Commenter Archive

Comments by Slade the Leveller in reply to Philip H*

On “Open Mic for the week of 2/24/2025

He only makes $7,200/yr. as Lt. Governor, so at least the TX taxpayers aren't getting ripped off for nonsense like this.

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If MD is anything like IL, it's due to a legislature that wants to have European style social services, with an American style of taxation. That is, a lot and a little.

Plus, IL has an overly generous public pension obligation that is nearly impossible to get rid of.

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I'm not saying we should throw our lot in with China. Far from it. But tying aid to rapacious terms, as the Trump administration has done with Ukraine, is hardly a better alternative for the aid recipient.

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Hitherto, U.S. aid had come, more or less, without strings. I imagine people looked on that a little more favorably than a Chinese loan with lots of them.

On “Weekend Plans Post: Psych

Dinner at my favorite chain chicken place tonight: Nando’s Peri-Peri.

We’ve been working our way through What We Do in the Shadows of late. If you like comedic vampires, this show is right up your alley. Matt Berry as an oversexed Laszlo Cravensworth is a treasure.

Tomorrow we’re getting together with my mom and siblings to play Skyjo. Extremely fun card game that’s easy to kibbitz over.

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To think Rubio gave up a safe Senate seat for this sh*tshow.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c625ex282zzt

Fishing Vance, talking about Ukraine's manpower difficulties during a press event. Everyone knows the issues they're having with troops, but, for God's sake, you don't air your dirty laundry like that. Putin has a great friend in the White House right now.

On “From Fox News: AG Pam Bondi announces Epstein files will start to be released on Thursday the 27th

I agree with David TC below. Should it see the light of day? Of course. Will old conspiracy theories go away? Of course not. Will new conspiracy theories arise? Have you seen the American electorate lately?

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It's kind of amazing there's that much paper for an event that happened in broad daylight, perpetrated by a guy who was gunned down in the hallway of the Dallas PD HQ. Sounds like a lot of Oliver Stone conspiracy theory busywork.

On “In Times Without Norms, All Laws Fall Silent

Plenty of SCOTUS ex post facto stuff. This one goes way back

https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-louisiana-purchase-jeffersons-constitutional-gamble

On “Open Mic for the week of 2/24/2025

That's a curious thing to compare it to, though I do suppose they both fall into the category of things that should never happen.

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Here's the form: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-589.pdf

There are 6 criteria. I don't know if filing the form gets you an automatic hearing, but I'll bet Lee does.

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All we know is what Lee told us. A U.S. judge applied current American asylum law and granted Lee's client asylum.

If we want to discuss the law, that's fine, but it's not at all germane to the current deportee's plight.

On “Supreme Court issues Stay

The executive is required by law to report to Congress why the money appropriated is not being spent.

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An executive order is not the law.

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I highly doubt if any of this has happened: https://www.gao.gov/products/095406

The law is clearly being flouted.

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Should any of us be wondering how any court in the United States would rule on a clearly unconstitutional move by the executive? That said, SCOTUS has already put the office above the law, so maybe the case is already moot.

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Already done, sir. We're just seeing the aftermath.

On “Open Mic for the week of 2/24/2025

Hopefully Lee will report how quickly the "error" is recognized and he's transported back to the U.S.

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The scuttlebutt is he's headed to FLL. Pix with DJT at Mar-a-Lago upcoming, no doubt. Game knows game!

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The Dems held the presidency from 1933-1953. Granted it was 2 men.

On “Open Mic for the week of 2/24/2025

The Republicans got busy in the state trenches during BHO's 2 terms. I visited this site: https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/state-partisan-composition to see what happened. There are reports going back to 2009 (very convenient!)

In 2009, Dems controlled the legislatures of 28 states. In 2025 Republicans control 28. In the U.S. House, Ds held 255 seats to Rs' 179. Now we essentially have a tie. The D ground game totally went to shite in the intervening 15 years.

Obama didn't get much done because he was stymied by an R minority in the Senate. If people are worried about what Congress is doing now, they'd really freak out if Rs ever got a filibuster proof majority in the Senate.

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It's a lot easier for people to understand the proximate cause than the remote cause.

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