#Gov. Mills

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

* * * *

How to make enemies and repel people.

February 24, 2025

Robert B. Hubbell

Trump and Musk have turned the corner—in a bad way. There is a great scene in the motion picture Broadcast News where Holly Hunter tells Albert Brooks that she has “crossed a line” because she is starting to “repel people I am trying to attract.”

At town hall meetings across the nation, Republican representatives are learning the hard way that Trump and Musk are not the anti-hero crusaders they imagine themselves to be. See NYTimes, Republicans Face Angry Voters at Town Halls, Hinting at Broader Backlash. (Behind a paywall; out of gift subscriptions; please post a shared link if you can.) Instead, Trump and Musk personify the “mean-boss” bullies who are born into privilege and spend their time offending and alienating people without a clue they are doing so.

Musk’s weekend email demanding that government workers prepare five “bullets” of their accomplishments in the prior week or face termination was about as “un-self-aware” as it gets. Most people in America hate Elon Musk so badly that he is accomplishing something that Trump's eight-year run of criminality, insurrection, and racism could not do: Musk is causing people to turn on Trump. Political gravity is real, and Elon Musk is a gravitational wave of karma that is finally pulling Trump back to political accountability.

I am surprised how often readers respond to my references to Trump's negative poll numbers by saying, “Trump doesn’t care about polls.” Assuming that’s true (and I don’t believe it is), that’s not my point. Trump has been able to force the GOP into mass capitulation because his favorability ratings remain stubbornly flat despite his crime sprees, civil findings of sexual abuse, revelations of extramarital relationships while married to the current First Lady, and open courting of white supremacists.

If Trump's favorability declines, it means two things: (a) Trump is losing support among Independents (and Republicans lose) and (b) Republicans at the margin in Congress can take the risk of voting for the best interests of their constituents rather than the idiotic, self-destructive, revenge-driven agenda of Trump.

It matters that people are beginning to see Elon Musk as the evil billionaire hellbent on controlling the world who is portrayed as the instantly unlikable bad guy in every science fiction and spy-thriller movie. Musk is easy to hate. As hundreds of thousands of federal workers fear for their financial security, Musk wielded a bejeweled chainsaw on stage at the CPAC convention while MAGA acolytes laughed at the now-unemployed working-class Americans who are lying awake at night wondering how they will pay their mortgages.

It doesn’t get any crueler or more clueless than that. Read the room, Elon.

None of this suggests that Trump or Musk will stop their offensive, hateful abuse of the American people. But it does suggest that we can build a firewall in Congress to join the courts in slowing down Trump's revenge tour. And it should certainly give Democrats confidence that they can craft winning messages and coalitions in 2026 and 2028.

Musk’s email was so unpopular it ran into resistance within Trumpworld. Heads of various federal agencies, in including the FBI, Department of Defense, State Department, intelligence community, and judiciary told employees to ignore the email. See generally, The Hill, Agencies push back on Musk email, including FBI, Pentagon, State, Intel.

Two of the largest unions representing federal workers also advised employees to ignore the email and sent a response to the Office of Personnel Management stating that the request was “plainly unlawful.”

By overstepping in such a mean and petty way, Musk may have sparked a backlash that overturning the Constitution could not achieve.

The same resistance is appearing elsewhere. Trump threatened to pull all federal funding from Maine because it refused to adopt Trump's anti-transgedner policy in sports. See Portland Press Herald, Trump threatens to cut federal funding to Maine over transgender athlete policy

Governor Janet Mills of Maine sent a blistering response to Trump. See Governor Mills’ Statement on Notice of Investigation From U.S. Department of Education | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills.

Governor Mills writes, in part,

“No President – Republican or Democrat – can withhold Federal funding authorized and appropriated by Congress and paid for by Maine taxpayers in an attempt to coerce someone into compliance with his will. It is a violation of our Constitution and of our laws, which I took an oath to uphold.

“Maine may be one of the first states to undergo an investigation by his Administration, but we won’t be the last. Today, the President of the United States has targeted one particular group on one particular issue which Maine law has addressed. But you must ask yourself: who and what will he target next, and what will he do? Will it be you? Will it be because of your race or your religion? Will it be because you look different or think differently? Where does it end? In America, the President is neither a King nor a dictator, as much as this one tries to act like it – and it is the rule of law that prevents him from being so.

Well said, Governor Mills! And nice work noting that Trump's threat to withhold funds violates the Constitution—something that is frequently overlooked in the back-and-forth political discussion.

To similar effect is the recent speech by Governor Pritzker of Illinois to the Illinois legislature regarding the state’s 2025 budget. The speech is worth watching in its entirety. The video is here: Gov. Pritzker delivers Illinois State of the State Address 2025. Governor Pritzker said, in part,

I’m watching with a foreboding dread what is happening in our country right now. A president who watches a plane go down in the Potomac – and suggests — without facts or findings — that a diversity hire is responsible for the crash. Or the Missouri Attorney General who just sued Starbucks – arguing that consumers pay higher prices for their coffee because the baristas are too “female” and “nonwhite.” The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here: They point to a group of people who don’t look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems.

I just have one question: What comes next? After we’ve discriminated against, deported or disparaged all the immigrants and the gay and lesbian and transgender people, the developmentally disabled, the women and the minorities – once we’ve ostracized our neighbors and betrayed our friends – After that, when the problems we started with are still there staring us in the face – what comes next.

All the atrocities of human history lurk in the answer to that question. And if we don’t want to repeat history – then for God’s sake in this moment we better be strong enough to learn from it. [¶]

Tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance. Democracy requires your courage. So gather your justice and humanity, Illinois, and do not let the “tragic spirit of despair” overcome us when our country needs us the most.

Concluding Thoughts

I need to cut this newsletter short due to travel. I recommend reading the Comment section to Sunday’s newsletter, where readers posted responses to Musk’s “justify your existence” email. Sunday Comments open

I have been in correspondence with several readers over the weekend regarding the events of last Friday in the upper echelons of the military. Some commentators have referred to the broad-ranging replacement of top military leaders as a second coup by the Trump administration. I don’t disagree, although I feel less qualified to comment on military matters than general politics. I therefore urge everyone to read Heather Cox Richardson’s essay on the military terminations on Friday, here: February 22, 2025 - by Heather Cox Richardson. This is an important story, please read HCR’s take on the firings.

I agree with the sense of alarm and urgency that everyone is raising over the firings. But I have spent some time over the weekend disagreeing with readers about one point: I have great faith in the men and women of the military to abide by their oath to defend the Constitution. Frankly, I feel much more comfortable with the 1.3 million Americans who have volunteered to serve their country than I do with the six members of the reactionary majority on the Supreme Court.

The military is representative of America. They are you and me. They look like America. They are America. And they are professionals who are loyal to the Constitution despite the handful of leaders at the top who live fantasy lives as heroes in first-person shooter video games.

Despite Hegseth’s efforts to corrupt the military, he might as well try to corrupt the American people. He can’t. Will some follow his lead? Certainly. But a million or more will not. Asking millions of men and women in the military to violate their oaths is the quickest way to dissolve military order and discipline.

To be clear. We should be alarmed by Hegseth’s moves with military leadership. But I believe in and trust the professionalism and patriotism of the 1.3 million Americans who serve their country—and us.

[Robert B. Hubbell]

[shefightsforall]

A loss for Trump is a win for Americans.

[callmegaith]

Like to think Mills sometimes calls Garcian to just take a quiet drive around Seattle. Like this is their form of hanging out. Drive aimlessly while music plays softly from the car radio and blends into the background as they just enjoy the scenery, and talk about stuff and things. A momentary peaceful escape.

[mypatchworkreflection]

""We're going to follow the law sir. We'll see you in court," Mills told the president in a heated exchange, referring to the Maine Human Rights Act, which was amended four years ago to include gender identity as a protected class. Mills and Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey have argued that the law supersedes the president's edict barring transgender girls from participating in sports that match their gender identity."

Gov. Mills, we salute you.

[portalapp]

i don't think people realize how mason is deadass set to become a billionaire by his mid 30s.

[houseofbrat]

Andrew makes headlines yet the UK politicians' associations with the alleged spy are so much worse. Prime ministers actually have power, unlike Andrew.

And what's with Beatrice & Eugenie not going to Sandringham for Christmas?

MailOnline understands that their children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, had already made the decision to spend Christmas with their respective in-laws, having not had the chance to do so for several years.

That seems weird. Almost as if Bea & Eug are striking or distancing themselves from the BRF. Edo missing the opportunity to place himself next to William seems extra strange. Also interesting is that I assume that Eug was in the UK when Kate's carol service happened, and Eugenie & Jack didn't attend.

Are we getting a new letters patent on 01 January 2025 or something?

Can't wait to see who shows up to the Christmas lunch this Thursday!

[usainsider55]

Government launches investigation into Maine hours after Democratic governor stood up to Trump’s ‘bullying’ read more...

[intelligentchristianlady]

Somebody finally defied him to his face. Good for her!

[psudopod]

At this point my AI art hot take is almost 1:1 ludditism and I'm not ashamed. You're tellin me that wealthy bourgeois are disrupting a cottage industry with high output machines? Replacing workers who own and control their own skilled labor with capital they own and control? Insult to injury, scraping artists' work to use it to disempower them. Fuck that, so long as my ability to eat and sleep indoors depends on my leverage as a worker, me smash bad machines with wrench.

[saywhat-politics]

Trump administration backs down in dispute with Maine over trans athletes

“I told him I’d see him in court,” Gov. Janet Mills said, referring to Trump. “Well, we did see him in court, and we won.”

[dandelionsresilience]

Dandelion News - May 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $kaybarr1735 or check out my Dandelion Doodles!

1. Massive marine sanctuary the size of Yosemite created in the South Atlantic Ocean

“Patagonia Azul Provincial Park aims to protect one of the most biodiverse areas of the South Atlantic, home to whales, sea lions and over 50 species of seabirds. […] The new park draws a protective blue line around over 60 islands and islets, kelp forests and rugged coastal habitats. […] Plans are already underway to build trails, campsites, a biological station and marine access points, making it easier for people to connect with the sea and its incredible wildlife.”

2. Farmers are making bank harvesting a new crop: Solar energy

“[… G]rowers are fallowing acreage and installing solar panels. Some are even growing crops beneath them, which is great for plants stressed by too many rays. Still others are letting that shaded land go wild, providing habitat for pollinators and fodder for grazing livestock. […] On average, that energy savings and revenue added up to $124,000 per hectare (about 2.5 acres) each year, 25 times the value of using the land to grow crops.”

3. Maine Gov. Janet Mills beats Donald Trump, gets school meal funds restored while defending trans kids

“The Trump administration has backed down after a federal court intervened in its attempt to cut off funding for Maine’s school meal programs—punishment for the state’s refusal to discriminate against transgender people by barring trans girls from participating in girls’ sports. [… “W]e are pleased that the lawsuit has now been resolved and that Maine will continue to receive funds as directed by Congress to feed children and vulnerable adults.””

4. "It gives some hope": new population of near-extinct tiny chameleons discovered in Madagascar

“[T]he Belalanda chameleon [… has] one of the smallest known distributions of any land vertebrate[…. T]he team discovered two males and one female Belalanda chameleon at the new location, around five kilometres outside of its usual range in the Belalanda area. […] Work’s now underway to help locate and protect any remaining individuals, harnessing the local knowledge of surrounding communities, with hopes of bolstering efforts to safeguard its habitat.”

5. State’s “largest urban solar farm” and battery switches on to help power university

“[… T]he 2.9MW solar farm and 2.5 MW/4.5 MWh battery system is expected to cut the University’s total energy emissions by a further 15 per cent, taking overall emissions reduction at the Bundoora campus to over 65 per cent [since 2019…. T]he new Bundoora solar farm and battery is connected to the grid, meaning that La Trobe will be able to provide support to the grid when required in emergencies to help avoid power issues in the local community.”

April 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

The Navajo Nation doesn’t allow radioactive uranium ore to be transported through its lands without permission, but that’s exactly what a mining company began doing this week on roads administered by the state—which has no such restrictions.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren told tribal police to stop the trucks, and he issued an executive order Wednesday that called for the company to negotiate a hauling agreement with the tribe before any other trucks enter Navajo land. First Lady Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren announced a “No Illegal Uranium Hauling” walk along part of the transportation route in Cameron. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, under pressure for months from tribes and environmental advocates over the situation, subsequently brokered a deal with the company to hit pause.

In a Thursday night call, Hobbs told Nygren that shipments would halt until the company—Energy Fuels Resources—and the Navajo Nation hold discussions about safety concerns.

While Nygren is glad the governor acted, he wants to know how long transportation activities will stop.

“I don’t know what temporary hold means on the governor’s side,” Nygren said in an interview after the walk, held Friday morning. “Does that mean five days? Does that mean 10 days? Does that mean a month? … I hope temporary means six months, aligning with my executive order, so that we can have those discussions.”

Asked by Inside Climate News about timing, a Hobbs spokesperson said, “At this moment, there’s no additional information on when the end date will be.”

Energy Fuels Resources, the owner of Pinyon Plain Mine in Arizona and White Mesa Mill in Utah, confirmed it started hauling ore from one site to the other on Tuesday. In a statement issued before the agreement to pause that work, the company said this transportation is “safe and legal” and “in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”

State law doesn’t bar that transport, but a Navajo law enacted in 2012 does. The situation cuts to the heart of U.S. history with Indigenous people: Treaty agreements that acknowledge tribal nations’ right to determine what happens on their lands are routinely ignored by states, companies and the federal government.

“Energy Fuels is subject to Navajo authority when accessing Navajo territory and can be excluded from Navajo territory for threatening the well-being of the Navajo People, although they likely claim they are beyond Navajo authority when on a state highway running through the Navajo reservation,” Gabe Galanda, an Indigenous rights attorney and the managing lawyer at Galanda Broadman, said in an email. “The state of Arizona may likewise claim regulatory power over a state highway running through the Navajo reservation but that assertion affronts Navajo inherent sovereignty and territorial control.”

[porterdavis]

No loud men allowed

[alyfoxxxen]

Trump Clashes With Maine’s Governor, Janet Mills, Over Trans Athletes - The New York Times

what a bad bitch

[mariacallous]

“A few months ago, I stood in the White House and, when confronted by the president of the United States, I told him I’d see him in court,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said last Friday. “Well, I did see him in court. And we won.”

After weeks of public fulminating, the administration quietly folded and quit trying to steal kids’ lunch money for the grievous sin of letting a couple of trans girls play sports.

It’s a heartening reminder that Trump, like any bully, can be fought and beaten.