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Virginia Sapiro

@vsapiro.bsky.social

3.3K followers 1.6K following 2.3K posts

Retired political scientist in NH & Boston who still scholars. Also making believe I'm a historian, farmer, cook, baker. I do love democracy, knowing stuff, looking at art, listening to music. Current research: history of higher education in the U.S.

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Reposted by Virginia Sapiro

murderedbybluesky.bsky.social @murderedbybluesky.bsky.social · 16h

"Speaker Mike Johnson’s abrupt closure of the House may have more to do with stalling a congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation than previously reported, and appears to have been a direct response to the Treasury’s surrender of Epstein’s financial records."

SCOOP: Johnson closed House hours after Congress received Epstein’s financial records

The decision to shut down the House — and by extension the government — came hours after the Oversight Committee received documents from the US Treasury.

www.beltway.news

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Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 1h

Fascist morons who think they’re in a video game.

Reposted by Virginia Sapiro

Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 12h

Of all the many, many questions Pamela Jo Bondi refused to answer today, the most incendiary was about whether she's seen photos of Donald Trump with unclothed underage girls. It is so damning that she couldn't just say, "No."

Adam Parkhomenko @adamparkhomenko.bsky.social · 20h

This is not going well for Pam Bondi

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Reposted by Virginia Sapiro

Denise Wheeler @denisedwheeler.bsky.social · 15h

Reuters photographer Jonathan Ernst noticed that Bondi flipped open a file during the Senate hearing and he zoomed in.

Inside were her crib notes for attacking the senators.

The GOP now practicing Cliff's Notes Fascism

In other words, under oath Bondi was purely a performance.

Bondi senate hearing had a folder full of notes for attacking the senators

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Reposted by Virginia Sapiro

Caleb Crain @calebcrain.bsky.social · 13h

Chilling insight by @barbarafwalter.com: "Once citizens view their own government’s security forces as an occupying army, violence becomes inevitable. Trump’s team knows this… They’re trying to trigger the very unrest that would justify further crackdowns."

via www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...

Screenshot from a NYT article by Thomas Edsall, quoting Barbara Walter of UC-San Diego: "The quickest way to piss people off is to send soldiers into their neighborhoods especially when there’s no reason for them to be there. It’s inherently provocative, and Trump and his team understand this. Research by the political scientist Robert Pape shows that the single most powerful predictor of suicide terrorism is the presence of foreign troops on local soil. People hate, hate, hate that. They hate the humiliation, the powerlessness, the feeling of being occupied.

"Once citizens begin to view their own government’s security forces as an occupying army, violence becomes inevitable. Trump’s team knows this. In fact, that’s the point. They are not trying to restore order; they’re trying to trigger the very unrest that would justify further crackdowns. In the end, violence serves their ultimate end: They want to create the illusion of disorder so they can tighten control and stay in power indefinitely."

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Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 14h

Speaker Johnson actively denying the people of the Arizona 7th their right to representation. Sue!

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 23h

Mike Johnson ignores a question about when he'll swear in Rep.-elect Grijalva and walks away

Reposted by Virginia Sapiro

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 15h

Murray: I talked to a family that’s paying about $300 a month for their health insurance. It’s going to jump to over $1,800 per month.

Many people will turn away and not pay for it—obviously, they’ll lose their health insurance. The fewer people who have insurance, the more everybody pays.

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Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 14h

I guess we should make believe we’re surprised.

Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 19h

That’s a lot of leavitty for one not very funny person.

Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 21h

Maybe she doesn't think we notice that she could have said, Of course I didn't see any such thing because there is no such thing. That is, if that wouldn't place her in the position of having lied... but no. She's a Trumpy so she has to bully and attack.

Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 21h

Isn't it amazing? And I have different color yellows, but they love these best. They are in other colored flowers, but this is the blossom -- all over the garden -- where I find these drunken bee parties.

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Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 21h

Hey, Iowa. Your Representative will listen to you when hell freezes over.

Ray Beckerman @raybeckerman.bsky.social · 21h

House Republican says she'll hold a town hall 'when hell freezes over' www.dailykos.com/stories/2025...

House Republican says she'll hold a town hall 'when hell freezes over'

One of the most vulnerable House Republicans up for reelection in 2026 told her colleagues that she will host a town hall meeting "when hell freezes over.”� CNN obtained audio of Rep. Mariannette ...

www.dailykos.com

Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 23h

Bees love my yellow dahlias in particular at this time of year -- they nestle in and sleep in them. But sometime they look like the aftermath of a very drunken party.

Yellow dahlia with orange in the middle and 3 bees sleeping among the petals

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Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 23h

given how depressed I feel at the very thought of him... goodauthority.org/news/depress...

Depressed people are more likely to support Donald Trump.

New research shows a connection between mental health and political attitudes.

goodauthority.org

Reposted by Virginia Sapiro

Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 1d

And now @acls1919.bsky.social speaks out. Just. Say. No. To Trump's compact on higher ed. It's extortion plain and simple. www.acls.org/news/acls-st...

ACLS Statement Regarding White House “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”

ACLS stands firmly against this latest White House effort to divide faculties by giving special privileges to students in “hard science programs” and its demand that institutions abolish “units that p...

www.acls.org

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Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 1d

Universities that give in will be subservient forever and they will force the rest of our univs into untenable positions.

Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 1d

This is also part of our world.

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Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 1d

I like that "a civil debate" seems to include a bunch of words and phrases that even I, a New Yorker, don't put in print or say in polite company. In some cases, in any company.

Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 2d

Seems so inefficient for the Supreme Court to have to sit around listening to people argue then discussing among themselves. Seems so much more efficient for one of the conservative members just to sit in his bathroom writing his opinion. No fuss, no muss.

Reposted by Virginia Sapiro

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 2d

Nobody cares and nothing will happen but this is classically, paradigmatically fascist language. Comparing opponents to vermin and pests is straight out of the textbook.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Trump to the Navy: "We have to take care of this little gnat that's on our shoulder called the Democrats."

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Reposted by Virginia Sapiro

darren32359.bsky.social @darren32359.bsky.social · 2d

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Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 2d

À college or university that refuses to teach a course like that is not a legit college or university.

Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 2d

I want a chicken bowl.

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Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 2d

Dun Dun.

Virginia Sapiro @vsapiro.bsky.social · 2d

Again?