Reposted by John PavlakBill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 8hPerfectly happy to see Zacharia go. But it might be pointed out that if she had stayed, she would have done infinitely less damage to the nation than Hegseth, Kennedy, Blanche, Patel, Vought, et al. They should be as unacceptable as—more unacceptable than—Zacharia. 371444210 0
Reposted by John PavlakRex Huppke @rexhuppke.bsky.social · 12hWhy 👏 aren't the journalists 👏 who relentlessly questioned every 👏👏 minor Biden health issue 👏 asking 👏👏 about this 👏👏 daily? 681391303 0
Reposted by John PavlakElizabeth Cronise McLaughlin @ecmclaughlin.bsky.social · 16hBrilliant. 9521134 0
Reposted by John PavlakMark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 15/10/2026🧵🧵🧵 The NY Times posted a 15-minute video today in which I got to tell NYT what’s wrong with its coverage. They said they saw my critical posts on Bluesky and invited me to do a video with them to air my grievances. Weird, right? I didn’t hold back. I blasted their sanewashing of MAGA extremism.nytimes.comVideo: A Reader on What He Thinks We Get Wrong About TrumpIn this first installment of “Sound Off,” Patrick Healy, assistant managing editor for The New York Times, speaks with Mark Jacob, former metro editor for The Chicago Tribune, who shares his criticism... 64361311571 0
Reposted by John PavlakDan Froomkin/Press Watch/Heads Up News @froomkin.bsky.social · 15/10/2026❤️this! Healy: "If the NYT was using the word ‘lie,’ 20 times in an article…don’t you think that would change, not just people’s sense of our own fairness…but also lose the potency of the word itself?” Jacobs: “So you’re saying you want to retain the potency of the word ‘lie’ by not using it?” 2/7 719536 0
Reposted by John PavlakMark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 15/10/2026It's not "strikingly juvenile" and it's not a "personal broadside." It's hate speech. The Vice President is trying to get people to vote against a Democrat by implying that he's gay and/or a pedophile and/or a fetishist. Take it seriously. It is on a par with every other kind of hate speech. 472826679 0
Reposted by John PavlakGreg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 15/10/2026FWIW, I refer to this as "closing the hardball gap." It's the idea that asymmetric adherence to norms is itself destablizing, and that norm-breaking can/should be done in democracy's defense. This is a bit dated but it gets at the basic point: 44995179 0
Reposted by John PavlakSteven Beschloss @stevenbeschloss.bsky.social · 14/10/2026Let me be specific: Donald Trump is an f-ing traitor. He is in cahoots with Putin and Russia to break our democratic ally, Ukraine, which makes all of us less safe. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/14/w...nytimes.comUkraine’s Vulnerability Grows as Starlink Is Restricted and Russia EscalatesA huge attack cut power to 600,000 people in Kyiv, and a Pentagon-funded satellite internet program appeared to be curbed without warning. 24751591970 0
Reposted by John PavlakEd @notdred.bsky.social · 14/10/2026I think Ossoff captures something that Newsom never did: the Dem base wants you to fight but they want real shit not goofy memes and too-online riffs 713614551 0
Reposted by John PavlakJames @gravitysra1nbow.bsky.social · 14/10/2026This bad boy can fit so many nationalized space companies inside it you wouldn’t believe it 544774728 0
Reposted by John PavlakNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 14/10/2026Can’t Allow Elon Musk the Power to Intervene in Wars No individual should be able to disrupt military ops like Musk did with Ukraine’s. I wrote that when he did it in 2023. Was told the problem was contract rules. Nope. Happened again. The problem is too much power, esp for an enemy of democracy.thedailybeast.comThe U.S. Government Can’t Allow Elon Musk the Power to Intervene in WarsThe billionaire’s interference in Ukrainian military operations shows he’s a national security risk. No private citizen should have that much power. 982478841 0
Reposted by John PavlakKevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 14/10/2026Excellent piece by @jamellebouie.net 793564812 0
Reposted by John PavlakKevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 13/10/2026Yes, yes, the authoritarian president is leading a hate-filled rally in which he urges his followers to physically assault protesters but do NOT call any of these people Nazis or you will make David Brooks sad. 964577961 0
Reposted by John PavlakMark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 12/10/2026The president of the United States is completely detached from reality. We live in very dangerous times. 33390106 0
Reposted by John PavlakKevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 12/10/2026For the love of God, stop saying this regime's ruthless authoritarianism "raises questions" and start telling us what answers you have for us. If you can't do that, get the fuck out of the way. 1374806889 0
Reposted by John PavlakOliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 12/10/2026"raises serious questions" was *maybe* a feburary 2017 argument. this is a man who was twice impeached who led an armed insurrection against the us government. wake the hell up. 17647108 0
John Pavlak @desertside.bsky.social · 12/10/2026And revoke his citizenship and deport him after his prison term. 000 0
Reposted by John PavlakCaptain Mark Kelly @captmarkkelly.bsky.social · 12/10/2026Any single individual having this amount of influence in our elections does not lead to a healthy democracy. It doesn’t matter if they are supporting Democrats or Republicans. We need a serious effort at campaign finance reform and have to overturn the Citizens United decision. 34693212 0
Reposted by John PavlakMark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 10/10/2026Again, I never again want to hear the Republicans claim the mantle of, or be referred to as, the "party of national security." This, as with threatening to invade our NATO allies, should have long ago immediately ended his presidency. It also should again now. 341537382 0
Reposted by John PavlakThe Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 10/10/2026Unmarked lunatics with guns attack your car when your kid is with you— you drive off too. Anyone who say otherwise is a liar. They almost killed the kid. What the fuck are we doing? 😳🇺🇸 48485083382 0
Reposted by John PavlakKevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 10/10/2026The administration keeps telling us that ICE is in our cities to make us all feel safe, but if they're goons in plainclothes bum rushing vehicles with guns and pounding on the windows, how exactly does that make anyone feel safe? 10640081117 0
Reposted by John PavlakMark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 09/10/2026Again, you (& I) live in a country where there are concentration camps & people are being disappeared. We can argue about what exactly to call this particular form of partially autocratic political regime, but it’s not a full democracy. 241489449 0
Reposted by John PavlakMicah @rincewind.run · 08/10/2026the reason “AI will create so much abundance we will have a utopian society” rhetoric falls so flat is that the people building it will never, ever share their bounty unless it is taken from them and we all know it 95115242677 0
Reposted by John PavlakRex Huppke @rexhuppke.bsky.social · 08/10/2026Absolute depravity. Our country is profoundly broken. 2222636 0
Reposted by John PavlakGarrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 08/10/2026And 175 years later, remains one of the most powerful forces in modern American politics. 171107295 0
Reposted by John PavlakMike Masnick @masnick.com · 08/10/2026All these guys spent all this effort to get "fuck you" money and can't even bring themselves, even once, to use it to say "fuck you" to Trump. Pathetic. 563173480 0
Reposted by John PavlakDaniel Gilmore @gilmored85.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Mike Johnson wont be speaker on Jan 3rd past 12pm bc thats when the 119th Congress ends, so it wont be up to him. You'd think a 2 term senator would know the basics of how congress works, but 🤷♂️ 55414 0
Reposted by John PavlakEric Segall @espinsegall.bsky.social · 07/10/2026We definitely do not have to worry about this. 1932724 0
Reposted by John Pavlak@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze) @newsjennifer.bsky.social · 07/10/2026No company, no family should control this much American media. That Skydance and the Ellison's are so closely aligned with the authoritarian in the White House makes it even more problematic. Highly recommend seeking out media- especially news outlets- NOT owned by right wing oligarchs. 73925 0
Reposted by John PavlakJay Willis @jaywillis.net · 07/10/2026I don't think the Supreme Court is going to get rid of same-sex marriage tomorrow, but when the justice who says that overturning a landmark case is "not realistic" is the *same guy who wrote the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade*, you should not take anything he says seriouslyballsandstrikes.orgSam Alito Wants You to Forget How the Conservative Legal Movement Always WorksActivists are chipping away at the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell because Alito told them exactly how to do it. 420445 0
Reposted by John PavlakMax Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 07/10/2026This article (and Slade's book) are fan fiction. Trumpism isn't a break from Reaganism, it's the intended result, a gov't by, for, and of corruption, lawlessness, racism, and misogyny. That's why Reaganites with power—Thomas, Alito, Kennedy, McConnell—worked hard to empower and entrench Trumpism. 18628163 0
Reposted by John Pavlakjamelle @jamellebouie.net · 07/10/2026who knows if jackson can win this thing but i am glad that he is making clear that susan collins's whole scam is to do everything she can to make life worse for mainers and then take credit for mitigating it in the slightest way possible 107106251803 0
Reposted by John PavlakSteven Beschloss @stevenbeschloss.bsky.social · 07/10/2026Not an accident. Hegseth is a disgrace to every American who sacrificed their lives in the fight against the Nazis and fascism. 932634875 0
Reposted by John PavlakStork @eightxeroxedbutts.bsky.social · 06/10/2026One constitutional thing I wish carried more rhetorical weight is the significance of the order of Arts. I, II, and III. 0214 0
Reposted by John PavlakWajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 06/10/2026"May Block..." My God. www.nydailynews.com/2026/10/05/s...nydailynews.comSchumer warns Democrats may block Trump’s judge picks if they flip SenateRepublicans used their Senate majority to block vote on Merrick Garland’s nomination after the 2012 death of conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. 4892376390 0
Reposted by John PavlakBrandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Lafayette Square isn't "a historic protest site." It's a fucking park. And it's packed on nice days. Calling it a protest site is White House framing. They're closing a popular public park to create a presidential palace Saddam Hussein would love.nytimes.comInside Trump's Plan to Fence Off a Historic Protest Site (Gift Article)The president’s proposal to enclose a park in Washington could alter how the space has been used for generations. 152485728 0
John Pavlak @desertside.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Thank God Durbin is retiring. He has been a major disappointment. 1241 0
Reposted by John PavlakDecoding Fox News @decodingfoxnews.bsky.social · 06/10/2026As someone who consumes propaganda all day long I’m really tired… What he really meant was… He was being sarcastic… It was a joke… I think he was trying to say… Journalists are NOT supposed to read minds. The quote is the quote. Only Trump can clarify what he meant. 2131570 0
Reposted by John PavlakJen Rubin @jenrubin.bsky.social · 06/10/2026this is the BEST Trump is going to be from here on out:open.substack.comWords & Phrases: A Crazy Rant Isn’t a ‘Speech’ or an ‘Interview’🚨 28 Days to the Midterms 🚨 917242 0
Reposted by John PavlakPaul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 05/10/2026There's a case to be made against impeachment, but the alternative should be a scorched-earth effort to destroy and discredit the Trump administration and everything the Republican Party stands for. If you think "passing an ethics reform package" is the answer, my god what is wrong with you? 4426563 0
Reposted by John PavlakOliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 04/10/2026If you have $100 million to spend on ads saying you shouldn’t be taxed you’re not being taxed enough Google cofounder Sergey Brin has spent $102 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses fortune.com/article/how-...fortune.comGoogle co-founder Sergey Brin has now spent $100 million to fight California’s proposed billionaire tax—he could owe $13 billion if he loses | FortuneThe state’s ultrawealthy, including Larry Page and Peter Thiel, have similarly donated to efforts opposing the wealth tax. 9941581266 0
Reposted by John PavlakMark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 03/10/2026The New York Times has a choice of whether to cover Trumpism as A) an amusing and colorful example of the oddity of American politics, or B) an existential threat to the future of everyone you know and love. Over and over, they choose A. They trivialize themselves. 511305375 0
Reposted by John PavlakMatthew Dowd @matthewjdowd.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Latest WSJ poll: "63% want to pause AI development 61% want a billionaire wealth tax 59% want Medicare for All 57% want a $20 minimum wage 58% want to end U.S. military aid to Israel" This is the center of the country politically. it is time all adjust to this political spectrum, esp. media. 9734711079 1
Reposted by John PavlakAlexandra Petri @petridishes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026everyone knows the most important thing about a military officer is if he has a beard which is why Grant so famously was a worse general than McClellan 1552246 0
Reposted by John PavlakPé 🍺🧿 @forevernever.bsky.social · 30/09/2026It's weird how the federal government is constantly being hacked after DOGE gutted the government's cybersecurity agencies. 692168801 0
Reposted by John PavlakAaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 30/09/2026I for one think it’s bad that the president can just say crazy stuff all day every day and 99% of it doesn’t make the news because we’ve normalized having an insane president 907258576135 0