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Ralf W

@raflw.bsky.social

2.4K followers 740 following 9.6K posts

If the press cannot report reality, there is no remaining basis upon which to solve problems. And solving problems is a central thrust of governing. Peripatetic pessimist-optimist. Hanger on at Balloon Juice, also too. MSP / CO / WI

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 8d

Here's what far right ideologue Russ Vought and his Heritage bomb-throwers seem not to understand:

Destroy ACA and some mythical income-producing 'free market' health care system will not flourish in its place.

There will just be less care. Less money going even to for-profit clinics or hospitals.

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett @crockett.house.gov · 8d

Republicans would rather shut down the government than protect the Affordable Care Act. A shutdown puts ACA tax credits at risk—and in Texas, premiums could jump 289%, costing families $459 more each year. (1/2)

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 2m

Wow.

Huge kudos to Simon!

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 4m

Asking Leader Thune and his Whip what the Democrats are 'thinking about doing' is about as useful as asking a husband what his wife has planned for him for Saturday afternoon.

Husband: Football! Beer!
Wife: Sweep the garage and put away the lawn furniture.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 17m

Veeery intereeeesting.

I guess maybe the risk of blowing up the NGA was a good threat?

Sometimes Dems do know how to play hardball.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 22m

I think I now understand the breathless "400% MATCH!" offers I see in my phone's spam filter.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 32m

I sure hope this is just Thune & Barrasso making mouth noises to try to shift the narrative.

Because there's not a chance in hell that any "Pay you next week for hamburgers today" deal-i-o between Thune and Schumer would work.

The GOP rug pull would be INSTANT once a funding bill passes.

J. Wellington Wimpy from the comic strip Popeye, who was always broke and making ridiculous promises to pay later for something enjoyed now.

A fool's bet, in other words.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 37m

I think (or maybe I just hope?) a lot of people were shocked by how thoroughly Vance attacked - via lies - the people of Springfield (his constituents as a Senator!).
Blowback was certainly rising. I think the only reason it didn't damage him more was because of his position as Trump's running mate.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 47m

That's not unheard of, but really rare.

Wish we had journalists at big, deeply funded outlets like the NYT who would actually do reporting.

Call the damn airline! Find someone else who was on the flight who made it to Europe and see if they saw anything, heard anything.

It's *weird* and spooky.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 51m

Perversely, this from the article gives me hope. Why? Because Vance will not have this. It's pretty obvious that Noem, Rubio, Hegseth etc. don't have it.
Neither do Don Jr. or (lol) Eric. I doubt even Ivanka has much, and she's shown more interest in Luxe Life than the Oval Office.

Phillips O'Brien: Now, one of the reasons I get frustrated when people talk about Trump being a buffoon, or stupid, etc., is that this leads to the type of drastic underestimation of his political abilities that helps him immensely. Trump is one of the most intuitive operators in US political history—a seminal figure who has the ability to motivate and understand his base in a way that has been shared by very few others (and I hate saying that). Not understanding his political skills, respecting them, and responding to them appropriately, is one of the reasons Democrats have failed repeatedly against him.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 55m

"What if it's the feds who are provoking the violence, rather than stopping it?

**DOJ says it doesn't matter.**"

That's the whole ballgame.

Dan Froomkin/Press Watch/Heads Up News @froomkin.bsky.social · 1h

Judge who has been asked to block National Guard deployment in Chicago asks DOJ a key question: What if it's the feds who are provoking the violence, rather than stopping it? DOJ says it doesn't matter.

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 1h

Perry asks again whether, if the inability to execute the law is b/c of the feds' "own provocation, does that matter under the law?"

Hamilton: "No, if that were true, the fact still remains that we are seeing sustained violence against federal personnel and property in Illinois."

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 57m

Does RFK Jr think the "None of this is positive..." gets him out of lawsuits?

(OK, given the way the Supreme Six have gone, it probably does.)

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 1h

IOW, they're so high on their own supply, and utterly immune to liberal critique.
Conservative critique? They'll jump wherever directed. Subscribers? To be pitied (or loathed) and milked for more.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 1h

I'm sure we'd get some editor drivel about how they've reported on TPUSA before and that "readers can make up their own minds about that history."

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 1h

Agreed, but also things do change. Even the Catholic Church isn't a fix bag of attributes. The papacy has gone from Ratzinger to Francis and then Leo.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 1h

Direct link to his newsletter (where he fully blames Democrats for the shutdown).
bsky.app/profile/enth...

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 1h

Nate Cohn's morning newsletter today was eye opening in how far up the Republican alimentary tract he's gone.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 5h

I thought my brain would explode after reading Nate Cohn's politics newsletter this morning (I just reskeeted a gift link to it).

I had to fisk it.

balloon-juice.com/2025/10/09/t...

Balloon Juice - Thursday Morning Open Thread: Staying On Message

"So, Democrats have three words for this: no fucking way. It's literally life or death. We will not let Republicans blow up our health care system." This is, hands down, the best comms work Chuck Schu...

balloon-juice.com

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 1h

Protecting the elite and their access to untaxed money.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 1h

Also, this implies the flight (as in, the aircraft departure) got cancelled.

That's not it! He and his family's booking -- after checkin and bag drop -- was nixed. That's really, really rare (and weird!).

The article eventually clarifies but never really says how unusual that is.

Sloppy.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 2h

I think the Democratic base is far, far more angry and ready for action than our lofty, consultant-swarmed leaders are aware.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 3h

American Catholicism is going to have to decide.

Opus Dei + Scotus Catholics who enable the worst possible man as President; or Pope Leo and some good honest worker justice pastoring.

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Reposted by Ralf W

Hillary Rodham Clinton @hillaryclinton.bsky.social · 3h

Yesterday: Trump bragged, "We took the freedom of speech away."

Today: New reporting on Trump's plans to go after opposition groups.

In 9 days: We mount the largest peaceful protest in modern history to say, loud and clear, that America has no king.

nokings.org

USA Today: 'We took the freedom of speech away:' Trump on flag burning protection, First Amendment

Reuters: Trump's war on the left: inside the plan to investigate liberal groups

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 3h

might actually lose them their cushy, made for TV jobs. So they're rousting themselves to do a smidge of work.

Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 3h

Five of Massie's counties have median incomes below $30,000. And MTG represents the poorest corner of Georgia.

They may not like ACA. They may claim that people resent "government handouts" but they also know that having hospital systems & nursing homes in their Districts collapse into bankruptcy

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 3h

I admire how straightforward he stupid little brain lets her be sometimes.

Reposted by Ralf W

David Waldman @kagrox.bsky.social · 3h

"The President of Peace Who Lost Portland to War" is a thing that exists in their heads.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 3h

VARNEY: There's virtually universal agreement on this program that the president should get the Nobel Peace Prize. After all, if Obama can get one for doing very little, surely President Trump can get one for bringing peace.

JONI ERNST: Exactly. President Trump is the president of peace.

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Ralf W @raflw.bsky.social · 3h

Sure enough.

So, I suspect that someone will give Trump the "Noble Prize" - he's so pudding brained he'd probably brag about it!