Brian Cook
@2ndadminstate.bsky.social
Tinkering with the Constitution has failed. The American commercial republic must be reconstructed.
Professor Emeritus of Public Administration & Policy, Virginia Tech.
"Speech is silver, silence is gold. Self is universe."
--Ursula Le Guin
Professor Emeritus of Public Administration & Policy, Virginia Tech.
"Speech is silver, silence is gold. Self is universe."
--Ursula Le Guin
Pinned
Brian Cook
@2ndadminstate.bsky.social
· Feb 25
Here is the essence of the American republic’s dilemma. Those with considerable wealth and control over productive assets do not necessarily need a regime of self-government to sustain their lifestyle and wealth-generating pursuits. But the republic needed them if was to prosper over time.
Reposted by Brian Cook
A democracy where a coordinated effort by national leaders of one party to subvert an election outcome does not lead to any real consequences is a democracy unlikely to last long
Judge dismisses Georgia criminal case against Donald Trump
Judge dismisses Georgia criminal case against Donald Trump
It was the last remaining prosecution he faced over his efforts to subvert the 2020 election.
dlvr.it
November 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM
A democracy where a coordinated effort by national leaders of one party to subvert an election outcome does not lead to any real consequences is a democracy unlikely to last long
Reposted by Brian Cook
This isn't a foreign psy-op, and it's not the product of social media bots. It's a homegrown menace, and it's getting worse. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
November 26, 2025 at 3:16 PM
This isn't a foreign psy-op, and it's not the product of social media bots. It's a homegrown menace, and it's getting worse. www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
Oh look. Things are happening in the world outside the 24/7 Trump immersion tank, aka American media.
There’s been a coup in Guinea-Bissau. The army is in control. (AFP)
November 26, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Oh look. Things are happening in the world outside the 24/7 Trump immersion tank, aka American media.
Reposted by Brian Cook
In Google's search engine, you can suppress AI summaries by adding "-ar" to the end of your query.
For example: "best way to brine a turkey -ar" www.google.com/search?q=bes...
For example: "best way to brine a turkey -ar" www.google.com/search?q=bes...
November 26, 2025 at 2:26 PM
In Google's search engine, you can suppress AI summaries by adding "-ar" to the end of your query.
For example: "best way to brine a turkey -ar" www.google.com/search?q=bes...
For example: "best way to brine a turkey -ar" www.google.com/search?q=bes...
Alas, for many if not most members of Congress, wrapping it up and going home is what they prefer. Their favorite vote is to recess and take days or even weeks off.
Statement from Scouting America. If Congress can't stop its laws from being ignored for obviously pretextual reasons, they may as well wrap it up and go home. www.scoutingnewsroom.org/press-releas...
November 26, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Alas, for many if not most members of Congress, wrapping it up and going home is what they prefer. Their favorite vote is to recess and take days or even weeks off.
Reposted by Brian Cook
If this secret OLC memo blessing the boat strikes is so convincing, why won’t the administration release it?
More reporting indicating OLC is relying on fabricated armed conflicts + concept of “war sustaining” targets to justify the killing spree at sea.
If no war, then no war sustaining targets.
And secret legal justification not the same a Trump admin rationale.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
If no war, then no war sustaining targets.
And secret legal justification not the same a Trump admin rationale.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
US justice department memo about boat strikes diverges from Trump narrative
Exclusive: Officials frame strikes as self-defense against violence, without naming aggressor, while Trump claims they’re to stop US overdose deaths
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:56 PM
If this secret OLC memo blessing the boat strikes is so convincing, why won’t the administration release it?
Reposted by Brian Cook
To be clear (since NPR isn't), the "joke" is premised on the fact that Trump is kidnapping people w/o due process and shipping them to offshore concentration slave camps in defiance of court orders, human rights accordances, the U.S. constitution, all tenets of common decency, and international law.
President Trump brought grievances to the Thanksgiving pardoning ceremony on Tuesday. He joked about sending the turkeys to a prison in El Salvador, and claimed that last year's turkey pardons were invalid. n.pr/48nUsYx
Trump spares turkeys — but not his political opponents — at annual pardoning ceremony
President Trump brought grievances to the Thanksgiving pardoning ceremony on Tuesday. He joked about sending the turkeys to a prison in El Salvador, and claimed that last year's turkey pardons were invalid.
n.pr
November 26, 2025 at 11:17 AM
To be clear (since NPR isn't), the "joke" is premised on the fact that Trump is kidnapping people w/o due process and shipping them to offshore concentration slave camps in defiance of court orders, human rights accordances, the U.S. constitution, all tenets of common decency, and international law.
SCOTUS has held POTUS immune from prosecution for “official acts”. The only check on a sitting President is impeachment, which is a *public* process. If POTUS can prosecute MoC for discussing whether his actions are illegal, no force w/in the government can check him www.newsweek.com/fbi-intervie...
FBI interviewing Democrats Trump has called "seditious"
The group of Democratic lawmakers released a video last week saying, "Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders."
www.newsweek.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Reposted by Brian Cook
SCOTUS has held POTUS immune from prosecution for “official acts”. The only check on a sitting President is impeachment, which is a *public* process. If POTUS can prosecute MoC for discussing whether his actions are illegal, no force w/in the government can check him www.newsweek.com/fbi-intervie...
FBI interviewing Democrats Trump has called "seditious"
The group of Democratic lawmakers released a video last week saying, "Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders."
www.newsweek.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:54 PM
SCOTUS has held POTUS immune from prosecution for “official acts”. The only check on a sitting President is impeachment, which is a *public* process. If POTUS can prosecute MoC for discussing whether his actions are illegal, no force w/in the government can check him www.newsweek.com/fbi-intervie...
Reposted by Brian Cook
Sen. Sal DiDomenico: “The fear and trauma caused in our community is crossing a line where our kids and families are being impacted every day.” Talks about ICE agents hanging out by carriage return at supermarkets. Emphasizes the importance of passing the Safe Communities Act. #mapoli
November 25, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Sen. Sal DiDomenico: “The fear and trauma caused in our community is crossing a line where our kids and families are being impacted every day.” Talks about ICE agents hanging out by carriage return at supermarkets. Emphasizes the importance of passing the Safe Communities Act. #mapoli
It’s not “unusual” you autocrat-enabling fools! It’s market-manipulating grift by an illegitimate president and his criminal cronies.
“.. The unusual government intervention .. is fueling some concerns, including the opacity of the process, the potential for favoritism, corruption and market distortions, along with the possible loss of taxpayer funds should the investments fail.”
@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
November 25, 2025 at 3:16 PM
It’s not “unusual” you autocrat-enabling fools! It’s market-manipulating grift by an illegitimate president and his criminal cronies.
It's the American way!
NEW: For years, a Connecticut towing company sold cars at a deep discount to a firm owned by a longtime DMV employee, Dominik Stefanski.
In one case, he bought a Cadillac for $1,000 and sold it for $17,500.
In one case, he bought a Cadillac for $1,000 and sold it for $17,500.
Connecticut DMV Fires Employee Who Made Thousands Selling Towed Cars
Investigators found the longtime employee traded favors with a towing company to purchase vehicles at a steep discount, according to a termination letter.
www.propublica.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:19 PM
It's the American way!
Reposted by Brian Cook
Always Remember: The President serves at the pleasure of Congress and not the other way around. It is the most powerful branch and if the federal government sucks, it’s the fault of the Congress and all the members in there.
November 25, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Always Remember: The President serves at the pleasure of Congress and not the other way around. It is the most powerful branch and if the federal government sucks, it’s the fault of the Congress and all the members in there.
Wait a minute. Does this mean that the Fed pursuing its dual mandate involves political maneuvering, rallying factions, and biasing future outcomes?
It's all politics, folks. Both high and low, and for both good and ill.
It's all politics, folks. Both high and low, and for both good and ill.
TIMIRAOS: ".. Powell is likely to weigh two approaches .. The first: cut rates, as markets now expect, and use the exquisitely negotiated post-meeting statement to signal a higher bar for further reductions."
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/economy/cent...
@wsj.com
www.wsj.com/economy/cent...
Fed Chair Powell’s Allies Provide Opening for December Rate Cut
A divided committee, missing data and a whiff of stagflation leave Powell to choose between two paths—each with drawbacks
www.wsj.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Wait a minute. Does this mean that the Fed pursuing its dual mandate involves political maneuvering, rallying factions, and biasing future outcomes?
It's all politics, folks. Both high and low, and for both good and ill.
It's all politics, folks. Both high and low, and for both good and ill.
Reposted by Brian Cook
“Without prejudice” inconsequential in context because statute of limitations has passed for the acts with which Comey was charged.
BREAKING: Comey case dismissed without prejudice. Halligan invalidly appointed, judge rules. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 24, 2025 at 9:41 PM
“Without prejudice” inconsequential in context because statute of limitations has passed for the acts with which Comey was charged.
Reposted by Brian Cook
@drteague9455.bsky.social set a trap for his students, what he learned is a major bummer. The lure of the large language model is strong, and the students don't know what they don't know. Freedom and literacy are on the line, history urges us to our own work.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/set-tr...
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/set-tr...
I Set A Trap To Catch Students Cheating With AI. The Result Was Deflating
"I am no stranger to students trying to cut corners by copying and pasting from Wikipedia, but the introduction of generative AI has enabled them to cheat in startling new ways."
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 1:43 PM
@drteague9455.bsky.social set a trap for his students, what he learned is a major bummer. The lure of the large language model is strong, and the students don't know what they don't know. Freedom and literacy are on the line, history urges us to our own work.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/set-tr...
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/set-tr...
Reposted by Brian Cook
To be fair, the Project 2025 people are responsible too.
Russell Vought and Heritage and Clarence Thomas and the rightwing billionaires from Crow to Koch to Uihlein that fund their work and supported the long term planning for the crime spree.
Russell Vought and Heritage and Clarence Thomas and the rightwing billionaires from Crow to Koch to Uihlein that fund their work and supported the long term planning for the crime spree.
November 22, 2025 at 11:03 PM
To be fair, the Project 2025 people are responsible too.
Russell Vought and Heritage and Clarence Thomas and the rightwing billionaires from Crow to Koch to Uihlein that fund their work and supported the long term planning for the crime spree.
Russell Vought and Heritage and Clarence Thomas and the rightwing billionaires from Crow to Koch to Uihlein that fund their work and supported the long term planning for the crime spree.
Reposted by Brian Cook
"Examples of Unlawful Orders:
- Targeting or intentionally harming civilians
- Torturing or abusing detainees
- Falsifying operational or legal records
- Engaging in unauthorized political or domestic law enforcement actions"
Read the full article:
- Targeting or intentionally harming civilians
- Torturing or abusing detainees
- Falsifying operational or legal records
- Engaging in unauthorized political or domestic law enforcement actions"
Read the full article:
A good primer on every service member's duty to refuse unlawful orders, including examples of unlawful orders, and key legal precedents:
Orders Under Fire: When Following Command Becomes a Legal Risk in Today’s Military
Amid rising concerns over leadership disputes at the Pentagon, shifting policies, and operational uncertainty, service members are facing a growing question: What happens when an order from the top do...
www.militarydefense.com
November 22, 2025 at 3:37 PM
"Examples of Unlawful Orders:
- Targeting or intentionally harming civilians
- Torturing or abusing detainees
- Falsifying operational or legal records
- Engaging in unauthorized political or domestic law enforcement actions"
Read the full article:
- Targeting or intentionally harming civilians
- Torturing or abusing detainees
- Falsifying operational or legal records
- Engaging in unauthorized political or domestic law enforcement actions"
Read the full article:
"...a kind of post-modern nobility, a class which does not rule exclusively but interacts with politics in a fundamentally different way from the rest of society."
That, dear readers, is the very definition of a faction, albeit a minority faction. Even J. Madison acknowledged the threat eventually.
That, dear readers, is the very definition of a faction, albeit a minority faction. Even J. Madison acknowledged the threat eventually.
November 22, 2025 at 2:54 PM
"...a kind of post-modern nobility, a class which does not rule exclusively but interacts with politics in a fundamentally different way from the rest of society."
That, dear readers, is the very definition of a faction, albeit a minority faction. Even J. Madison acknowledged the threat eventually.
That, dear readers, is the very definition of a faction, albeit a minority faction. Even J. Madison acknowledged the threat eventually.
I want a poster sized version of this for my very own.
Also a wallet sized version that I can pull out and point to when I cross paths with the many people around here with absolutely no sense of humor.
Also a wallet sized version that I can pull out and point to when I cross paths with the many people around here with absolutely no sense of humor.
November 22, 2025 at 1:21 PM
I want a poster sized version of this for my very own.
Also a wallet sized version that I can pull out and point to when I cross paths with the many people around here with absolutely no sense of humor.
Also a wallet sized version that I can pull out and point to when I cross paths with the many people around here with absolutely no sense of humor.
100 percent guarantee: generative AI will not raise productivity in general use. Except maybe money laundering and drug dealing. Like crypto.
AI is now central to the macro story: markets are booming on data-center spending. But a warehouse of servers is mostly capital, not workers. Great for stock prices, not so great for broad job growth—unless AI eventually raises productivity in other sectors too.
November 21, 2025 at 1:23 PM
100 percent guarantee: generative AI will not raise productivity in general use. Except maybe money laundering and drug dealing. Like crypto.
Reposted by Brian Cook
In a functioning system, trump would be removed from office for his execution call alone. That he has not been removed and will not be removed is one of many pieces of evidence that the constitutional system has failed.
Any President who calls for the opposition party to be hanged should be immediately impeached and removed from office.
November 20, 2025 at 11:53 PM
In a functioning system, trump would be removed from office for his execution call alone. That he has not been removed and will not be removed is one of many pieces of evidence that the constitutional system has failed.
Reposted by Brian Cook
Mark Kelly's wife narrowly survived an assassination attempt, so it is some measure of Kelly's courage, and Trump's absolute lack of empathy, that he would call for Kelly and other Senators to be killed.
Gotta lean heavily into this, which i think they will. Trumps weak and getting weaker. He’s supporting criminal conduct. Time is against him. rollcall.com/2025/11/20/d...
Democratic hawks defiant after Trump accuses them of 'seditious' act - Roll Call
Democrats stood by their call for troops to disobey unlawful orders after Trump suggested they could be executed for "seditious behavior."
rollcall.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Mark Kelly's wife narrowly survived an assassination attempt, so it is some measure of Kelly's courage, and Trump's absolute lack of empathy, that he would call for Kelly and other Senators to be killed.
Reposted by Brian Cook
Two truths for today:
Truth #1: When facing an unlawful order, members of the military have a duty to disobey it.
Truth #2: When a president calls for the execution of Members of Congress for stating Truth #1, that president should be immediately impeached + removed from office. @fsfp.bsky.social 1/
Truth #1: When facing an unlawful order, members of the military have a duty to disobey it.
Truth #2: When a president calls for the execution of Members of Congress for stating Truth #1, that president should be immediately impeached + removed from office. @fsfp.bsky.social 1/
November 20, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Two truths for today:
Truth #1: When facing an unlawful order, members of the military have a duty to disobey it.
Truth #2: When a president calls for the execution of Members of Congress for stating Truth #1, that president should be immediately impeached + removed from office. @fsfp.bsky.social 1/
Truth #1: When facing an unlawful order, members of the military have a duty to disobey it.
Truth #2: When a president calls for the execution of Members of Congress for stating Truth #1, that president should be immediately impeached + removed from office. @fsfp.bsky.social 1/
Reposted by Brian Cook
Thank you @algreen.house.gov for your continued leadership and courage in standing up for our Constitution and our democracy. And thank you to the @removalcoalition.bsky.social. I was honored to be with all of you at today’s press conference. @fsfp.bsky.social www.impeachtrumpagain.org
BREAKING: @algreen.house.gov announced today that he will force ANOTHER House vote on Trump's impeachment before the Christmas break. "This, I pledge." #ImpeachTrump
Rogue House Democrat Will Again Force Trump Impeachment Vote
Democratic Rep. Al Green is seeking to force a vote on impeaching President Donald Trump before Christmas.
news.bgov.com
November 20, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Thank you @algreen.house.gov for your continued leadership and courage in standing up for our Constitution and our democracy. And thank you to the @removalcoalition.bsky.social. I was honored to be with all of you at today’s press conference. @fsfp.bsky.social www.impeachtrumpagain.org