Hard Pass

This is the best punchline I could come up with, taking suggestions

Kentucky U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie lost his Republican House primary Tuesday, becoming the latest Republican lawmaker to anger President Donald Trump and then fall to a primary challenger backed by the president.

Trump handpicked and endorsed Ed Gallrein, whose victory demonstrated the president’s influence over GOP voters and growing frustration with Massie’s opposition to Trump. In recent weeks several other Republicans have been defeated by Trump-endorsed challengers, including Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana and several Indiana state senators who defied him on redistricting.

Massie, who has served in Congress since 2012, was one of the most outspoken holdouts. He pushed for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, criticized the war in Iran and voted against the president’s signature tax legislation last year. Still, he tried to convince voters that they could be for both him and Trump.

The race was the most expensive U.S. House primary in history.

After losing, Massie took the stage before a fired-up crowd that cheered and chanted, including slogans such as “no more wars” and “America First!”

“We stirred up something. There is a yearning in this country for someone who will vote for principles over party,” Massie said in his speech, which lasted over 20 minutes.

He also criticized unwavering fealty to Trump in Congress: “If the legislative branch always votes whichever way the wind is blowing, then we have mob rule,” he said. But if lawmakers follow the Constitution, “we have a republic.”

I know it's late and isn't still May 19 for everyone but it still is for me where I am. Hopefully it is for you too.

The people before us weren't perfect. Their mistakes are blueprints to learn from and build a better world

(TikTok screencap)

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/47085777

“We’ve had wealthy Democratic politicians before. FDR and JFK had tremendous fortunes, yet they enacted some of the most progressive policies in American history.”

Before January 1, 1913, the U.S. Post Office didn't accept packages weighing more than 4 pounds. If you wanted to ship something heavy, you had to use expensive private express companies.

When the Parcel Post service launched in 1913, the weight limit jumped to 11 pounds (and later up to 50 pounds). Suddenly, Americans could ship all kinds of large items—like heavy tools, bricks, and, as it turned out, their own kids. Because the initial regulations didn't explicitly state that humans couldn't be mailed, a few enterprising parents saw a legal and incredibly cheap loophole.

From the character creator of Fallen London.