I am grateful for these Judges who are standing up for the rule of law!! Pete Hegseth killed 11 more people in the South American waters… I don’t understand why he is still doing this! For distraction? For his ego? It’s so wrong!! Everything about this administration is so shameful! Michele
He’s doing this to please and impress his boss. Typically weak men try to appear strong. And he and his boss are the weakest, notwithstanding the power they dangerously wield.
The District Court Judges have been the heroes of the Judicial branch and have more consistently supported our Constitution than have the appellate judges. Meanwhile, SCOTUS has been an utter failure with the radical six clearly supporting authoritarianism.
At one point in “Horsefeathers,” as Mary is giving us a one-line summary of the Government’s efforts to indict the 6 members of Congress who posted the “seditious” video, Andrew interrupts her to say something like “The fact that you could even utter that sentence means that we are there [i.e. living within an authoritarian system].” I love and admire you both, and I know that naming things what they are is the first step toward addressing them. But I would like, with respect, to push back on that notion. The residents out on the streets of Minneapolis tell me we aren’t quite “”there”: the presence of Rachel Maddow, Nicole Wallace, Lawrence O’Donnell, and so many other critics of this regime on our airwaves tell me we aren’t quite “there”; the army of attorneys and judges going into American courtrooms day after day to reassert the principles on which this country was established tell me we aren’t quite “there”; and, the weekly lifeline to sanity that is “Main Justice” tells me we aren’t quite “there.” Being “there,” in Andrew’s terms, is what they want us to believe, to succumb to. But we are “here:” still in the fight, still engaged, still filled with passion and energy. With gratitude for your help in making it so.
While I wouldn’t disagree that we aren’t exactly living in a full on authoritarian system, there is a middle ground where it could be reasonably argued that we have arrived - and that would be a Competitive Authoritarian state. Even here, there are degrees so please keep an open mind.
Brian Klaas, Professor of Global Politics at University College London, makes the case as follows:
I would say the United States is now a “competitive authoritarian” system. This is political science jargon for countries that have the trappings of democracy, but without a level playing field.
In other words, there is genuine competition in the United States between political parties and democratic institutions persist, but the state is able to manipulate outcomes to its advantage, disadvantage its opponents and use state power in illegitimate or undemocratic ways with little to no recourse against it.
Political scientists continue to debate this topic, but few would classify the United States as a robust democracy. It is either a democracy in crisis that is barely clinging onto the label, or one that has tipped over the edge into competitive authoritarianism – and I believe it’s the latter.
Such a helpfully nuanced analysis. I had heard this term "Competitive Authoritarianism" before, but hadn't really stopped to make complete sense of it. Thank you for your comment. and for posting the link.
The District Judges have been standing up and are the hero’s. “Horsefeathers” seems to be the only consistent aspect of this regime. Bondi saying here’s the completion of the Epstein files, while keeping 3 million under lock and key - “Horsefeathers”. There’s no reason to begin any investigations into any of these men and even women called out in these Epstein files. “Horsefeathers”. Killing more people in fishing boats, per Hegseth in the Caribbean who we have no idea they have drugs on their boats killing more people. “Horsefeathers”. FCC Carr not allowing Colbert to interview Talarico on television per some bizarre concept. “Horsefeathers”.. This whole regime is “Horsefeathers” a nicer way to say Horsesh*t…
Seriously my eyeballs needed a really good rinsing from watching clips of Kid Rock and RFK Jr. working out, playing pickleball, drinking whole milk and lounging in a pool… Like What the [bleep] did I just watch? Because this is to urge Americans to ‘get active’ - well okay it’ll urge you to run to the toilet and upchuck your lunch. “Horsefeathers”..
“Horsefeathers” is all things Trump! Thank you for this week’s update; all are so important. There’s something reassuring to hear that Trump’s lawlessness triggers the both of you as well! 💙
Reports this morning that the sick baby and his family were deported and left at border with nothing. Reportedly the mother had to borrow a phone to call for support…
Thank the Lord for these federal judges! They are the stopping blocks that are keeping the laws of this nation breathing to prevail against the darkness that is
Can anyone explain why the Federal magistrate approved releasing the Fulton County ballots based on the now unsealed affidavit that was obviously, how shall I describe it, bogus and filled with completely debunked conspiracy theories. What is the problem with this Federal magistrate. Could she not have refused the affidavit?
P.S. - If this type of content resonates with you, please consider subscribing to our “Never Trump Poetry Substack” free of charge. Subscribers receive email notifications of my twice-daily pro-democracy poems, together with audio narrations and insightful commentary from my editor, Michael Broder. Thank you.
Horsefeathers was a word my father used when I was growing up. He said it most frequently when calling someone out for lying or evading a question! And it should always be said with an exclamation point after it! 😉
Your insights and legal knowledge are useful and important to us and I like to follow your work carefully. When you were writing columns, we could absorb so much more, retain it more, and have a record of it in a fraction of the time of thethese conversational podcasts.
Please give us written versions of these that are typically concise. The amount of time that these podcasts consume would leave us no time to do anything if we consumed all those on topics in which we have interest.
It takes a little longer to write a 1500 to 2000 word essay that can be read much quicker and cover all of your opinions, yet, that’s how we started and it will be so much better to continue to at least have that option if you want to do both things. Thanks otherwise for your excellent and valuable work.
Another excellent episode, thank you and Mary and the team so much! Too sad Mr Hegseth wouldn't be able to appreciate the humour if his life depended on it.
And once everyone's done listening (and giggling, no doubt), I urge people to also go watch the Marx Brothers movie of the same title (two words though!) - I know it's on for me for tonight! 😁
I am grateful for these Judges who are standing up for the rule of law!! Pete Hegseth killed 11 more people in the South American waters… I don’t understand why he is still doing this! For distraction? For his ego? It’s so wrong!! Everything about this administration is so shameful! Michele
He’s doing this to please and impress his boss. Typically weak men try to appear strong. And he and his boss are the weakest, notwithstanding the power they dangerously wield.
And Hegseth is still doing it.
The District Court Judges have been the heroes of the Judicial branch and have more consistently supported our Constitution than have the appellate judges. Meanwhile, SCOTUS has been an utter failure with the radical six clearly supporting authoritarianism.
At one point in “Horsefeathers,” as Mary is giving us a one-line summary of the Government’s efforts to indict the 6 members of Congress who posted the “seditious” video, Andrew interrupts her to say something like “The fact that you could even utter that sentence means that we are there [i.e. living within an authoritarian system].” I love and admire you both, and I know that naming things what they are is the first step toward addressing them. But I would like, with respect, to push back on that notion. The residents out on the streets of Minneapolis tell me we aren’t quite “”there”: the presence of Rachel Maddow, Nicole Wallace, Lawrence O’Donnell, and so many other critics of this regime on our airwaves tell me we aren’t quite “there”; the army of attorneys and judges going into American courtrooms day after day to reassert the principles on which this country was established tell me we aren’t quite “there”; and, the weekly lifeline to sanity that is “Main Justice” tells me we aren’t quite “there.” Being “there,” in Andrew’s terms, is what they want us to believe, to succumb to. But we are “here:” still in the fight, still engaged, still filled with passion and energy. With gratitude for your help in making it so.
While I wouldn’t disagree that we aren’t exactly living in a full on authoritarian system, there is a middle ground where it could be reasonably argued that we have arrived - and that would be a Competitive Authoritarian state. Even here, there are degrees so please keep an open mind.
Brian Klaas, Professor of Global Politics at University College London, makes the case as follows:
I would say the United States is now a “competitive authoritarian” system. This is political science jargon for countries that have the trappings of democracy, but without a level playing field.
In other words, there is genuine competition in the United States between political parties and democratic institutions persist, but the state is able to manipulate outcomes to its advantage, disadvantage its opponents and use state power in illegitimate or undemocratic ways with little to no recourse against it.
Political scientists continue to debate this topic, but few would classify the United States as a robust democracy. It is either a democracy in crisis that is barely clinging onto the label, or one that has tipped over the edge into competitive authoritarianism – and I believe it’s the latter.
See the following link for the full posting: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2025/09/19/brian-klaas-is-the-united-states-still-a-democracy-competitive-authoritarian-system/
Such a helpfully nuanced analysis. I had heard this term "Competitive Authoritarianism" before, but hadn't really stopped to make complete sense of it. Thank you for your comment. and for posting the link.
And I wanted to hear from Professor Quincy Adam’s Wagstaff!
Bless you Both
And the Judges trying to save our Democracy by
honoring our
Constitutional laws.
Due Process
Freedom of Speech
💙💙🇺🇸💙💙
The District Judges have been standing up and are the hero’s. “Horsefeathers” seems to be the only consistent aspect of this regime. Bondi saying here’s the completion of the Epstein files, while keeping 3 million under lock and key - “Horsefeathers”. There’s no reason to begin any investigations into any of these men and even women called out in these Epstein files. “Horsefeathers”. Killing more people in fishing boats, per Hegseth in the Caribbean who we have no idea they have drugs on their boats killing more people. “Horsefeathers”. FCC Carr not allowing Colbert to interview Talarico on television per some bizarre concept. “Horsefeathers”.. This whole regime is “Horsefeathers” a nicer way to say Horsesh*t…
Seriously my eyeballs needed a really good rinsing from watching clips of Kid Rock and RFK Jr. working out, playing pickleball, drinking whole milk and lounging in a pool… Like What the [bleep] did I just watch? Because this is to urge Americans to ‘get active’ - well okay it’ll urge you to run to the toilet and upchuck your lunch. “Horsefeathers”..
“Horsefeathers” is all things Trump! Thank you for this week’s update; all are so important. There’s something reassuring to hear that Trump’s lawlessness triggers the both of you as well! 💙
Reports this morning that the sick baby and his family were deported and left at border with nothing. Reportedly the mother had to borrow a phone to call for support…
Thank the Lord for these federal judges! They are the stopping blocks that are keeping the laws of this nation breathing to prevail against the darkness that is
in the Oval Office.
Horsefeathers is better than some of my faves: Poppycock, Bushwa and the modern Say Whuttt?
Can anyone explain why the Federal magistrate approved releasing the Fulton County ballots based on the now unsealed affidavit that was obviously, how shall I describe it, bogus and filled with completely debunked conspiracy theories. What is the problem with this Federal magistrate. Could she not have refused the affidavit?
Subterranean Hegseth Blues
“You don’t need a weatherman
to know which way the wind blows”
And you don’t demote a veteran based on
unicorns and rainbows
Said Judge Richard Leon
Of the DC District Court
Whose scathing lengthy ruling
Cut the government’s lawyers short
Your arguments are “ludicrous”
“Horsefeathers” and “anemic”
Our troops are owed much more respect
By law they must receive it
Hopefully this injunction will
Effect a course correction
And cure you, Mr. Hegseth, of your
Half-baked misconceptions
P.S. - If this type of content resonates with you, please consider subscribing to our “Never Trump Poetry Substack” free of charge. Subscribers receive email notifications of my twice-daily pro-democracy poems, together with audio narrations and insightful commentary from my editor, Michael Broder. Thank you.
Very nicely done!
Thank you!
Your marvelous. Yes..... I know the Feathered Horse, but hadn't heard in Years. :-)))))
Horsefeathers was a word my father used when I was growing up. He said it most frequently when calling someone out for lying or evading a question! And it should always be said with an exclamation point after it! 😉
Your insights and legal knowledge are useful and important to us and I like to follow your work carefully. When you were writing columns, we could absorb so much more, retain it more, and have a record of it in a fraction of the time of thethese conversational podcasts.
Please give us written versions of these that are typically concise. The amount of time that these podcasts consume would leave us no time to do anything if we consumed all those on topics in which we have interest.
It takes a little longer to write a 1500 to 2000 word essay that can be read much quicker and cover all of your opinions, yet, that’s how we started and it will be so much better to continue to at least have that option if you want to do both things. Thanks otherwise for your excellent and valuable work.
Another excellent episode, thank you and Mary and the team so much! Too sad Mr Hegseth wouldn't be able to appreciate the humour if his life depended on it.
And once everyone's done listening (and giggling, no doubt), I urge people to also go watch the Marx Brothers movie of the same title (two words though!) - I know it's on for me for tonight! 😁