Meanwhile, in North Korea

A coin for Dear Leader.

President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office, Wednesday, October 22, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks with members of the media alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office, Wednesday, October 22, 2025.

Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth

If the shoe doesn’t fit, wear it.

President Donald Trump monitors U.S. military operations in Venezuela, from Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, January 3, 2026. President Donald Trump monitors U.S. military operations in Venezuela, from Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, January 3, 2026.

Rubio’s War

Little Marco has come a long way.

SaturTabs

I’ll Have What Friedman is Smoking…

Are our columnists learning? (I think you know the answer).

More on Post-Khamenei Iran

More excerpts from excellent columns I’ve read.

Iran War Roundup

Preliminary thoughts from several columnists.

President Donald Trump signs a mineral agreement during a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Cabinet Room, Monday, October 20, 2025. President Donald Trump signs a mineral agreement during a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Cabinet Room, Monday, October 20, 2025.

Approaching a Major Red Line on Elections

A potential Executive Order on elections.

In Front of Our Noses: Manipulating the Media Landscape

Trump admin helping pick winners and losers

On Whiteness: Protecting Culture or Maintaining Supremacy?

The appointment of white supremacist to a State Department slot creates some thoughts.

Electoral Autocracy or Needed Correction?

The critics are divided.

The Irresponsible Government Model

The Epstein fallout highlights differences in the US and UK systems.

Redistricting Insanity

Destroying democracy in order to save it.

More WaPo Thoughts

It’s bad business to alienate key customers.

President Donald Trump addresses members of the media in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Tuesday, January 20, 2026. President Donald Trump addresses members of the media in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

Trump Wants to Nationalize Elections

What could possibly go wrong?

FBI Raids Georgia Election Center

The big lie of 2020 continues.

House Races Shifting D-ward

So says the Cook Political Report

Bovino Needs to Read the First Amendment

Gestapo is as Gestapo does.

Virginia Swears in First Woman Governor

Abigail Spanberger made history this afternoon.

Greenland is a Red Line

An actual move to acquire Greenland by force or coercion would be a massive line for the Trump administration to cross.

United for Iran - Global Day of Action July 25, 2009 United for Iran - Global Day of Action July 25, 2009

Iran at an Inflection Point

We may be closer to regime change than any point since the 1979 Revolution.

Blatant Propaganda from the White House

The ongoing attempt to venerate the J6 insurrectionists.

U.S. Invades Venezuela, Captures President

We’ve seen this movie before.

President Trump’s War on Environmental Reality

If you don’t collect the data, the problem disappears, right?

An America First Security Strategy

With a heavy dose of Christian nationalism.

Will’s Attempt to Criticize Trump’s Foreign Policy Takes a Turn

Come for the shots fired at the cabinet, stay for the weird digression.

Trump to ‘Permanently Pause’ Immigration from Poor Countries

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for.

A Very OTB Speech: A Republic, Not A Democracy–A False and Misleading Slogan

Our present-day politics reminds us that the “unfinished work” of democracy is never fully complete.  

Bolsonaro Arrested Again

This time for allegedly trying to escape.

Expertise Matters

Some signs of hope and of deep concern due to Trump appointees.

Some People Will Never Learn

Bret Stephens wants to oust Maduro in Venezuela.

A Question for the Filibuster

Where’s the positive example?

Nancy Pelosi to Retire

The octogenarian Speaker Emerita will not seek re-election.

Thoughts on Outcomes

A bad night for Trump.

The Main Takeaway from Last Night: Democracy Lives

Although it is still on life support.

Dick Cheney, 1941-2025

The former Defense Secretary and Vice President is gone at 84.

Presidents Shape Parties More than Parties Shape Presidents

How party change actually works in the US. Plus more on messaging and organzing.

The free high-resolution photo of wood, play, monument, statue, product, sad, sculpture, art, thinker, bronze, carving, patience, holzfigur, consider, bronze sculpture, question mark, at a loss , taken with an unknown camera 02/07 2017 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required. The free high-resolution photo of wood, play, monument, statue, product, sad, sculpture, art, thinker, bronze, carving, patience, holzfigur, consider, bronze sculpture, question mark, at a loss , taken with an unknown camera 02/07 2017 The picture taken with The image is released free of copyrights under Creative Commons CC0. You may download, modify, distribute, and use them royalty free for anything you like, even in commercial applications. Attribution is not required.

The TL;DR Version

Grumpy old man grumps about democracy.

Ezra Klein is Looking for Change in the Wrong Places

We need to be focused on the system, not fantasies about messages and organization.

The Problem of Political Feedback in US Politics

Lack of understanding and poor institutional design=bad political outcomes.

The Largest One-Day Protest In American History

Millions turned out in support of basic ideals.

A No Kings Field Report

Thoughts and photos from downtown Montgomery, AL.

No Kings rally Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania June 14, 2025 No Kings rally Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania June 14, 2025

Is The Resistance Futile?

The second round of No Kings rallies will take place today. Will they matter?

Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud

Senator Mike Lee helps us understand what he means by “a republic, not a democracy.”

abstract image with silhouettes of all different people abstract image with silhouettes of all different people

The Revolution Will Not Be Happening

The public is much less concerned than you are.

Limitations in the Gerrymandering Wars

Some limits on Democratic pushback

Another Partisan Gerrymandering Attempt

This time: North Carolina

Bothsiderism is Helping to Kill Democracy

Why is reporting on objective reality so hard?