Under the Volcano

Fmr. VA Del. Mark Levine: "Last night, Senator Tim Kaine caved to Trump. He snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Just two days before the Supreme Court would have been forced to make a landmark ruling on whether Trump could personally order tens of millions of Americans to be denied food in advance of Thanksgiving…. It would have gone down in the history books. Either Trump and the Supreme Court would have been exposed for their willingness to force anti-Christian suffering so great that even some Christian evangelicals might have awakened to Trump’s cruelty. Or (less likely) the high Court would have defied our wannabe dictator and shown kindness where Trump wanted cruelty, and we would then learn whether Trump would willingly disobey a Supreme Court order in order to force a starvation plan on tens of millions of hungry Americans. Just two more days and the stakes would have been clear. But now, thanks to Kaine, the Supreme Court will dismiss “Trump v. Twenty Million Hungry Americans” as moot. If, after Trump had been exposed for his massive cruelty, Kaine had then stepped in to save Americans from starvation by giving into the demands of sadistic Republicans ruthlessly taking tens of millions of Americans hostage for political advantage, at least Kaine would have had some reason to do so. (Or perhaps Republicans would have ended the filibuster. Unlikely but something Democrats could use later on if Americans ever regained confidence in our party.) Instead of waiting just two more days, Kaine protected Trump’s back at the expense of Americans’ health care. And got nothing in return. Absolutely nothing. Kaine funded subsidies for a full year for rural American Trump voters by appropriating for agriculture but got nothing for the Northern Virginia federal workers who support Democrats except a two-month reprieve that Trump will likely violate anyway. We had the moral high ground. Americans who had long lost confidence in the Democratic Party were just …

"But Trump broke the law anyway and when lower courts said he couldn’t, the Supreme Court ruled that these congressional laws could be ignored. Doesn’t Kaine understand that Trump believes he has the right to ignore all laws and the Constitution? And when the Supreme Court won’t hold him accountable, it is up to our Senator to do so? What will Kaine do when Trump violates this deal and does a RIF despite promising not to? What will Kaine do when Trump — despite a second law requiring the same thing the first law does — denies back pay again? It’s a serious question. Will Kaine try to pass a third useless law? A fourth? Will be stomp his feet and scream? Or will he finally one day do what we elected him to do? Will Kaine sue to enforce the no RIF clause? Then find out his case won’t be heard by the Supreme Court before January 30? And then finally realize Kaine’s “laws” and Republican promises are not worth the paper they are printed on? Will Kaine ever realize that the Democrats’ only weapon available under the Trump proto-dictatorship is the one he just threw away? Then will Kaine finally promise to stop voting to cave to Trump and the Republicans when they cheat him yet again? Or is it always Lucy with the football against the craven Democrats who cry “please don’t hurt me anymore”? My entire life I’ve been a proud progressive Democrat. I’ve opposed the Leftists who would tear our system down. I’ve argued we can still get necessary progressive reforms non-violently through the current framework of our massively flawed constitutional republic. But now Leftists say the Democrats are useless. They say democracy is useless. And Kaine’s actions last night make it very hard to defend Democrats or democracy. Kaine’s vote has been cast. But I beg the Senator that when Republicans yet again double cross him for the umpteenth time, he finally one day stand firm and say “enough is enough.” Please make this the last time he capitulates to our pronto-dictator. Pleas…

Former VA Del. Mark Levine (D): "I’m really surprised a Senator I know personally and have long respected is this naive. Kaine isn’t stupid. But his justification for bowing down to King Donald is so illogical that it insults any thinking Virginian." bluevirginia.us/2025/11/sen-...

Chuck and gang, by not insisting that federal law and regulations related to federal employment are NOT subject to negotiation they failed in one of their primary duties: to uphold the law.

Great job, @schumer.senate.gov. You've changed the story from "GOP hurting millions of Americans to please unpopular, failing, delusional despot who's destroying his party" to "Dems are too weak and divided in the face of Trump's strength to take a stand and protect Americans"

Definition of a gerontocracy: fatigue, lack of energy to fight, innovate and tired of doing their jobs but insistent on keeping their position in order to maintain their exalted privileges = Democratic leadership.

Tim Kaine: "Hi this is Tim Kaine--call back during office hours"
message from direct dial and via Senate switchboard.

2. While Trump meets w/press often, the content of his responses goes almost totally unexamined by @washingtonpost.com. His knowledge of issues/topics relating to the federal government range from shallow to non-existent. He constantly goes off in tangents unrelated to topics he's asked about.

Washington Post missing two big data points here:
1. This week's on-camera nap is only one of dozens of examples of Trump falling asleep during working hours. Where is the analysis of this ongoing pattern of disengagement and episodes of sleeping during working hours? (1)

Not even pretending to hide the corruption: the wealthiest will henceforth pay no federal taxes under the Trump regime: "The administration is rapidly gutting a 2022 law intended to ensure that a sliver of the country’s most profitable corporations pay at least some federal income tax."

Tremendous explainer--well written and to the point. Thank you.

George Washington Masonic National Memorial - Wikipedia

Masonic Temple! (technically it's the G. Washington Memorial, but also used for lodge meetings)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_...

The man who told the truth about Donald Trump … and no one listened - Salon.com Way back in 1979, the late journalist Wayne Barrett revealed the real Trump with hard facts and moral clarity

He's a failure (always has been re: business acumen) and a corrupt, ignorant blowhard to boot. All the Dems need to do is repeat that basic message creatively for next 2 years and they'll continue winning.
www.salon.com/2020/10/04/t...

Richmond flips help Democrats expand Virginia House majority Dems flipped 13 seats Tuesday night, including four in the Richmond region.

"--Going into the election, the Democrats held a tight 51-49 majority.
--Now, they're poised to hold a 64-36 majority, per the state's unofficial results.
--The outcome means Democrats can move forward with their effort to redraw the state's congressional maps."

www.axios.com/local/richmo...

Virginia judge lets Democrats' redistricting plan move forward From online trolling to lawsuits, the redistricting fight is getting messy.

And with a supermajority VA Dems will move forward to redistrict in response to Republicans, with possible addition of 3-5 more Dem house seats. CA will have company. www.axios.com/local/richmo...

Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb (first pic, listening) is an occasional participant, @andreapitzer.bsky.social, also and @bethmacy.bsky.social too. Every Monday, 12-1 pm, corner of Jefferson and Franklin.

ah, perhaps instead of pumping millions into endless factional infighting Dem donors could invest in making local Dem organizations genuine civic spaces that can reach people during and between elections

CASEY: Activists rent downtown Roanoke billboard to slam Rep. Ben Cline The upcoming, huge report-card-style sign on Jefferson Street features many bright red Fs, organizers said. It will be unveiled Monday at noon directly across from Rep. Ben Cline’s Roanoke district of...

"Representative" Cline has failed to have a town hall or any public meetings in several years. He's instead chosen to pre-screen vert small groups of people and their questions before they're admitted to his royal presence. Roanoke and SW Virginia isn't buying it.
roanoke.com/news/local/g...

Weekly demonstrations in front of office of Rep Ben "Spineless" Cline (R) in downtown Roanoke, VA have evolved into a genuine civic space w/after-meetings at adjacent city library meeting space where everything from GOTV, women's health support, etc. are discussed. Plus pizza/snacks.

If nothing else (and there is much else), the Mamdani campaign has reintroduced Americans to the names Eugene Debs, Dorothy Day, and Fiorello LaGuardia, people they sure as hell aren't learning about in school any more. Who knows where ths might lead?

i think the president has an inherent inability to conceptualize an organization larger than the Trump Organization, and so does not value the existence of a bureaucracy. in fact he cannot imagine that any such thing exists. this is why the government is now run by one hundred guys who you can name.

In SW VA, not traditionally Democratic--at all--there's widespread anger/rage. Hundreds demonstrating weekly outside spineless Republican Ben Cline's office. Watch the VA House races (Dems +1 now) as well as governor and top of the ticket.

Iconic outdoors retailer in business since 1856 closing 40 locations due to tariffs The chain is overhauling the way it does business.

It's stupid's economy.
Iconic outdoors retailer in business since 1856 closing 40 locations due to tariffs www.pennlive.com/nation-world...

It's a Wonderful Life - Wikipedia

"When George wishes he had never been born, Clarence takes him into an alternate timeline in which he never existed. George finds that Bedford Falls is now Pottersville, an unsavory town occupied by sleazy entertainment venues and callous people..."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_...

Welcome to Trumpville. Like Pottersville in "It’s a Wonderful Life", only with more fake gold and sociopathic billionaires.

Symbolism is everything or at least the start of everything in politics. Thats why as ignorant as he is, Trump outperforms Democratic "leaders" who haven't a clue about the importance of consistently and aggressively waging symbolic warfare.

Obama shreds Trump administration - ‘It’s like every day is Halloween’ Obama laid into Trump during a speech in support of Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger

Just occurred to me that if Trump thinks he can run for a third term, so can this guy.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Earle-Sears gets $4 million push from RGA for homestretch The Republican Governors Association stepped up support for Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in a big way this week, dropping an additional $4 million contribution into the Republican's campaign for gover...

The RGA (Republicans Gov Assoc) gave $4 milliion to Earle-Sears this week. They probably want to narrow the margin of Spanberger victory so that Miyares beats Jay for AG.

richmond.com/news/state-r...

"Let them eat Highly polished, Statuary marble!--says Donald the con-man, spoiled rich kid POTUS.

""Let them eat “Highly polished, Statuary marble!"--says Donald the con-man who pretends to be President. of the United States.

"Let them eat “Highly polished, Statuary marble!"--says Donald the con-man who is President. of the United States.

Screenshot of today's VA General Assembly schedule, from LIS https://lis.virginia.gov/

HJ6007 (Constitutional amendment, apportionment, congressional districts) description https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20242/HJ6007

Schedule for today's VA General Assembly special session on redistricting bluevirginia.us/2025/10/virg...