………………

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With all due respect…This strikes me as a defeatist approach. We must fight back like hell.

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We all need to contact our senators!!! Now!

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Susan, I spent four years of the first Trump presidency contacting my senators and representative. They are Ted Cruz, John Cornyn and John Carter - all Maga Republicans who specialize in performative outrage. In the last eight years I have called various senators and representatives to voice concerns and urge actions. I have sent so many contact emails to President Biden, I may be on a watch list. When Nancy Pelosi was House Speaker her office said I should contact my representative, not her. Retired Generals, former staff, economists, veterans, former Republicans and more spoke out against Trump and said what a danger he was. I donated, I spoke to people and I voted. And despite all of these efforts Trump won. And he won because in 2024 Kamala got 8 million less votes than Biden did in 2020. Eight million voters, mostly Democrats, sat home. That is a fact and my anger is toward these people. Call away, but it is not going to change anything. The Dems may protest, but they're in the minority. Republicans will do whatever Trump wants them to do.

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I hate what you are saying, but grudgingly have to agree. 😢

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Credible question about the vote counts in the swing states, being anomalous. See Spoonamore’s Duty To Warn letter here on Substack.

https://open.substack.com/pub/spoonamore/p/duty-to-warn-letter-to-vp-harris?r=1nic41&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

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I hate conspiracy theories. But this letter, unfortunately, confirms a lot of what I was thinking. It just didn't make sense. Not with the size of the rallies, not with the over all enthusiasm, it just didn't make sense.

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Still waiting to hear about validity of the Greg Palast claim that 2.7 million votes were ditched. According to the Philly papers, where a hand recount is taking place, we lost Pa in Biden's home area, former Biden supporters. Not Gen Z. Not Blacks. Lost 2 Pa Dem house seats.

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Count the damned ballots al;ready!! How many times were the 2020 ballots counted?

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this article certainly answers questions that I have had. Is this information being widely shared, especially with people like Mark Elias?

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I called Mitt Romney encouraging him to impeach Trump. I pointed out that history would make him a hero. I told him my sister also went to his sister affiliated private school). He voted for impeachment.

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I am trying not to give up, but my hopes have been dashed so many times I feel numb and helpless. What can I, in the SF Bay Area, do to help beyond what I already have been doing for years: donating to out-of-state Democrats, writing postcards, preaching to my local choir, supporting all California down-ballot Democrats, and trying to believe in the goodness of my fellow man. I am in my mid-seventies and feel betrayed by the Republican men and women whose equality and civil rights I have fought for since my teens. Trump and COVID have robbed me of so many of the grains of sand left in the hourglass of my life, and I resent the years of isolation from my young grandchild and fear what lies ahead for him and his family. What practical things can be done to stop this insanity?

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How do we make an impression on all those Senators Joyce? Seems the only way at this point or fork in the road I should say. What can we do? Can Joe Biden do anything? We need an answer 🇺🇸🗽🥁🕯️🕊️❤️🌻

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We CAN first fight by demanding a HAND RECOUNT!

A data scientist, Stephen Spoonamore, strongly suspects a hack took place during the 2024 election.

He speaks of tremendous numbers of “bullet votes” for Trump, occurring in just the swing states. A bullet vote is where there is only one selection made out of the entire ballot.

For example in Arizona and Nevada, 5% and 7% of the ballots were people who only voted for Trump.

He explains how easily it could occur particularly with the ability of Starlink, headed by Elon Musk. He also explains that a hand recount would clear this up.

Mr. Spoonamore is imploring Kamila Harris to request a HAND RECOUNT as only she can do. He states that a hand recount of the swing states will determine the correct number of votes for the 2024 presidential election.

People interested in pushing for Harris to have a hand recount should contact her at the White House

Watch the YouTube video below regarding his conversation with Thom Hartmann.

https://youtu.be/RJR5uQpweko?si=TkumDVYkuikthlKn

Stephen Spoonamoresubstack.com/@spoonamore

Stephen Spoonamore Twitter/Threads/BlueSky: @spoonamore

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Agreed. Unfortunately, I think my “blue” state (and I supported it too) fell into the trap of thinking Kamala Harris would be elected and “we” voted to continue with two democratic senators when had we “hedged our bets” and put Larry Hogan in the senate instead, we may (just may, mind you) have had a Republican senator who wouldn’t immediate cave to Trump’s demands. I’m happy to contact my senators, but I don’t know how much that will help. I’m also willing to contact my representative, and I know that’s useless, he’s “the wrong Harris” and a Trump sycophant who tried to take a gun to the capitol! I don’t believe in perpetuating a defeatist attitude, I also don’t believe in wasting energy. I think this education needs to be taken to the voters who put the Senate AND House squarely in Trump’s control. How do we do that?

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No Jim, Forbes is pretty accurate. And applaudable that Joyce is expressing the constitution to stand beside but all nations have constitutions and look how far it’s gotten them. No, the end of days is at hand. I call for a military coup as the only salvation before the good generals are gone and the bad ones remain. Then our gooses will really be cooked. Do you want fries that? lol.

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Any time someone leads with "with all due respect," I automatically assume no respect will be given. She is not talking about a syllabus, she is not pointing out what will be covered in a lecture, she is giving us fair warning. Recommending reading material to a woman who knows this field, backwards and forwards, who is an authority on the workings of the legal system is the very essence of "with all due respect."

I prefer to think of this as another warning, yes, we know all about the "enemy" and what is coming; unlike Paul Revere who did not complete his mission, she is like Sybil Ludington and she is making sure that she completes hers.

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Thank you Carol-Ann! I couldn’t have said it better.

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Hear, Hear, Carol-Ann; and thanks for the nod to Sybil Ludington!

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I've been watching a series on Amazon prime called Hitler and it's chilling to me the parallels between how the Nazis roast to power and what's going on now. Replace Jews with immigrants…

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Yes. I totally agree. They do not understand that by helping to destroy the US they destroy their own power too. I went to school with Peter Fritzsche by the way. He was one of 4 kids, and they lived 2 blocks down from us. He is at Urbana as far as I know.

Goebbels would be the one to tell the German people they had to tighten their belts for the good of their country, and claim that they were winning the war. This was supposed to make their sacrifices worthwhile. This is what Putin is telling his people too. All of these leaders amass untold wealth in the meantime. Here Musk and Ramaswamy are telling us that it will hurt first, trying to buy time so that people accept the awfulness until it is too late and they realize this is just how it is going to be.

Given that the Intelligence Community leadership just resigned, and rightfully so, because Project 2025 tells us how badly the people who replace them as loyalists will be treated with constant switching to different departments, and locations. That is a way to destroy an agency lickety split. https://open.substack.com/pub/spytalk/p/breaking-top-intelligence-igs-resign?r=f0qfn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&comments=true

Same with the DOD. Waiting to see what they will do. They have become the most important equation in this. The criminals and terrorists of the world are waiting too, and planning, because they see opportunity right now. They can attack our bases, our embassies, and perhaps continue planning terror acts in the US because no one is minding the shop. Other intelligence agencies are not going to be sharing info with us, and may never do so again, because the way we set up our society, we have too many gullible people. Still, I take heart in the fact that as the vote continues to be counted, Trump has already gotten less than 50% of the eligible voters, and another 93 million did not vote, so 1/3 or less of the eligible votes is not a mandate. https://roberthubbell.substack.com/p/dont-fall-for-the-red-mirage

Given this reality we should also understand that many people were duped. I read AOC say that her voters said, "he isn't really going to deport us?" She asked where they get their info and they said from her. So she know that means they listened to Donald Trump too. That is what I am saying after hearing my 23-year-old nephew tell me DTs talking points, like he said he was not for national abortion. Well, AOC says her people thought he was only going to deport the criminals, and now they wish they had not voted for him. Hind sight is 20-20 though.

I see the MAGAs who are Christian Nationalists for the most part think that they will destroy the US, please God, and HE will come and take them to heaven. That is the old school CNs, the new Charismatic Christians who are New Apostolic Reformation believers, they need to push the misery of God's Will on everyone to have HIM come and take them to heaven, so they will be happy about the implosion, especially since all of the CNs believe the suffering of others is good for them. So take away the food, shelter, medicine from the poor and low income and make everyone pay through the teeth for those things and consider themselves lucky. Businesses are in a wait and see mode, but it doesn't look good. They say companies may leave because no one likes an unstable business climate, except Musk, and Ramaswamy and Trump, and their MAGA followers.

Here Andrea Pitzer, expert on concentration camps here and abroad is telling us what to expect and what one can do. https://substack.com/home/post/p-151702504

However, when Trump makes Russia and China the Superpowers by destroying our military, economy, Intelligence community, and people, what will the USA be? Musk can go to another country and destroy them, and just move around the world doing that. He has even said he is going to go mess with other elections. Read Prof. Timothy Synder's piece on The Phantom Campaign. https://snyder.substack.com/p/the-phantom-campaign

So the MAGAs, by following DT who will possibly be replaced by JDV, will destroy themselves and lose their power.

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Somehow I didn't know about the "phantom" campaign ads that Snyder wrote about - ads that appeared to be Harris campaign ads, targeted at Democrats, touting policies that are popular with Democrats - except for a (false) policy statement at the end of the list that is designed to give the voters pause and ultimately prompt them to stay home. Of course I knew the MAGAts and Putin's trolls were lying about her, but I didn't realize they were doing it in ads that looked like her own ads.

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founding

Mr. Fordes - I agree TOTALLY with your post. Thank You !

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'The NFL renews its dance with Trump, this time to a different beat'

'Football fun or social barometer? NFL players’ on-field celebrations draw notice.' (WAPO) Gifted link to article is below.

https://wapo.st/4fpeR1v

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A data scientist, Stephen Spoonamore, strongly suspects a HACK took place during the 2024 election.

He speaks of tremendous numbers of “bullet votes” for Trump, occurring in just the swing states. A bullet vote is where there is only one selection made out of the entire ballot.

For example in Arizona and Nevada, 5% and 7% of the ballots were people who only voted for Trump.

He explains how easily it could occur particularly with the ability of Starlink, headed by Elon Musk. He also explains that a hand recount would clear this up.

Mr. Spoonamore is imploring Kamila Harris to request a HAND RECOUNT as only she can do. He states that a hand recount of the swing states will determine the correct number of votes for the 2024 presidential election.

People interested in pushing for Harris to have a hand recount should contact her at the White House

Watch the YouTube video below regarding his conversation with Thom Hartmann.

https://youtu.be/RJR5uQpweko?si=TkumDVYkuikthlKn

Stephen Spoonamoresubstack.com/@spoonamore

Stephen Spoonamore Twitter/Threads/BlueSky: @spoonamore

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It’s super important to do something: call your senators and representatives - yes, especially your Republican people - and demand they not recess.

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Given the somber moment, it is really terrible that MSNBC Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski set a tone of normalizing Trump  by going to Mar-a-Lago to kiss his ring or whatever. It's intimidation right before our eyes.

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They should be fired. I’m to the where the only one I watch is Rachel Maddow.

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Don’t forget about Lawrence O’Donnell.

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Mika and Joe helped T💩p get in office the first time by giving him unrestricted access almost every morning they were broadcasting. Turd-fondlers, the two of them.

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Bob, I don’t think you need to be concerned about Mika or Joe abandoning their love of democracy. Open doors of communication are always important.

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Yeah, right. Just ask those obsequious former German leaders, how did that work out for them? Of course we can't, but it didn't work then and it won't work now. That kind of craven obeisance is what those two also did the last time around . Only to be deeply humiliated. Some people just never learn. Chamberlain never learned that lesson either.

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Well, we’ll see.

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Rachel Maddow brought this up on her show tonight. She said that all these appointments are designed to strip power from Congress, another important step in the grab for absolute power. He will bypass the Senate if allowed and use Musk and Rameswami to take away the House’s power of the purse. The Congress has to resist now and we all need to be contacting our Representatives and Senators to hold them accountable now before it’s too late!

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I honestly think we should all be organizing now for a general strike when Trump inevitably causes a constitutional crisis. I personally think recess appointments would be enough to warrant one, but I fear we have neither the time nor the support to organize it in response to that specific issue yet.

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I recall an almost immediate response against the Muslim ban at airports. Lawyers volunteering their time. I feel like millions of us are ready.

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I'm spending time organizing trying to make sure we are, but I'm not a professional labor organizer or anything, just a grad student studying to be a librarian. I mean, I'm a proud and active union member, but I think it'll take a bit more work in order to have enough people to do an effective general strike, and I'm scared we don't have enough time to get it done before he causes a true constitutional crisis. I wish somebody more knowledgeable and influential than me were loudly and publicly taking point on it though.

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ACLU engaged with many others.

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Let us have VIGILS everywhere wherever people are able. They can be groups of ten, or a hundreds or thousands. Or like Greta, one consistent presence.

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@indivisible.org will organize resistance. I just joined and to group locally in my city also.

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Thank you! I'm currently in a deep-red state, but active in my union, and planning to get more involved with DSA, but I'll check them out as well!

Also, just as a reminder for anybody who sees this, libraries are excellent resources, community hubs, and arsenals of democracy.

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Remember that Trompe and his MAGA cult are also anti-unions. He's already got his minions trying to pass legislation that will give him the power to declare not-for-profits like the ACLU "terrorist organizations". Don't be shocked or surprised when he goes after labor unions (he'll probably label them as Socialist or Communist).

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Reminds me of 1930s Germany—Hitler sent the legislature on a 4 year vacation so he could consolidate his power and we all know where that ended. As Trump,said, “He wants to be a dictator on Day One”. Believe him!

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I don't believe that he will live for the next four years. He is obese, eats fat-filled foods, basically doesn't get any meaningful exercise, hardly sleeps- what else? His dementia is increasing, the level of stress he will be under has aged younger men.

I truly feel he is dead man walking 🧟‍♂️.

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He reminds me of the old observation, “Too mean to die.”

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As one of my doctors said, from deep experience, about those who live long against all odds and/or for no apparent good reason: "Never underestimate the power of sheer stubbornness."

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Doesn’t matter, they’re going to get rid of him as soon as they can, and then JD, not even his real name, Vance will become president and serve for as long as he wants. Plus, they’re going to elect at least two SCOTUS sooner than later. I’m not resigned, I’m realistic.

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Maybe he will take Hydroxychloroquine from RFKJr, or will OD on Viagra.

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Ivermectin, too!!

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And that puts that twerp Vance in command. He's someone's puppet already.

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he's backed by the billionaire Peter Theil

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But everyone around him won’t be dead. They will continue the dictatorship Trump is attempting to put in place if we, the people, let him.

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I worry Vance would be even worse.

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He'll be sure to anoint his successor before he dies and eliminate elections.

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Since Trump scarcely does much of anything stressful--even, famously, as President--he will likely regard it as a nice vacation with the extra benefit of revenge and robbing people and the country of yet more money.

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I think the Project 2025 oligarchs will let him stay for maybe a year. Then they'll invoke the 25th Amendment to get rid of him and elevate JDV to the presidency for the remainder of Trompe's term. JDV then will run as an incumbent (and, if my understanding of the Constitution is accurate, he can have 2 terms as president if, God forbid, he gets elected).

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Joyce, have you seen this letter that cybersecurity expert Stephen Spoonamore sent to Kamala Harris?

https://substack.com/home/post/p-151721941

In it there is also a link to another letter sent my several other computer scientists telling her the insecurities created by the Georgia election office breach necessitate a hand recount to make sure results are valid.

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Is this legit ? How can you have ballots with nothing down ballot ?

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It refers to voters who only filled in the one line and didn’t bother with anything below that. But the peculiarity is that there was up to 10 times more of those in the swing states than the others (5% compared to 0.5%). Spoonamore has experience with IT that tells him how easily that can be done. Not by the people at the voting sites, but in the software.

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I hope someone is looking at this closely. Seems awfully suspicious and easy for someone with criminal intent to pull off.

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This is what's hinky.

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So why is this not front page news, being discussed on every PodCast, and all over “social media”? Why isn’t the Democratic Party filing tons of law suits, like the R’s did in 2020 to contest the votes? I’m totally lost here, what action do we collectively take besides “wringing our hands and giving each other ulcers” ?

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Once Congress leaves to allow his recess appointments, there is no need for a Congress. America would be gone.

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“It’s almost as though Trump doesn't want a government made up of people with good character. Bad character is acceptable, maybe even preferable.” I think the last sentence should say, “Bad character is actually preferable to Trump.” Trump doesn’t want people with good character around. It makes him look bad, which of course he is.

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He needs people he can easily bully and manipulate. He’s a pro at finding people who will do anything for power. He had that with Pence, but when it came down to it, Pence had a line he would not cross.

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Last August 2024, the ACLU (SoCal) filed a Freedom of Information Request Seeking information on how ICE is going contract chartered flights or use the U.S. military to expedite "mass deportation". ACLU vs. ICE. Propaganda will spewed out by Trump's Anti-social platform & 'Day 1' federal media assets seeking to scare targets.

The Guardian U.S. is covering the multiple deportation issues including family separation and/or the targeting of families headed by naturalized U.S. Citizens.

The Guardian offers a FREE newsletter: "Headline U.S.". The Reader can control the number of emails per week. I chose seven (7) -- 1 a day.

Stay safe All.

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Oy, Its such a head shake and a deep shiver

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What a night mare

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I’m just going to keep saying this: Trump will never let any of his appointees go through confirmation hearings. If he doesn’t get them to adjourn so he can make recess appointments, he’ll just make them “acting” Secretaries and claim they don’t have to be confirmed.

All of you wringing your hands over hearings and confirmation votes are wasting your time.

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I also believe SCOTUS slapped down Obama when he tried to do too many recess appointments, but with this SCOTUS, who knows?

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Per the Senate Historical Office only 3 CABINET secretaries have been appointed DURING a recess since 1990. The last was Senator Tower who paid too much special attention to female secretaries rather than defense. The Pig exception.

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I believe there are some positions where “acting” isn’t possible, or the role is filled by the deputy. Now, maybe the deputy can be acting. I don’t know that either. It will be a Pure D shit show, for certain.

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Correct Linda. Per the GAO, " the Nominee to a covered position may NOT serve as the acting office under the Vacancies Act 5 U.S.C. section 3345(b)(1).

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Day 1 dictator plans?--looks like he's jumping the gun.

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To clarify, he can't do recess appointments UNTIL he is actually president, right?

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Right. But the Dems so far seem determined to let them roll over us.

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