Brad Rourke

Rabbit Rabbit

First ride of 2026 on my BMW R 1250 R.

Today we said goodbye to a constant companion, the best cat, Penny, here shown in happier times. She lived to be an astounding 18 years and was strong throughout that time until the very end. Our friends at Jefferson Veterinary Hospital did everything they could to ease the tra…

Yes indeed. Listen to our @KetteringFdn senior fellows on this.

Delighted at this holiday gift, just now complete and delivered, of a custom suit from Hall Madden.

Neal Katyal: "In America, the chief justice said only Congress can impose taxes on the American people, and that's what tariffs are. Tariffs are taxes."

I'm not remotely surprised by the court's tariff decision. There is a consistent through-line here, from the student loan decision, to the OSHA vaccine mandate case, to tariffs -- the Supreme Court is jamming the presidency back into its constitutional box.

My statement:  “Today, the U.S. Supreme Court stood up for the rule of law and Americans everywhere. Its message was simple: Presidents are powerful, but our Constitution is more powerful still. In America, only Congress can impose taxes on the American people.   The US Supreme Court gave us everything we asked for in our legal case. Everything. I’m grateful for the leadership of the Liberty Justice Center, and in particular for the brilliant advocacy by its chair, Sara Albrecht, who led the fight when others wouldn’t and was dauntless in its defense of our constitutional order. I'm also grateful to the five small business owners who stood up against these unjust, unconstitutional taxes. By taking a stand, they have delivered crucial relief to tens of thousands of businesses and millions of consumers across the country.   Finally, I lack the words to properly thank my brilliant Milbank team, especially Colleen Roh Sinzdak and Sami Ilagan, who worked with me day and night for many months to craft the winning argument.   This case has always been about the presidency, not any one president. It has always been about separation of powers, and not the politics of the moment. I'm gratified to see our Supreme Court, which has been the bedrock of our government for 250 years, protect our most fundamental values.

Today, at 9AM ET, we kick off the "Wilson-to-Raleigh #MoralMarch–This is Our Selma!" You can watch today’s action on the Repairers of the Breach livestream and follow our social media channels for updates throughout the next four days of moral action! breachrepairers.org/livestream

After the FBI raid on the election hub in Fulton County, Georgia, we turn to trusted insight. KF Senior Fellow @staceyabrams joins @bradrourke on #TheStakes to help make sense of all that has transpired and what this means ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

What’s next for Venezuela? New on #TheStakes, host @bradrourke speaks with @GerardoBerthin, president of @freedomhouse, and Steven Levitsky, KF senior fellow and leading scholar of competitive authoritarianism, about Venezuela after Maduro. Does this moment create real leverage for democratic change? Or, is there a risk that a post-Maduro authoritarian order will solidify? Join us as we explore the threats to meaningful, lasting change in Venezuela and what Americans can learn from a slow, steady erosion of democracy.

An honor to do this timely interview this week.

In a year marked by growing threats to democracy in the US and around the world, the Charles F. Kettering Foundation met the moment with clarity, courage, and coalition. Our 2025 annual report, Resolute in Our Stand for Democracy, tells the story of a defining year that was shaped by speaking up, standing with courageous leaders, and working alongside partners in defense of democracy. Explore the #KFAnnualReport25: bit.ly/KFAnnualReport…

Tell somebody you love that it’s time to come together & love forward on Feb 14 in Raleigh, NC. breachrepairers.org/get-involved/e…

I would offer that Alex Pretti putting his body—with his hands up—between a woman and the BP agent who had just violently shoved her into the snow, offer stark competing visions of manhood. Pretti, a nurse caring for veterans, who took a face full of pepper spray to shield that woman, is a much better masculine ideal that the masked coward shoving the woman and executing a man on his knees. MAGA may venerate the latter, but most people in a healthy society want the former.

In an episode of #TheStakes in July 2025, Minnesota State Senator @ZaynabMMohamed warned about what happens when leaders allow lies, conspiracy, and dehumanizing rhetoric to go unchecked. Last week’s ICE-related killing in Minnesota reminds us that political violence does not come out of nowhere. A democracy that works for all of us must be rooted in humanity, no matter where we stand politically.

Happy birthday mom. We lost you so suddenly. It left such a hole. I try to make you proud every day.

Scenes from our New Year’s Eve special dinner at Michelin-starred 114 Faubourg, in the Hotel Bristol in Paris. An exquisite evening.

The new year brings intentions, boundaries, and the language of self-care. “In moments like this, withdrawal is not neutral. Individual inaction builds and becomes permission.” READ➡️ The New Year: Battle, Rest, Restore, Return bradrourke.com/2026/01/01/the…

In the club, headed home on New Year’s Day after a stupendous time in Paris. Highlights: Gerhard Richter major show at Fondation Louis Vuitton; <