Tabs About the Transition

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Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a retired Professor of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter and/or BlueSky.

Comments

  1. CSK says:

    Gaetz apparently made his decision to withdraw just moments after he learned that CNN was going to ask him about a second sexual encounter with a minor female.

  2. Kathy says:

    Haley regarding Jr:

    …some of you may like that he questions what’s in our food and what’s in our vaccines, …

    That’s actually the BIG EFFING PROBLEM with Jr.

    I question the cost of drugs, the need for some of them, the recommended use for some conditions which affect how physicians look at treatment of chronic diseases, the availability and cost of vaccines, the advertising of prescription drugs on TV*, and some other things. But not what’s in them. Particularly as regards vaccines.

    There’s much to criticize pharmaceutical companies for. See above, plus the lack of development of needed drugs because they won’t sell well (think diseases prevalent in low income countries). But I do trust the quality of the stuff they produce.

    Not because I trust drug companies to be honest, or think they act with integrity at all time. But because they are closely regulated, and face enormous liabilities if they were to produce unsafe or ineffective drugs**.

    Ignorant, inexperienced, unqualified, conspiracy theorists like Jr. should not be allowed in the building that houses HHS, much less at the head of the department that, among many other things, oversees the FDA and other regulatory agencies.

    *Over the counter drugs are more widely advertised in many more countries. I’m not opposed to this, as people buy them directly rather than on a doctor’s prescription. And aside from cold and flu meds, they are generally effective on what they claim to do.

    **The lack of regulation is why I don’t trust non-pharmaceutical supplements, even for things like vitamins. Those might contain anything, from no active ingredient to something actively unsafe.

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  3. Jay L Gischer says:

    Let’s see. Comer created a subcommittee and put MTG in charge. That’s a definite way to tell that it will do absolutely nothing useful, since Comer has never managed to do anything useful at all, and neither has MTG.

    They aren’t serious about reforming the government. There are so many Republicans in Congress right now that have their own plans for cutting the size of government. Who are all being ignored, because they mean it, and would actually do something.

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  4. CSK says:

    @Jay L Gischer:

    That’s a sop to reward Marge for her slobbering devotion to Trump.

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  5. Jen says:

    The “every accusation is a confession” crew has gotten very large. Aren’t these the same clowns who spend all of their time complaining about sex trafficking and grooming and whatnot? The obsession has always been–can I say WEIRD?–but good grief this is a lot to process.

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  6. wr says:

    The one appointment on which I believe Trump should get exactly who he wants is the Secret Service. It’s the one place where a total incompetent could end up doing the country a world of good!

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  7. DK says:

    Via CNN: Linda McMahon, Trump’s Education pick, was sued for allegedly enabling sexual abuse of children. Fully recognizing that these are allegations yet to be tried in court, it is amazing how this general theme keeps emerging.

    And the theme continues via the NYT: Police Report Offers Graphic Details of Sexual Assault Claim Against Hegseth.

    Sex criminals of a feather flock together.

    When the leader of the Republican Party is Trump — a rapist and pedophile who was buddy-buddy with Jeff Epstein for years and years — and when half of voters unwisely choose to put Trump’s incompetence, chaos, and amorality back in power, you get a government of groomers.

    Yikes.

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  8. CSK says:

    @wr:

    Trump’s choice for the of the SS is apparently Dan Bongino.

  9. Gustopher says:

    Via Fox News: Comer to create DOGE subcommittee chaired by Marjorie Taylor Greene to work with Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy.

    I formed an instant hatred* of Vivek Ramaswamy the moment I first heard him open his mouth. He strikes me as a mildly smart guy who thinks he is smarter than everyone else, and I can think of no more fitting punishment for that than spending time with a blithering idiot who has objectively more power than him, and who will not listen and recognize his genius.

    I hope that after a long day of working with her, when he’s desperate to escape, they get trapped in an elevator together.

    ——
    *: I wish no particular harm upon him, so long as he just goes away. But he won’t.

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  10. wr says:

    @CSK: “Trump’s choice for the of the SS is apparently Dan Bongino.”

    Yeah, that’s what I was responding to!

  11. wr says:

    @Gustopher: “I can think of no more fitting punishment for that than spending time with a blithering idiot who has objectively more power than him, and who will not listen and recognize his genius.”

    And he’s stuck with Trump, too.

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