Leo Burnett
@cascobay.bsky.social
civic tech, Maine politics, decolonial history, tech privacy, housing justice.
wabanaki land - machigonne aka portland ME
wabanaki land - machigonne aka portland ME
I wrote a piece in the @mainemorningstar.com on data centers and the AI debate in Maine- and why political leaders should catch on to the growing pushback to big tech #mepolitics
December 22, 2025 at 8:53 PM
I wrote a piece in the @mainemorningstar.com on data centers and the AI debate in Maine- and why political leaders should catch on to the growing pushback to big tech #mepolitics
Calling it a fancy spellcheck instead of AI is both a great mockery and it’s descriptive and actually helpful in explaining what large language models actually ARE which are prediction machines and not at all intelligent
December 22, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Calling it a fancy spellcheck instead of AI is both a great mockery and it’s descriptive and actually helpful in explaining what large language models actually ARE which are prediction machines and not at all intelligent
There are some pretty scary political applications of AI, especially with video. But as someone who has worked in the churn n' burn political biz, I think AI's largest impact won't be in the realm of persuasion but rather in further eroding the legitimacy of the entire process
“If the last decade was shaped by viral lies and doctored videos, the next will be shaped by a subtler force: [AI] messages that sound reasonable, familiar, and just persuasive enough to change hearts and minds,” warn Tal Feldman and Aneesh Pappu. www.technologyreview.com/2025/12/05/1...
The era of AI persuasion in elections is about to begin
AI is eminently capable of political persuasion and could automate it at a mass scale. We are not prepared.
www.technologyreview.com
December 15, 2025 at 4:30 PM
There are some pretty scary political applications of AI, especially with video. But as someone who has worked in the churn n' burn political biz, I think AI's largest impact won't be in the realm of persuasion but rather in further eroding the legitimacy of the entire process
I've noticed a new trend where the for-profit utility companies (spectruminternet, CMP electricity) are starting to send customer emails that make it seem like they are being proactive and responsive, like "we're letting you know that we're monitoring the storm"
December 1, 2025 at 7:58 PM
I've noticed a new trend where the for-profit utility companies (spectruminternet, CMP electricity) are starting to send customer emails that make it seem like they are being proactive and responsive, like "we're letting you know that we're monitoring the storm"
Reposted by Leo Burnett
Joseph Weizenbaum wrote that, "The myth of technological and political and social inevitability is a powerful tranquilizer of the conscience," and one thing I'm thankful for today is everybody working together to fight the myths of inevitability.
November 27, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Joseph Weizenbaum wrote that, "The myth of technological and political and social inevitability is a powerful tranquilizer of the conscience," and one thing I'm thankful for today is everybody working together to fight the myths of inevitability.
And even in the actual "news" sections, the headline is "Dems are angry at Angus, in an unexpected and new development" as though it's just whiny partisans who are pissed their healthcare premiums are doubling.
Portland Press Herald opinion section today. Totally normal stuff. #MEpolitics
November 13, 2025 at 5:20 PM
And even in the actual "news" sections, the headline is "Dems are angry at Angus, in an unexpected and new development" as though it's just whiny partisans who are pissed their healthcare premiums are doubling.
Candidates whose whole politics amounts to “let’s just all be reasonable and sit around a table and calmly solve our differences” are a fascist’s ideal politician.
Gubernatorial candidate Angus King the Third promises us 10% of what we want in this earthshaking op-ed. This must get the crowds stomping their feet & hanging from the rafters at Chamber of Commerce breakfasts.
November 13, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Candidates whose whole politics amounts to “let’s just all be reasonable and sit around a table and calmly solve our differences” are a fascist’s ideal politician.
Has anyone in Maine done a search for George Mitchell in the Epstein trove yet? Elite impunity isn’t just in Washington.. #mepolitics
November 13, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Has anyone in Maine done a search for George Mitchell in the Epstein trove yet? Elite impunity isn’t just in Washington.. #mepolitics
Angus King is a businessman and he leads with that perspective. Time to get back to work, everyone. Solidarity? Leverage? Fight? Foreign concepts to a guy whose entire career is one long train of forgettable, pro-corporate policies sprinkled with self-serious speeches. #mepolitics
This is so freaking feeble. The guy seems tired. Go home. #MEpolitics
November 10, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Angus King is a businessman and he leads with that perspective. Time to get back to work, everyone. Solidarity? Leverage? Fight? Foreign concepts to a guy whose entire career is one long train of forgettable, pro-corporate policies sprinkled with self-serious speeches. #mepolitics
Worth noting that the same ways Susan Collins is repeatedly given the fluff treatment by the Maine press (something covered in excellent detail by @collinswatch.bsky.social) is how King is treated, too.
Today's Press Herald headline: "Shutdown end in sight as Maine’s King helps break stalemate"
Today's Press Herald headline: "Shutdown end in sight as Maine’s King helps break stalemate"
Angus King and Janet Mills both could have retired comfortably and retained their reputation as fairly respected politicians. Instead both decided to cling to power into their 80s and show the entire nation their true colors. #mepolitics
Angus King: "This initial strategy didn't work. And now we have one. We're gonna have a guaranteed vote on the ACA, and it may not succeed. I grant that. But a reasonable chance -- 10, 20, 30% -- is a lot better than 0% which is where we were."
November 10, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Worth noting that the same ways Susan Collins is repeatedly given the fluff treatment by the Maine press (something covered in excellent detail by @collinswatch.bsky.social) is how King is treated, too.
Today's Press Herald headline: "Shutdown end in sight as Maine’s King helps break stalemate"
Today's Press Herald headline: "Shutdown end in sight as Maine’s King helps break stalemate"
Angus King and Janet Mills both could have retired comfortably and retained their reputation as fairly respected politicians. Instead both decided to cling to power into their 80s and show the entire nation their true colors. #mepolitics
Angus King: "This initial strategy didn't work. And now we have one. We're gonna have a guaranteed vote on the ACA, and it may not succeed. I grant that. But a reasonable chance -- 10, 20, 30% -- is a lot better than 0% which is where we were."
November 10, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Angus King and Janet Mills both could have retired comfortably and retained their reputation as fairly respected politicians. Instead both decided to cling to power into their 80s and show the entire nation their true colors. #mepolitics
Increasingly clear that more people need to understand what the cloud is and the basics of how it works. Having the entire web hosted on Amazon Web Services is a huge vulnerability - not to mention a consolidation of power and loss of democracy when AI is brought into the picture.
October 22, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Increasingly clear that more people need to understand what the cloud is and the basics of how it works. Having the entire web hosted on Amazon Web Services is a huge vulnerability - not to mention a consolidation of power and loss of democracy when AI is brought into the picture.
The enthusiasm for @grahamformaine.bsky.social is refreshing. It will be interesting to see the Maine Dems finally reckon with the deadweight corporate class that's led it to run many a campaign into the ground. Just wait to see how long it takes for some to get on board.. and take notes
August 20, 2025 at 6:34 PM
The enthusiasm for @grahamformaine.bsky.social is refreshing. It will be interesting to see the Maine Dems finally reckon with the deadweight corporate class that's led it to run many a campaign into the ground. Just wait to see how long it takes for some to get on board.. and take notes
Left off much of this coverage is that Graham gave his comms team the greelight to say "join the grahampaign" on his website and it made it to the official launch. Impressive.
My name is Graham Platner and I’m running for US Senate to defeat Susan Collins and topple the oligarchy that’s destroying our country.
I’m a veteran, oysterman, and working class Mainer who’s seen this state become unlivable for working people. And that makes me deeply angry.
I’m a veteran, oysterman, and working class Mainer who’s seen this state become unlivable for working people. And that makes me deeply angry.
August 19, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Left off much of this coverage is that Graham gave his comms team the greelight to say "join the grahampaign" on his website and it made it to the official launch. Impressive.
Fun fact: I changed my name :)
August 18, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Fun fact: I changed my name :)
Covering this like it's some novel campaign tactic to break out of a crowded field is nasty work. Irresponsible journalism.
The 2026 gubernatorial election is 16 months away, yet Republican hopeful Bobby Charles has already managed to break through the mostly routine campaign rollouts by the rest of the ever-growing field of candidates:
GOP gubernatorial hopeful takes aim at one of Maine's Somali-American lawmakers
The 2026 gubernatorial election is 16 months away, yet Republican hopeful Bobby Charles has already managed to break through the mostly routine campaign rollouts by the rest of the ever-growing field ...
www.mainepublic.org
August 14, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Covering this like it's some novel campaign tactic to break out of a crowded field is nasty work. Irresponsible journalism.
The software Maine police are quickly adopting is designed to intentionally skirt transparency measures
#mepolitics
New report from @eff.org raises major red flags
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
#mepolitics
New report from @eff.org raises major red flags
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
Axon’s Draft One is Designed to Defy Transparency
Axon Enterprise’s Draft One — a generative artificial intelligence product that writes police reports based on audio from officers’ body-worn cameras — seems deliberately designed to avoid audits that...
www.eff.org
July 30, 2025 at 3:33 PM
The software Maine police are quickly adopting is designed to intentionally skirt transparency measures
#mepolitics
New report from @eff.org raises major red flags
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
#mepolitics
New report from @eff.org raises major red flags
www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...
It's been a long time coming and I cannot wait to see more centrists with terrible politics fall from grace.
It's both hard and entirely possible to out organize campaigns that think they can buy their way to the top.
It's both hard and entirely possible to out organize campaigns that think they can buy their way to the top.
June 26, 2025 at 2:44 PM
It's been a long time coming and I cannot wait to see more centrists with terrible politics fall from grace.
It's both hard and entirely possible to out organize campaigns that think they can buy their way to the top.
It's both hard and entirely possible to out organize campaigns that think they can buy their way to the top.
Remnants of the wholesome, deranged 1990s - back of an old NYNEX telephone book from 1994.
May 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Remnants of the wholesome, deranged 1990s - back of an old NYNEX telephone book from 1994.
The press herald reporting on king making a speech or doing otherwise symbolic actions: "challenges trump admin" "raises red flag" "sounds the alarm"
The press herald when king confirms Trump appointees, throws zero procedural blocks to the trump agenda, and votes for the GOP budget: *crickets*
The press herald when king confirms Trump appointees, throws zero procedural blocks to the trump agenda, and votes for the GOP budget: *crickets*
Sen. Angus King challenged the Trump administration’s attempts to downplay reports that high ranking officials planned a military attack using a messaging app that was not secure and included a reporter in the chat.
Angus King presses Tulsi Gabbard on leak of military attack plans
Sen. Susan Collins, who also serves on the Senate intelligence committee, did not attend the hearing because of an illness, her office said.
www.pressherald.com
March 25, 2025 at 6:39 PM
The press herald reporting on king making a speech or doing otherwise symbolic actions: "challenges trump admin" "raises red flag" "sounds the alarm"
The press herald when king confirms Trump appointees, throws zero procedural blocks to the trump agenda, and votes for the GOP budget: *crickets*
The press herald when king confirms Trump appointees, throws zero procedural blocks to the trump agenda, and votes for the GOP budget: *crickets*
Reposted by Leo Burnett
"The establishment elite preferred to see democracy die rather than risk its wealth, power, and privileges."
- Historian Benjamin Carter Hett on how the Nazis took power.
- Historian Benjamin Carter Hett on how the Nazis took power.
March 14, 2025 at 6:15 PM
"The establishment elite preferred to see democracy die rather than risk its wealth, power, and privileges."
- Historian Benjamin Carter Hett on how the Nazis took power.
- Historian Benjamin Carter Hett on how the Nazis took power.
Media really carrying the water for the christian nationalists on this one by calling it voter ID. This would be one of the most restrictive ballot suppression laws in the country, restricting absentee voting + removing the ability for caregivers to deliver ballots for loved ones.
February 19, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Media really carrying the water for the christian nationalists on this one by calling it voter ID. This would be one of the most restrictive ballot suppression laws in the country, restricting absentee voting + removing the ability for caregivers to deliver ballots for loved ones.
Reposted by Leo Burnett
CFPB's former chief technologist issues an urgent warning to the court that several years' worth of sensitive data is about to be destroyed, with damaging consequences
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
February 14, 2025 at 5:12 PM
CFPB's former chief technologist issues an urgent warning to the court that several years' worth of sensitive data is about to be destroyed, with damaging consequences
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
Tentacles of tech dominance aren't just creeping into gov by 20-yr old Musk programmers. Local police depts + county gov are buying more and more police tech with little to no oversight, siphoning off more public money into the hands of Axom & co
The arguments will be "staffing" + "efficiency"
The arguments will be "staffing" + "efficiency"
February 11, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Tentacles of tech dominance aren't just creeping into gov by 20-yr old Musk programmers. Local police depts + county gov are buying more and more police tech with little to no oversight, siphoning off more public money into the hands of Axom & co
The arguments will be "staffing" + "efficiency"
The arguments will be "staffing" + "efficiency"