Melissa Esq. 👩🏽‍⚖️ Elphaba’s Lawyer 🧹

Democrats Should Have Let Republicans Kill the Filibuster Instead of caving on the shutdown, Democrats should have waited for the GOP to cave on Trump’s demand to scotch this antidemocratic tactic.

Instead of folding like cheap chairs, Democrats should have forced the GOP to end the shutdown by killing the filibuster. Holding onto the archaic, antidemocratic tradition doesn't help them stop fascism, it makes them complicit to it.
My latest in @thenation.com

www.thenation.com/article/poli...

Think about buying a car, a fun, stress-free negotiating process that everybody loves. Now imagine that if you don’t buy a car you die and if you buy the wrong car you also die

life really is all about perspective instead of thinking “i’m stuck in a sewer drain 😢 ” say “i’m going to meet a fireman 😃 “

Top Democrats demand details of spy agencies’ role in boat strikes Democrats are demanding that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard share intelligence on lethal operations against alleged narcotics traffickers.

Boat strikes put US service members in legal jeopardy:

"Some junior officers have asked military lawyers, known as judge advocates general or JAGs, for written sign-off before taking part in strikes .... It does not appear that such memos were furnished, said one of the people."

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

Like Trump and Vought didn’t do illegal impoundments when the government was open? Or Thune did anything to stop it?

Very important to understand that this is the posture of a flailing loser who has no idea what he’s doing, and is keenly aware that the people he’s in charge of hate his guts

The U.S. president just ordered all the military generals to an unprecedented gathering in Washington, then told them that they should plan to participate in a war on American cities.

I fully understand how difficult it is to remain focused on any one particular atrocity but this really ought to be a serious scandal and people need to pay heavy prices for this

Bondi fires a Jewish lawyer while he was out of the office for Rosh Hashanah (and fires him for illegal reasons)

Good time to release the Epstein files

“Frankly, part of the problem we have in terms of the punditry, is to suggest that we are waiting for a Messiah.

It’s counter-productive to keep saying ‘who is the one’ instead of seeing in-front of us how RICH we are with talent - and let’s support that.”

- Kamala Harris on the Democratic Party

Jimmy Kimmel Returns: ABC Ends Suspension Starting Tuesday Jimmy Kimmel will return to late night on Tuesday

"Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that."

Looking forward to seeing Jimmy back on the air.

Ex-Disney CEO Michael Eisner: “Where has all the leadership gone? Who will step up against these bullies for the first amendment?”

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Damon Lindelof takes a stand.

Previous generations fought fascism in nearly every corner of the earth. Today it’s on our streets, silencing opposition and attempting to control the airwaves.

The GOP has declared all out war on free speech. It’s up to us to fight for it.

Totally agree. It's the deep state frame. Call it The People's Government or something

The Third Reich didn't last 1,000 years.

Pinochet was ousted with a referendum.

And the US isn't exactly dealing with the smartest, most competent fascists.

Those of you insisting that 2025 is forever need to read a book, touch grass, go to therapy, anything other than trying to make others quit.

Defund the White House Counsel's Office; defund OMB's ability purport to impound; defund Miller; &c.

I know it's frustrating when lawyers point out when something the administration is doing is not legal. But responding with "the law doesn't matter anymore" is really unhelpful and defeatist. Clarifying the law is important because it reminds us not to comply in advance and to resist and take action

Headline from the New York Times, 1939: “Goebbels ends careers of five “Aryan“ actors who made witticisms about the Nazi regime.”

www.nytimes.com/1939/02/04/a...

Tweet From Obama mentioning my firing from the Washington post. Wirh a photo of me

The last political column I was allowed to write in the @washingtonpost.com was a criticism of Obama.

His people took issue with my piece, but we were respectful.

Now he is tweeting in support of me.

This is how free political speech and respect for debate *actually works*.

Or used to work.

It’s going to break your heart how many people you know, love, and respect will turn out to be cowards. Prepare yourself as best you can. You are not alone, but you are your own center. Be a strong center.

Like children playing with matches, this crew will burn our economy and government to the ground if not replaced by competent, experienced adults who respect democracy and good governance.

It cannot happen soon enough.

if you’ve spent more than two minutes reading my posts you know how much contempt I hold Dem leadership in but this is good and they should reiterate it on TV

demanding a resignation rather than just calling it “unacceptable” is correct and they are threatening subpoenas when they get that power

Heard from a friend at Disney+ that there are multiple levels of freakout internally, both from internal dissatisfaction, concerns about subscription cancelations, and of course the big one: concern about a boycott spilling over into parks and cruises.

Let’s be clear about what happened to Jimmy Kimmel Trump’s most brazen attack on free speech yet.

“Let’s be clear about what just happened: Jimmy Kimmel, a prominent late-night comedian, was just taken off the airwaves because the Trump administration didn’t like what he had to say — and threatened his employer until they shut him up.”
www.vox.com/politics/461...

We live in a country where the president can order a comedian to be yanked off TV. What I describe is not a democracy.