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Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein

Francis Wilkinson @franciswilkinson.bsky.social · 22h

Gift Link// Whether the US's ongoing act of political suicide evolves as a murder-suicide is of more than passing interest to the US’s northern domestic partner. Canada is extremely -- uniquely -- vulnerable. I spoke to executives, defense analysts, others. www.bloomberg.com/opinion/feat...

Can Canada Survive Donald Trump?

Under assault from an increasingly aggressive and authoritarian United States, the country’s future looks less secure than at any time in postwar history.

www.bloomberg.com

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 6h

Uh...never mind that last part.

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 8h

Oooh forgot to wish a Happy Birthday to the great @dbernstein.bsky.social! Hope he's enjoying the Yankees game.

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 9h

My item on this suggested that while it could be how inept Trump always is, what I suspect is going on is that the GOP has just lost the ability to talk to anyone outside their strongest supporters. goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com/p/underminin...

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 9h

(Politico) - One week into the government shutdown, top Republican leaders appear to have lost the plot.

#RepublicansInDisarray @politico.com
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 9h

Ah, yes. That's possible, and I agree. (Of course it would also be incumbent on Republicans to oppose that! But not expecting that.)

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 9h

Mazel Tov!

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Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein

Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 12h

US military action is done with the American people’s money in the American people’s name, as is DOJ. The people’s elected representatives in Congress have oversight authority. They are 100% entitled to this info.

You know who doesn’t have to disclose legal advice? Personal attorneys and advisors.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17h

COONS: How did you conclude that these strikes on boats in the open ocean are legal?

BONDI: I'm not going to discuss any legal advice that my department may or may not have issued

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 10h

I think we'll see a pretty good turnout for the No Kings protests here.

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Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein

Molly Reynolds @mollyereynolds.bsky.social · 12h

Find me when Collins's talking stick appears.

Burgess Everett @burgessev.bsky.social · 12h

Is it time for ... a Senate shutdown GANG?

Coons: “A couple more days of this, and you'll have a group of senators at least trying"

Murkowski: “For the Democrats to switch their vote ... you have to have some germ of an idea as to where we go once we get it open"

www.semafor.com/article/10/0...

Could a bipartisan Senate gang stop the shutdown?

Senators once locked arms across the aisle on infrastructure, immigration, and more. Some in the chamber think that’s the way out of the current crisis.

www.semafor.com

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 10h

Oh I'm all for laughing at him.

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 10h

Easy to laugh at the noisy announcement of undercover operation...but it's not so funny if the point isn't to infiltrate fictional "leftist terror cells" but to frighten and intimidate normal regular Democrats.

Fortunately, it's likely that it's just a campaign press release. But still.

Will Oremus @willoremus.com · 11h

Obviously not the main point here, but it's interesting how this is framed as content rather than policy.

"BREAKING" is typically what journalists or influencers say when they have a big story -- not what government officials say when they launch "undercover" operations

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 11h

Mazel Tov for being a good citizen.

You missed way too much bunting. Not the decorative type of bunting. The throwing away rallies bunting.

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 11h

Still going strong well into his 70s!

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 11h

bone fide/coincide is just so fun.

(Trying to fulfill the thing about being happy and rejoicing during the holiday despite, well, y'all know).

Also:

I made an American squirm/
And it feels so right

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 12h

Trump may really think that tariffs are magic. But it's a good reminder that the rest of the GOP just doesn't believe in budgeting at all.

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 12h

Outside of the legal issues....I think we're up to four different ways that the WH is allegedly spending each magic tariff dollar. (Funding WIC; bailing out farmers; offsetting a chunk of the tax cuts; reducing (ha!) the deficit). Maybe another or two more that I forgot.

George Pearkes @peark.es · 13h

Well that's not how appropriations work at all

*WHITE HOUSE TO TRANSFER TARIFF REVENUE TO FUND WIC: LEAVITT

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Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein

Bobby Kogan @bbkogan.bsky.social · 17h

Are furloughed federal employees entitled to backpay?

The short answer is yes furloughed federal employees are entitled to backpay, but the mechanism a little complicated.

And, importantly, it means the House GOP CR is insufficient for reopening the govt & needs to be amended.

Thread explaining:

Scoop: White House memo says furloughed federal workers aren't entitled to backpay

A move to deny backpay to up to 750,000 furloughed workers would dramatically escalate Trump's pressure on Democrats to end the shutdown.

www.axios.com

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 13h

If we think of Roberts as a GOP politician, does that help understand and perhaps predict what he's up to? A bit, maybe. My latest at GP/BP. goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com/p/if-roberts...

If Roberts is a Politician...

We know that Trump wants to be an autocrat. Why is the Chief Justice allowing it?

goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com

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Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein

Lindsey Cormack @dcinbox.bsky.social · 15h

Mentions of "god" in official congressional e-newsletters, over time, by party

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Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein

Jamie Dupree @jamiedupree.bsky.social · 15h

Why was there evidently a subpoena issued for the telephone records of Sen. Ron Johnson R-WI as part of the Jan. 6 investigation? Here is some of the evidence on the public record. 1/ 🧵

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Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein

David S. Bernstein @dbernstein.bsky.social · 15h

… btw I wrote about Kirk as a right-wing marketplace huckster a few weeks ago:

open.substack.com/pub/goodpoli...

Charlie in the Marketplace

Charlie Kirk was part of the right-wing marketplace I've written about for years. He fit right in.

open.substack.com

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 1d

Lots of stuff can change depending on how popular the president might be. One example: Private orgs are a lot more likely to cooperate with a popular would-be despot than an unpopular one.

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 1d

It's still early. As time goes on, this and other things will just get worse, and pressure will increase to make a deal...

...and unless the polling changes (which it could!), Republicans will feel the pressure even more than Dems...

...although Trump may be oblivious to any of that, so ????.

James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 1d

Agree w @krispierson.com and @chasingray.bsky.social .

Did a post last night on why shutdown won't make flying unsafe. But it will slow everything way down. fallows.substack.com/p/air-travel...

From understaffed TSA lines to work-to-rule, "better safe than sorry" procedures everywhere.

Kris Pierson @krispierson.com · 1d

The staffing triggers at facilities have already been occurring. It’s not going to be unsafe. It’s gonna put the airlines so far underwater in delays they will start having to proactively cancel flights.

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Reposted by Jonathan Bernstein

Lindsey Cormack @dcinbox.bsky.social · 1d

Congressional Democrats have moved on from the "chaos" frame in official e-newsletters

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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 1d

Elvis Costello:

Pay it Back (Stop)
Watching the Detectives (Start)
Waiting for the End of the World (Go)

Sophia_Nyx 🏳️‍⚧️ @sophianyx.bsky.social · 1d

Name a Song with Stop, Start, or Go in the lyrics.

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