Eric Stahl

Opinion | Democrats shouldn’t bail out Trump as the shutdown drags on The best time for the opposition to take a stand, rather than settle for untrustworthy promises, is right now.

The White House is blatantly violating the Constitution, ignoring Congressionally-allocated spending. Approving any budget would put a stamp of approval on the end of checks and balances.

It'll hurt, yes, but it's time for opposition. The political costs will mostly fall on the people in charge.

Opinion | Democrats shouldn’t bail out Trump as the shutdown drags on The best time for the opposition to take a stand, rather than settle for untrustworthy promises, is right now.

So much Democrat and pundit handwringing about the shutdown as if they're in charge of the government.

They're not. The only possibilities are Trump makes things worse with Democratic approval or Trump makes things worse despite Democratic resistance. Don't bail him out.

My latest (on @msnbc.com):

Most Pennsylvanians I know are committed to ensuring that Fetterman won’t be winning any more elections.

Trump Advisers Have Discussed a Job for Adams if He Quits Mayor’s Race

Today’s news confirms it: Cuomo is Trump’s choice for Mayor. The White House is considering jobs for Adams and Sliwa to clear the field.

New Yorkers are sick of corrupt politics and backroom deals. No matter who’s running, we will deliver a better future on November 4.

I wish people who want things like universal basic income would realize their opponents don't need to be convinced that it helps people in poverty, but rather actively do not want to help people in poverty, and so they have to be defeated, not convinced. This may apply to other things as well.

The Republicans just slow walked every single thing you did for 8 years, then when you got a historically lucky second chance at another 4 they did the same thing again, brought about this moment, and you're like "yeah but we can't fundraise off this and we have weekends plans" walk into the sea

Like I don't know how to tell you that achieving your policy goals makes material differences in the world, and nobody cares if you followed the rules when it mean Democratic administrations are four-year holding patterns between setting everything on fire. Anyway fuck health insurance I guess

stop running away from trans people and fight back

what’s funny is that if pro-cuomo centrist democrats were less myopic they might see that mamdani was running the kind of campaign that could help rebuild the party brand — accessible with an outsider persona and a focus on “kitchen table” issues.

if you're loving this season of Taskmaster, you gotta check out Pete's interview with Mantzoukas, and then also just subscribe to his newsletter because it's great!

Six takeaways from Skrmetti are circulating widely. All six contain errors:
1. The first takeaway quotes a law professor suggesting that a loss in Skrmetti will make other trans rights cases harder. In fact the opinion is narrow.

Cuomo's reemergence has already damaged the party by causing Democratic leaders do outright hypocrisy and cheapen #MeToo. The same people who ousted Al Franken for less than Cuomo's serial harassment, then ousted Cuomo himself, now endorse him.

A functional party would coordinate to say "stay out"

Pretty amazing that a former president will sit quietly as one of his successors orders US troops into American cities and ships innocent people off to concentration camps—but feels compelled to speak up when a fellow HR nightmare is at risk of losing to another member of the same party.

It's understandable we all mostly take it as a given that Trump doesn't bother to adhere to Constitution or the laws passed by Congress, but it is still both (a) absolutely necessary for our democracy and (b) good political strategy for Dems to file articles of impeachment over this.

There's no declaration of war, and no AUMF that covers this. Entering this war is wrong on the merits; we had a perfectly peaceful way to address Iran's nuclear program. It's also unlawful. A democratic republic should not be able to enter a war of choice on one man's say-so.

Impeachment now. This is not a legal gray area - this open defiance of our constitutional system.

The mayor of New York is uniquely positioned to play an important role in the future of the national Democratic Party," Mr. Clyburn said in a statement, adding that Mr. Cuomo had the "experiences, credentials and character to not just serve New York, but also help save the nation."

That Clyburn thinks Andrew Cuomo is part of the future of the Democratic Party - and points to his character!!! — is the problem with the current Democratic Party leadership in a nutshell.
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/20/n...

“Trans people should’ve just accepted second class status without complaint,” go the editorials, as if that argument sounds good anywhere, let alone in America.

Andrew Cuomo sexually abused more than a dozen women. If that alone is not enough to disqualify him from ever again holding elected office—if the conversation even continues past that—the speaker (outlet) is saying it's OK to sexually abuse women.

Being a Jew in the age of Trump means being caught between people who think attacking people at Jewish museums is acceptable resistance praxis and people who think “fighting antisemitism” means tearing down every liberal value that made this country comparatively good for Jews in the first place.

No door knocking/ lit dropping campaign a couple weeks before the next presidential election is going to save Philadelphia.

Consumer Reports Condemns Illegal Firing of CPSC Commissioners - CR Advocacy Unlawful removal of Consumer Product Safety Commission leaders demolishes agency’s role as independent, bipartisan, data-driven safety watchdog Consumers will be at greater risk from unsafe…

CR condemns the unlawful removal of @cpsc.gov leaders. It demolishes the agency’s role as an independent, bipartisan, data-driven safety watchdog. Consumers will be at greater risk from unsafe products if the move is not reversed.

The CPSC was created by Congress and answers to Congress. Congress answers to YOU! Call your Senators and Representative today and tell them we need the CPSC to remain an independent, bipartisan agency. The safety of products in your home and your child's life depend on it.

The CPSC is not a federal agency that gets a lot of media attention, but this is a very big deal. The tiny CPSC regulates everything from toys to ATVs.

Must be a painful weekend to be a litigator at Paul Weiss or the other firms that caved.
"When lawyers are apprehensive about retribution for simply filing a brief adverse to the government, there is no other choice but to do so."

Microsoft Drops Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Law Firm from a Case (Gift Article) The tech giant instead engaged a firm that is fighting the president’s executive orders, Jenner & Block, in a sign that those firms can still attract clients.

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/b...

My ACLU colleagues who have been working 24 hours a day were definitely not sleeping and I am just so grateful for them!

Asked why he was so good at defensive game-planning, Bill Belichick explained that many try to find a weakness and exploit it, while he finds a strength and takes it away.

Democrats ducking the immigration issue, as if they should compete only where they’re already winning, is bad strategy.