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Chris Nehls

@nehls.bsky.social

350 followers 300 following 1.1K posts

Senior advisor @americalabs Congressional reform, democracy, civic tech. US History PhD. 3x Wahoo. Back from Japan. Let's Go Mets. 🏀. wants to know the exact dimensions of hell

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Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 1d

That ball is foul in every park where the pole isn’t 318’ away

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 1d

You cannot be serious

Brian Floyd @brianmfloyd.bsky.social · 1d

the guy who caught cal raleigh’s homer was wearing a shirt that said dump 61 here and he immediately took it off and had a shirt that said dump 62 here

Reposted by Chris Nehls

Brian Floyd @brianmfloyd.bsky.social · 1d

the guy who caught cal raleigh’s homer was wearing a shirt that said dump 61 here and he immediately took it off and had a shirt that said dump 62 here

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 2d

Photo looks like it was taken in the hotel over Shin Yokohama

Colin McGowan @csmcgowan.bsky.social · 2d

Splashed this on my pulse points. Feeling powerful.

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 2d

I was gonna pull together a Pavement mix of “go” at some point

Sophia_Nyx 🏳️‍⚧️ @sophianyx.bsky.social · 2d

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

Reposted by Chris Nehls

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 2d

Actually, umpires are good

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 2d

Actually, umpires are good

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 2d

We think this is an under-appreciated part of the shutdown story

The Quiet Shutdown Becomes Loud

Appropriations rupture exposes the constitutional stakes

open.substack.com

Reposted by Chris Nehls

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 3d

When the Orwellian named Dept of Homeland Security was created … MANY of us predicted that it would eventually be doing all the things that it is doing right now

Pinning it uniquely on Trump really misses the point in a bunch of ways

Reposted by Chris Nehls

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 2d

John Roberts’ Constitution: The federal government protecting people’s right to vote or giving them health care violates the sacred principle of state sovereignty but if the deranged POTUS and his bloodthirsty advisers want to use the military to invade other states for being too liberal that’s fine

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 4d

Belichick’s UNC has scored three fewer points this season than Kennesaw State has. You love to see it

Reposted by Chris Nehls

Protect Democracy @protectdemocracy.org · 4d

Russ Vought has threatened to illegally withhold federal funds, seemingly from states with D-voting majorities. Congressional budgeting expert, Cerin Lindgrensavage explains how we *all* lose when admins try to usurp Congress’s power of the purse. Full discussion here: https://protdem.org/4gYkvcy

Reposted by Chris Nehls

Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 13d

I’m starting to notice a trend in the polling data…

—Top Public Worry: Corruption

—Biggest problem in Fed Gov: Corruption

—Top fear: Corruption

—What one word would you use to describe American government?: “Corrupt”

It’s almost like voters are trying to tell us something.

Top 10 American Fears of 2024 (Chapman Survey)
Horizontal bar chart ranking the top fears of Americans (percentage “afraid” or “very afraid”):
1. Corrupt government officials (65.2%, top fear for years).
2. Loved ones becoming seriously ill (58.4%).
3. Cyberterrorism (58.3%).
4. Loved ones dying (57.8%).
5. Russia using nuclear weapons (55.8%).
6. Not having enough money for the future (55.7%).
7. U.S. becoming involved in another world war (55.0%).
8. North Korea using nuclear weapons (55.0%).
9. Terrorist attack (52.7%).
10. Biological warfare (52.5%).
Red bars display percentages; small arrows indicate change from 2023 rankings.

Top Public Worries in the U.S. (Yale & GMU poll, May 2025)
Stacked bar chart of worries among U.S. adults. Categories ranked by share “very worried”:
• Government corruption (54% very worried, top issue).
• Other leading concerns: cost of living (48%), the economy (47%), state of democracy (44%), disruption of federal services (44%), cultural/social divisions (36%), treatment of immigrants (35%), global warming (29%), crime (26%).
• Lower worries include job security (17%), health (16%), and being targeted because of identity/beliefs (15%).
Green shades show “very/somewhat worried,” yellow/orange shades show “not very/not at all worried.

Perceptions of Federal Government Problems (AP-NORC poll)
Bar chart showing the percentage of U.S. adults who consider various issues in the federal government to be a major problem, minor problem, or not a problem.
• Corruption: Overall 70% major, 22% minor, 7% not a problem. Higher among Republicans (78%) than Democrats (63%).
• Inefficiency: 65% major overall, with Republicans (81%) much higher than Democrats (55%).
• Red tape (bureaucracy): 59% major overall, with Republicans (73%) higher than Democrats (47%).
• Civil servants unwilling to implement president’s agenda: More partisan split—Republicans 56% major problem, Democrats 20% major problem; overall 34% major, 36% minor, 28% not a problem.
Title: “Majority of the public believe corruption, inefficiency, and red tape are major problems in the federal government.

Word Cloud of How People Describe American Government (Berkeley Democracy Policy Lab)
Large central word: “Corrupt.” Other prominent words: Broken, Chaotic, Dysfunctional, Shit, Clueless, Divided, Inefficient, Crooked, Hijacked, Justice, Woke, Bloated, Untrustworthy, Hopeless, Frustrated, Disastrous, Messy, Sneaky, Turmoil, Delusional. Smaller scattered words include both negative and neutral terms such as Crap, Important, Poder, Resilient, Unfocused, Needs Help. Visual emphasizes “Corrupt” as the dominant public perception.

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 5d

She went to her alma mater and discussed civility with Larry Sabato after all it and Charlottesville has been through. It’d be nice is she said she’d root out the reactionary trolls who graduated before UVa admitted women and go from there

Eric Blair @protecttruth.bsky.social · 5d

I think this is right.

I wish Spanberger had used this race and her platform to go on offense against Republicans— especially in the spring and summer. She chose instead to do the Plouffe/late Harris campaign “bipartisan” move. That’s the safe move. It is what campaign consultants know.

Mark Anthony Frassetto @mark-frassetto.bsky.social · 5d

You could run literally any Democrat in Virginia and win by 10 points this year.

Reposted by Chris Nehls

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 5d

Chris Murphy says Dems should lay down a simple marker for Trump: No Dem support for anything that funds his lawbreaking.

"if you want our votes, it can’t be for rampant lawlessness. This isn't a normal time...the world [is] watching to see what we stand for." 2/

newrepublic.com/article/2013...

Reposted by Chris Nehls

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 5d

This is critical. I asked Chris Murphy if Dems risk sending the message that they're okay w/Trump's lawbreaking provided they extend ACA subsidies.

His answer was striking: On the full year budget, Dems cannot give a bipartisan imprimatur to Trump's lawlessness. 7/

newrepublic.com/article/2013...

Reposted by Chris Nehls

Dylan @drhspoliticalcafe.bsky.social · 6d

A lot of us know what this is, but for the average person on here: circa 2015 the Alt Right (the explicitly NeoNazi wing especially) appropriated the obscure McDonald’s mascot from the 80s, and made it into a NeoNazi ridden meme.

So yes, this is straight NeoNazism being posted.

Reposted by Chris Nehls

David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 6d

I've noticed that @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social is getting a little more comfortable talking about the shutdown as actually being about rejecting passage of a budget when the president won't honor it. From MSNBC today:

MELISSA MURRAY: Can we talk a little bit about what you just said? The Democrats have been very clear in their messaging. You are emphasizing that the shutdown is about the Republicans refusing to restore healthcare funding, but some have argued that it would be equally compelling for the party to say that it is refusing to fund an administration and government that is bent on abusing its power. Why focus exclusively on healthcare? Why not carry both messages forward?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, in the legislation that we introduced as part of our Democratic approach related to avoiding a shutdown—or in this instance, now reopening it—we made clear two things: that we're faced with a massive Republican healthcare crisis related to the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Hospitals and nursing homes and community-based health clinics are closing all across the country, including in rural America. And now Republicans are refusing to renew the Affordable Care Act tax credits for working-class Americans, everyday Americans and those who are struggling in this Trump economy, where life has already become far too expensive. And so, we believe that healthcare is a central issue. Republicans have said it's an extraneous issue. At the same time, in the Democratic proposal to continue funding, we've also indicated that we can't simply proceed as if this is business as usual. If we reach a bipartisan agreement, then we've got to make sure there are enforceability mechanisms to ensure that the agreement that was reached is actually kept and that the Trump administration follows the law.

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 6d

I'm glad @prospect.org is digging what @americalabs.org and I are doing and I hate self-promotion, but I actually wrote what's quoted here from the First Branch Forecast as we note in the newsletter.

The Government Has Been Shut Down for Months

Today is the day we stop pretending that it’s not.

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 7d

This might be something someone running for governor of Virginia, who is an alumna of The University, should say something about

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 7d

For example, the Trump administration worked with Gov Youngkin's appointees to force out the popular UVA President. Otherwise, a DOJ investigation would have followed and hundreds of millions in resources endangered. Now it will offer UVA more money to work with Trump
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/u...

University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration

www.nytimes.com

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 7d

My daughter and I rode the bus down Georgia Ave get muffins when she was two.

Joel Siegel @joelsiegel.bsky.social · 7d

Rep. Lisa McClain, on CNN, praising President Trump for deploying the National Guard to Washington:

"My daughter could actually ride the Metro for the first time since she has been in DC."

[Her daughter is 22]

Reposted by Chris Nehls

GovTrack.us @govtrack.us · 7d

We have a post to commemorate the start of this shutdown: www.govtrack.us/posts/545/20...

Congress fails to pass a government funding bill, triggering a shutdown - GovTrack.us

Original reporting and other news from GovTrack.us

www.govtrack.us

Reposted by Chris Nehls

Nick Field @nickfield.bsky.social · 8d

Pew Research showing Democratic approval of their Congressional leadership now resembles Republican approval of their Congressional leadership in 2014, which historians might remember as the year before Donald Trump took over that party www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 8d

Not a great day for a guy sitting at his desk just trying to get some work on normal but complicated democracy reform stuff done.

Chris Nehls @nehls.bsky.social · 9d

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