Republicans Boost Their Razor-thin Majority With Two Wins in Florida

Republicans had held these seats, but Matt Gaetz resigned and Mike Waltz joined the Trump Administration as NSA. So both seats, while won by Republicans, were empty.

Now two more actual Republican Representatives are in the House.

Republicans held on to two important congressional seats in Florida on Tuesday, boosting their slim House majority. Trump-endorsed Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis each secured victory, with Trump celebrating the results, saying his support proved stronger than the "Democrats' forces of evil."
Key Details:
State Sen. Randy Fine defeated Democrat Josh Weil in Florida's 6th Congressional District, securing the seat vacated by former Rep. Mike Waltz.
Fine faced a major financial disadvantage. Weil had raised over $9 million and ended the race with more than $1.3 million in cash on hand.
In the Panhandle-based 1st District, state CFO Jimmy Patronis led Democrat Gay Valimont by nearly 15 points.

Unfortunately, we lost the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The liberal won, securing a 4-3 liberal advantage.

Note that I have repeatedly sowed Russian Disinformation about this. I thought the Court had a 4-3 conservative advantage, which was threatened. In fact, the liberals already held a 4-3 advantage; the conservative judge was the challenger and would have flipped the court.

On the plus side, Wisconsin passed a constitutional amendment to make voter ID the law of the state.

Merry Wednesday! We're at the Great Hump of the Week.

🚨 Trump celebrates a big election integrity win in Wisconsin with the passage of Voter ID 🔥 pic.twitter.com/r22XzMOIDD
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) April 2, 2025

Posted by: Ace at 12:09 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Morn' all

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:09 PM (VE6XX)

2 Howdy

Posted by: one hour sober at April 02, 2025 12:09 PM (Y1sOo)

3 top 10

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:09 PM (uCjyK)

4 Dammit Donna!

Posted by: one hour sober at April 02, 2025 12:10 PM (Y1sOo)

5 Good afternoon

Posted by: Night lifted.... at April 02, 2025 12:10 PM (2NXcZ)

6 I wonder whether that 4-3 majority will hold that voter ID is unconstitutional?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at April 02, 2025 12:10 PM (L5An7)

7 Afternoon ace. Disinformation Barbie who testified yesterday would like a word with you

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 12:11 PM (2ZThz)

8 In Wisconsin, a constitutional amendment has made voter ID the law of the state.

======

Weird how Scott Walker never tried to make this a thing when he was governor.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:11 PM (GBKbO)

9 So is everyone who said this special election was the most important thing in the world and would show how the electorate truly feels going to continue to say this was a referendum on Trump, and it shows how popular Trump truly is?

Or nah. That was only the narrative if the R's lost, in which case everyone hated Trump?

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:11 PM (uCjyK)

10 Happy hump day Ace.
I am okay with yesterday's results. Little over two months in and we are still winning.💃

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:11 PM (t/2Uw)

11 6 I wonder whether that 4-3 majority will hold that voter ID is unconstitutional?
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at April 02, 2025 12:10 PM (L5An7)

======

It's not like state level supreme courts have held dully passed constitutional amendments unconstitutional before!

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:11 PM (GBKbO)

12 Well, that settles it, the GOP will retain and expand control of the House and Senate. Obviously, these races are completely predictive of the 2026 elections.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:11 PM (tT6L1)

13 how on earth do we win the voter id amendment but lose the seat?

what hijinks are those cheeseheads up to?

Posted by: Sturmtoddler at April 02, 2025 12:13 PM (nXhwP)

14 12 Well, that settles it, the GOP will retain and expand control of the House and Senate. Obviously, these races are completely predictive of the 2026 elections.
Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:11 PM (tT6L1)

No, but I'll take what we can get

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:13 PM (VE6XX)

15 6 I wonder whether that 4-3 majority will hold that voter ID is unconstitutional?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at April 02, 2025 12:10 PM (L5An7)

I believe I've read this was a change to their State Constitution.

Posted by: Red Turban Someguy's phone at April 02, 2025 12:13 PM (q53Yl)

16 I wonder whether that 4-3 majority will hold that voter ID is unconstitutional?
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at April 02, 2025 12:10 PM (L5An7)

They will no doubt try.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 12:13 PM (8zz6B)

17 Razorbacks??

Posted by: andycanuck (/tzYP) at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (/tzYP)

18 The narrative is now that all us Trump voters have buyers remorse and wish we had voted for the commie imbecile.

Posted by: Xipe Totec at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (pohLc)

19 I have to hope the voter ID law is the real long term advantage here.

Posted by: Diogenes at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (W/lyH)

20 Well, that settles it, the GOP will retain and expand control of the House and Senate. Obviously, these races are completely predictive of the 2026 elections.
Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:11 PM (tT6L1)

No, but I'll take what we can get
Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:13 PM (VE6XX)
--------

psst: that was sarcasm. We've a few people who've been setting their hair on fire over reading the tea leaves of special elections.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (tT6L1)

21 I asked this last week.. If the WI court was already 4/3 Lib why haven't they already gerrymandered the districts ?

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (VE6XX)

22 Voter ID amendments are unconstitutional!

Posted by: Wisconsin Judge at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (l3YAf)

23 I do not understand the minds of some voters. How can Wisconsin pass a voter id law by a significant majority, and then elect a very liberal supreme court justice who might very well vote to overturn that voter id law by some twisted legal reasoning.

Could it be something like "Oh, voter id, good idea!" combined with "Oh, Musk wants me to vote for this guy, so I'll vote against him because I don't like Musk."

It would be nice for someone to commit journalism and interview voters who split on this issue.

Posted by: George V at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (ugbqN)

24 Oh for pete’s sake, take the damned wins we got yesterday….

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (mu/VF)

25 psst: that was sarcasm. We've a few people who've been setting their hair on fire over reading the tea leaves of special elections.
Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (tT6L1

Yeah.. I knew you were being sarcastic

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:15 PM (VE6XX)

26
Wisconsin is a strange political enigma.

Posted by: Frank Barone at April 02, 2025 12:15 PM (IifOV)

27 I see the weak, unmanly wing of the GOP wants to ditch Musk. They believe the loss in Wisconsin is his fault given his alleged 70% unpopularity with Independents. It couldn’t be that Republicans in Congress haven’t gotten off their asses and done anything with the gifts DOGE has been uncovering while doing their jobs. Instead we have Ana Luna Only Fans winding up stripper polls for unconstitutional proxy voting and the usual dipshits in the senate, which now apparently includes crank Rand Paul, looking to save Canada and illegal aliens. Bravo GOP. You still suck.

Posted by: Vengeance at April 02, 2025 12:15 PM (8Voqu)

28 I believe I've read this was a change to their State Constitution.

Are we wrong?

No, it is the State Constitution that is wrong!

Posted by: The Wisconsin Supreme Court! at April 02, 2025 12:15 PM (xTIDn)

29 California courts have held that state constitutional amendments voted on by the public were unconstitutional. Don't see why the Wisconsin communists won't

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 12:15 PM (2ZThz)

30 I believe Wisconsin already had voter id, by law, but that this now enshrines it in the State Constitution.

Posted by: Urethra Franklin at April 02, 2025 12:16 PM (qUkBO)

31 Related!
Leading Report @LeadingReport 18h
BREAKING: Democrats in Congress have been polled with a 21% approval rating, per CNN.

Leading Report @LeadingReport 2h
BREAKING: Democrats are suing President Trump over his executive order requiring proof of citizenship for voting and restricting the acceptance of mail-in ballots received after Election Day.

Leading Report @LeadingReport 3m
BREAKING: Democrats say Kamala Harris is their “ideal” 2028 presidential candidate, per YouGov poll.

Posted by: andycanuck (/tzYP) at April 02, 2025 12:16 PM (/tzYP)

32 Yeah.. I knew you were being sarcastic
Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:15 PM (VE6XX)
--------------

Yer not going to sic spawn on me in October, are you?

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:16 PM (tT6L1)

33 The black man just can't get a break!

Judge Dismisses Eric Adams Indictment With Prejudice

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Soldier of the Persistence at April 02, 2025 12:16 PM (L/fGl)

34 I think it was insane to have these seats in jeopardy at all. When I heard all of the jobs being passed out to House members I was like "WTF"?

They won comfortably, but everything is a jump ball in a special election. The Democrats "outperformed" by double digits. I'm still scared of a "Jim Jeffords" type situation. Shit needs to get passed ASAP.

I like everything Elon Musk is doing, I wish he would do it in the shadows as I think he's become a Republican version of George Soros. I think he's too visible.

Even if Trump were doing everything perfect, we'd lose the House in 2026. Just the cycle of these things.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:16 PM (4pwAx)

35 Hard to get people enthused over anything but a Presidential election.

Voting for president is a civic duty, but voting in off-year elections is an esoteric hobby for political nerds and activists only.

Posted by: zombie at April 02, 2025 12:17 PM (pMi6S)

36 It would be nice for someone to commit journalism and interview voters who split on this issue.
Posted by: George V at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (ugbqN)

There was some discussion from Sconnies on the ONT that the vote for the Leftard on the Supreme Court was driven by the "but muh 'bortions" fanatics.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 12:17 PM (8zz6B)

37
So maybe the House can get off their asses and get some stuff done? Because its starting to feel like a Paul Ryan congress during Trumps first term.

Posted by: Frank Barone at April 02, 2025 12:17 PM (IifOV)

38 Democrats say Kamala Harris is their “ideal” 2028 presidential candidate, per YouGov poll

No cure for stupid apparently.

Posted by: Halfhand at April 02, 2025 12:17 PM (UfZXD)

39 The Supreme Court seat was more valuable to me than voter ID. In theory, it should be the reverse. But I have zero faith the ID requirement will be enforced, even assuming some scumbag judge doesn't strike down the entire thing.

It's incredible to me that Trump can win WI only a few months ago, but we can't get a SC seat. I assume we lost because (1) the state GOP is wipe-your-ass-with-it useless and (2) the usual box truck with CA plates backed up to the voting area at 3 am with boxes full of "ballots" for the Democrap.

We know the 3 am dump will happen. We see it happen every time. We know it will happen again. But the state GOPs never do anything to actually stop it. It's almost like they're in on it, ya know?

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:17 PM (iFTx/)

40 23 I do not understand the minds of some voters. How can Wisconsin pass a voter id law by a significant majority, and then elect a very liberal supreme court justice who might very well vote to overturn that voter id law by some twisted legal reasoning.

Could it be something like "Oh, voter id, good idea!" combined with "Oh, Musk wants me to vote for this guy, so I'll vote against him because I don't like Musk."

It would be nice for someone to commit journalism and interview voters who split on this issue.
Posted by: George V at April 02, 2025 12:14 PM (ugbqN)

======

People act like Voter ID is a purely Republican issue.

It's just one of those 80-20 issues that elected Democrats have taken the 20 side of for decades.

The problem is that no one is actually animated by the issue to change their overall party preference over it.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:17 PM (GBKbO)

41 Majority of Wisconsin supreme court rules voter id requirement violates state constitution

Posted by: Oglebay at April 02, 2025 12:17 PM (MMp6W)

42 In the back of my mind what I am sensing is a continuing divide in the country. Red states getting more red, blue states more blue. Probably not a good thing long term.
Buy ammo.

Posted by: Diogenes at April 02, 2025 12:17 PM (W/lyH)

43 Abortion is absolutely the wedge issue of our time….

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 12:18 PM (mu/VF)

44 On this day way back in 1968 HAL 9000 went on a murderous rampage on movie screens.

Posted by: Anna Puma at April 02, 2025 12:18 PM (oDvMX)

45 The Voter ID is great, but the House needs to be cleaned out. They're idiots.

Posted by: Wyatt Earp at April 02, 2025 12:18 PM (xh4bt)

46 6 I wonder whether that 4-3 majority will hold that voter ID is unconstitutional?

In other news, Judge Boasberg has ruled that all WI Republicans must be sent to El Salvador for incarceration.

Posted by: Archimedes at April 02, 2025 12:18 PM (xCA6C)

47 I'm only kind of following Wisconsin, but can someone explain to me how the COURT has the power to draw the jerrymandered congressional districts that they will use to create more Democrat districts?

Posted by: Formerly Virginian at April 02, 2025 12:19 PM (N1tpc)

48 Dem money pouring into Gay Valimont's campaign from all over did the trick in FL-01 Escambia County.

Gaetz beat her by 15 points last November.

She defeated Patronis yesterday by 3 points

Yeah-yeah, special election, not predictive, etc.

It still pisses me off that my county had to be dragged across the finish line by R voters in the other three counties.

Posted by: one hour sober at April 02, 2025 12:19 PM (Y1sOo)

49 We need voter ID so Trump nazis don't steal elections again!

Posted by: Over in Crazy Town... at April 02, 2025 12:19 PM (qUkBO)

50 These elections are like trench warfare in the battle of good vs evil. We gain ground in one area, but lost a little ground in another.

Keep the pressure up, became the contrast of good vs evil is an economic argument of free people outproducing enslaved people.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 02, 2025 12:19 PM (u82oZ)

51 I do not understand the minds of some voters. How can Wisconsin pass a voter id law by a significant majority, and then elect a very liberal supreme court justice who might very well vote to overturn that voter id law by some twisted legal reasoning.

Could it be something like "Oh, voter id, good idea!" combined with "Oh, Musk wants me to vote for this guy, so I'll vote against him because I don't like Musk."

It would be nice for someone to commit journalism and interview voters who split on this issue.
Posted by: George V

====

My guess is abortion is pretty effective to run on now that it's a state issue.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:19 PM (4pwAx)

52
In other news, Judge Boasberg has ruled that all WI Republicans must be sent to El Salvador for incarceration.
Posted by: Archimedes at April 02, 2025 12:18 PM (xCA6C)
-----------

Don't give that power mad jackass any ideas.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:19 PM (tT6L1)

53 Bring back our illegal alien murderers, rapists, and drug dealers!

Jamie Raskin Attacks Trump’s Deportation of Criminals, Demands They Be Flown Back to U.S.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Soldier of the Persistence at April 02, 2025 12:19 PM (L/fGl)

54 39 It's incredible to me that Trump can win WI only a few months ago, but we can't get a SC seat. I assume we lost because (1) the state GOP is wipe-your-ass-with-it useless and (2) the usual box truck with CA plates backed up to the voting area at 3 am with boxes full of "ballots" for the Democrap.

We know the 3 am dump will happen. We see it happen every time. We know it will happen again. But the state GOPs never do anything to actually stop it. It's almost like they're in on it, ya know?
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:17 PM (iFTx/)

======

High propensity voters are Democrat now. The ones who will drive themselves to the polls without prompting every election.

I think it's intimately tied to education levels. The higher the level, the more likely you are to vote regularly. And the highly educated trend towards Democrats now.

How do you get unmotivated, disconnected, not wanting to care about politics voters to turn out? I dunno, but it's not even something Obama's tech dream team could figure out.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:19 PM (GBKbO)

55 27 I see the weak, unmanly wing of the GOP wants to ditch Musk.

Posted by: Vengeance at April 02, 2025 12:15 PM (8Voqu)

I guess count me as a part of the weak unmanly wing of the GOP. I think the tech grifters need to kept as far away from power as possible. Remember when Musk was all in on Obama, government subsidies, global warming, etc. when it helped him build Tesla?

Also, after Musk and Vivek's comments on American workers and the need for H1B visa holders, I think he should be deported back to South Africa. Let him fly his rockets from Johannesburg.

Musk does not give a shit about you, or me, or the country, or anything other than his childish dream to colonize Mars.

Can we use his weaponized autism in our favor? Maybe. But he's not to be trusted, and he should be ditched as soon as his cons outweigh his pros.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:20 PM (uCjyK)

56 Leading Report @LeadingReport 3m
BREAKING: Democrats say Kamala Harris is their “ideal” 2028 presidential candidate, per YouGov poll.
Posted by: andycanuck (/tzYP) at April 02, 2025 12:16 PM (/tzYP)
_________

They just want blowjobs

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:20 PM (iFTx/)

57 State, federal and district courts are essentially in the midst of a coup d’eta. They are stealing power they do not have and taking from the people and their elected representatives. Nobody is stopping them, so why wouldn’t they? You know, because it’s “unconstitutional” and “treason” to stop subversive courts and their dogshit jurists from usurping authority not given to them in any constitution. I have no doubt that Wisconsin will follow the lead of other state and district courts who have undermined power provided to the people and steal it for themselves and their Democrat Party benefactors.

Posted by: Vengeance at April 02, 2025 12:20 PM (8Voqu)

58 From the linked article:

"Florida Republicans locked down two congressional seats in special elections on Tuesday, temporarily widening their edge in the U.S. House to 220–213."

So, doesn't this neutralize the Wisconsin gerrymandering?

People were freaking out that the Dem Supreme Courrt win in WI would allow them ti gerrymander the state next year and give the Dems two more house seats. But even after that flip, GOp would sill be up 218-215.

Right?

Posted by: zombie at April 02, 2025 12:20 PM (pMi6S)

59 Yesterday was April Fools so I'm not sure I trust any polls or news stories without extra verification.

Posted by: PaleRider at April 02, 2025 12:20 PM (CKOCg)

60 Mega Maid > Kamala

Posted by: Anna Puma at April 02, 2025 12:21 PM (oDvMX)

61
"Voter ID a big win for Republicans." Why is this?

Integrity a big win for Republicans. Security a big win for Republicans. Valid stuff a big win for Republicans. Transparency a big win for Republicans. Honest dealing a big win for Republicans. Don't Democrats want this?

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at April 02, 2025 12:21 PM (lCaJd)

62 I wanted to see what the WI ID issue was before voting so I did a search.

I didn’t even need to read the actual details, I just looked at who was opposing it. Pretty much told me all I needed to know in order to vote for it.

Posted by: haffhowershower at April 02, 2025 12:21 PM (Sg8Xa)

63 Trump celebrates a big election integrity win in Wisconsin with the passage of Voter ID
===========================
I am directing my minions on the newly constituted Wisconsin Supreme Court to junk this new requirement. Toss it. Throw it away!

Posted by: President James Boasberg at April 02, 2025 12:21 PM (p+WXI)

64 I'm only kind of following Wisconsin, but can someone explain to me how the COURT has the power to draw the jerrymandered congressional districts that they will use to create more Democrat districts?
Posted by: Formerly Virginian at April 02, 2025 12:19 PM (N1tpc)
--------------

It's happened before. Courts have used some nebulous "GOP gerrymandering is racist" to uphold a challenge by Democrats and had districts redrawn to favor Democrats. I can't remember if it was PA or VA where it happened.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:21 PM (tT6L1)

65 58

People were freaking out that the Dem Supreme Courrt win in WI would allow them ti gerrymander the state next year and give the Dems two more house seats. But even after that flip, GOp would sill be up 218-215.

Right?
Posted by: zombie at April 02, 2025 12:20 PM (pMi6S)

Hey!!! Knock it off with that Logic Stuff….!!

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 12:22 PM (mu/VF)

66 My expectation for Musk is that he will realize the problem isn't the left or the right - the problem is the state.

Posted by: Oglebay at April 02, 2025 12:22 PM (MMp6W)

67 I saw The Great Hump of the Week open for Caligula at Speedy's XXX Theater in The Red Light District around '85.

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion at April 02, 2025 12:22 PM (8Ak0o)

68 I wonder whether that 4-3 majority will hold that voter ID is unconstitutional?
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo

*******

Not at all far-fetched. In Colorado, Democrats are floating a lawsuit to have TABOR declared unconstitutional.

TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) was added to the state constitution as a ballot measure in 1992. So by its very definition it is constitutional. Won't stop the bastidges from trying, though.

Posted by: muldoon at April 02, 2025 12:23 PM (/iMjX)

69 Merry Wednesday! We're at the Great Hump of the Week.

Why so Dromediarian? True camels are twice the fun!

Posted by: Brotherhood of Bactrian Camels, Local #269 at April 02, 2025 12:23 PM (a3Q+t)

70 I'm only kind of following Wisconsin, but can someone explain to me how the COURT has the power to draw the jerrymandered congressional districts that they will use to create more Democrat districts?
Posted by: Formerly Virginian at April 02, 2025 12:19 PM (N1tpc)

I don’t owe you an explanation, peasant.

Posted by: Wisconsin Judge at April 02, 2025 12:23 PM (l3YAf)

71 66. "will realize?" What do you think DOGE is about other than shrinking some of the power of the state?

Posted by: PaleRider at April 02, 2025 12:23 PM (CKOCg)

72 People were freaking out that the Dem Supreme Courrt win in WI would allow them ti gerrymander the state next year and give the Dems two more house seats. But even after that flip, GOp would sill be up 218-215.

Right?
Posted by: zombie

===

I have no idea how things are done is WI, but do judges just draw partisan gerrymandered maps to benefit their chosen political party?

That doesn't seem accurate.

It's more if there's a dispute they will probably weigh in to push the scales.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:23 PM (4pwAx)

73 I take offense with the term highly educated lean democrat. I am educated, but colleges these days do not educate, they indoctrinate. Recent grads are highly indoctrinated, not highly educated.

Posted by: Xipe Totec at April 02, 2025 12:23 PM (pohLc)

74 FUN Wisconsin Fact:

The New York Socialite who got caught bribing voters in Wisconsin with cigarettes to homeless had the charges dropped, and was installed as the US Ambassador to Malta. She got tossed on January 20th, 2025, because, you know...

Posted by: Orson at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM (dIske)

75 On the plus side, Wisconsin passed a constitutional amendment to make voter ID the law of the state.

Breaking: WI Supreme Court Rules Amendment to Constitution Unconstitutional

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM (FAGAJ)

76 RIP to Val.
He was a good guy, especially by Hollywood standards.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM (xcxpd)

77 Trump made a major mistake appointing congress people to his administration. Sure we are back but nothing is guaran. damn teed

Posted by: I'm Gumby Damn It! at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM (oGO3y)

78 >> Musk does not give a shit about you, or me, or the country, or anything other than his childish dream to colonize Mars.

I don’t trust anyone. Not even Musk. But yours is a grotesque caricature of him and what he’s accomplished. He’s done pretty significant things uncovering the fraud and corruption in our government. He’s exposed the NGO shadow government and the funding of anti American activities within our country and beyond. In the process he will end up saving us trillions and possibly help preserve social security, and a host of other programs. He didn’t have to do that. Dude could sit on a yacht collecting 8% of his billions without even getting out of the chair. So I’d have to say you’re either not very bright, a troll or not very well informed. You choose. Because nothing you have stated is factual.

Posted by: Vengeance at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM (8Voqu)

79 I honestly thought WI already have voter iD passed by Scott Walker.

Did democrats repeal it?

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM (4pwAx)

80 Not at all far-fetched. In Colorado, Democrats are floating a lawsuit to have TABOR declared unconstitutional.

TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) was added to the state constitution as a ballot measure in 1992. So by its very definition it is constitutional. Won't stop the bastidges from trying, though.
Posted by: muldoon at April 02, 2025 12:23 PM (/iMjX)

It violates the Soviet Constitution. *slams gavel*

Posted by: Colorado Judge at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM (l3YAf)

81 She got tossed on January 20th, 2025, because, you know...
Posted by: Orson at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM

Into what? Were rabid weasels involved?

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at April 02, 2025 12:25 PM (FAGAJ)

82 I do not understand the minds of some voters. How can Wisconsin pass a voter id law by a significant majority, and then elect a very liberal supreme court justice who might very well vote to overturn that voter id law by some twisted legal reasoning.

Because the judge was the real prize, given she can overturn the voter ID law. So the cheating was concentrated on that race.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:25 PM (2ocoG)

83 In the back of my mind what I am sensing is a continuing divide in the country. Red states getting more red, blue states more blue.

-
American AF @iAnonPatriot
White liberal woman releases a SHOCKING message to MAGA..
“If you thought we were woke before,you done went and woke the BEAST. Welcome to woke 2.0.”…

-
"You ain't seen nothing yet
B-b-b-baby, you just ain't seen n-n-n-nothing yet
Here's somethin' that you're never gonna forget
B-b-b-baby, you just ain't seen n-n-n-nothing yet
Nothing yet, you ain't been around"

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Soldier of the Persistence at April 02, 2025 12:25 PM (L/fGl)

84 I am directing my minions on the newly constituted Wisconsin Supreme Court to junk this new requirement. Toss it. Throw it away!
Posted by: President James Boasberg at April 02, 2025 12:21 PM

You're doing good work, Judge Boasberg. There will be several extra tins of sardines in your donation box next week.

Posted by: Big Penguin at April 02, 2025 12:26 PM (a3Q+t)

85 She got tossed on January 20th, 2025, because, you know...
Posted by: Orson at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM

Into what? Were rabid weasels involved?
Posted by: RedMindBlueState at April 02, 2025 12:25 PM (FAGAJ)

River otters, according to nurse.

Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at April 02, 2025 12:27 PM (VNX3d)

86 82 Because the judge was the real prize, given she can overturn the voter ID law. So the cheating was concentrated on that race.
Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:25 PM (2ocoG)

=======

She won by 10 points.

That's over 200,000 votes. Trump won by just about 30,000 votes.

I mean...it wasn't cheating that got her over. It was that it was a low turnout election which greatly favored high propensity voters...who are predominantly Democrat.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:27 PM (GBKbO)

87 NY voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment regarding gerrymandering. The NY Supreme Court allowed Democrats to subvert it.

I have no doubt blue state courts including Wisconsin will disregard the people’s will. It’s exactly the judicial tyranny the Framers feared and was articulated in the federalist papers.

Posted by: Vengeance at April 02, 2025 12:27 PM (8Voqu)

88 >>>Note that I have repeatedly sowed Russian Disinformation about this.

As is tradition.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 02, 2025 12:27 PM (i24o9)

89 It's happened before. Courts have used some nebulous "GOP gerrymandering is racist" to uphold a challenge by Democrats and had districts redrawn to favor Democrats. I can't remember if it was PA or VA where it happened.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:21 PM (tT6L1)

----------------

Whereas Califzuela has an "Independent" Redistricting Commission that steals Congraional seats from Rs.

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion at April 02, 2025 12:28 PM (8Ak0o)

90 She got tossed on January 20th, 2025, because, you know...
Posted by: Orson at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM

Into what? Were rabid weasels involved?
Posted by: RedMindBlueState at April 02, 2025 12:25 PM (FAGAJ)

River otters, according to nurse.
Posted by: Hour of the Wolf at April 02, 2025 12:27 PM

This is acceptable.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at April 02, 2025 12:28 PM (FAGAJ)

91 Nothing good happened yesterday, really, the wheels are already coming off the Trump movement, we are grinding to a halt, and we are flirtin’ with disaster… must be Wednesday at the HQ….

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 12:28 PM (mu/VF)

92 Pretty wild that Wisconsin passed voter ID at the same time they elected a shitlib to their Supreme Court.

Damned cheeseheaded badgers!!!

Posted by: Tex Lovera at April 02, 2025 12:29 PM (wtvvX)

93 I like Musk a lot, I legit think he's maybe accomplished more for conservatism than Trump. The taxpayer was bankrolling the Left and nobody until him seemed to realize it. he's hitting them where it hurts.

But Musk is too much of an attention whore and I think he's becoming a lightning rod.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:29 PM (4pwAx)

94 So conservative sources panicked saying the Wisconsin liberals on their supreme court would gerrymander the R-WI representatives out of the House and flip the House majority to D, paving the way for another round of hostile hearings and impeachment porn.

Is that still a threat?

Posted by: Jack Squat Bupkis at April 02, 2025 12:29 PM (GD2xa)

95 Because the judge was the real prize, given she can overturn the voter ID law. So the cheating was concentrated on that race.
Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:25 PM (2ocoG)

=======

She won by 10 points.

That's over 200,000 votes. Trump won by just about 30,000 votes.

I mean...it wasn't cheating that got her over. It was that it was a low turnout election which greatly favored high propensity voters...who are predominantly Democrat.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:27 PM (GBKbO)
_____

High propensity or not, there's no way she won by 10 fucking points. Not a chance. "Blowjobs from Kamala" wouldn't win by 10 points over "Blowjobs from Harvey Weinstein."

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:30 PM (iFTx/)

96 The D candidate had been predicted to win all along. It would have been an upset if the R had won. Apparently abortion was an issue and more important to I voters. But election integrity did cross party lines. This did make voter ID part of state constitution so no ability to overturn.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:30 PM (t/2Uw)

97 But Musk is too much of an attention whore and I think he's becoming a lightning rod.

It's perfectly fine to be both of those things if you're a Democrat. Ask AOC.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:30 PM (2ocoG)

98 So I’d have to say you’re either not very bright, a troll or not very well informed. You choose. Because nothing you have stated is factual.
Posted by: Vengeance at April 02, 2025 12:24 PM (8Voqu)

Everything I stated was factual. The DOGE stuff is good, and I'm glad low information people such as yourself are now seeing what has been patently obvious to everyone paying attention for years.

I have listened to, at this point, dozens if not hundreds of hours of interviews of Elon Musk going back years. Back when he was a darling of the left and everyone on the right hated him. I think I understand the guy pretty well. He's not driven primarily by money (which is why he's not sitting on a yacht), his lifelong obsession is getting to mars.

That's why he invested in electric cars, tunnel boring, brain implants, rockets, low earth orbit satellites, etc.

He will do whatever it takes to make his dream a reality. He is not to be trusted, he lies through his teeth. For example, he's been selling "full self driving" as an upgrade in his Teslas for a decade now, promising it would be activated in six months. It will likely never be activated.

(1/2)

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:30 PM (uCjyK)

99 Musk does not give a shit about you, or me, or the country, or anything other than his childish dream to colonize Mars.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:20 PM (uCjyK)

You've said this before and it is quite tiresome. You really have no idea what you're talking about. The arrogance in attempting to probe the psyche of Musk for ulterior motivations not only absent evidence but in the full panoply of objective evidence that he does, indeed, give very many shits about us and the country is beyond any arrogance he has shown.

I may be one the few people around here who has actually met and worked for Elon Musk. I don't presume to understand his deepest motivations but will only say that he is a total gentleman and that I trust him as much as any figure out there and on the same level I trust Trump.

Posted by: Ordinary American at April 02, 2025 12:30 PM (vsTPo)

100 Unfortunately, we lost the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The liberal won, securing a 4-3 liberal advantage.

On the plus side, Wisconsin passed a constitutional amendment to make voter ID the law of the state.

An odd combination, nay?

Posted by: Jonathan Swift at April 02, 2025 12:30 PM (jc0TO)

101 But Musk is too much of an attention whore and I think he's becoming a lightning rod.
Posted by: Leupold

Yes, after electing Trump, that's the problem....

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 02, 2025 12:30 PM (mlg/3)

102 BREAKING: Democrats say Kamala Harris is their “ideal” 2028 presidential candidate, per YouGov poll.
Posted by: andycanuck

********

RELATED: Democrats say the Colorado Rockies are their "ideal" 2025candidate to win the World Series per the same YouGov poll

(Editor's Note- The Rockies have racked up more than 100 losses each of the last two seasons, and as of yesterday have now been mathematically eliminated from playoffs through 2032. )

Posted by: muldoon at April 02, 2025 12:30 PM (/iMjX)

103 Saw a MSM headline that spun the elections as a significant win for the Democrats.

Posted by: RM at April 02, 2025 12:31 PM (n/1Oj)

104 NY voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment regarding gerrymandering. The NY Supreme Court allowed Democrats to subvert it.

I have no doubt blue state courts including Wisconsin will disregard the people’s will. It’s exactly the judicial tyranny the Framers feared and was articulated in the federalist papers.

Posted by: Vengeance at April 02, 2025 12:27 PM (8Voqu)

With naked leftist politicization of the courts, the last vestiges of any legitimacy of the federal government has been swept away.

The social compact is kaput.

Consent of the governed is withdrawn.

Now, it is only a matter of time.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 02, 2025 12:31 PM (i24o9)

105 Musk does not give a shit about you, or me, or the country, or anything other than his childish dream to colonize Mars.

Dude. Seriously??

Posted by: Tex Lovera at April 02, 2025 12:31 PM (wtvvX)

106 The problem isn’t Musk. The problem much to everyone’s surprise is Congress. They haven’t done shit and now you have people like Luna and that idiot from NY Lawler, running around throwing stones and turning over tables. The senate is slipping back into its usual garbage with Murcokeski, Collins and the rest of that crowd.

Posted by: Vengeance at April 02, 2025 12:31 PM (8Voqu)

107 103 Saw a MSM headline that spun the elections as a significant win for the Democrats.
Posted by: RM at April 02, 2025 12:31 PM (n/1Oj)

Of course they did.. Let them keep thinking that....

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:31 PM (VE6XX)

108 Frank Luntz says Cory Booker's tongue-a-thon "may have changed the course of political history."

Sure, Jan.

Posted by: Meade Lux Lewis, Domestic Terrorist at April 02, 2025 12:31 PM (paSBy)

109 100 An odd combination, nay?
Posted by: Jonathan Swift at April 02, 2025 12:30 PM (jc0TO)

=======

Voter ID is the Democrats' version of the Republicans' desire to shut down immigration.

Highly supported by most of their voters, but actively dismissed by the people actually in power.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:32 PM (GBKbO)

110 (2/2)

He has made his fortune almost exclusively off the US treasury and US government policies. Tesla makes most of their money from selling basically carbon credits to other car manufacturers. Tesla also benefited hugely from electric car tax credits in the US and abroad.

SpaceX has been reliant on government contracts from day 1.

Etc. etc. etc.

Now I'm not saying SpaceX isn't cool -- it is very cool.

But Musk himself is not someone any of us should trust, and while I understand why Trump had to bring him in to the circle during the election, Trump should get him away from power as quickly as reasonably possible.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:32 PM (uCjyK)

111 I dont think the discrepancy is all that hard in WI.

An issue like abortion and keeping the supreme court "the same" is popular. It's also natural that voters like the idea of a "check" on power after a previous election.

Voter ID as a single issue is also politically popular, so it won easy.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:32 PM (4pwAx)

112 The senate is slipping back into its usual garbage with Murcokeski, Collins and the rest of that crowd.
Posted by: Vengeance at April 02, 2025 12:31 PM (8Voqu)

Add McConnell and surprisingly Rand Paul

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:32 PM (VE6XX)

113 103 Saw a MSM headline that spun the elections as a significant win for the Democrats.

of course they always do this

they are never wrong and cannot lose; their narrative expresses this "truthiness"!

also, if their media actually ever communicated that they're all clowns and losers, their base would off themselves.

Posted by: Black Orchid at April 02, 2025 12:32 PM (Pv3Rg)

114 9 So is everyone who said this special election was the most important thing in the world and would show how the electorate truly feels going to continue to say this was a referendum on Trump, and it shows how popular Trump truly is?

Or nah. That was only the narrative if the R's lost, in which case everyone hated Trump?
Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:11 PM (uCjyK)

Split decision, so no feel on Trump.
As I mentioned on another thread, it does show Elon has gotten less popular.

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:32 PM (tOcjL)

115 I take offense with the term highly educated lean democrat. I am educated, but colleges these days do not educate, they indoctrinate. Recent grads are highly indoctrinated, not highly educated.
Posted by: Xipe Totec at April 02, 2025 12:23 PM (pohLc)

Excellent point!

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 12:32 PM (8zz6B)

116 >>>White liberal woman releases a SHOCKING message to MAGA..

MAGA responds:

https://tinyurl.com/2ufzmwuw

(11 seconds)

Posted by: one hour sober at April 02, 2025 12:32 PM (Y1sOo)

117 People were freaking out that the Dem Supreme Courrt win in WI would allow them ti gerrymander the state next year and give the Dems two more house seats. But even after that flip, GOp would sill be up 218-215.

Right?
Posted by: zombie at April 02, 2025 12:20 PM (pMi6S)

There are two Democrat districts that need to hold special elections. So we’ll be back to 218-217 soon.

The Dems will steal two House seats in Wisconsin (and control of the state government.) However, that won’t take effect until the next election, and who knows what the balance of power will be then.

Posted by: Colorado Judge at April 02, 2025 12:33 PM (l3YAf)

118 >>>RIP to Val.
He was a good guy, especially by Hollywood standards.
Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo

A terrific actor, and he could do almost anything and make the movie great. Such a shame he passed away.

Posted by: Wyatt Earp at April 02, 2025 12:33 PM (xh4bt)

119 108 Frank Luntz says Cory Booker's tongue-a-thon "may have changed the course of political history."

Sure, Jan.
Posted by: Meade Lux Lewis, Domestic Terrorist at April 02, 2025 12:31 PM (paSBy)

=======

This is the guy who said that Kamala saying "turn the leaf" in her debate with Trump was a killer line, the end of the campaign, and would be remembered for all of political history.

I don't know what happened to Luntz. He's never been...smart, but he's gotten real dumb recently.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:33 PM (GBKbO)

120 Well, both the Washington House and Senate voted to introduce a wealth tax - we'll see if the governor signs it.

Washington is an anomaly - the only blue state without an income tax.

This drives the Democrats in Seattle nuts, of course - they have been trying to pass an income tax for decades, but the voters keep voting it down.

So, they have been working around the edges - they passed a capital gains tax that only applied to the 7,000 richest people in Washington.

Jeff Bezos personally was supposed to pay forty-five percent of the capital gains tax, and responded to the passage of the tax by immediately moving to Florida.

Not learning from this, the wealth tax is supposed to only apply to the 4,000 richest people in Washington - only to people with more than $50 million in financial assets.

The House and Senate bills differ in some respects - one calls for a 0.8% wealth tax, the other for a 1% wealth tax, but the hilarious thing is that while the House bill only applies to assets over $50 million, the Senate bill taxes all of your financial assets if you have more than $50 million.

Have $50 million + $1, pay the tax on the whole $50 million.

Posted by: The ARC of History! at April 02, 2025 12:33 PM (xTIDn)

121 108 Frank Luntz says Cory Booker's tongue-a-thon "may have changed the course of political history."

Sure, Jan.
Posted by: Meade Lux Lewis, Domestic Terrorist at April 02, 2025 12:31 PM (paSBy)

Hahahahahahahaha

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:33 PM (VE6XX)

122 'Presumably so they can cheat.'

No, it's absolutely so they can cheat.

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at April 02, 2025 12:34 PM (zZu0s)

123 >>I like everything Elon Musk is doing, I wish he would do it in the shadows as I think he's become a Republican version of George Soros. I think he's too visible.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:16 PM

---

I prefer him front and center. Full transparency, no gray eminence, taking some of the heat.

Posted by: SloPitch Whiffer at April 02, 2025 12:34 PM (wzAuc)

124 What, do we have Bookermentum now?

Posted by: Aetius451AD work phone at April 02, 2025 12:34 PM (zZu0s)

125 Damned cheeseheaded badgers!!!
Posted by: Tex Lovera

*********

Señor. We don' need no steenking badgers!

Posted by: muldoon at April 02, 2025 12:34 PM (/iMjX)

126 BREAKING NEWS: (From Daily Mail)

"President Donald Trump has told his Cabinet and inner circle that Elon Musk is stepping back from his government role. The Tesla and Space X founder will soon be returning to the business world, Politico reported, in a move that rattled the stock market and caused shock waves in Washington. It was a joint decision between the two men and Trump said he remains happy with Musk's work with the Department of Government Efficiency."

Posted by: Duncanthrax at April 02, 2025 12:34 PM (a3Q+t)

127 The reason we haven't found the grift before was partially due to tech being on the Left's side. You don't find it useful to have a team that can recover the deleted financial records of a department?

Posted by: Notsothoreau at April 02, 2025 12:35 PM (cvWHI)

128 I am more concerned about the stupid 8 Republicans who voted with the Democrats in the house to kayo a bill over proxy voting issue that ended up adjourning the House for the week with nothing accomplished. No votes on the Save Act. No votes on rogue judges. So to pander to a couple of mothers of infants, Trump's agenda gets put on hold. Mothers deal with child care issues all the time. This is a 2 yr term. Stop being so selfish and holding up the entire country while you whine.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:35 PM (t/2Uw)

129 Repubs still seem adverse to early voting.. That made the difference in WI ... Don't get me wrong I hate early voting...

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:35 PM (VE6XX)

130 So ... if you were offered a seat on a mission to Mars, would you go?

Assume it's a planned round-trip mission, and not a suicide run, but there's a real chance it ends up being one-way or even a fatal disaster. So, basically what the first manned Mars mission will be.

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:35 PM (iFTx/)

131 Does Musk even hold a 'position of power'? DOGE is doing stuff, not Musk. Musk is the face.

There is a term for promoting someone to a high sounding position that actually leaves them powerless, but it is escaping me.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:36 PM (jc0TO)

132 Do I trust Musk. No necessarily. But the work he and DOGE have done is more than all the Republican chimps in congress have done in the last 50 years. With every scandal uncovered the Republicans should be running with it to decrease government. But they're stuck on maternity leave. So I'll stick with Musk for the time being

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 12:36 PM (2ZThz)

133 Happy Tariff Wednesday Folks.

Canada is nervous. But after how I was treated during Covid, sympathy meter is empty.

And our leaders are retards.

Posted by: Stateless...79% - mental state clawing up from 10% at April 02, 2025 12:36 PM (jvJvP)

134 Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:35 PM (t/2Uw)

Sharon.. That pissed the hell out of me too...

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:36 PM (VE6XX)

135 128 I am more concerned about the stupid 8 Republicans who voted with the Democrats in the house to kayo a bill over proxy voting issue that ended up adjourning the House for the week with nothing accomplished. No votes on the Save Act. No votes on rogue judges. So to pander to a couple of mothers of infants, Trump's agenda gets put on hold. Mothers deal with child care issues all the time. This is a 2 yr term. Stop being so selfish and holding up the entire country while you whine.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:35 PM (t/2Uw)

Turning this country around will take hard work.

We have elected people that are averse to work.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at April 02, 2025 12:36 PM (KbCG3)

136 Musk does not give a shit about you, or me, or the country, or anything other than his childish dream to colonize Mars.

Why is that childish? NASA has wanted for decades to get to Mars and the asteroid belt because they have exploitable mineral resources, and the ChiComs are very interested for the same reason.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:36 PM (2ocoG)

137 You've said this before and it is quite tiresome. You really have no idea what you're talking about.
Posted by: Ordinary American at April 02, 2025 12:30 PM (vsTPo)

I don't care if you think it's tiresome. I don't know what it is about people "on the right," but everyone has to jump from one HERO WHO WILL SAVE THE DAY to the next.

Remember when Paul Ryan was the greatest thing since sliced bread? Or Dan Crenshaw? Or Scott Walker? Or ... whoever.

And they all "turned" very quickly.

Yeah, we have the advantage of Musk being a very public figure for, what, 20 years? You know why the left is so angry with him? They trusted him when they thought he was one of theirs. Now, on a dime, he's "one of ours." How long do you think that will last?

And the political winds will shift, and Elon will shift with them again. Like he always has. It's only a matter of time.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:36 PM (uCjyK)

138 Musk is out. Another stupid move by the administration.

https://tinyurl.com/2rbw3kaz

Posted by: Maj. Healey at April 02, 2025 12:36 PM (/U5Yz)

139 I Meme Therefore I Am
@ImMeme0
1m
NEW: Five Colombian nationals arrested in Aurora, CO, in connection with a series of residential burglaries in the city.

The suspects used signal jamming technology to bypass residential security systems.

Investigators recovered hundreds of pieces of stolen property, including cash, jewelry and high-priced clothing and accessories. Investigators also seized stolen weapons, including handguns and rifles, and tracking devices and Wi-Fi signal jammers.
https://tinyurl.com/3kpwcrzb

Posted by: redridinghood at April 02, 2025 12:37 PM (NpAcC)

140 This is the guy who said that Kamala saying "turn the leaf" in her debate with Trump was a killer line, the end of the campaign, and would be remembered for all of political history.

I don't know what happened to Luntz. He's never been...smart, but he's gotten real dumb recently.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:33 PM

Turn the leaf? I do not remember that quote. WTF does that even mean?

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at April 02, 2025 12:37 PM (FAGAJ)

141 126 BREAKING NEWS: (From Daily Mail)

"President Donald Trump has told his Cabinet and inner circle that Elon Musk is stepping back from his government role. "

Very disappointing.

Posted by: Ordinary American at April 02, 2025 12:37 PM (vsTPo)

142 11 6 I wonder whether that 4-3 majority will hold that voter ID is unconstitutional?
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at April 02, 2025 12:10 PM (L5An7)

======

It's not like state level supreme courts have held dully passed constitutional amendments unconstitutional before!
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
========
Very difficult to do as WI courts cannot rule that Voter ID is unconstitutional under the US Constitution and as it is now in the state Constitution after two consecutive votes for it.

That leaves the WI court only able to claim procedural grounds. My guess is that the WI Scotus wants to move toward rejiggering districts than fighting that battle but any tries to redistrict could run afoul of federal courts. NC and NY were different due to state legislatures pushing redistricting after the redistricting in 2022. NC had a veto proof majority but the Dems had the Sup. Ct. block the initial GOP plan. Reversed after NC court flipped to GOP and the old judicial Dem plan was scrapped. NY did some rejiggering but held the trifecta of leg, courts, and governor.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:38 PM (ctrM5)

143 141 126 BREAKING NEWS: (From Daily Mail)

"President Donald Trump has told his Cabinet and inner circle that Elon Musk is stepping back from his government role. "

Very disappointing.
Posted by: Ordinary American at April 02, 2025 12:37 PM (vsTPo)
He was always going to leave in May... Perhaps he was tired of the threats ?

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (VE6XX)

144 Turn the leaf? I do not remember that quote. WTF does that even mean?
----------------
I think it's French for 'where is the shit paper.'

Posted by: Pudinhead at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (Hpgos)

145 Musk does not give a shit about you, or me, or the country, or anything other than his childish dream to colonize Mars.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:20 PM (uCjyK)

Posted by: Disinterested FRA at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (l3YAf)

146 On the WI Supreme Court, even though liberal judges do horrible things, I think some of the predictions probably wont come true.

They're probably not going to draw swat down a constitutionally amendment passed by voters by wide margins and they probably aren't going to simply dictate a map drawn purely to benefit Democrats.

Are there examples where things like this did happen? Yes, but they were pretty extreme outliers.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (4pwAx)

147 Remember when Paul Ryan was the greatest thing since sliced bread? Or Dan Crenshaw? Or Scott Walker? Or ... whoever.
Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:36 PM (uCjyK)

More caustic and foolish arrogance. Equating Musk with those paltry characters. Again, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Posted by: Ordinary American at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (vsTPo)

148 BREAKING NEWS: (From Daily Mail)

"President Donald Trump has told his Cabinet and inner circle that Elon Musk is stepping back from his government role. "

Very disappointing.
Posted by: Ordinary American at April 02, 2025 12:37 PM (vsTPo)
___

He was always supposed to leave in May, right? So he leaves a few weeks early?

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (iFTx/)

149 132 Do I trust Musk. No necessarily. But the work he and DOGE have done is more than all the Republican chimps in congress have done in the last 50 years. With every scandal uncovered the Republicans should be running with it to decrease government. But they're stuck on maternity leave. So I'll stick with Musk for the time being
Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 12:36 PM (2ZThz)

Well, I think that speaks to something more sinister.

Obviously the R's in congress could have stopped this at any time. Or at least called attention to the massive corruption in DC. Remember when Paul Ryan and his team of "wonks" were going through the entire federal budget line by line and the only place to cut was social security?

So the bigger question is ... why has no one in DC ever addressed this? And why did they call those of us who pointed this shit out conspiracy theorists? All idiots, or...?

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (uCjyK)

150 Call TABOR, the 8th man!

Posted by: Some Cartoon I Barely Remember, Except for the Theme Song at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (w9Wax)

151 Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:35 PM (t/2Uw)

Seems like they could just repackage the proposal without the objectionable proxy voting and then take another vote. Well, if you really wanted to get something done, you could do that. Looking more like the typical political jackassery. From both sides.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead...Wearing Pants and Working at April 02, 2025 12:40 PM (luW68)

152 Turn the leaf? I do not remember that quote. WTF does that even mean?
----------------
I think it's French for 'where is the shit paper.'
Posted by: Pudinhead at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM

CBD, thoughts?

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at April 02, 2025 12:40 PM (FAGAJ)

153 We find Hawai'i stimulating and inspiring!

Posted by: WI Supreme Court at April 02, 2025 12:40 PM (a3Q+t)

154 More caustic and foolish arrogance. Equating Musk with those paltry characters. Again, you have no idea what you're talking about.
Posted by: Ordinary American at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (vsTPo)

So enlighten me then. "Elon Musk is an American hero who we should all worship because..."

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:40 PM (uCjyK)

155
What is now the R/D split in the House?

No House elections now until 2026, barring a death or resignation, right?

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 02, 2025 12:40 PM (SjKfn)

156 138 Musk is out. Another stupid move by the administration.

https://tinyurl.com/2rbw3kaz

Posted by: Maj. Healey
=========
You left out the 130 day limit which ended his employment anyway in May. Likely to be a mutual decision as the DM story rests on a shitty Politico article basis.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:40 PM (ctrM5)

157 This is what my father-in-law's final ride looked like.
His was all black.

Final Ride

Grand O'Vale

https://tinyurl.com/4m8eubau

Posted by: rickb223 at April 02, 2025 12:40 PM (BJy/u)

158 On the plus side, Wisconsin passed a constitutional amendment to make voter ID the law of the state.

Can someone point to any interviews or anything showing what was on the minds of people that voted for voter ID and the leftwing nutter for SC?

Do they want abortion and no illegals voting? Or...I'm guessing here...the FNM in WI demonized the right leaning SC candidate and the average voter knows nothing about him...but these voters do know a bunch of illegals voted in 2024...

Posted by: 18-1 at April 02, 2025 12:41 PM (t0Rmr)

159 I should have mentioned the aching and bitter envy some feel toward Musk. It's surpassing.

Posted by: Ordinary American at April 02, 2025 12:41 PM (vsTPo)

160 128 I am more concerned about the stupid 8 Republicans who voted with the Democrats in the house to kayo a bill over proxy voting issue that ended up adjourning the House for the week with nothing accomplished. No votes on the Save Act. No votes on rogue judges. So to pander to a couple of mothers of infants, Trump's agenda gets put on hold. Mothers deal with child care issues all the time. This is a 2 yr term. Stop being so selfish and holding up the entire country while you whine.
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:35 PM (t/2Uw)

And yet, it was stupid of Rs to make this a "no" - they should have suggested a compromise - 10 weeks of proxy voting per pregnancy (1 month prebirth and 6 weeks post). That's an 80/20 issue...young folks, male and female in their teens and twenties are trending hard R. This is how you lose them.

I hate proxy voting, but I hate more telling moms who get pregnant to abort the kid or quit Congress...we are the pro-life party...

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:41 PM (tOcjL)

161 I don't know what happened to Luntz. He's never been...smart, but he's gotten real dumb recently.

Yeah, the bottom fell out of Luntz surprisingly quickly.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:41 PM (2ocoG)

162 "Turn the leaf" is what I said to Eve, duh!

Posted by: Adam at April 02, 2025 12:41 PM (a3Q+t)

163 Posted by: Wyatt Earp at April 02, 2025 12:33 PM (xh4bt)

Wyatt! Good to see you, Sir.

You retired yet?

Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:42 PM (77rzZ)

164 We find Hawai'i stimulating and inspiring!
Posted by: WI Supreme Court at April 02, 2025 12:40 PM

This voter ID law violates the You Betcha Spirit of Wisconsin! Overturned!

Posted by: WI Supreme Court at April 02, 2025 12:42 PM (FAGAJ)

165 143 141 126 BREAKING NEWS: (From Daily Mail)

"President Donald Trump has told his Cabinet and inner circle that Elon Musk is stepping back from his government role. "

Very disappointing.
Posted by: Ordinary American at April 02, 2025 12:37 PM (vsTPo)
He was always going to leave in May... Perhaps he was tired of the threats ?

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (VE6XX)

The personal financial cost he was bearing seems significant to me.

Posted by: Red Turban Someguy's phone at April 02, 2025 12:42 PM (q53Yl)

166 What is now the R/D split in the House?

No House elections now until 2026, barring a death or resignation, right?
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot:
======
220 R- 213 Dem. Two Dems have recently died but those districts were both urban black districts not likely to flip. Composition is likely to be 220-215 in about two or three months.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:42 PM (ctrM5)

167 Elon has been moving non-stop since the middle of last year.

Stepping back was inevitable.

He's got several companies and thousands of employees who probably deserve a bit of his attention.

I think we should thank him for his service and weathering the threats he's received.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (tT6L1)

168 The personal financial cost he was bearing seems significant to me.
Posted by: Red Turban Someguy's phone at April 02, 2025 12:42 PM (q53Yl)

Looks like Tesla stock was up this AM

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (VE6XX)

169 a shitty Politico article basis.
Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:40 PM

Are you saying it's above or below our median story?

Posted by: Politico at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (a3Q+t)

170 He was always supposed to leave in May, right? So he leaves a few weeks early?
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:39 PM (iFTx/)

Stepping back? Isn't the usual term "stepping down"? Sounds to me like, "Musk will continue to do what he has been doing, but will be less visible doing it."

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (8zz6B)

171 So, 19 States and DC have sued the Fed Gov because the Fed Gov did not give them ample notice that they were firing Federal Employees... and has halted all firings.

Uh... are not all cases where States sue the Feds supposed to be in the Supreme Court?... and since when does the Fed gov have to ask PERMISSION from a State to do something?

Posted by: Romeo13 at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (QAkQ3)

172 Colonizing Mars has always struck me as a Plan B kind of thing, presuming that the Earth becomes uninhabitable.

It is easier to live in, and exploit the resources of, Antarctica rather than Mars. At least you can breath in Antarctica.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (jc0TO)

173 The left claims a scalp.

It's going to get uglier.

Posted by: jsg at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (UJ+K5)

174 166 What is now the R/D split in the House?

No House elections now until 2026, barring a death or resignation, right?
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot:
======
220 R- 213 Dem. Two Dems have recently died but those districts were both urban black districts not likely to flip. Composition is likely to be 220-215 in about two or three months.
Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:42 PM (ctrM5)

So, we are doomed, doomed, yes???

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (mu/VF)

175 I knew Musk wouldn't last long, the media knew what it was doing with the Co-President stuff.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (4pwAx)

176 Whoops.. trying again..

****

Musk does not give a shit about you, or me, or the country, or anything other than his childish dream to colonize Mars.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:20 PM (uCjyK)

I’m a huge Musk critic and was all the way back in 2012, I’ve gotten a lot of crap for it, including here.

I don’t trust any politician or billionaire. However,
I don’t need Musk to care about me or the country. I just need him to cut spending. He can secretly be a commie or a Nazi, for all I care.

Colonizing Mars is cool. It’s one of the only cool things America is still trying to do. Although, it makes more sense to colonize with machines than humans.

As for whether or not Musk cares about you, if it’s it that important to you, maybe get a cat?

Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (l3YAf)

177 Yeah, the bottom fell out of Luntz surprisingly quickly.
Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:41 PM

Whereas I fell out of the bottom surprisingly quickly.

Posted by: Pete Bootyjudge at April 02, 2025 12:44 PM (FAGAJ)

178 Colonizing Mars has always struck me as a Plan B kind of thing, presuming that the Earth becomes uninhabitable.

It is easier to live in, and exploit the resources of, Antarctica rather than Mars. At least you can breath in Antarctica.
Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (jc0TO)

Musk thinks we need to be an inter-planetary species in order to survive. Which makes sense.

I don't think humans can or will be colonizing Mars anytime soon though. We'll see.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:44 PM (uCjyK)

179 Colonizing Mars has always struck me as a Plan B kind of thing, presuming that the Earth becomes uninhabitable.

It is easier to live in, and exploit the resources of, Antarctica rather than Mars. At least you can breath in Antarctica.
Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (jc0TO)
__________

"Yea, stay the fuck on your own planet!"

-- Martians

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:44 PM (iFTx/)

180 Harry Paratestes, no one is worshipping Musk. If we've learned anything it's that our elected leaders are self interested twats. They care less about us than Musk. At least he's doing something which conservatives like, cutting government. There is nothing sinister about politicians vee know exactly what they are, using power to stay in power. Take what you can get when you can get it

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 12:44 PM (2ZThz)

181 178 We'll see.
Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:44 PM (uCjyK)

======

*nods sagaciously*

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (GBKbO)

182 TJM, do you have the #s for total votes in WI, vs. 2024, to compare to the R/D #s then? As you and others say, and is pretty common, seems like it was low-turnout event.

Oddly, much of the chatter, backed up by specific reports from many places, including "GOP-leaning" areas, was about overwhelming turnout, with ballot shortages, etc. Don't get that part.

And WI folks can confirm/correct, but I have read one issue not talked about nationally is the ongoing struggle over public sector unions in WI. Walker gutted them (in terms of legal standing, etc), and this apparently is a standing issue in every election now. Supreme court seat seen as part of that struggle. Which could also explain energized D turnout.

Posted by: rhomboid at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (1m82a)

183 220 R- 213 Dem. Two Dems have recently died but those districts were both urban black districts not likely to flip. Composition is likely to be 220-215 in about two or three months.
Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:42 PM (ctrM5)

Were they in red States ? If they have Rep. Governors perhaps they can slow walk the elections ?

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (VE6XX)

184 So enlighten me then. "Elon Musk is an American hero who we should all worship because..."

JFC. Nobody's saying to worship him. But he has done more for conservatism in 6 months than every Republican who's ever existed, including Reagan. It's possible to be positive about someone without thinking they're God.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (2ocoG)

185 When did "worship" have anything to do with it? This is your projection, that anybody who admires what he's done and the courage he's shown to at least attempt to do something not a single Republican figure in 100 years has dared to barely talk about (even though this is the very raison d'etre of conservatism) is guilty of fawning hero worship. That I don't distrust and begrudge his success and am not afflicted with rancid envy doesn't mean I "worship" him.

Posted by: Ordinary American at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (vsTPo)

186 Musk isn't worthy of worship like a Kennedy is.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (GBKbO)

187 161 I don't know what happened to Luntz. He's never been...smart, but he's gotten real dumb recently.

Yeah, the bottom fell out of Luntz surprisingly quickly.
Posted by: Ian S.

My guess is that Luntz got access to the private GOP polling when he was Kevin McCarthy's partner. Same as how Nate Silver withered in polling circles after he no longer had Obama and Dem private polling to correct.

But Luntz always was a shady grifter--he was thrown out of the association of public opinion researchers due to professional misconduct doing his Luntz's Duntzs focus group panels back in the 90's.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (ctrM5)

188 Colonizing Mars has always struck me as a Plan B kind of thing, presuming that the Earth becomes uninhabitable.

It is easier to live in, and exploit the resources of, Antarctica rather than Mars. At least you can breath in Antarctica.
Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (jc0TO)

Musk thinks we need to be an inter-planetary species in order to survive. Which makes sense.

I don't think humans can or will be colonizing Mars anytime soon though. We'll see.
Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:44 PM (uCjyK)
_________

We could colonize Mars in 10-15 years if we wanted to. We don't want to.

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (iFTx/)

189 But DOGE is going to continue, correct?

Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (77rzZ)

190 60 Mega Maid > Kamala

not if kamala's in "suck" mode

Posted by: willie brown at April 02, 2025 12:46 PM (oY6Yp)

191 And yet, it was stupid of Rs to make this a "no" - they should have suggested a compromise - 10 weeks of proxy voting per pregnancy (1 month prebirth and 6 weeks post). That's an 80/20 issue...young folks, male and female in their teens and twenties are trending hard R. This is how you lose them.

I hate proxy voting, but I hate more telling moms who get pregnant to abort the kid or quit Congress...we are the pro-life party...
Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:41 PM (tOcjL)

I still dont see how Proxy voting is Constitutional. Can you have a quorum if some of those numbers needed, are Proxy votes? And how the hell do you say YOU are representing your constituents, when you are not even there.

Posted by: Romeo13 at April 02, 2025 12:46 PM (QAkQ3)

192 We could colonize Mars in 10-15 years if we wanted to. We don't want to.
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (iFTx/)

I mean, we already have a flag there.

Posted by: Sheila Jackson Lee at April 02, 2025 12:46 PM (UJ+K5)

193 182 TJM, do you have the #s for total votes in WI, vs. 2024, to compare to the R/D #s then? As you and others say, and is pretty common, seems like it was low-turnout event.

Oddly, much of the chatter, backed up by specific reports from many places, including "GOP-leaning" areas, was about overwhelming turnout, with ballot shortages, etc. Don't get that part.

And WI folks can confirm/correct, but I have read one issue not talked about nationally is the ongoing struggle over public sector unions in WI. Walker gutted them (in terms of legal standing, etc), and this apparently is a standing issue in every election now. Supreme court seat seen as part of that struggle. Which could also explain energized D turnout.
Posted by: rhomboid at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (1m82a)

=======

What I see from the NYT is 2.3 million voters vs. 3.6 million in 2024. D getting about 300,000 fewer than Kamala but R getting about 600,000 fewer than Trump.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 12:47 PM (GBKbO)

194 189 But DOGE is going to continue, correct?
Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (77rzZ)

?????????????????

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 12:47 PM (mu/VF)

195 As for whether or not Musk cares about you, if it’s it that important to you, maybe get a cat?
Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (l3YAf)

As long as we're on the same page that him sidling up to power is not motivated by anything other than him wanting to be the person to colonize Mars, then fine, I'll get a cat.

He can be a useful tool, potentially, but he's also an incredibly dangerous tool since he's the richest person on the planet.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:47 PM (uCjyK)

196 Were they in red States ? If they have Rep. Governors perhaps they can slow walk the elections ?
Posted by: It's me donna
========
One in Texas--Houston area. The other is AZ-centered around Tucson I think.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:47 PM (ctrM5)

197 I bet some rigged poll was put in front of Trump and he thought it must all be Musk's fault.

I think secretly, Trump doesn't want to cut a trillion in spending. You cut a trillion dollars of stimulus and the economy is going to suffer. It's needed, but short term it will be painful.

I think Musk should be saluted as a hero, this guy basically ruined his life and standing for his political cause. How many other people can you say that about?
I would argue he has given up more than Trump has. Musk doesn't actually get the upsides of being President.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:47 PM (4pwAx)

198 I hate proxy voting, but I hate more telling moms who get pregnant to abort the kid or quit Congress...we are the pro-life party...
Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:41 PM (tOcjL)

False dichotomy there. Just accept the fact that Moms in Congress will be absent for a few days before after the birth of their child.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 12:47 PM (8zz6B)

199 TJM, do you have the #s for total votes in WI, vs. 2024, to compare to the R/D #s then? As you and others say, and is pretty common, seems like it was low-turnout event.

WI 2024
Trump 1.7M
Kumswala 1.6M

WI 2025
Schmil 1.1M
Commie 1.3 M

Posted by: 18-1 at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (t0Rmr)

200 I don't think wanting to colonize Mars is childish at all. It's the kind of big thinking we need. But I think we should start with the Moon and work our way up.

Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (77rzZ)

201 We could colonize Mars in 10-15 years if we wanted to. We don't want to.
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM

I really struggle with why anyone would, presumably voluntarily, go there as a colonist.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (jc0TO)

202 "Turn the leaf" was written on both sides of an oak leaf that was given to Kamala by her staff as part of the campaign's "Keep Kamala Busy All Day" agenda.

Posted by: muldoon at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (/iMjX)

203 167 Elon has been moving non-stop since the middle of last year.

Stepping back was inevitable.

He's got several companies and thousands of employees who probably deserve a bit of his attention.

I think we should thank him for his service and weathering the threats he's received.
Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (tT6L1)

That's my thought.
This was always going to be a temporary gig, so long as DOGE keeps going, I'll be content.

Posted by: Mark Andrew Edwards, buy ammo at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (xcxpd)

204 I dont EXPECT Musk to give a shit about me and I care less about it. So what that Musk wanted to keep the U.S. government from imploding under the fraud and waste burden so that the U.S. would have money to fund a mission to Mars. Musk and the team he put together exposing all the fraud and all the gub'mint funding to commiecrat NGOs. That benefited me and MAGA in general greatly.

Posted by: PaleRider at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (CKOCg)

205 I knew Musk wouldn't last long, the media knew what it was doing with the Co-President stuff.

I really doubt the media had any impact on this. DOGE is up and running itself now, and Musk's contract was up in May. If you've paid any attention to him, you know that's how he operates: get something off the ground, then pass it over to a CEO. He did it most recently with Twitter.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (2ocoG)

206 We could colonize Mars in 10-15 years if we wanted to. We don't want to.
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM

I really struggle with why anyone would, presumably voluntarily, go there as a colonist.
Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (jc0TO)
________

I'd go

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:49 PM (iFTx/)

207 191 And yet, it was stupid of Rs to make this a "no" - they should have suggested a compromise - 10 weeks of proxy voting per pregnancy (1 month prebirth and 6 weeks post). That's an 80/20 issue...young folks, male and female in their teens and twenties are trending hard R. This is how you lose them.

I hate proxy voting, but I hate more telling moms who get pregnant to abort the kid or quit Congress...we are the pro-life party...
Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:41 PM (tOcjL)

I still dont see how Proxy voting is Constitutional. Can you have a quorum if some of those numbers needed, are Proxy votes? And how the hell do you say YOU are representing your constituents, when you are not even there.
Posted by: Romeo13 at April 02, 2025 12:46 PM (QAkQ3)

It doesn't matter if it's constitutional - let the SC decide that.

I mean, we did 4 years of proxy voting for Covid and the SC didn't declare a single vote null...so I think we know how the ruling would go.

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:49 PM (tOcjL)

208 39 The Supreme Court seat was more valuable to me than voter ID. In theory, it should be the reverse. But I have zero faith the ID requirement will be enforced, even assuming some scumbag judge doesn't strike down the entire thing.

It's incredible to me that Trump can win WI only a few months ago, but we can't get a SC seat. I assume we lost because (1) the state GOP is wipe-your-ass-with-it useless and (2) the usual box truck with CA plates backed up to the voting area at 3 am with boxes full of "ballots" for the Democrap.

We know the 3 am dump will happen. We see it happen every time. We know it will happen again. But the state GOPs never do anything to actually stop it. It's almost like they're in on it, ya know?
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:17 PM (iFTx/)

I'm not intimate with WI politics, but the house speaker is shady and kept the lady that ran the steal in 2020 in charge of elections even though she was voted to be removed. Something is rotten there..

Posted by: Inogame at April 02, 2025 12:49 PM (53oGX)

209 Think a major factor (positive) with Musk is that checkbook. He's already said he will whip it out (ladies faint) for primaries in 2026, to oppose Rs who don't support Trump's agenda (think he means openly, affirmatively, as opposed to the 70-80% who oppose all or parts of it passively). That could be yuuuge. GOP of course remains a top barrier to Trump achieving what he might otherwise.

Related, some polling showing Paxton crushing Cornyn in TX preferences. Hope it's accurate. Disastrously bad GOP senators from "red" states are a big part of the GOP barrier to progress.

Posted by: rhomboid at April 02, 2025 12:49 PM (1m82a)

210 WI party affiliation

R 1.8M
D 1.5M
Other 1.4M

Posted by: 18-1 at April 02, 2025 12:49 PM (t0Rmr)

211 I'd go
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:49 PM

Can you explain why?

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:49 PM (jc0TO)

212 "I do not understand the minds of some voters. How can Wisconsin pass a voter id law by a significant majority, and then elect a very liberal supreme court justice who might very well vote to overturn that voter id law by some twisted legal reasoning.

Could it be something like "Oh, voter id, good idea!" combined with "Oh, Musk wants me to vote for this guy, so I'll vote against him because I don't like Musk."

It would be nice for someone to commit journalism and interview voters who split on this issue."

Abortion.

GOP voters have enough people who'd like to keep their options open on abortion to vote like this.,

Posted by: Harun at April 02, 2025 12:49 PM (IuIym)

213 We could colonize Mars in 10-15 years if we wanted to. We don't want to.
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM

I really struggle with why anyone would, presumably voluntarily, go there as a colonist.
Posted by: Grump928(C)

Because there'd be no liberals.
No workee, no eatee.

Posted by: rickb223 at April 02, 2025 12:50 PM (BJy/u)

214 BREAKING NEWS: (From Daily Mail)

"President Donald Trump has told his Cabinet and inner circle that Elon Musk is stepping back from his government role. "

----------------:

Alternate Headline: "President Trump Loses Temporary But Extremely Efficient & Revolutionary Heat Shield."

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion at April 02, 2025 12:50 PM (Ccx2f)

215 198 I hate proxy voting, but I hate more telling moms who get pregnant to abort the kid or quit Congress...we are the pro-life party...
Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:41 PM (tOcjL)

False dichotomy there. Just accept the fact that Moms in Congress will be absent for a few days before after the birth of their child.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 12:47 PM (8zz6B)

Could be 2 months when votes matter...and moms have multiple kids...see our Transport Secretary's wife and our old DOGE lead's friends...

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:50 PM (tOcjL)

216 If we've learned anything it's that our elected leaders are self interested twats. They care less about us than Musk. At least he's doing something which conservatives like, cutting government. There is nothing sinister about politicians vee know exactly what they are, using power to stay in power. Take what you can get when you can get it
Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 12:44 PM (2ZThz)

Correct, so when it's in our best interest to jettison Musk (and I think his H1B comments alone were when that line was crossed), we jettison him.

We don't need to reflexively defend him because the left is mad at him for double crossing them.

That's what I'm more pushing back against.

We can all agree he, and the entirety of Silicon Valley, are not our allies and are using us (and Trump). If our interests happen to align, we can cautiously exploit that.

But I don't like the idea of someone with Elon's horrific views on Americans anywhere near the President or anyone else with any power.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:50 PM (uCjyK)

217 I really struggle with why anyone would, presumably voluntarily, go there as a colonist.
Posted by: Grump928(C)

The hawt, three-breasted women?

Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM (77rzZ)

218 House members are elected for two year terms. They have private offices with bathrooms, a gym, a cafeteria. No reason they couldn't have a day care option on site so mom is available for baby's needs just the way most other women with professional jobs do. Infants sleep a lot. Members are called to the floor whenever a vote is to take place.
House members are elected for two year terms of which only part of the time they are even I session. Every day counts. This is incredibly sel serving.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM (t/2Uw)

219 Million$ for a judgeship.
Yeah, that will be blind justice.

Posted by: Diogenes at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM (W/lyH)

220 200 I don't think wanting to colonize Mars is childish at all. It's the kind of big thinking we need. But I think we should start with the Moon and work our way up.
Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (77rzZ)

Agree bigly…. a very logical move..

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM (mu/VF)

221 People keep wondering why we are having trouble in these off-cycle races, even though the Dems have a 21% approval rate. A significant part of the decline in the Dem approval are Dem voters that feel that the Dems are ineffective at countering Trump. That does not mean that they will switch to voting for Republicans. It seems, in fact that they are coming out in great numbers to vote for Dem candidates.

Posted by: Brian at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM (iK8a4)

222 So if you believe the WI numbers

Only about 2/3s of Trump voters turned out

Almost all Kumswala voters turned out

Posted by: 18-1 at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM (t0Rmr)

223 And WI folks can confirm/correct, but I have read one issue not talked about nationally is the ongoing struggle over public sector unions in WI. Walker gutted them (in terms of legal standing, etc), and this apparently is a standing issue in every election now. Supreme court seat seen as part of that struggle. Which could also explain energized D turnout.
Posted by: rhomboid
========
In the interim, US Supreme Court gutted the public sector unions that can no longer require membership and dues paying. Janus v. AFSCME in 2018.

DC Court of Appeals has upheld Trump's firing of the NLRB chair and its general counsel to boot. This makes the pre 2010 status quo almost impossible for the Dems to get with because no closed union shop nor control of the NLRB at the national level.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM (ctrM5)

224 >>> 201 We could colonize Mars in 10-15 years if we wanted to. We don't want to.
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM

I really struggle with why anyone would, presumably voluntarily, go there as a colonist.
Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (jc0TO)

You missed the three-boobed chick in that documentary and you call yourself a Moron???

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM (Vqx30)

225 I'd go
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:49 PM

Can you explain why?
Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:49 PM (jc0TO)
______

Same reason Mallory climbed Everest: "Because it's there." Don't you wanna boldly go where no man's gone before?

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM (iFTx/)

226 I've been playing NukeMap this morning.

What Wisconsin?

Posted by: Diogenes at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (W/lyH)

227 So, we are doomed, doomed, yes???
Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 12:43 PM (mu/VF)

Yes, we are doomed. We are all going to die. Eventually.

Posted by: Kindltot at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (D7oie)

228
read somewhere that some Wisconsin voting places ran out of ballots.

Posted by: Frank Barone at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (IifOV)

229 I could see Mars as a penal colony, but those aren't really the kind of people you want in a hostile environment like Mars.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (jc0TO)

230 We could colonize Mars in 10-15 years if we wanted to. We don't want to.

Colonize or Leave Stranded? Call us!

Posted by: NASA at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (c5wrR)

231 False dichotomy there. Just accept the fact that Moms in Congress will be absent for a few days before after the birth of their child.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 12:47 PM (8zz6B)

Or, maybe, if you’re a woman of childbearing age you defer having a child? Or don’t run for Congress?

Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (l3YAf)

232 Alternate Headline: "President Trump Loses Temporary But Extremely Efficient & Revolutionary Heat Shield."

--------------&

Should have included the adjective "Effective" as well.

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (Ccx2f)

233 Here's what Elon tweeted, if you forgot. Is this someone you support?

"The reason I'm in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and FUCK YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend."

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (uCjyK)

234 The House of Representatives Child Care Center has been providing full day, year round daycare since 1987. No excuse for congress critters not showing up to do their job.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at April 02, 2025 12:53 PM (2UnvF)

235 I sort of assume colonizing Mars will be done with robots, initially. Buildings will be put up and made habitable for humans long before humans arrive.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:53 PM (tT6L1)

236
"Turn the leaf" was written on both sides of an oak leaf that was given to Kamala by her staff as part of the campaign's "Keep Kamala Busy All Day" agenda.

Posted by: muldoon

Red Kammie: "I don't get it" * turns leaf again *

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) Imprison! Imprison! Imprison! at April 02, 2025 12:54 PM (xG4kz)

237 Don't forget the built by the lowest bidder angle.

Posted by: Francis at April 02, 2025 12:54 PM (bbuBP)

238 After all, we'll need some place to go when the apes take over.

Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:54 PM (77rzZ)

239 Same reason Mallory climbed Everest: "Because it's there." Don't you wanna boldly go where no man's gone before?
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM

Not really, at least not to this extent. The risk life and health just to go somewhere where I would essentially live the rest of my life in a mineshaft, and worse, to doom my progeny to the same.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:54 PM (jc0TO)

240 Correct, so when it's in our best interest to jettison Musk (and I think his H1B comments alone were when that line was crossed), we jettison him.

He had the good sense to walk back those comments (Vivek notably didn't, and is now rightfully in GOP Siberia) and DOGE notably didn't hire H1Bs, they hired Americans.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:54 PM (2ocoG)

241 218 House members are elected for two year terms. They have private offices with bathrooms, a gym, a cafeteria. No reason they couldn't have a day care option on site so mom is available for baby's needs just the way most other women with professional jobs do. Infants sleep a lot. Members are called to the floor whenever a vote is to take place.
House members are elected for two year terms of which only part of the time they are even I session. Every day counts. This is incredibly sel serving.
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM (t/2Uw)

Yeah, no one wants to give birth in a DC hospital.
Not to mention, this assumes a normal pregnancy and birth.
Having had multiple disastrous pregnancies and 1 NICU baby as well, you can't know "a couple days" is all it takes. And you never want to be the one telling mom "too bad, so sad...abort the kid or screw your constituents for a few months"...

This isn't hard. It's an 80/20 issue. Nowhere else on the planet in the US avoids maternity leave and accommodations for it...

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:54 PM (tOcjL)

242 221 People keep wondering why we are having trouble in these off-cycle races, even though the Dems have a 21% approval rate. A significant part of the decline in the Dem approval are Dem voters that feel that the Dems are ineffective at countering Trump. That does not mean that they will switch to voting for Republicans. It seems, in fact that they are coming out in great numbers to vote for Dem candidates.

Posted by: Brian
=======
Partially true. But figuring out state level races at the national level is very difficult to separate out state factors (in this case, an abortion ruling regarding Wisconsin's old total ban). Dems, despite having the majority since Prosser was defeated on Scotus, have held back on that ruling probably just to spike turnout.

School bond and school board elections are apparently held for this election as well ensuring stronger Dem turnout.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:55 PM (ctrM5)

243 Here's one of many of Elon's former co-chair of DOGE, Vivek, tweeting about why we need more H1B's from India:

"Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer). A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers."

Is this someone we should support?

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:55 PM (uCjyK)

244 I could see Mars as a penal colony, but those aren't really the kind of people you want in a hostile environment like Mars.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (jc0TO)

-------------

BREAKING: Trump Officially Renames Planet Mars to New Australia. Developing ...

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion at April 02, 2025 12:55 PM (Ccx2f)

245 After all, we'll need some place to go when the apes take over.
Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:54 PM (77rzZ)
____

Yea, those Muslims are getting dangerously uppity lately ...

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:55 PM (iFTx/)

246 Thanks TJM. So looks to me like a fairly typical off-cycle turnout event.

Posted by: rhomboid at April 02, 2025 12:55 PM (1m82a)

247 231 False dichotomy there. Just accept the fact that Moms in Congress will be absent for a few days before after the birth of their child.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 12:47 PM (8zz6B)

Or, maybe, if you’re a woman of childbearing age you defer having a child? Or don’t run for Congress?
Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (l3YAf)

Wives are not supposed to stop sleeping with their husbands just b/c they get a job...and no birth control is perfect. So, we're back to "abort or bail"...

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:55 PM (tOcjL)

248 He had the good sense to walk back those comments (Vivek notably didn't, and is now rightfully in GOP Siberia) and DOGE notably didn't hire H1Bs, they hired Americans.
Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:54 PM (2ocoG)

Yes, and his comments were less unhinged than Vivek’s. And Vivek has always been a grifter so not sorry to see him go.

Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (l3YAf)

249
I sort of assume colonizing Mars will be done with robots, initially. Buildings will be put up and made habitable for humans long before humans arrive.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1)

Won't the humans be surprised when they finally show up and the robots consign them to the Homo Ghetto on the other side of the tracks!

Robots: "We built it, it's ours!"

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) Imprison! Imprison! Imprison! at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (xG4kz)

250 Just accept the fact that Moms in Congress will be absent for a few days before after the birth of their child.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon
------

Well, it takes a little longer than that. Two month's maternity leave for me.

Posted by: Pete Butterjug at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (XeU6L)

251 >>> 233 Here's what Elon tweeted, if you forgot. Is this someone you support?

"The reason I'm in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and FUCK YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend."
Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:52 PM (uCjyK)

I didn't forget. I also note unlike Vivek, he didn't seem to double down on this nitwitted statement. And where is this big skeery WAR he boastfully threatened? Does his dumb statement mean - whatever you think about Musk as an individual - that you don't like what DOGE is doing and/or want to key a Tesla? ;P

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (Vqx30)

252 On WI, I would bet abortion is 80% of it.

Musk being portrayed as "buying" the election probably didn't sit well either. The Democrat's billionaires are better at hiding.

I'll prepare to get pummeled, but Trump talking about a 3rd term, taking Greenland by force, and making Canada the 51st state maybe doesn't play well in a tight swing state about the direction of things. None of these things were discussed when he was running for President.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (4pwAx)

253 239 Same reason Mallory climbed Everest: "Because it's there." Don't you wanna boldly go where no man's gone before?
Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 12:51 PM

Not really, at least not to this extent. The risk life and health just to go somewhere where I would essentially live the rest of my life in a mineshaft, and worse, to doom my progeny to the same.
Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:54 PM (jc0TO)
***

Send older people first. No progeny, and they know the end is coming, so why not go out doing something never done before while paving the way for the next generation?

Posted by: Diogenes at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (W/lyH)

254 228
read somewhere that some Wisconsin voting places ran out of ballots.
Posted by: Frank Barone
========
Possibly. But this was basically a turnout election in WI--Dems turned out, GOP voters did not as much and part of that as Ace noted was that the Dems already had the majority on the court already.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (ctrM5)

255 Build a moonbase first . Dig into the regolith and get humans used to living off planet. This should have been done in the eighties or soon thereafter. Then take the next jump to Mars

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (2ZThz)

256 I don't think wanting to colonize Mars is childish at all. It's the kind of big thinking we need. But I think we should start with the Moon and work our way up.
Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (77rzZ)

I do think it is possible to recreate the atmosphere, and with that the water frozen in the soil will melt.
Until then, it is "dome life"

Posted by: Kindltot at April 02, 2025 12:57 PM (D7oie)

257 The Mars project will have big hurdles… the bulk being basic issues with human physiology… we were designed to live on the surface of the earth… facts are stubborn..

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 12:57 PM (mu/VF)

258 Yes, and his comments were less unhinged than Vivek’s. And Vivek has always been a grifter so not sorry to see him go.
Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (l3YAf)

Elon said he was going to go war over H1B's and that Americans who disagree with them should fuck themselves in the face.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 12:57 PM (uCjyK)

259 I don't think wanting to colonize Mars is childish at all. It's the kind of big thinking we need. But I think we should start with the Moon and work our way up.
Posted by: Bulg

*********

I wouldn't think of traveling to Mars until there is a reliable charging station on either the Moon or an asteroid.

Posted by: muldoon at April 02, 2025 12:57 PM (/iMjX)

260 189 But DOGE is going to continue, correct?
Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:45 PM (77rzZ)

Musk publicly stated that he would be in his government role for no more than 130 days. It's the nature of his classification as a Gratuitous Vendor that caps the length of his service.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at April 02, 2025 12:57 PM (/rmtj)

261 I'll prepare to get pummeled, but Trump talking about a 3rd term, taking Greenland by force, and making Canada the 51st state maybe doesn't play well

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (4pwAx)

I cringe when Trump says stuff like that too...

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 12:57 PM (VE6XX)

262 253
Send older people first. No progeny, and they know the end is coming, so why not go out doing something never done before while paving the way for the next generation?
Posted by: Diogenes at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (W/lyH)

This is a very good idea.

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (mu/VF)

263
It's not abort or bail.

I'm quite sure she can afford great childcare.

Posted by: four seasons at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (3ek7K)

264 Yes, and his comments were less unhinged than Vivek’s. And Vivek has always been a grifter so not sorry to see him go.

Yeah, Vivek does good media interviews but his background gets sketchier the closer you look. I'm fine with him being governor of Ohio because he's still an upgrade over DeWine or whoever, but that's his limit.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (2ocoG)

265 Explorers go for a different reason than colonists. Colonists go because they are compelled to, or because they hope for a better life than what they have.

For the kind of people you would want as colonists, I cannot imagine a life on Earth worse than the best you can hope for on Mars.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (jc0TO)

266 I'm reasonably certain Elon didn't understand how the H1B issue was being abused by a lot of companies. He placed his personal experience ahead of the reality of the program.

But you know, some people are unwilling to give anyone a break.

I'd also mention I always admired Elon, democrat or not, because the stuff he's done and doing has been exciting to watch.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (tT6L1)

267 Musk is out right after he makes a public announcement about reviewing politicians that got wealthy after they got elected.

It figures.

Posted by: Brian at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (iK8a4)

268 Won't somebody think of the babies?!

Gavin Newsom Rages as Trump Cuts Planned Parenthood Funding in California

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Soldier of the Persistence at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (L/fGl)

269 So, we're back to "abort or bail"...
Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:55 PM (tOcjL)

-------------

No, we're not. The HoR has full time daycare. Drop the kid off and show up for work.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (2UnvF)

270 263
It's not abort or bail.

I'm quite sure she can afford great childcare.

Posted by: four seasons at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (3ek7K)

And when she can't travel and is on bed rest in month 9, that childcare works great...

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (tOcjL)

271 I could see Mars as a penal colony,

===

I saw a movie like that once! Then they escaped and went back to Terra!

Posted by: runner at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (g47mK)

272 Wisconsin kind of sucks compared to Michigan.

Posted by: Oglebay at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (MMp6W)

273 Has Musk made any noises at all about *terraforming* Mars? There are plenty of SF authors and planetary scientists who have proposed methods for this.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (Vqx30)

274 255 Build a moonbase first . Dig into the regolith and get humans used to living off planet. This should have been done in the eighties or soon thereafter. Then take the next jump to Mars

A BETTER LIFE AWAITS YOU OFF-PLANET!!!

Posted by: blimpverts at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (oY6Yp)

275 Sorry Nova,I just disagree. Don't run for Congress. It is a two year term. Take a break. It is not all about you. There is a story about Sean Duffy who resigned because his daughter was born with a birth defect. That is the way. Family is more important than a career especially with how young these Reps are.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (t/2Uw)

276 I'll prepare to get pummeled, but Trump talking about a 3rd term, taking Greenland by force, and making Canada the 51st state maybe doesn't play well

I get the general policy directions of the Greenland and Canada things, but saying it all like that is an unforced error.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (2ocoG)

277
BREAKING: Trump Officially Renames Planet Mars to New Australia. Developing ...

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion

The resemblance between Australia and Mars is not altogether unstriking.

How 'bout we gather up breeding pairs of everything that makes Australia deadly -- as in, they'd kill you, given the chance -- and have that ark sent to Mars to be the original colonists?

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) Imprison! Imprison! Imprison! at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (xG4kz)

278 267 Musk is out right after he makes a public announcement about reviewing politicians that got wealthy after they got elected.

It figures.
Posted by: Brian at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (iK8a4)

I don't think Musk was personally looking into it... DOGE is I believe

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 01:00 PM (VE6XX)

279 I'm leery of opening two-way transport between Earth and Mars. If you though the illegal alien problem with Latin America was bad, just wait...

Posted by: muldoon at April 02, 2025 01:00 PM (/iMjX)

280 I predict the WI Supreme Court will still find a way to overturn voter ID

Posted by: Bitcoin Fixes Everything at April 02, 2025 01:00 PM (V6W16)

281 Lana and I ran afoul of the last people who wanted to colonize Mars. Hilarity ensued.

Posted by: Archer at April 02, 2025 01:00 PM (IDphi)

282 Oh, no. Bad news.

Chief Nerd
@TheChiefNerd
9m
NEW — Anthony Fauci’s wife, Christine Grady, has been fired from the NIH (NYT)

Posted by: Kindltot at April 02, 2025 01:00 PM (D7oie)

283 I kind of figure congress critters should have had a real job and had their kids first rather than thinking of being a politician as a lifetime job. Didn't follow this proxy voting thing but if they passed it to block the aides of the senile old farts in memory care units from voting for them its a good thing.

Posted by: PaleRider at April 02, 2025 01:00 PM (CKOCg)

284 Won't the humans be surprised when they finally show up and the robots consign them to the Homo Ghetto on the other side of the tracks!

Robots: "We built it, it's ours!"
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) Imprison! Imprison! Imprison! at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (xG4kz)
------------

And with that, a movie idea was born.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 01:00 PM (tT6L1)

285 I didn't forget. I also note unlike Vivek, he didn't seem to double down on this nitwitted statement. And where is this big skeery WAR he boastfully threatened? Does his dumb statement mean - whatever you think about Musk as an individual - that you don't like what DOGE is doing and/or want to key a Tesla? ;P
Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (Vqx30)

No. Well, with DOGE, it's complicated. I understand that whoever is in the role is going to be vilified to no end. They need to have the money and resources for 24/7 security, they need to be able to accept that they may never work again, and that they will be enemy number one in DC.

So I understand why Trump tapped Elon. Hopefully he's doing it as someone to take the arrows for him.

As far as keying a Tesla? Come on, of course not. I'd never key any car and I have no issue with people driving or buying Teslas or spending money on Musks' products.

Like I said upthread -- we don't have to defend Elon just because the left hates him now.

We can also not like him for our reasons.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 01:00 PM (uCjyK)

286
Wisconsin kind of sucks compared to Michigan.

Posted by: Oglebay

DRUNKEST STATE IN OUR UNION! WOO-HOO!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) Imprison! Imprison! Imprison! at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (xG4kz)

287 It's like no one on this board ever had an originally 100% healthy active wife with a subpar pregnancy or a birth that went badly...I'm kinda shocked at how lucky you all are/were...

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (tOcjL)

288 I'm leery of opening two-way transport between Earth and Mars. If you though the illegal alien problem with Latin America was bad, just wait...

Yes, we've all seen John Carmack's documentary.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (2ocoG)

289 I sort of assume colonizing Mars will be done with robots, initially. Buildings will be put up and made habitable for humans long before humans arrive.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1)

Won't the humans be surprised when they finally show up and the robots consign them to the Homo Ghetto on the other side of the tracks!

Robots: "We built it, it's ours!"
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) Imprison! Imprison! Imprison! at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (xG4kz)
____

There's a sci-fi novel from years ago where this is what happens. I was in college at the time, and wrote a short story/novella about a mission to mars that goes wrong, but in reality it was sabotaged by robots and computers who wanted Mars for themselves. It turns out, that was the plot from this novel that was published (IIRC) in the 1980s. I was like "fuck." Don't remember the title, but I remember it being pretty bland.

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (iFTx/)

290 I'll prepare to get pummeled, but Trump talking about a 3rd term, taking Greenland by force, and making Canada the 51st state maybe doesn't play well in a tight swing state about the direction of things. None of these things were discussed when he was running for President.

Posted by: Leupold
========
State issues matter more in state elections unless the economy is tanking. This is especially true when not held on regular election days like this was. Canada, Greenland, or even the whole third term issue were not key issues in WI.

This dealt with abortion and state unions trying to get the old band back together after they got slammed in 2010.

For the most part, average voters ignore political news and what issues those average voters in WI probably voted upon would have been in ads, flyers, local news coverage of the horserace, etc.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (ctrM5)

291 Anthony Fauci is married? To a woman?

Posted by: Oglebay at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (MMp6W)

292 Musk's impact will last decades. Things like SS and medicare fraud are going to be more scrutinized moving forward.

I adore Musk, but my biggest issue is he always seemed sort of coy about the fraud and I was worried he was overhyping it.

Just tell me point blank, were millions of 120 year old fake people getting SS checks? That should be an easy question to answer. Why was it always terms like "active"?

I would just lay that out to show everyone.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (4pwAx)

293 9m
NEW — Anthony Fauci’s wife, Christine Grady, has been fired from the NIH (NYT)
Posted by: Kindltot at April 02, 2025 01:00 PM (D7oie)

Nope

Posted by: Hawaiian Judge at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (VE6XX)

294 And don't forget that Mars has canals!

Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (77rzZ)

295 273 Has Musk made any noises at all about *terraforming* Mars? There are plenty of SF authors and planetary scientists who have proposed methods for this.
Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (Vqx30)

Very very very tough to do… gravity differences are an initial hurdle… also Mars has no soil, as we think of it… water issues, and on and on..

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (mu/VF)

296 How 'bout we gather up breeding pairs of everything that makes Australia deadly -- as in, they'd kill you, given the chance -- and have that ark sent to Mars to be the original colonists?

*********

How many cubits will it need to be?

Posted by: muldoon at April 02, 2025 01:02 PM (/iMjX)

297 Has Musk made any noises at all about *terraforming* Mars? There are plenty of SF authors and planetary scientists who have proposed methods for this.
Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (Vqx30)

Why I think Terraforming Mars may be possible

https://www.scirp.org/pdf/ijaa_2023062115280080.pdf

Posted by: Kindltot at April 02, 2025 01:02 PM (D7oie)

298 ossibly. But this was basically a turnout election in WI--Dems turned out, GOP voters did not as much

Which is how voter ID passed? No, something is fake.

Posted by: t-bird at April 02, 2025 01:02 PM (33Cgj)

299 Musk publicly stated that he would be in his government role for no more than 130 days. It's the nature of his classification as a Gratuitous Vendor that caps the length of his service.
Posted by: Darrell Harris at April 02, 2025 12:57 PM (/rmtj)

Which is why some of this Lawfare has been so crazy. They will, years from now, lose those cases BUT in the meantime, they slow or stop the important time sensitive work being done.

They are waiting Musk out....

Posted by: Romeo13 at April 02, 2025 01:02 PM (QAkQ3)

300 I could see Mars as a penal colony,

-
I could more see Venus as a penile colony.

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Soldier of the Persistence at April 02, 2025 01:02 PM (L/fGl)

301 Anthony Fauci is married? To a woman?

That's less surprising than Harry Sisson allegedly sending dick pictures to women rather than Big Mike, but yeah.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 01:02 PM (2ocoG)

302 Wait, doesn't Mars need Wimmins?

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (tT6L1)

303 With the loss of the Wisconsin court seat, maintaining the Lefty court majority, the fear is that a gerrymandered Wisconsin could cost two GOP seats, with them being redistricted into oblivion.

I guess the positive side would be that Wisconsin is slated to lose a seat in the House with the 2030 census anyway, so maybe the damage can be limited.

Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (bufu1)

304 And when she can't travel and is on bed rest in month 9, that childcare works great...
Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (tOcjL)

So let her vote via a Zoom meeting from her hospital bed. That's not a proxy vote. We all know most congress critters vote as they do because the party whip tells them to do so.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (8zz6B)

305 Which is why some of this Lawfare has been so crazy. They will, years from now, lose those cases BUT in the meantime, they slow or stop the important time sensitive work being done.

They are waiting Musk out....

Musk isn't personally doing the DOGE work. He set up an organization and got it staffed up and now he's moving on. He did the same thing with Twitter.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (2ocoG)

306 Has Musk made any noises at all about *terraforming* Mars? There are plenty of SF authors and planetary scientists who have proposed methods for this.
Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (Vqx30)
_____

"Terraform this. [Grabs crotch.] We got a much better idea."

-- Pak Protectors

Posted by: Elric Blade at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (iFTx/)

307 *NEW — Anthony Fauci’s wife, Christine Grady, has been fired from the NIH.*

Buh bye.

Posted by: In my best Barbie voice at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (dg+HA)

308 294 And don't forget that Mars has canals!
Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 01:01 PM (77rzZ)

/Nods

Posted by: Tars Tarkis at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (QAkQ3)

309 I just thought Fauci's sex life involved standing on a stool so he could see himself in the mirror.

Posted by: Oglebay at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (MMp6W)

310 Doesn't Mars lack a magnetosphere? I would expect that alone to make the planet essentially uninhabitable by terrestrial life.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (jc0TO)

311 On Musk backing off - I liked what he was doing but believe politically he may have been a liability. Trump has plenty to implement with his own agendas in addition to what Musk has uncovered. To the Democrats he was another boogeyman to invoke from a number of angles.

I also think moderates and LIVs did not care for him (that's just my perception, no facts I know of).

Posted by: RM at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (n/1Oj)

312 298 Which is how voter ID passed? No, something is fake.
Posted by: t-bird at April 02, 2025 01:02 PM (33Cgj)

=========

If you are to believe polls about the issue, Voter ID gets something like 75-80% support in just about every poll ever done on the issue.

It's very popular.

It's just Democrat office holders who hate it and undermine it whenever they can.

Their voters are mostly on board with the idea.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (GBKbO)

313 304 And when she can't travel and is on bed rest in month 9, that childcare works great...
Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (tOcjL)

So let her vote via a Zoom meeting from her hospital bed. That's not a proxy vote. We all know most congress critters vote as they do because the party whip tells them to do so.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (8zz6B)

That was my point above - WHY DID Rs NOW OFFER THAT EXACT COMPROMISE? B/c they wanted to lose momentum...and lose and 80/20 issue...

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (tOcjL)

314 40
‘ People act like Voter ID is a purely Republican issue.’

That’s because it is . You can’t tell me rank and file democrat voters don’t understand that they benefit exclusively from voter fraud.

Posted by: Dr. Claw at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (jbnUc)

315 @282 Christine Grady, Fauci's wife, is, was the head of bioethics at NIH. The fact that she couldn't see her own husbands monstrous behavior means she should have been fired long ago

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (2ZThz)

316 It's not abort or bail.

I'm quite sure she can afford great childcare.

Posted by: four seasons at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (3ek7K)

And when she can't travel and is on bed rest in month 9, that childcare works great...
Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (tOcjL)

Then she misses the vote. How is that any diff than when some gets hospitalized for pneumonia of has cancer treatments.

Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (MGB5H)

317 Leading Report @LeadingReport 3m
BREAKING: Democrats say Kamala Harris is their “ideal” 2028 presidential candidate, per YouGov poll.
Posted by: andycanuck

I saw a clip of her this morning on Newsmax congratulating the winner in Wisconsin and her usual word salad to voters. Drunkety-drunk. Slurring her words and looking a little out of it.

Posted by: Cheri at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (oiNtH)

318 Why I think Terraforming Mars may be possible

What if it just comes out like Greenland? Then we're back where we started.

Posted by: t-bird at April 02, 2025 01:05 PM (eST6G)

319 >>> 270
==
And when she can't travel and is on bed rest in month 9, that childcare works great...
Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (tOcjL)

How often does this scenario happen though? The minimum age for a Rep is 25 (heh) so why not wait a couple years, especially if there are any known risks from family history?

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 01:05 PM (Vqx30)

320 310 Doesn't Mars lack a magnetosphere? I would expect that alone to make the planet essentially uninhabitable by terrestrial life.
Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (jc0TO)

Yes, issue #…….

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:05 PM (mu/VF)

321
For the most part, average voters ignore political news and what issues those average voters in WI probably voted upon would have been in ads, flyers, local news coverage of the horserace, etc.
Posted by: whig
===

I think it's in the mix, especially since Musk was front and center in this race and his ties to Trump. These things go on sentiment.

Obama won in 2008 by a wide margin, and then the same voters sent a giant red wave in 2010. Same with Bill Clinton, he became unpopular and even liberal states voted in Republican Governors.

Voters feel it's a check about the direction.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 01:05 PM (4pwAx)

322 Now = not

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 01:05 PM (tOcjL)

323 Musk isn't personally doing the DOGE work. He set up an organization and got it staffed up and now he's moving on. He did the same thing with Twitter.
Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (2ocoG)

No, but he has been the public face of it that was used to expose the crap going on...

No way reporters will show up en masse for any of the no names he will leave behind.

Posted by: Romeo13 at April 02, 2025 01:05 PM (QAkQ3)

324 280 I predict the WI Supreme Court will still find a way to overturn voter ID
Posted by: Bitcoin Fixes Everything

That actually risks them being overturned by the federal courts. Voter ID doesn't really matter much if you have the ability to stuff absentee ballots into unmonitored boxes.

The clause to watch, and there is a case heading to Scotus over this, is this---
Article I, Section 4, Clause 1:

"The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators."

A state court trying to usurp the role of the people and the state legislature risks being smacked down over that. Ditto for trying to order an immediate redistricting which will end up in federal court for the same reason.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:05 PM (ctrM5)

325 Has Musk made any noises at all about *terraforming* Mars? There are plenty of SF authors and planetary scientists who have proposed methods for this.
Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (Vqx30)

I think Lex Luther is some big ideas in this area.

Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:06 PM (MGB5H)

326 Don't run for Congress. It is a two year term. Take a break. It is not all about you.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (t/2Uw)

Bingo. Nothing complicated at all.

The rules are the rules.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at April 02, 2025 01:06 PM (L5An7)

327 No way reporters will show up en masse for any of the no names he will leave behind.

It's honestly fine if they don't. I want the money saved, I don't want people preening about it for the dead-end corporate media.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 01:06 PM (2ocoG)

328 314 40
‘ People act like Voter ID is a purely Republican issue.’

That’s because it is . You can’t tell me rank and file democrat voters don’t understand that they benefit exclusively from voter fraud.
Posted by: Dr. Claw at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (jbnUc)

========

And yet...it regularly passes by large margins.

Last year, in Nevada, it got 73%.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (GBKbO)

329 326 Don't run for Congress. It is a two year term. Take a break. It is not all about you.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (t/2Uw)

Bingo. Nothing complicated at all.

The rules are the rules.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at April 02, 2025 01:06 PM (L5An7)

I'm with you on this...

Posted by: Hawaiian Judge at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (VE6XX)

330 @310 yup, without a magnetosphere terraforming Mars ain't happening. Humans will have to dig in or come up with major dome shielding to avoid cosmic and solar radiation

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (2ZThz)

331 323 Musk isn't personally doing the DOGE work. He set up an organization and got it staffed up and now he's moving on. He did the same thing with Twitter.
Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (2ocoG)

No, but he has been the public face of it that was used to expose the crap going on...

No way reporters will show up en masse for any of the no names he will leave behind.
Posted by: Romeo13 at April 02, 2025 01:05 PM (QAkQ3)

That's probably good b/c now all those cuts need to be quietly deleted. Midnight recission votes are fine. Don't have the press to get folks against the cuts - just do them.

Posted by: Nova Local at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (tOcjL)

332 Anthony Fauci is married? To a woman?

I'm not a biologist, but Christine Grady is certainly no Christie Brinkley.

Posted by: t-bird at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (4Nep/)

333 Voter ID is popular, it's just the Democrats know it hurts them , so its popularity is ignored. It also rarely moves the electorate, so they get away with it. Nobody votes Republican over Voter ID. People do vote Democrat over abortion.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (4pwAx)

334 I'll prepare to get pummeled, but Trump talking about a 3rd term, taking Greenland by force, and making Canada the 51st state maybe doesn't play well

I get the general policy directions of the Greenland and Canada things, but saying it all like that is an unforced error.
Posted by: Ian S.

Oh, come on. The Canada thing was just a troll on Justine. Justine then further beclowned himself by running to cry on King Tampon's shoulder about it.

Personally, I loved it.

Never act alongside children, animals, or...Trump.

Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (77rzZ)

335
*BREAKING: Democrats say Kamala Harris is their “ideal” 2028 presidential candidate, per YouGov poll.*

I'll drink to that.

Posted by: Old Lady Emhoff at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (dg+HA)

336 Is the vote by proxy for all new parents, men included?

Posted by: old chick at April 02, 2025 01:08 PM (F3Dlr)

337 Put me in the 20 on family leave. Bring up preemies again I'll...

Posted by: Francis at April 02, 2025 01:08 PM (bbuBP)

338 Just now:
Karoline Leavitt

@PressSec
This “scoop” is garbage.

Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 01:08 PM (t/2Uw)

339 336 Is the vote by proxy for all new parents, men included?
Posted by: old chick at April 02, 2025 01:08 PM (F3Dlr)

From what I have read it was vague

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 01:08 PM (VE6XX)

340 I'd also mention I always admired Elon, democrat or not, because the stuff he's done and doing has been exciting to watch.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (tT6L1) at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (tT6L1)

---------------

Ditto. A real-world Randian industrialist hero.

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion at April 02, 2025 01:08 PM (Dj8oM)

341 325 Has Musk made any noises at all about *terraforming* Mars? There are plenty of SF authors and planetary scientists who have proposed methods for this.
Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 12:59 PM (Vqx30)

I think Lex Luther is some big ideas in this area.

hmmm....

Posted by: otis, contemplating resort sites with a view of olympus mons at April 02, 2025 01:08 PM (oY6Yp)

342 With infinite energy anything is possible. We need to discover some kind of zero-point energy generation. With what we know now, we are never leaving this system, or even this planet to any significant degree.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 01:09 PM (jc0TO)

343 330 @310 yup, without a magnetosphere terraforming Mars ain't happening. Humans will have to dig in or come up with major dome shielding to avoid cosmic and solar radiation
Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (2ZThz)

The Martian dust is poisonous, corrosive, and pervasive… perchlorates…

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:09 PM (mu/VF)

344 I wouldn't think of traveling to Mars until there is a reliable charging station on either the Moon or an asteroid.
Posted by: muldoon
_____

Charging station? I'll get right on it!

Posted by: Pete Buttigieg at April 02, 2025 01:09 PM (Dv3i1)

345 @343 yeah , that too

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:09 PM (2ZThz)

346 Voter ID is popular, it's just the Democrats know it hurts them , so its popularity is ignored. It also rarely moves the electorate, so they get away with it. Nobody votes Republican over Voter ID. People do vote Democrat over abortion.
Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (4pwAx)

It's extremely popular 80/20 issue. It's why the dem office holders work so hard to keep it off of actual ballots and at the fed level work to not have to have public votes showing they killed it. They want to kill it. Just don't want their voters to know. Because Dem voters support it 60/40.

Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:10 PM (MGB5H)

347 343 330 @310 yup, without a magnetosphere terraforming Mars ain't happening. Humans will have to dig in or come up with major dome shielding to avoid cosmic and solar radiation
Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (2ZThz)

I saw you can grow potatoes using your poop...

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 01:10 PM (VE6XX)

348 Musk isn't personally doing the DOGE work. He set up an organization and got it staffed up and now he's moving on. He did the same thing with Twitter.
Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 01:03 PM (2ocoG)

When the fate of an organization depends on a single man, it is a failure, because a single man cannot be everywhere and do everything, and he will eventually die or wander off, exhausted.
Musk seems to be the guy who is good at creating incredibly competent teams that then go do incredible things on their own.

Posted by: Kindltot at April 02, 2025 01:10 PM (D7oie)

349 318 Why I think Terraforming Mars may be possible

What if it just comes out like Greenland? Then we're back where we started.

ah. but not if trump arranges for musk to get some valuable experience with greenland...

n-dimensional chess, folks. n-dimensional chess.

Posted by: anachronda at April 02, 2025 01:10 PM (oY6Yp)

350 Then she misses the vote. How is that any diff than when some gets hospitalized for pneumonia of has cancer treatments.
Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (MGB5H)

Exactly. A special carve-out for pregnant women amounts to special pleading.

The GOP would be best to work to ensure they have a sufficiently large majority that one or two absentees on critical votes simply doesn't matter.

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 01:10 PM (8zz6B)

351 Just now:
Karoline Leavitt

@PressSec
This “scoop” is garbage.

Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 01:08 PM (t/2Uw)

---------------

Thanks, I was afraid that his leaving prematurely would only embolden the domestic terrorists assuming they got his scalp.

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion at April 02, 2025 01:10 PM (Dj8oM)

352 Elon Musk reposted
Insurrection Barbie
@DefiyantlyFree
“Accuse your opponent of what you are doing to confuse and divide them.” - Saul Alinsky

https://tinyurl.com/mp6yfs3h

Posted by: redridinghood at April 02, 2025 01:10 PM (NpAcC)

353 Build a moonbase first . Dig into the regolith and get humans used to living off planet. This should have been done in the eighties or soon thereafter. Then take the next jump to Mars

A BETTER LIFE AWAITS YOU OFF-PLANET!!!
Posted by: blimpverts

Become a citizen*. Fight the bugs!

*2% Survival Rate

Posted by: rickb223 at April 02, 2025 01:11 PM (BJy/u)

354 @347 if Matt Damon wants to eat potatoes grown in his own poo who am I to stop him

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:11 PM (2ZThz)

355 347 343 330 @310 yup, without a magnetosphere terraforming Mars ain't happening. Humans will have to dig in or come up with major dome shielding to avoid cosmic and solar radiation
Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:07 PM (2ZThz)

I saw you can grow potatoes using your poop...
Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 01:10 PM (VE6XX)

Saw that show… kinda goofy, but Matt Damon suffering was pretty uplifting…

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:11 PM (mu/VF)

356 Ditto. A real-world Randian industrialist hero.
------------
Bingo.

Posted by: Pudinhead at April 02, 2025 01:11 PM (Hpgos)

357 Yeah? So where is that big beautiful bill?
Or maybe a budget, haven't seen that one for a while.

Posted by: wth at April 02, 2025 01:11 PM (v0R5T)

358 I think it's in the mix, especially since Musk was front and center in this race and his ties to Trump. These things go on sentiment.

Obama won in 2008 by a wide margin, and then the same voters sent a giant red wave in 2010. Same with Bill Clinton, he became unpopular and even liberal states voted in Republican Governors.

Voters feel it's a check about the direction.

Posted by: Leupold
========
You are committing an ecological fallacy--assuming that what is true at one level is true at another. Given that this was NOT a general election in WI but votes on state bond issues, referenda, etc, this is much more akin to a primary election than general. So you compare it with other special elections/primaries.

Simply put, state judicial races, by and large, revolve around state issues rather than federal. And the issues involved in this race turn more probably on abortion in that state and state employee unionization than national issues.

Something similar happened in KS and even OH regarding abortion votes where pro abortion referenda/initiatives were passed. Trump ended up winning both states massively in 2024.

If any backlash occurs it will be 2026.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:11 PM (ctrM5)

359 From what I have read it was vague
Posted by: It's me donna

I read it to include men. I think it's a bad beginning that will expand if allowed.

Posted by: old chick at April 02, 2025 01:11 PM (F3Dlr)

360 Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.
Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 01:08 PM (t/2Uw)

Hear that, Dems? The longer you fight it, the longer he'll be here.

Posted by: joe, living dangerously at April 02, 2025 01:12 PM (B9Prs)

361 When the fate of an organization depends on a single man, it is a failure

Bismarck's Germany has entered the chat.

Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 01:12 PM (77rzZ)

362 I saw you can grow potatoes using your poop...
Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 01:10 PM (VE6XX)

Saw that show… kinda goofy, but Matt Damon suffering was pretty uplifting…
-------------
Matt Damon's shit is special.

Posted by: Pudinhead at April 02, 2025 01:12 PM (Hpgos)

363 >>> 285
==
Like I said upthread -- we don't have to defend Elon just because the left hates him now.

We can also not like him for our reasons.
Posted by: Harry Paratestes at April 02, 2025 01:00 PM (uCjyK)

Ha, ok.

Can I not hate him because of the dumbass statement that Vivek kept digging on, but he didn't?

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 01:12 PM (Vqx30)

364 When the House comes back , those two new members will be sworn in right away, correct ?

Posted by: runner at April 02, 2025 01:13 PM (g47mK)

365 Vlad's gunning for Santa Claus!

Putin’s Warpath Goes Right Through the Arctic

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Soldier of the Persistence at April 02, 2025 01:13 PM (L/fGl)

366
@PressSec
This “scoop” is garbage.

=============

lol, is someone in the press calling a public, transparent announcement a "scoop"?

"EXCLUSIVE -- President Trump posts something on platform that is read by hundreds of millions worldwide. We've got the scoop!!!"

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at April 02, 2025 01:13 PM (lCaJd)

367 358 If any backlash occurs it will be 2026.
Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:11 PM (ctrM5)

=======

NY-23 in 2009.

Fall of a Republican seat to a Democrat in a special election.

Obvious evidence that America was onboard the Obama train and would never turn against him.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 01:13 PM (GBKbO)

368
Tom Swift, Jr > Elon Musk.

Posted by: Auspex at April 02, 2025 01:13 PM (j4U/Z)

369 @364 yes

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:13 PM (2ZThz)

370 Colonizing Mars is stupid.

I like Musk's spirit, but it makes zero sense.

It would be far easier to just colonize Antartica or even under the ocean if we really needed to go somewhere for more space.

there's plenty of space on Earth and global warming is bullshit.

If anything it looks like populations are going to start rapidly shrinking, even Musk sees that.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 01:13 PM (4pwAx)

371 At least the Moon is sort of within the Earth's magnetic field and shielded from the solar wind for a quarter of the lunar orbit.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 01:13 PM (jc0TO)

372 I read up on Dirty Santa after the joy it gave me last night. Seems the Coen Brothers wrote the story. Those Coen Brothers do good things.

Posted by: Pudinhead at April 02, 2025 01:14 PM (Hpgos)

373 And don't forget that Mars has canals!
Posted by: Bulg

Venice of the Universe!

Posted by: rickb223 at April 02, 2025 01:14 PM (BJy/u)

374 Elon Musk and President Trump have both *publicly* stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.

Posted by: Sharon(willow's apprentice) at April 02, 2025 01:08 PM (t/2Uw)

---------------

Thanks, I was afraid that his leaving prematurely would only embolden the domestic terrorists assuming they got his scalp.
Posted by: ShainS
----------
Don't worry as much about 'optics'. That is the risk of anyone that consumes political news. What is more important is whether the GOP in the House and Senate gets it together on budget, tax cuts, and recission bills.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:14 PM (ctrM5)

375 I'll prepare to get pummeled, but Trump talking about a 3rd term, taking Greenland by force, and making Canada the 51st state maybe doesn't play well

I get the general policy directions of the Greenland and Canada things, but saying it all like that is an unforced error.
Posted by: Ian S.

When I was a stupid young man, my Dad told me I had to get my sh*t together and stand on my own two feet. I guarantee you that made me as mad as Canada is today. Nevertheless, I got my sh*t together and started standing on my own two feet.

Posted by: Kindltot at April 02, 2025 01:14 PM (D7oie)

376 Ha, ok. Can I not hate him because of the dumbass statement that Vivek kept digging on, but he didn't?
Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 01:12 PM (Vqx30)

Obviously not. You are required to fall in line here.

Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:14 PM (MGB5H)

377 >>> 320 310 Doesn't Mars lack a magnetosphere? I would expect that alone to make the planet essentially uninhabitable by terrestrial life.
Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 01:04 PM (jc0TO)

Yes, issue #…….
Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:05 PM (mu/VF)

Venus is the only other planet without a magnetosphere (we don't know if Pluto has one).

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 01:15 PM (Vqx30)

378 374 Don't worry as much about 'optics'. That is the risk of anyone that consumes political news. What is more important is whether the GOP in the House and Senate gets it together on budget, tax cuts, and recission bills.
Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:14 PM (ctrM5)

======

But if you realize that all of the drama in day to day politics is fake and gay, then politics loses its appeal as an entertainment source because almost nothing ever actually happens.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 01:15 PM (GBKbO)

379
From what I have read it was vague
Posted by: It's me donna

==============

It's nose under the door, or whatever that metaphor is. In a few years, any Congressperson will be able to vote remotely for any reason.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at April 02, 2025 01:15 PM (lCaJd)

380 Trump is a great cheerleader, among other qualities. Go Team Red!

Posted by: Emmie celebrates the Audacity of Trump! at April 02, 2025 01:15 PM (U/hJX)

381 370 Colonizing Mars is stupid.

I like Musk's spirit, but it makes zero sense.

It would be far easier to just colonize Antartica or even under the ocean if we really needed to go somewhere for more space.
----------------
Wouldn't it be simpler to nuke large tracts of land and just colonize those? Seems this is what the historical record tells us to do.

Posted by: Pudinhead at April 02, 2025 01:15 PM (Hpgos)

382
*nose under the tent, that's it. Camel's nose.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at April 02, 2025 01:16 PM (lCaJd)

383 But if you realize that all of the drama in day to day politics is fake and gay, then politics loses its appeal as an entertainment source because almost nothing ever actually happens.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 01:15 PM (GBKbO)

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:16 PM (MGB5H)

384 The two main reasons to colonize Mars are 1)if something catastrophic happens on Earth, i.e. an asteroid strike, humans would need a backup home and 2 ) close to the asteroid belt for mining

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:17 PM (2ZThz)

385 Are we happy

Posted by: Don Black at April 02, 2025 01:17 PM (AOsQT)

386 267 Musk is out right after he makes a public announcement about reviewing politicians that got wealthy after they got elected.

It figures.

Posted by: Brian at April 02, 2025 12:58 PM (iK8a4)

-- --

He's not out yet.
If what Politico is writing is true, Elon will still head DOGE for another few months.

At any rate DOGE is still mandated to go until July 2026.
If Elon leaves I'm sure they'll find somebody just as competent to run it.

I'm not sure how DOGE could investigate members of congress anyhow.
But I'd still like to see them try.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at April 02, 2025 01:17 PM (6ydKt)

387 All of the flags we have planted on the Moon, Mars, and the other planets have been thoroughly bleached by solar radiation. Technically, all these areas now belong to France.

Posted by: I Give Up! at April 02, 2025 01:17 PM (G5+As)

388 383 But if you realize that all of the drama in day to day politics is fake and gay, then politics loses its appeal as an entertainment source because almost nothing ever actually happens.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 01:15 PM (GBKbO)

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:16 PM (MGB5H)

=======

It's certainly no Corman movie.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 01:17 PM (GBKbO)

389

CRY
FOR THE
CHILDREN

Posted by: The Horta at April 02, 2025 01:17 PM (jc0TO)

390 >>> 370 Colonizing Mars is stupid.

I like Musk's spirit, but it makes zero sense.

It would be far easier to just colonize Antartica or even under the ocean if we really needed to go somewhere for more space.

there's plenty of space on Earth and global warming is bullshit.

If anything it looks like populations are going to start rapidly shrinking, even Musk sees that.
Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 01:13 PM (4pwAx)

The issue isn't having more room, the issue is having all of our 'eggs in one basket'.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM (Vqx30)

391 so I guess that long-haired gay guy doing voter registration in Wisconsin is bummed

he tried

Posted by: Don Black at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM (AOsQT)

392 CRY
FOR THE
CHILDREN
Posted by: The Horta at April 02, 2025 01:17 PM (jc0TO)

Bad Haiku. No silica for you!

Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM (8zz6B)

393

WHY YOU
NO CALL
SPOCK?

Posted by: The Horta at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM (jc0TO)

394 Just did a quick search… Mars lost its’ magnetosphere 4 billion years ago… damned careless of it, I have to say…

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM (mu/VF)

395 >>> 376 Ha, ok. Can I not hate him because of the dumbass statement that Vivek kept digging on, but he didn't?
Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 01:12 PM (Vqx30)

Obviously not. You are required to fall in line here.
Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:14 PM (MGB5H)

You hush!

It's not like I'm doing something crazy like putting carrots in chili.

Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 01:19 PM (Vqx30)

396 Colonizing Mars is stupid.

I like Musk's spirit, but it makes zero sense.

It would be far easier to just colonize Antartica or even under the ocean if we really needed to go somewhere for more space.

It's not about having enough room. It's about being a multi-planet species. What happens to humans if a giant asteroid hits the planet? We're gone. That's why Musk is interested in populating Mars.

Posted by: bonhomme at April 02, 2025 01:19 PM (lIio7)

397 Man, I really need to pee!

Posted by: Cory Booker at April 02, 2025 01:19 PM (dg+HA)

398 Just did a quick search… Mars lost its’ magnetosphere 4 billion years ago… damned careless of it, I have to say…
Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM (mu/VF)

Cmon mars, get your shit together!

Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:19 PM (MGB5H)

399 NY-23 in 2009.

Fall of a Republican seat to a Democrat in a special election.

Obvious evidence that America was onboard the Obama train and would never turn against him.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
------
Once I quit doing research regarding elections by 2008, I quit reading much of the bullshit passing as political news. Prior to that I had to read the bullshit because it mattered as far as donor fundraising and candidate selection/retention as latent variables that subsequently affected wins at general elections.

Working re-reading Dred Justice Roberts bullshit jurisprudence right now. I have decided our entire media and political institutions work only by spreading such bullshit so that they are not hung from lampposts by their citizens.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:19 PM (ctrM5)

400 391 so I guess that long-haired gay guy doing voter registration in Wisconsin is bummed

he tried
Posted by: Don Black at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM (AOsQT)

=======

Organization to turn out votes at that scale takes years to set up, not a couple of months.

If Scott Walker hadn't been such a massive, massive disappointment, he would have set that up himself 10 years ago. He would also have hobbled the left in the state by actually taking out the power centers they held.

Instead, he got a flashy victory over the teachers' unions and then just kind of gave up.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 01:19 PM (GBKbO)

401 Just did a quick search… Mars lost its’ magnetosphere 4 billion years ago… damned careless of it, I have to say…
Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM

It will be in the last place you look.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 01:19 PM (jc0TO)

402 @394 Thanos took it

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:19 PM (2ZThz)

403 You hush!

It's not like I'm doing something crazy like putting carrots in chili.
Posted by: Helena Handbasket at April 02, 2025 01:19 PM (Vqx30)

Half paper towel!

Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:20 PM (MGB5H)

404
We'll go to Mars Because It's There. Men rule, so that's what will happen. Whether mankind's future includes life on other planets (by "life" I mean work, government, resource-mining, etc) is another matter.

I think the US will spend a LOT of money on it before we listen to the housewives and admit it's not cost-effective.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at April 02, 2025 01:20 PM (lCaJd)

405 Frank Luntz says Cory Booker's tongue-a-thon "may have changed the course of political history."
......

It's the toupee talking.

Posted by: wth at April 02, 2025 01:20 PM (v0R5T)

406 Living on Mars will suck, IMO

Posted by: Don Black at April 02, 2025 01:20 PM (AOsQT)

407 >>> 394 Just did a quick search… Mars lost its’ magnetosphere 4 billion years ago… damned careless of it, I have to say…
Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM (mu/VF)

Did you look by the car keys?!

Posted by: Mrs. Mars at April 02, 2025 01:20 PM (Vqx30)

408 401 Just did a quick search… Mars lost its’ magnetosphere 4 billion years ago… damned careless of it, I have to say…
Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM

It will be in the last place you look.
Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 01:19 PM (jc0TO)

Lost? tee hee hee....

Posted by: Magneto, the Great Magnetsphere Thief at April 02, 2025 01:21 PM (QAkQ3)

409 @406 in fact it's cold as hell

Posted by: Smell the Glove at April 02, 2025 01:21 PM (2ZThz)

410 >Frank Luntz says Cory Booker's tongue-a-thon "may have changed the course of political history."
......

No. It will be forgotten.

Posted by: Don Black at April 02, 2025 01:21 PM (AOsQT)

411 Just did a quick search… Mars lost its’ magnetosphere 4 billion years ago… damned careless of it, I have to say…
Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM (mu/VF)

Put Mars in a hypnotic state and regress 4 billion years
easy peasy

Posted by: MAC V SOG at April 02, 2025 01:21 PM (P4Pk9)

412 406 Living on Mars will suck, IMO
Posted by: Don Black at April 02, 2025 01:20 PM (AOsQT)

No place to raise yer kids...

Posted by: Romeo13 at April 02, 2025 01:21 PM (QAkQ3)

413
Missed opportunjty:

Won't the humans be surprised when they finally show up and the robots consign them to the Homo Ghetto on the other side of the tracks!

Robots: "We built it, it's ours!"

Humans: "Why are all of you named 'HAL 9000'"?

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) Imprison! Imprison! Imprison! at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (xG4kz)

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 02, 2025 01:21 PM (SjKfn)

414 Doesn't Mars lack a magnetosphere? I would expect that alone to make the planet essentially uninhabitable by terrestrial life.
Posted by: Grump928(C)
......

I have a few on my refrigerator I could donate.

Posted by: wth at April 02, 2025 01:21 PM (v0R5T)

415 Cory Who????

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:22 PM (mu/VF)

416 Robinson Caruso on Mars proved humans can live on Mars.

Posted by: Archer at April 02, 2025 01:22 PM (IDphi)

417 >>> 411 Just did a quick search… Mars lost its’ magnetosphere 4 billion years ago… damned careless of it, I have to say…
Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:18 PM (mu/VF)

Put Mars in a hypnotic state and regress 4 billion years
easy peasy
Posted by: MAC V SOG at April 02, 2025 01:21 PM (P4Pk9)

#%*)&*&) CIA stole it!!!

Posted by: Mars at April 02, 2025 01:22 PM (Vqx30)

418 Instead, he got a flashy victory over the teachers' unions and then just kind of gave up.
--------------
You do know those Scandis all have wood chippers, rite?

Posted by: Pudinhead at April 02, 2025 01:22 PM (Hpgos)

419 416 Robinson Caruso on Mars proved humans can live on Mars.
Posted by: Archer at April 02, 2025 01:22 PM (IDphi)

======

A Princess of Mars proved that there's already life there.

I saw it in the documentary based on the original evidence, John Carter.

Posted by: TheJamesMadison, back to the finish with Corman at April 02, 2025 01:22 PM (GBKbO)

420 It's not about having enough room. It's about being a multi-planet species. What happens to humans if a giant asteroid hits the planet? We're gone. That's why Musk is interested in populating Mars.
Posted by: bonhomme
===

Being a Christian, I just don't think any of this happens. When God is ready for Judgement Day, that's what will happen.

We're not going to be a species that colonizes other planets over the coming milleniums.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 01:22 PM (4pwAx)

421 Frank Luntz says Cory Booker's tongue-a-thon "may have changed the course of political history."
......

It's not even an * in a congressional record that literally no one gives 2 shits about.

Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (MGB5H)

422 Razorthin

-------

I strongly approve of inventing compoundwords, myself. Fewer spaces = more efficiency. Germany knows.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (BI5O2)

423 In a few years, any Congressperson will be able to vote remotely for any reason.
Posted by: Blonde Morticia

I agree. Also, why now, when stopping rogue judges was going to be addressed today?
Never mind whatever the heck procedures were used to stop the vote, the initial question is what was the importance to have the fight right now.

Posted by: old chick at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (F3Dlr)

424 It's nose under the door, or whatever that metaphor is. In a few years, any Congressperson will be able to vote remotely for any reason.
----------
Agreed. Draw the line here and stick to it--if you can't make the in-person-vote for any reason....oh well, the vote goes on without you. That's the history of this country--its how we do house and senate votes. I don't want loosey-goosey stuff to be going on when 80-year-olds start mysteriously "voting from home" on key legislation for us to only find out months later they weren't even conscious or competent at the time of the vote.

Posted by: Crusader at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (TN0g+)

425 Way, way off topic, but getting it in before The Willowing:

I'm fascinated by the Torpedo Bats that the Yankees introduced this season. It's amazing that baseball hasn't had the kind of creative, innovative rule bending (yet still rule following) that regularly occurs in sports like F1.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (/rmtj)

426 418 Instead, he got a flashy victory over the teachers' unions and then just kind of gave up.
--------------
You do know those Scandis all have wood chippers, rite?
Posted by: Pudinhead at April 02, 2025 01:22 PM (Hpgos)

Obviously there were no more worlds to conquer.

Posted by: The Central Scrutinizer at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (KbCG3)

427 Robots: "We built it, it's ours!"

Humans: "Why are all of you named 'HAL 9000'"?

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) Imprison! Imprison! Imprison! at April 02, 2025 12:56 PM (xG4kz)
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 02, 2025 01:21 PM (SjKfn)

But why do all the Bots call us humans 'Dave'?

Posted by: Romeo13 at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (QAkQ3)

428 But if you realize that all of the drama in day to day politics is fake and gay, then politics loses its appeal as an entertainment source because almost nothing ever actually happens.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
=========
From dealing with politics and politicians up close and at a distance via analysis, I regard all politics and political commentary as black comedy on par with the Death of Stalin. Ultimately the day of mass institutions is dying because the thieves running the places had no accountability to their citizens. That is really why Musk wants Mars is because human society on Earth just might collapse as it has before.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (ctrM5)

429
Mars has a very weak magnetosphere, if I recall correctly, and it is a scrambled mess (as if it had been designed and implemented by a team of DEI hires).

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 02, 2025 01:24 PM (SjKfn)

430 370 Colonizing Mars is stupid.

I like Musk's spirit, but it makes zero sense.

It would be far easier to just colonize Antartica or even under the ocean if we really needed to go somewhere for more space.

there's plenty of space on Earth and global warming is bullshit.

If anything it looks like populations are going to start rapidly shrinking, even Musk sees that.

Posted by: Leupold at April 02, 2025 01:13 PM (4pwAx)

-- --

Elon never wanted to colonize Mars because he's worried about running out of land on Earth.

He wants to colonize Mars because he believe the human species cannot survive if it is a one planet species.

In case we're ever hit by an asteroid, or overwhelming natural disasters or nuclear war, Musk wants humanity to be able to survive. We can't do that forever if we're trapped on Earth.

If the Earth was a perpetually stable planet with no threats to life, we'd all be dinosaurs right now.

You may not agree with Musk but he makes a good point.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at April 02, 2025 01:24 PM (6ydKt)

431 Also, why now, when stopping rogue judges was going to be addressed today?
Never mind whatever the heck procedures were used to stop the vote, the initial question is what was the importance to have the fight right now.
-----------
Primary Anna Luna. No seriously. She lost the plot, and we don't have time for that.

Posted by: Crusader at April 02, 2025 01:24 PM (TN0g+)

432 Congressional districts can only be re-drawn after the decennial census.

Posted by: Angzarr the Cromulent at April 02, 2025 01:24 PM (ckQml)

433 I agree. Also, why now, when stopping rogue judges was going to be addressed today?
Never mind whatever the heck procedures were used to stop the vote, the initial question is what was the importance to have the fight right now.
Posted by: old chick at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (F3Dlr)

Because Princess Luna wanted to make a big stink and show of herself and be back in the news.

Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:25 PM (MGB5H)

434 421 Frank Luntz says Cory Booker's tongue-a-thon "may have changed the course of political history."
......

It's not even an * in a congressional record that literally no one gives 2 shits about.
Posted by: BruceWayne
=======
Faggotry in punditry should be harshly punished by ignoring.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:25 PM (ctrM5)

435 "San Quentin State Prison—home to some of the state’s most hardened criminals—is getting a $239 MILLION makeover into a Scandinavian-style ‘rehab resort.’ Yes, you read that right. Newsom’s hired a fancy Danish architect firm, Schmidt Hammer Lassen, to turn a maximum-security hellhole into a cushy spa retreat with a farmers market, podcast studios, and a self-service grocery store."

lol.

Posted by: 13times at April 02, 2025 01:25 PM (OpdQR)

436
Because Princess Luna wanted to make a big stink and show of herself and be back in the news.
Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:25 PM (MGB5H)

Jealous of Jasmine Crockett ?

Posted by: It's me donna at April 02, 2025 01:25 PM (VE6XX)

437
Leading Report
@LeadingReport

BREAKING: Amazon makes bid to buy TikTok, per NYT.

https://is.gd/gjHVbL

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion at April 02, 2025 01:26 PM (0CPEj)

438 Remote votes for Congressfucks doesn't matter. It would only allow them to vote from "Not DC." They could be voting from directly from Beijing. It would still be more American than that city.

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at April 02, 2025 01:26 PM (BI5O2)

439 I'm not the man they think I am at home

Posted by: Elon John at April 02, 2025 01:26 PM (46DZf)

440 424 It's nose under the door, or whatever that metaphor is. In a few years, any Congressperson will be able to vote remotely for any reason.
----------
Agreed. Draw the line here and stick to it--if you can't make the in-person-vote for any reason....oh well, the vote goes on without you. That's the history of this country--its how we do house and senate votes. I don't want loosey-goosey stuff to be going on when 80-year-olds start mysteriously "voting from home" on key legislation for us to only find out months later they weren't even conscious or competent at the time of the vote.
Posted by: Crusader at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (TN0g+)

Alternatively... maybe it would allow you to shutter the entire capitol building (or turn it into a museum or whatever) and pass a law forcing congressmen and senators to be regularly present in an office in the district they represent?

Posted by: joe, living dangerously at April 02, 2025 01:26 PM (B9Prs)

441 432 Congressional districts can only be re-drawn after the decennial census.
Posted by: Angzarr the Cromulent
=======
Not true and actually Congress can have a census in between decennial ones if it wanted to. It has to do one every ten years but no prohibition of doing it on a faster timetable.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:26 PM (ctrM5)

442 429
Mars has a very weak magnetosphere, if I recall correctly, and it is a scrambled mess (as if it had been designed and implemented by a team of DEI hires).
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 02, 2025 01:24 PM (SjKfn)

What it has is useless for human beings… also no use for terraforming..

Posted by: tubal at April 02, 2025 01:26 PM (mu/VF)

443 Nood

Posted by: Elon John at April 02, 2025 01:27 PM (46DZf)

444 410 >Frank Luntz says Cory Booker's tongue-a-thon "may have changed the course of political history."
......

No. It will be forgotten.
Posted by: Don Black at April 02, 2025 01:21 PM (AOsQT)

Booker - and he's not smart enough to have thought of this - was trying to emulate Rush's epic 2009 CPAC speech after Obama's victory. Just when the Republicans were at their low ebb, Rush's speech gave them a much-needed shot in the arm. The problem with Booker's speech is that the MFM are considering it the greatest effort since Cicero's, in which case it will be quickly forgotten. Rush's speech was universally pilloried in the MFM, which elevated it to a nation-wide rallying cry.

Posted by: Darrell Harris at April 02, 2025 01:27 PM (/rmtj)

445 I see over at Insty that the ringleader of the anti-Tesla protests (and therefore prosecutable for them) looks to be Nina Jankowicz.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 01:27 PM (2ocoG)

446 Way, way off topic, but getting it in before The Willowing:

I'm fascinated by the Torpedo Bats that the Yankees introduced this season. It's amazing that baseball hasn't had the kind of creative, innovative rule bending (yet still rule following) that regularly occurs in sports like F1.
Posted by: Darrell Harris at April 02, 2025 01:23 PM (/rmtj)

They were in use by players on a number of teams last year. The Yankees didn't introduce them. It just made news because they hit 9 homers in the second game of the season. 4 of which were with traditional bats. Aaron Judge doesn't use one. It is a good innovation though. Like weighting your driver for your swing.

Posted by: BruceWayne at April 02, 2025 01:27 PM (MGB5H)

447
Reasons Mars Life Will Suck

1 You can't just 'go outside'. It will be a major production every time.
2 No scenery. No matter which direction you look, it's red rock & sand. Every day. Day after day.
3 If someone in your pod goes crazy or is an asshole, you can't get away from them.
4 Meteorites, cosmic ray bursts, unblinking radiation from space.
5 If it breaks, you fix it. If you can't fix it, you probably die.

Posted by: Don Black at April 02, 2025 01:27 PM (AOsQT)

448 As long as the DOGE team keeps on doing what it has been doing I'm fine with Musk stepping back from high profile public involvement. He was becoming a lightning rod with negative impacts to both himself and the overall effort, and nothing says he can't still be involved behind the scenes.

Posted by: Bigsmith at April 02, 2025 01:28 PM (1Au9i)

449 Frank Luntz says Cory Booker's tongue-a-thon "may have changed the course of political history."

--------------

No sentence with "Frank Luntz" and a "tongue-a-thon" is complete without mentioning "Kevin McCarthy."

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion at April 02, 2025 01:28 PM (0CPEj)

450 BREAKING: Amazon makes bid to buy TikTok, per NYT.

https://is.gd/gjHVbL
Posted by: ShainS

Good for them and us. Amazon will smother TikTok as it has become a grave for innovative tech and it will now longer seem 'cool' to kids when Amazon markets it to grandma. See Fakebook as an example.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:28 PM (ctrM5)

451 And all the science, I don't understand
It's just my job five days a week

Posted by: Elton John at April 02, 2025 01:28 PM (TN0g+)

452 448 As long as the DOGE team keeps on doing what it has been doing I'm fine with Musk stepping back from high profile public involvement. He was becoming a lightning rod with negative impacts to both himself and the overall effort, and nothing says he can't still be involved behind the scenes.

i'm pretty sure "lightning rod" was his job.

Posted by: anachronda at April 02, 2025 01:28 PM (oY6Yp)

453 2 No scenery. No matter which direction you look, it's red rock & sand. Every day. Day after day.

I think some of the landforms are pretty awe-inspiring, red rock or not.

Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 01:29 PM (77rzZ)

454 The "prison experience" should reflect the standards of the law abiding citizens, not those of the criminals.

Posted by: Oglebay at April 02, 2025 01:29 PM (MMp6W)

455
Frank Luntz says Cory Booker's tongue-a-thon "may have changed the course of political history."

Who had "Kevin McCarthy's spunk is hallucinogenic" as your bingo card "free space" saying?

Come to the front office and collect your winnings!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 02, 2025 01:29 PM (SjKfn)

456 No sentence with "Frank Luntz" and a "tongue-a-thon" is complete without mentioning "Kevin McCarthy."
Posted by: ShainS
----
You think Luntz is auditioning to be Booker's roommate with benefits?

That actually kinda tracks.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:29 PM (ctrM5)

457 In ancient Minoan civilization, women's breasts were often depicted in art and clothing, with some Minoan women wearing chitons that left their breasts exposed, suggesting a different view of female sexuality and the body than in some other Mediterranean cultures.

Fuck Mars, lets focus on Minoan.

Posted by: Pudinhead at April 02, 2025 01:29 PM (Hpgos)

458 ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA ER MARS, YEAH, THATS THE TICKET ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE.

Posted by: Archer at April 02, 2025 01:29 PM (IDphi)

459 Congressional districts can only be re-drawn after the decennial census.

As many times as is necessary.

Posted by: Texas Supremes at April 02, 2025 01:29 PM (/y8xj)

460 I'm not the man they think I am at home
Posted by: Elon John at April 02, 2025 01:26 PM

Oh no, oh no, oh no

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 01:30 PM (jc0TO)

461 Reasons Mars Life Will Suck

1 You can't just 'go outside'. It will be a major production every time.
2 No scenery. No matter which direction you look, it's red rock & sand. Every day. Day after day.
3 If someone in your pod goes crazy or is an asshole, you can't get away from them.
4 Meteorites, cosmic ray bursts, unblinking radiation from space.
5 If it breaks, you fix it. If you can't fix it, you probably die.
----------
6 Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids.

Posted by: Elton John at April 02, 2025 01:30 PM (TN0g+)

462 Alternatively... maybe it would allow you to shutter the entire capitol building (or turn it into a museum or whatever) and pass a law forcing congressmen and senators to be regularly present in an office in the district they represent?
Posted by: joe, living dangerously

If you can't require them to vote in person in DC, you won't be able to require them to be anywhere for any reason. This will lead to staffers/lobbyists proxy voting with zero accountability. This is not 'a Republican form of government.'

Posted by: weft cut-loop at April 02, 2025 01:30 PM (mlg/3)

463
If we're hit by that kind of asteroid, yeah, that's probably it. IT. So if Mars is going to save us, we'd have to have a sizable breeding group up there just for the continuation of the species. Thousands of people. It seeeems unlikely. And it would still be quite a stretch to retain the culture, history, faith, and achievements of the old earth-humans.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at April 02, 2025 01:30 PM (lCaJd)

464
449, asked and answered at 455!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 02, 2025 01:30 PM (SjKfn)

465 Torpedo Bats? Now we're in trouble.

Posted by: wth at April 02, 2025 01:30 PM (v0R5T)

466 445 I see over at Insty that the ringleader of the anti-Tesla protests (and therefore prosecutable for them) looks to be Nina Jankowicz.
Posted by: Ian S.
--------
Deport her to the Russian front.

Posted by: whig at April 02, 2025 01:31 PM (ctrM5)

467 Well Luna derailed very important discussions scheduled for today and tomorrow and if she wasn't aware she'd be fought over her bill via any means possible, she's more the fool. and so are the 7-8 other republicans that joined her and the democrats.

Posted by: old chick at April 02, 2025 01:31 PM (F3Dlr)

468 I think some of the landforms are pretty awe-inspiring, red rock or not.
Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 01:29 PM

In perpetual twilight.

Posted by: Grump928(C) at April 02, 2025 01:31 PM (jc0TO)

469 I see over at Insty that the ringleader of the anti-Tesla protests (and therefore prosecutable for them) looks to be Nina Jankowicz.

Posted by: Ian S. at April 02, 2025 01:27 PM (2ocoG)

-----------------

Presumably funded by USAID and other "NGO" taxpayer dollars -- with Soros et. al. subsidies.

Posted by: ShainS -- If Elon Bought Planned Parenthood, The Left Would Hate Abortion at April 02, 2025 01:31 PM (0CPEj)

470 Would like to see Trump push his 80/20 issues like the deportation of the thugs. Convince everyday Americans that there is a world of low hanging fruit reform that can be achieved via DOGE without gutting seniors' Social Security or Medicare benefits, or deporting people like the New Jersey couple that owned the apparently beloved kebab restaurant in a small town.

People can relate when you tell them that the criminals who vandalize Teslas will be caught and pay a very stiff price. Who can really argue with that?

Steer clear for a while of hyping an acquisition of Greenland/renaming the Gulf of America type stuff that is way beyond many people and simply gives the media talking points about how Trump is a lunatic.

Posted by: RM at April 02, 2025 01:32 PM (n/1Oj)

471 /sock

Posted by: Oddbob at April 02, 2025 01:33 PM (/y8xj)

472
If Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is any guide, any Mars / Earth military conflict will be fought by hurling large masses of rocky material at the enemy's world.

It'll be cave man days all over again!

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 02, 2025 01:34 PM (SjKfn)

473 So if Mars is going to save us, we'd have to have a sizable breeding group up there just for the continuation of the species.

Doctor, does that preclude the concept of the monogamous relationship, at least with respect to the women?

Posted by: Archer at April 02, 2025 01:34 PM (IDphi)

474 No phones! No lights! No motorcars!

Posted by: It's primitive as can be at April 02, 2025 01:35 PM (dg+HA)

475
NOOD

Quinine poll regarding the malarial fever swamp that is politics

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 02, 2025 01:35 PM (SjKfn)

476
I don't think wanting to colonize Mars is childish at all. It's the kind of big thinking we need. But I think we should start with the Moon and work our way up.
Posted by: Bulg at April 02, 2025 12:48 PM (77rzZ)

I do think it is possible to recreate the atmosphere, and with that the water frozen in the soil will melt.
Until then, it is "dome life"
Posted by: Kindltot at April 02, 2025 12:57 PM (D7oie)

The Biosphere 2 experiments in Arizona are instructive. The inhabitants practically went all Lord of the Flies because of personal issues, they only survived by cheating with injections of oxygen and food into the atmosphere and diet. And the only life forms who really thrived were cockroaches.

Still, I think that Mars colonization is worth doing, the problem is in trying to do it with a barest minimum amount of resources like current space travel.

Posted by: IllTemperedCur at April 02, 2025 01:57 PM (y9nCu)

477 About the third case the new Wisconsin SC will hear will be a lawsuit filed by the ACLU claiming the state's new photo-ID law is unconstitutional...because..."it suppresses the votes of minorities. See, dey don' know how to get a photo-ID."

Posted by: sf44 at April 02, 2025 02:33 PM (3DUZx)

478 Remember though, in liberal states when a ballot initiative goes the way conservatives want, a random liberal just rules it null and void, and changes it to however they wanted the vote to go.

Posted by: Rbastid at April 02, 2025 02:52 PM (WsrFX)

479 Wisconsin Supreme Court will immediately rule Vote ID to be unconstitutional. Recall that when CA voted against gay marriage through Prop 8, the CA Supreme Court-which included gay judges, immediately ruled it unconstitutional.
The DOJ can step in, as it could have in the case of CA, and question if the Wisconsin Supreme Court can rule that elections they do not like are unconstitutional.

Posted by: wferrin at April 02, 2025 03:22 PM (lCdHU)

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