36 thoughts on “News/Politics 3-17-25”

  1. “Southwest Key is the largest provider of shelter services for unaccompanied immigrant minors in the United States, operating 29 facilities across Texas, Arizona, and California. These shelters are funded primarily through contracts with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Unaccompanied Children Program, which oversees the care of minors awaiting reunification with family or sponsors.

    Since 2007, Southwest Key has received nearly $6 billion in federal funds. In fiscal year 2018 alone, it was awarded over $458 million for its shelter programs.

    By 2022, the organization’s total payroll reached $465 million. Notably, CEO Anselmo Villarreal earned over $1 million that year, while other top executives, including the chief human resources officer and chief operating officer, received salaries exceeding $500,000 each.

    In July 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Southwest Key, alleging a “pattern or practice of sexual abuse and harassment” of children in its shelters from 2015 to at least 2023. The lawsuit claims employees engaged in severe misconduct, including inappropriate touching, soliciting sex acts, and making sexual comments. Southwest Key has denied these allegations, but the DOJ’s involvement points to systemic concerns.

    Yet despite that, they got 3 billion dollars from the Biden administration. Their salaries however increased over 122% during the Biden years.$

    https://x.com/DefiyantlyFree/status/1901452356815917377?s=19

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  2. This is the way. Ignore the activist Judiciary

    https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1901372286462263656?t=q8LgvpqR7nwGzdC2BbAD8A&s=19

    “A long overdue standoff with rogue district court judges appears to finally be underway. The Trump administration DEFIED a ridiculous demand to turn around a deportation flight carrying around 250 Tren de Aragua gang members, claiming the flight was already over international air space.

    “This is headed to the Supreme Court. And we’re going to win,” a senior White House official told Axios.

    The Venezuelan thugs arrived safely in El Salvador where they will be housed in that country’s Terrorism Confinement Center.”

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  3. One question, and a little something to consider. . .

    The question:

    What do you all think of Trump declaring himself the country’s “chief law enforcement officer,” which is usually used to refer to the attorney general? Isn’t that a blurring of his office with another?

    The little something to consider:

    From something I came across in a newsletter: “The most unsettling feature of the current administration is. . . the fact that a movement built on decrying the existential threat of leftist activism expects us to believe that unchecked activism from its own side will somehow produce different results. In other words, countering the excesses of the left with the same excesses on the right dooms those on the political right to repeat, rather than correct, the follies of their opponents.”

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  4. Since the President is the AG’s boss, I just see his “chief law enforcement officer” statement as a typical Trumpian “I’m the boss” statement. He’s appropriating the title, but the authority he’s asserting really is his.

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  5. I don’t normally read Truth Social but find Trump “in his own words” somewhat illuminating in the tone and word choices.

    ~ “The Pardons that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs and many others are hereby declared VOID, VACANT AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT because of the fact that they were done by Autopen,” he posted on his Truth Social page. “In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them!” Trump claimed. “[Biden] knew nothing about them and the people that did may have committed a crime. Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level,” Trump wrote. ~

    • dj

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  6. Kevin – Thanks for that clarification on that.

    DJ – ” Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs” makes him sound like a middle schooler.

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  7. A related point:

    ~ In Federalist No. 51, defending the separation of powers and its pitting of ambition against ambition and its connecting the interest of office-holders with the constitutional rights of the place, James Madison explained:

    ~ It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices (separation of powers) should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. ~

    • dj

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  9. Good! Then most Americans can understand him! Wait. You said middle school but apparently most Americans between 16 and 74 are at the below sixth grade level.

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  11. In my opinion all of the unchecked activism has been occurring for decades in our previously unaccountable bureaucracy. If these departments had been transparent and accountable to the executive and legislative branches we wouldn’t have to endure the wholesale slashing of jobs and funding. However much we may dislike this season, it’s king king overdue. Furthermore, as Sec. Bessent has pointed out, it’s providing a solid work pool for our manufacturing which is in the process of returning. Fortunately, these people should not have to be unemployed for long .

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  14. Tychicus – I would assume the writer was referring to the purges of DOGE and the deluge of executive orders, and perhaps more. And the way Trump is going after those he thinks persecuted him does not look quite right.

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  15. And yet they were fine with what they were doing to to Trump….

    That’s weird, no?

    Some people just need something to be outraged and pissy over. Faux anger needs constant fuel, huh?

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  16. Truth, but Trump….

    So it’s OK to some people.

    https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1901718604162400432?t=yrwy4vnkd-Et998xt4fLFw&s=19

    “JUST IN: Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller absolutely unleashes on Andrew Weissmann for defending members of Tren de Aragua who were deported from the U.S.

    “Andrew Weissman is an absolute moron. He is a moron and he is a fool and he’s a degenerate.”

    “Andrew Weissman has devoted his career to putting innocent Americans in jail, taking away their civil liberties.”

    “He was involved in the Mueller coup against a democratically elected president Donald Trump. Weissman should never be on TV anywhere.”

    “He should hang his head in eternal shame for what he’s done to this country. And now he’s up there shilling for people who r*pe and m*rder Americans. That’s who Andrew Weissman is.”

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  17. If they don’t like it, let them try to enforce it.

    They really can’t, so they won’t. Call them on it.

    https://x.com/seanmdav/status/1901726393106399517?t=X-guc7fejo8nTheLNimn5g&s=19

    “This case is on a rocket to the Supreme Court regardless of what the corrupt D.C. circuit chooses to do at the appellate level. That means we are going to quickly learn whether Roberts and Barrett have any interest in protecting the rule of law and the Supreme Court by reining in these lawless judicial insurrections.

    If they don’t, they will be ignored—the president is not going to allow unelected oligarchs in robes to cosplay as Commander-in-Chief on matters of foreign policy—and their legacy will be leaving the reputation and influence of the entire judiciary in ruins.”

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  18. Not sure if 4:17 was in reference to any of my comments, but in case it was. . .

    If it’s okay for a Republican administration to do what a previous Democratic administration did (which the same Republicans hated), then the next time a Democrat is in office, the tit-for-tat will merely continue and grow. Where does it end?

    We are supposed to be tougher on our own side, especially if we think we are the good guys.

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  20. Tougher?

    How is rolling over for an out of control Judiciary somehow tougher?

    In fact, it’s the complete opposite.

    I know winning is tough on you NTers, as unaccustomed to it as you are, but c’mon…

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  21. I didn’t say anything about rolling over for anything, but whatever. By now I should be used to my words and intent being twisted.

    *******

    Mumsee – I’m sure you know that there is a big difference between middle school age reading comprehension and middle school age obnoxious behavior. 🙂

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  22. And yet Democrats and squishy Rs are mad that he’s exposing it, yet seem fine with the fact that’s its happening.

    https://x.com/TheChiefNerd/status/1901667592693014820?t=4rh29sHfjdDPc5Br8p78Bg&s=19

    “.@elonmusk: “One of the biggest fraud holes we’ve uncovered … is that the government can give money to a so called nonprofit … They then give themselves … insane salaries, expense everything, buy jets and homes … on the taxpayer dime … This is happening at scale.””

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  26. “As a member of the FISA court during Trump’s first term, Boasberg oversaw the corrupt and illegal FISA warrants that were used to spy on Trump and thwart his ability to conduct foreign policy as president. And when a dirty FBI lawyer was convicted for fabricating evidence in those warrants and lying about, Boasberg was there to make sure the corrupt FBI lawyer didn’t serve a day in jail.

    It is no surprise, then, that Boasberg is now leading a lawless judicial insurrection against the elected U.S. government to illegally seize the military powers of the presidency for himself.”

    https://x.com/seanmdav/status/1901735518892888508?t=60ucxw4pifkXi8wlZ3KxEg&s=19

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  27. WSJ Editorial Board:

    “Trump, Deportations and the Law — He campaigned on deporting gang members, but he can’t defy court orders”

    ~ Americans won’t miss the Venezuelan and MS-13 gang members dispatched by the Trump Administration to El Salvador on the weekend. Most of them are criminals who were in the U.S. illegally. But it’s still troubling to see U.S. officials appear to disdain the law in the name of upholding it.

    President Trump ordered the deportation of nearly 300 alleged members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, as well as several from MS-13, the ruthless Salvadoran gang. They were apparently deported without a hearing in an immigration court, much less a criminal conviction.

    The Administration didn’t release their names or their offenses. They were flown to El Salvador, where strongman Nayib Bukele had them sent immediately to his notorious gang prison. News reports say they have no access to phones or the ability to contact families. 

    The Administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to justify the deportations without need for due process. That law has rarely been used in U.S. history and not since World War II. Mr. Trump says we’re at war with the gangs so the law is appropriate, but there has been no declaration of war or resolution from Congress to that effect. 

    Mr. Trump may be right about the law, but he didn’t wait to find out. He reportedly invoked the law Friday and the flights to Salvador took off Saturday. …

    … Elon Musk threatened Judge Boasberg with impeachment, and the MAGA-sphere chanted that Mr. Trump should ignore the courts. Are we already arriving at a constitutional impasse when the Administration thinks it can ignore court orders? …

    … Mr. Trump won the election on a promise to deport illegal migrants, especially criminals and Tren de Aragua. His voters will be happy he is fulfilling that promise. But he has to do it within the bounds of American law, or he will take the country down a dangerous road that echoes of the way the Biden Administration abused the justice system. Mr. Trump was elected to stop that, not imitate it. ~

    • dj

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  28. I don’t believe Trump has defied a court order yet. And I always find it ironic when people who don’t support him or what he is trying to do suddenly become so worried about the rule of law. I refer particularly to the WSJ editorial board. I may have misssd it, but I don’t recall them being so concerned about the rule of law when the borders were wide open and cheap under the table labor was readily available to exploit. Just an observation.

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  29. Debra, WSJ is pretty “straight arrow” conservative. And they’ve writing positive editorials about Trump. But they call them like they see them.

    • dj

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  30. This purports to be a summary:

    ~ The Journal is a respected legacy news organization. Its news pages are not driven by a political point of view, but its editorial pages have long been a leader in conservative thought. Its editorial writers have praised some of Trump’s early moves, including dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and attempts to open Alaska to more development.

    On Inauguration Day, the Journal wrote that Trump “delivered a message of aspiration and optimism that most Americans will welcome. If this captures his real plans, he has a chance to leave office in four years as a success.”

    But in the details, the Journal has found some of Trump’s action wanting. The pardon of Jan. 6 rioters “is a rotten message from a president about political violence done on his behalf, and it’s a bait-and-switch,” the newspaper said, pointing to earlier Trump comments that he would be looking at individual cases.

    Trump’s decision to strip government-paid security from his former aides Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and Brian Hook — all threatened by Iran — “looks like a new low,” the Journal said. “Decisions about security details are supposed to be based on neutral assessments of the danger, not some vindictive whim,” an editorial published on Jan. 24 said.

    The newspaper also had sharp words for Trump’s decision to enter the crypto market. “In his first term, Mr. Trump was often deterred from some of his worst impulses by legal advisers who saw their job as serving the presidency as much as the president,” the newspaper said. “The crypto caper is a worrisome sign that Mr. Trump’s current advisers don’t understand the difference any better than he does, or that they are too cowed to speak up.”

    Paul Gigot, editor of the Journal’s editorial page, said that “we are covering Trump like we do every president, and that means supporting his decisions when they warrant it, and criticizing them when that is deserved. It’s no more complicated than that.”

    The Journal’s editorials show they are fulfilling a role as thoughtful opinion journalists and not simply advocates, said Tom Rosenstiel, a University of Maryland professor and co-author of “The Elements of Journalism” with Bill Kovach.

    In that book, “we make the point — how do you define what is the difference between pure advocacy and opinion journalism? The difference is intellectual independence, that you speak your own minds, you’re not just a cheerleader,” Rosenstiel said.

    ____________

    I find the approach mostly refreshing; but I don’t always agree with it.

    • dj

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  31. Unfortunately, especially with the advent of social media and younger journalists — who perhaps did not have the same strict training some of us veterans did — we’ve sadly fallen into “advocacy” mode when it comes to journalism and news coverage (both “sides” have their advocacy media). It’s beyond unfortunate, but we’ll where trends take the industry in the future.

    • dj

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  35. Kizzie: If you have to assume what the writer meant, then he/she probably doesn’t know, either.

    However, based on your assumption, isn’t the cutting of excess spending (esp. on frivolous things) a very good thing? Haven’t the executive orders been for the good?

    Wasn’t Pres. Trump unjustly targeted, and the Justice Dept. weaponized against him? Shouldn’t that all be corrected?

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