Rand Paul says he was not invited to Rose Garden lunch President Donald Trump said he would have “begrudgingly” allowed the Kentucky senator to attend the lunch if he’d wanted.

Rand Paul says he was not invited to the Rose Garden lunch that was supposed to be a show of unity among Senate Republicans and the president as the government shutdown hits day 21.

Paul is the only Senate Republican to consistently vote against the continuing resolution to fund the government.

Mike Johnson is full of bullshit! His party is responsible for January 6th, vitriol that led to the assassination of Melissa Hortman/her husband in MN & white extremist mass shootings in Pittsburgh Tree of Life, Buffalo grocery store, El Paso Walmart, Charleston church, Allen Tx mall etc.

‘He lost us’: Generals, senior officers say trust in Hegseth has evaporated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has lost the trust and respect of some top military commanders, with his public “grandstanding” widely seen as unprofessional and the personnel moves made by the former ...

Some good news for once

It’s end time for irresponsible career politicians.

We also need more competition and better candidates.

Every state needs to do what AK did in 2016!

@ustermlimits.bsky.social @fairvote.bsky.social @uniteamerica.bsky.social @rcvmd.org @rankthevoteusa.bsky.social

YouTube video by PoliticsGirl 20 Lessons on Tyranny: by Timothy Snyder / read by John Lithgow

A good reminder of why I now personally volunteer for causes that help expand voices (Opening the Primaries) and ones that help give power to “all votes” (Ranked Choice Voting).

@rcvmd.org @fairvote.bsky.social
@ustermlimits.bsky.social
youtu.be/cXR5HLodsT8?...

ICYMI: IAVA Endorses the Let America Vote Act Veterans for All Voters (VAV) proudly applauds Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) for endorsing the Let America Vote Act (LAVA). As the nation’s largest post-9/11 Veterans Service Organizat...

Vets are working hard across the country to make our politicians turn down the partisanship by changing the things that incentivize it.

Support thr Let America Vote Act! @OperationVAV @PaulRieckhoff @iava

www.veteransforallvoters.org/posts/icymi-...?

@HouseGOP @SenateGOP @HouseDemocrats @SenateDems
Afraid of voters having power? Kill H.R.3040 @OperationVAV @fairvote @FairVoteAction @MajorityRules24 @RankTheVoteUSA @uniteamerica

Today join us and @delegatekrisfair.bsky.social at 6:30pm for our post-session debrief!

RSVP: www.rcvmd.org/mdga25_debrief

This Saturday April 19 at 2pm, join us for a documentary on Alaska's 2022 congressional race that used #RankedChoiceVoting! We're partnering with Veterans for All Voters MD to host free screenings of #MajorityRules.

RSVP: app.tickettailor.com/events/veter...

Thank everyone for joining us in Eastport Annapolis on Saturday for our film screening of #MajorityRules with Veterans For All Voters MD! We'll back in Annapolis for another screening.

3 May, 10am-1pm
Busch Annapolis Library (1410 West Street, Annapolis)
RSVP: buytickets.at/veteransfora...

She has great courage. A good center-right leader.

‘We are all afraid’: Murkowski says fear of retaliation from Trump administration is ‘real’ The senator said this week that she has been “just trying to listen as carefully as I can to what is happening."

GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski said a fear of retaliation under Trump’s administration is rising to levels she’s not seen before.

“We are all afraid ... I’m oftentimes very anxious myself about using my voice because retaliation is real," she said.

DC Isn’t Becoming a State. But It Could Become Maryland. Washingtonians may be aghast at the thought of reconnecting with their northern neighbor, but some think it’s preferable to appeasing Trump.

Column: To protect the District of Columbia, it might be necessary to eliminate the District of Columbia — and merge it into the neighboring state of Maryland, writes senior editor Michael Schaffer.

Former Pentagon official warns department's dysfunction could topple Hegseth “The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon,” John Ullyot, the former top Defense Department spokesperson, wrote in a POLITICO Magazine opinion piece.

John Ullyot, who resigned from the Pentagon last week, described a department in collapse.

He accused Hegseth’s team of “falsehoods” about why three top officials were fired last week, saying they hadn’t leaked sensitive information to the media.

EXCLUSIVE: A former top Pentagon official warns dysfunction could topple Hegseth — describing a department collapsing from backstabbing and constant missteps.

Read the full opinion piece from former top spokesperson John Ullyot, who resigned last week👇
ow.ly/SSoq50VEvPC

Pete Hegseth is pictured wearing a blue suit, looking to his left. A headline reads: "Pete Hegseth Said to Have Shared Sensitive Attack Details in Second Signal Chat." Photo by Eric Lee/The New York Times

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed information about strikes in Yemen to a second unclassified Signal group chat that included his wife and brother, people familiar with the matter said. nyti.ms/4jBQ1wV

Finally someone with courage.

‘An amateur person’: GOP Rep. Bacon says Hegseth should go The Nebraska lawmaker is the first House Republican to recommend the president fire the secretary of Defense.

New: Rep. Don Bacon is the first GOP lawmaker to publicly suggest Pete Hegseth should be fired.

"He’s acting like he’s above the law — and that shows an amateur person," Bacon said.

Hegseth Is Under Attack by Disgruntled Employees, Trump Says President Donald Trump said Pete Hegseth is “doing a great job” despite what appear to be attacks from “disgruntled employees,” as the defense secretary is buffeted by staff dismissals, a leak investi...

Pete Hegseth’s former spokesman said the Pentagon has been overwhelmed by staff drama and turnover in the initial months of the second Trump administration

‪I would love to see this list of political insider stock trades over the last few days. ‬

‪With knowledge of the quick reversal I’m sure some people knew exactly when to jump in and make some big cash. ‬

‪Politicians should definitely not be allowed to own individual stocks. ‬

No matter what, in the end the poor and middle class always sacrifice the most “paying” for “wars.”

We will pay again in “hopes” for an eventual win, but there are no guarantees (for the win or any reimbursement).

Please look up and support HR9144 “Let America Vote Act” Bipartisan legislation.

www.congress.gov/bill/118th-c...

Let all citizen taxpayers vote in the primaries—Please support: @openprimaries.bsky.social

To all my Federal friends, if advised, hopefully one of your 5 bullets today incudes: “Contacted my Representatives.”

So many Veterans who now continue to serve as civil servants are affected by this, along with other good people who don’t deserve this last minute weekend “threat.”