34 Comments
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Paula Dunn's avatar

Thank you for keeping us informed of D.C. protecting its citizens.

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Doug Tarnopol's avatar

Is it? All that matters is what happens on the ground.

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Nana Booboo's avatar

On the ground, DC just told Bargain Basement Bondi to pound salt.

But all the people with untreated depression or a desire to get clout by dooming are moaning "Doooooom doooom doooom it will neevvvvveeer get better doooom!" because they want everyone else to share their depression

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Doug Tarnopol's avatar

Oh, someone wants to play. I’m at Misquamicut Beach, plan to body surf all day and meet my wife for dinner at Food Truck Friday. Live music. Off to a college reunion next week: Adirondacks. Little Feat show Labor Day weekend at Rhythm and Roots festival. Definitely depressed!

I don’t gave Substack or social media presence at all outside of this and YouTube. No podcast. No career in this. Just a citizen.

See, I’m just not selfish or cowardly enough to salve myself with fantasies. When I see actual actions on the ground, not pieces of paper Trump ignores, I’ll be happy. Like, the mayor calling people into the streets, for starters.

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Nana Booboo's avatar

Sir, this is a Wendy's

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Larry Erickson's avatar

Ah. So nowhere near DC, so I imagine you will not be taking your place on the barricades you fantasize about appearing in DC.

It may come to standing at the barricades; in fact, I expect it will. But that's not how reality works and revolutions of any sort are strongest when you can point to that reality and say "There is no other way left."

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Doug Tarnopol's avatar

When there are barricades, anywhere, I’ll be there, but I knew someone would make that move. First I’m an untreated oppressive projecting. If I said I was a stoic, dour 24/7 revolutionary, that would be evidence of something else conveniently pathologizable.

All this instead of attending to the fact that by the time we get to “there is no other way left,” we’ll have prepared no plan B because to do so is doomerist inaction. That’s literally the argument: only hope for the best because planning for the worst is doomerism.

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J. Dan E. Maruska's avatar

It’s not just that MPD Chief Smith is “not legally obligated to follow” Bondi’s directives, but that it is not permissible for AG Bondi to make such orders. The Home Rule Act clearly gives this authority to Congress.

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Nana Booboo's avatar

This this thahisssss.

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Noorillah's avatar

Thank you for the update, Chris. Some pushback from D.C. : how delightful! Kudos to them for not rolling over, no matter what happens next.

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Doug Tarnopol's avatar

The DC cops just cleared out homeless encampments.

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Noorillah's avatar

That's been happening all over the country, following Stump's EO.

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Nana Booboo's avatar

True.

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Michael Thomas's avatar

What's with "not legally obligated to follow it“???

Not only is "not legally obligated“ wishy-washy language, it also suggests that Chief Smith may choose to follow the Bondi order if she wants to.

If the Bondi order is unlawful, does that not mean that the Chief Smith may not legally follow the Bondi order or must disregard the Bondi order?

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Doug Tarnopol's avatar

Spot on. Don’t let anyone, on any side, lull you into a false sense of comfort. Especially since we’re all starved for it. The fascists know that; they’ve been feeding it to willing media for a decade (“seriously, not literally”). It’s going to take a near-permanent version of this to stop MAGA: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Democratic_Struggle. People will have to risk death, literally. We need money, infrastructure, training, bodies. The Democrats should be leading it—unions. Instead we got jack shit, and the longer we put it off, the harder it gets, the more carbon in the air.

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MAscrappy's avatar

Excellent point!!

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Ruth Wattenberg's avatar

Can someone answer: How much legal authority does Police Chief have? Does she work for Mayor? Or does she have autonomy to decide to “work for” Bondi? Is this why Schwalb order is worded as it is?

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Yakutat@‘94's avatar

Of course it is, they’re ignorant, willfully so, & like lurch( now on a federal bench) will thumb there nose @the law

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Dax Jac's avatar

Good!! Stand up to that fascist dick weed in the White House playing performative reality TV BS with real people’s lives 🤷🏾‍♂️

the DC AG should write back to Bondi asking her to release the epstein files!

Once the file’s are released there won’t be a need for all the performance from the White House !!

That’s exactly how I would word it!

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arita's avatar

Will that make a difference? Either a friendly SC will eventually rubber stamp it or a particular AG is going to get replaced. This is a dictatorial power play, not a judicial process

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Patris's avatar

Some spine appears. How refreshing!

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Clair's avatar

Clair here💕What did you expect…. Cookies and Cream!

However, the court will come to the rescue, as it always has to make sure the local government does not interfere with the process of issuing orders to the local authoritiesthe.. its enough to make you dizzy or as the old folks would say.. “ I got my tit in the ringer”…

This will not end well as it spreads out across the various target states and cities..

It’s Germany 1933… and more recently the 2025 Plan

☹️Clair

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Jacobs-Meadway Roberta's avatar

It is Germany 1937. We are well beyond 1933. They are rounding up and confining “undesirables” with no due process and kicking people out of positions for no cause except who they are

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Clair's avatar

Clair here💕Yes. You are correct.. it’s more like Germany 1937…thanks for the reminder 💕Clair

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Yehawes (VA)'s avatar

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb is a hero. Plain and not so simply, he has empowered push back and placed himself between Bondi and the Police Chief, giving them confidence and support. Hooray for D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb!

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Michael's avatar

Congress may or may not weigh in here. I think we are entering a statutory construction zone, snd I have no doubt how the Court might rule if it comes to that.

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PW's avatar

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

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Anne Kiefer's avatar

Thank you, Chris. The "breaking news" in my inbox needs to catch up to your up-to-the-minute reporting.

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Leigh's avatar

WOW!!

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Larry Erickson's avatar

We should pound on the fact that by issuing "a second, more narrow order" in the wake of the Thursday hearing, Pam B&D was admitting that she knew she was exceeding her authority and was just trying to get away with as much as she could.

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V Fike's avatar

Did someone say Miss Pam had a law degree? 🙄

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Wendy's avatar

She did, most likely.

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