Mark Farley

Crisis management lawyer advising clients on alphabet soup agencies like CSB, NTSB, OSHA, and EPA. Peloton junkie. Ringleader of a three dog circus.

[Justine Bateman @JustineBateman]

It was the pressing down of any disagreement or question, it was the constant threat of violence, it was the destruction of the careers and lives of countless people (and the consequent evisceration of the entertainment industry), it was the the removal of choice for vaccines, it was the inflamation of racism, it was the neutering of law enforcement, it was the numbing of meritocracy, it was the dismantling of the spirit of quite a few cities (and the accompanying declining property values), it was the collapse of a political party, it was the crushing of common sense (particularly in the young), it was the ruin of university value, it was the end of trust in the media, it was the fostering of the most selfish era in modern society.
It was fascism, intolerance, and decidedly un-American. It was shameful and despicable.
It was not “bad tweets.”

[Erick Erickson @EWErickson]

“And what about our sins? Slavery was the original sin, and I won’t sand it down. The founders knew it. Jefferson knew it, and he owned slaves — the hypocrisy was staring right at them, and they kept kicking the can down the road. But here is what a poisoned telling of our history leaves out: the New England colonies began rejecting slavery before England itself did. And when the reckoning finally came, hundreds of thousands of men died on battlefields to make other men free. “As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,” read the original lyrics of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. That’s propitiation. One man suffers so others go free. A nation that will bleed that much to right its own wrong is not an evil nation. It is a great one, straining toward becoming a more perfect one. We had a black president. We had a black vice president. Our Secretary of State is the son of Cuban refugees. Anyone telling you the story that nothing here ever gets better is selling you something.”

https://t.co/x00baUJNoo

[Mike Nelson @mikenelson586]

The White House seems awfully sensitive to criticism about this pending deal

[Gummi @gummibear737]

Trump needs to seriously consider both his legacy, and current standing, with Republicans if he continues his post-ceasefire pattern of bold red-line threats followed by repeated retreats and extensions vis-à-vis Iran

Conservatives are a voting base forged in the aftermath of the lessons of WW2 and the Cold War, and one of the fundamental principles they believe in is peace through strength

But what Trump has been doing lately with his repeated threats without follow through are not all that different than Obama and his red line...although this conflict isn't over yet so he can still salvage this

Currently, I don't see any prospect of Iran agreeing to any deal that is anything other than another JCPOA...and no, Trump is not going to be able to sell that to Republicans

I concede that geopolitics are infinitely complicated and there are lots of things to consider behind the scenes regarding energy security, US interests, etc...but these were all calculations that needed to be taken into consideration before he began this war

It's also something he needed to consider before agreeing (and repeatedly extending) a ceasefire because when he did that, he moved his own goalposts. He now needs to get a good deal (that accomplished his stated objectives) or regime collapse...and neither is possible without maximum pressure on the regime

Trump’s first-term maximum-pressure campaign cratered Iran’s economy, forced the IRGC to slash proxy budgets, triggered Hezbollah layoffs and Syrian drawdowns, and paved the way for the Abraham Accords. By contrast, Obama’s JCPOA and Biden’s sanctions relief only enabled more of Tehran’s funding of terror groups and its sprint toward nuclear breakout. Only sustained strength has ever made the regime blink...anything less is simply repeating the same failed playbook

And that will mean escalation, which is not desirable, but neither is allowing the status quo to persist

No, Iran is not winning the war...but Trump sure does seem to be doing everything possible to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory

And if he doesn't get this right, then he'll pay dearly politically just like Joe Biden did with Afghanistan

[Mark Farley @GratefulTex66]

@StevenCheung47 A coarse and intemperate comment. To whom does this appeal? This Administration seems determined to appeal only to the lowest common denominator of its base. Remarks like this one suggest that “the professionals” are thin skinned and on the defensive.

[Glenn Youngkin @GlennYoungkin]

Here’s the deal: Abigail Spanberger, Don Scott, Louise Lucas and all their friends knowingly violated the Virginia Constitution.

They purposefully violated clear constitutional procedures to deceive voters, capping off their master deception with ballot language meant to confuse everyone.

They strongly argued for the VA Supreme Court to “wait” until after the referendum so their flood of money from national democrats could fund their brazen dishonesty and trick voters to “restore fairness”, and then claim “the will of the people” when the VA Supreme Court would undoubtedly strike down their unconstitutional attempt to disenfranchise millions of Virginians.

It’s a disgusting disregard for Virginians, the Constitution and a flagrant violation of their oath of office.

[Mark Farley @GratefulTex66]

@antoniogm @bonchieredstate Not sure about Greek, but in Latin it is Senator

[InfantryDort @infantrydort]

I’m up in the middle of the night and am about to go back to sleep. But seeing the news of this pilot being rescued after one of the most daring rescue operations in history has me motivated beyond belief.

To the media and the haters who’ve been obsessed with palace intrigue stories. Trying to sow division and calling for the heads of our leaders. I hope this news hurts. I hope it hurts a lot.

I have my finger on the pulse of the information machine these days. And what I’ve seen over the past 48 hours is the weaponization of said machine.

Bots, grifters, and partisan hacks all working in unison literally rooting for our failure. Rabid. Drooling. Damn near praying to satan for our own pilot to be killed or captured.

Hyenas, the lot of them. All cheering against America.

While they’ve all been groaning like demons for the heads of our leaders and warriors, people like @PeteHegseth, @SeanParnellASW and others have just been busily…. doing the job to get our guy back.

Nothing I type here will matter at 0300. But when the world wakes up in a few hours, it’ll see the fruits of merit based leadership at echelon. All the way down the chain.

An Airman safely home after evading capture for over a day. An epic rescue that will be remembered for generations. Millions inspired by the shear power and conviction of the United States military. And millions more disappointed by it, because they were praying for our national embarrassment.

I’m not sorry you’re witnessing a competent war machine in action.

I’m not sorry that our leadership will never leave anyone behind.

I’m not sorry for any hurt feelings caused by this.

Because you were never on our team anyway.

God Bless America.🇺🇸

[Sana Ebrahimi Ledene @SanaELedene]

@antonioguterres I'm Iranian and I just like to say fuck off. Just shut the fuck up. We don't need your empty words. Go to hell.

[Visioner @visionergeo]

🇮🇷 This is how an Iranian girl, a follower of Zoroastrianism, explains everything "on her fingers":

🔴"Hello, I am Iranian.
Everyone keeps asking the same question over and over: what's wrong with the leftists? Why are they so noisy, why do they support the Gaza Strip, but remain completely silent when it comes to Iran?

The answer is simple: because the truth exposes the lie. Because acknowledging Iran destroys the ideological fantasy they have built.

Let's be clear: the Islamic Republic of Iran is not a victim of Western imperialism. It is a theocratic authoritarian regime that exists by exporting violence, funding Islamist groups, and suppressing its own people.

Yes, it funds Hamas.
It funds Hezbollah.
All these small proxy groups in the region and worldwide are financed with Iranian money — not government or regime money, but stolen funds: money taken from workers who today in Iran cannot even afford bread; from families destroyed by inflation; from women who are beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and raped for refusing religious submission.

And that is exactly why the leftists are silent: because Hamas feeds their narrative, but the Iranian people do not.

Because Islamist violence against Israelis can be turned into "resistance," but Islamist violence against Iranians reveals the truth.

At this very moment, as you read this, Iran — a country with over 92 million people — is being destroyed in real time.
Almost a complete blackout for more than 24 hours: no internet, no phone connection, no communication at all.

And — silence.

No "urgent protests" at Western universities, no hashtags, no statements of solidarity, no megaphones.

Because the suffering of Iranians does not fit their agenda.
Because modern leftist movements are no longer driven by human rights — they are driven by selective outrage and ideological loyalty.
They will scream about censorship — unless it is done by an Islamist regime.
They will condemn state violence to the fullest �� but will never say a word if that violence is wrapped in religious language.

They chant "Free Palestine," but will never say "Free Iran," because that would require one difficult admission: that political Islam is not liberation — it is domination. And, by the way, this is happening in the West today as well.

The Islamic Republic is not anti-imperialist;
it is imperialist toward its own people.
Hamas is not an isolated resistance group;
it is part of a broader Islamist ecosystem funded, trained, and supported by regimes like the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Here is the part they do not want to hear:
You cannot claim moral superiority while justifying a regime that kills women and punishes them for refusing the hijab, kills protesters, cuts off the internet for a 92-million-strong nation, and uses foreign proxy groups to cover up its own internal collapse.

You cannot pretend to care about Palestinians while ignoring Iranians who are being shot, tortured, and killed by the Islamic Republic.

This is not solidarity — this is ideological blindness.
The Iranian people are not silent — they are forced into silence.

The silence of Western leftists is their choice: a choice to defend ideology, justify Islamism, and turn a blind eye to the suffering of millions because the pain of the Iranian people complicates the slogan.

History will remember this moment.
It will remember who spoke about universal freedom and who decided that some lives are less important than preserving a narrative.
Long live Iran."

[Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט @naftalibennett]

Statement of Fmr Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on the Bondi Beach Hanukkah Massacre and the wave of Antisemitism in Australia:

*The writing was on the wall. The Australian government bears responsibility.*

Tonight Jews were attacked in Australia in the Bondi Beach Hanukkah massacre.

A Jewish holiday gathering turned into a scene of terror.

This is a moment of grief, and time for accountability.

I have just spoken with several Jewish community leaders in Sydney.

They are fearful and outraged.
For months they warned of rising antisemitism.
The writing was on the wall. It was ignored.

This violence did not come out of nowhere.
When antisemitic hatred is tolerated and threats are downplayed, attacks become inevitable.

I demand that the Australian government take immediate, decisive action to protect Jewish communities and confront antisemitism as the serious threat it is.

Statements of sympathy are no longer enough.
Jews should not have to fear for their lives anywhere, including Australia.

[Mark Farley @GratefulTex66]

@awstar11 It’s not even a question of lethality. A traditional anti-ship munition will pass through the fiberglass hull without detonating. It’s the correct munition if one wants to sink the vessel.

[Ian Speir @IanSpeir]

This morning, I tendered my resignation from The Heritage Foundation's task force on combating antisemitism. I wrote:

I cannot in good conscience stand with Heritage or continue on the task force under its current auspices. I have great respect for all of you, and I consider many of you personal friends. And at the urging of the Co-Chairs, I was prepared to defer this decision at least until we could get important questions answered about the future of Heritage and the conservative movement. But then Roberts made his statement at Hillsdale last night. It is a strategic non-apology that doubles down on “loyalty” to Tucker Carlson, muses about welcoming groypers and the groyper-curious into the movement, and continues to gaslight everyone about “cancelation” when that clearly isn’t the issue. It is the elevation of blind loyalty and a thirst for power above principle—the very opposite of historical American conservatism. I cannot tread this path with you. The stakes for our country and for our Jewish friends are simply too high, too existential.

I welcome efforts, already underway, to reconstitute some part of this auspicious group and continue the important work of stewarding our American freedoms, combating antisemitism, and renewing the great Judeo-Christian spirit of our civilization.

I will continue to pray for Heritage, its personnel, and its trustees, particularly Dr. George [@McCormickProf].

[Mark Farley @GratefulTex66]

@joshgerstein Unclear? They did not even try to assert it in the application for the TRO. Their attorneys should be sanctioned.

[Steve McGuire @sfmcguire79]

Talk about saying the quiet part out loud.

What a disastrous position for the faculty union to take.

And then people will deny that there’s significant discrimination against conservatives in higher ed.

[Jon Gabriel @exjon]

The people who think Hegseth's Jerusalem cross is a fascist dogwhistle shrug off literal Nazi tattoos.

[kerry dougherty @kerrydougherty]

Seems like only yesterday Barack Obama was scolding “the brothers” for not supporting a black woman for president. Now he’s headed to Norfolk to urge “the brothers” to vote for a rich white lady over Winsome Sears, a black woman from Jamaica and a former Marine. If only Sears had a D after her name…

[Josh Holmes @HolmesJosh]

For those conservatives tweeting out McConnell’s fall today and mocking him - I’ve got some thoughts: if you just started paying attention to politics in the last 4 years I’ll give you grace because you don’t know what the rest of us do.

[U.S. Senator John Fetterman @SenFettermanPA]

It’s a sad day for our nation.

Our government shuts down at midnight.

I voted AYE to extend ACA tax credits because I support them—but I won’t vote for the chaos of shuttering our government.

My vote was our country over my party.

Together, we must find a better way forward.

[Mark Farley @GratefulTex66]

Democrats dig in for shutdown to buck up demoralized voters https://t.co/RpKeu58es4

This is insane. Nothing bucks up your demoralized voters like staking out a position and then folding days later.