Shawn "Smith" Peirce

@silversmith1.bsky.social

2811 Followers 453 Following

Co-Host & Co-Producer at The Politics Bar thepoliticsbar.com | Fmr. Exec. Producer The Randi Rhodes Show | Longtime Producer, Host, Editor, Writer, Journalist. | Born In Neb | Also at Mastodon, Threads, & Twitter

The Race to Become the Democratic Left’s Next Power Firm
Middle Seat, formed a decade ago by Bernie Sanders campaign veterans, is riding a wave of shocking wins from Democratic socialists to prominence.

A basket lined with stereotypical red-and-white checkered waxed paper,, filled with crispy oven fries, and a side of ketchup in a small metal cup

New OHIO poll from Fabrizio (R)/Impact (D) for the AARP:

Senate
BROWN (D) 48
HUSTED (R) 45

Governor
ACTON (D) 47
RAMASWAMY (R) 44

Fav/unfav
Brown 46/38
Husted 31/37
Acton 36/33
Ramaswamy 36/40

Trump 42% approve/55% disapprove
Generic ballot: D48 - R45

800 LV, 6/14-16

"The idea that the DSA wins in New York mean the
Democratic Party is being taken over is goofy. So
is the idea that they don’t matter because NY is
a blue state. As always, reality is right in
between the knee-jerk takes on the internet… | On
the first point: moderates won primaries across
the country yesterday as well. It is still true
that all politics are local…

There’s this endless and often boring debate about whether to energize the base or reach out to moderates. As the above poll numbers show, a populist economics that targets bad actors can energize both. It’s only elite moderates who are against this, because they accept money from those sources for their campaigns or their organizations. They don’t actually represent anybody, or they represent a share of the electorate that is shrinking at a lightning pace. They, too, need to get with the program. This is where the people are.

Headline from Vox:

"This billionaire could be California’s next governor — and he wants to arrest Stephen Miller
Tom Steyer talks to Vox about using state power to fight the Trump administration."

Louder with Crowder 'Change My Mind' Meme with Republican George Allen

Via Axios ( a sometimes questionable source): "Scoop: Platner declares Mills nearly finished in Maine Senate primary" [Even though there's two months to go.

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP”
- Apr 05, 2026, 8:03 AM

Kiwi Peirce, black poodle mix.
RIP December 7, 2025

Chart from Tom Bonier on Twitter, showing Dems stomping Repubs in the primaries.

"Ski Nebraska" poster of man standing on skis in empty cornfield

I know how this moment feels. I watch the dismantling too—the corruption displayed without shame, the institutions hollowed from within, the coordinated campaigns of cruelty and dehumanization. It is easy to believe we are watching an ending.

But scholars who study democratic collapse see it differently. “The United States is in a very good place to resist,” Steven Levitsky said recently. “There is a very high likelihood that Trump will fail.”

For those who tried to keep up with the shifting U.S. foreign policy over the weekend, here’s a rapid one paragraph summary. On Saturday Jan. 3, the Trump regime illegally & unwisely attacked & invaded Venezuela, killing at least 40 civilians, & kidnapping their president & his wife. Trump’s regime then dragged Maduro & his wife to the U.S., & tossed them in a jail in Brooklyn, while claiming that the United States is going to run Venezuela, and take their oil - but also claiming we weren’t running their nation, and threatening their new leader (who was Maduro’s Vice President) saying she better do what the Trump regime wants or else. All this while also threatening oil corporations that if they want compensation from the U.S. for assets the Venezuelan government took from them over the past 50 years, then those corporations had best do what Trump says - even though oil was under $60 a barrel as of Friday’s close of market, and more oil would just cut that price even further.

Husker men's basketball poster noting tier win over Michigan State.

Kiwi the dog, wearing one of his bandanas

A tombstone in a cemetery during autumn; On the tombstone it says "CBS News, 1927-2025"

A parody image of the legendary "Weekend At Bernie's" movie poster, substituting JD Vance, Elon Musk, And Donald Trump for the title characters.

Picture of book “Separation of Church & Hate” by John Fugelsang

The Jody Hamilton & Charlie Pierce Flirtation Advisory System Chart

Jody Hamilton & Charlie Pierce flirtation advisory system chart

Wall Street Journal headline: "The Progressive Paucity Agenda—From Mamdani in New York to California"

What If We Didn’t Suck shirt katforillinois.com

Shawn "Smith" Peirce with Jo at the 2025 DC Sexy Liberal show.

The official Jody Hamilton & Charlie Pierce Flirtation Advisory System chart.

Pope Francis appointed Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in January 2023, a powerful position responsible for selecting bishops, a position he held until Pope Francis died on April 21, 2025. On September 30, 2023, Pope Francis elevated Prevost to the rank of Cardinal.

During his first months as prefect, then-Archbishop Prevost continued to remain characteristically discreet in the media, but was reportedly appreciated for his ability to listen and his mastery of issues. Aleteia reported that a French bishop who met him two months after he took office praised his “judicious questions” and his ability to synthesize, stressing that this first contact had left him with a “good impression.”

On key topics, Cardinal Prevost says little but some of his positions are known. He is reportedly very close to Francis’ vision regarding the environment, outreach to the poor and migrants, and meeting people where they are. He said last year “the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom.”

He supported Pope Francis’ change in pastoral practice to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion. Prevost appears somewhat less favorable to currying favor with the LGBTQ lobby than Francis, but he showed mild support for Fiducia Supplicans.

TRUMP ASKED ABOUT TARIFF DEALS - HE'S MADE NO DEALS BUT WILLING TO USE PRIVATE LAW FIRMS HE SHOOK DOWN TO DO GOVT WORK

Stephanie Ruhle & Chris Hayes (With Catherine Rampell) discuss the stock market's irrational exuberance in the wake of Trump's pullback on tariffs.

CNBC Headline: Dow heads for another 1,000-point drop, futures indicate, after China retaliates to Trump tariffs: Live updates

Morning joe on real effect ofDemocratic over-performance in Florida Special elections

Bloomberg Pointed News Quiz - Score 125

A cute small Black poodle mix, indoors, laying on carpet, in a spot of sunshine

Jeffrey Goldberg EIC of The Atlantic tells why they released the #SignalScandal texts today, and then reads some of them which are clearly war plans.

Key clip from the DC Appeals hearing, from Judge Millett, that nazis were treated better than those the Trump regime sent to El Salvadorian prisons.

NBC News - Federal judge orders employees reinstated as Trump trade war rolls on

These lawmakers are the closest thing the American people have to a powerful layer of protection, representation and advocacy against an administration that is taking political prisoners, kidnapping green card holders from their homes for the act of protest; Trump’s right is punishing law firms, news outlets, universities and entire states for actions they don’t like; they are dismantling labor, education and environmental policy and are going to let us all burn; they want to annex Canada.

Yep, a government shut down might mean that they do more of all that but I think it is abundantly clear that they are going to do more of it whether the government is shut down or not. A party that at least tries to stop them could convey something crucial about itself: a drive, a commitment, a willingness to take a hit in service of something bigger and more urgent.

And that’s crucial when your base, your voters, regular citizens are the ones out there right now taking their own real risks: protesting, calling representatives, publishing critical journalism, quitting their jobs, occupying car dealerships, doing economic boycotts and continuing to speak out against a terrifying administration that any day might classify not owning a Tesla as terrorism. These ordinary people know that just winning, baby is not currently an option, but they also understand that not doing anything isn’t either.

Clip from the movie "DazedAnd Confused" calling out Mitch.

"Mitchy! Mitchy, Mitchy, Mitchy… We're lookin for you pal. Your ass'll be purple before the day is over. Have a nice afternoon."

A clip of Elon Musk's son X, in front of his father, in the Oval Office, telling Donald Trump, "You're not the president. You need to go away."

Look at Trump’s disapproval rating in these recent independent polls. No President in polling history has seen disapproval numbers like this in their first month in office (even his “good” CBS poll had him at 47 disapprove):

Pew 47-51
Civiqs 46-49
Gallup 47-48
Morning Consult 49-48
Economist/YouGov 48-47
Ipsos/Reuters 45-46
In the Morning Consult weekly tracking poll I shared last night Trump’s approval has gone from 52-44 in his first week to 49-48 this week, a drop of 7 points. At this point in 2017 in their polling Trump was 49-45. Last week he dropped 3 points in the Economist/YouGov poll. Importantly, these drops are consistent with the drops in consumer confidence we saw in the U of Michigan survey. Folks are not liking what Trump is selling.

My poodle mix Kiwi wearing a blue cone.

My pup Kiwi, a poodle mix, with a fresh haircut, after a bath.

From partial Grammy winers list:

Best Rock Performance
“Now and Then,” the Beatles

Best Rock Album
“Hackney Diamonds,” the Rolling Stones

Clip of Sen. Van Hollen vs Russell Vought during confirmation hearins, where Vought makes clear he would ignore the law, the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, and allow Trump to do whatever he wanted.

Screenshot of a post via Mastodon, from Steve Herman of VOA which says: On Air Force One from Las Vegas to Miami, President Trump says Palestinians in Gaza should be relocated.  “I’d like Egypt to take people. I’d like Jordan to take people,” he tells reporters.”We just clean out that whole thing.”

clip of MSNBC discussing whether convicted felon Trump wil have trouble going into other nations