Bob Solat

Atlanta airport had a line out of the DOOR this morning!

VA Gov. Spanberger (D) laughs, smiles, and signs the redistricting bill that will disenfranchise about 48% of Republican-leaning voters by packing them into one district. It proposes a 10-1 Democratic advantage. Great stuff, Virginia.

Pete Hegseth is coming after what I earned through my twenty-five years of military service, in violation of my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator whose job is to hold him—and this or any administration—accountable. His unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the President or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted. Every servicemember knows military rank is earned, not given. It's earned through the risks you take, the sacrifices you and your family make, the leadership you display, and the respect you earn from the superiors who recommend you for promotion. From the moment I drove through the gates of Naval Air Station Pensacola, to when I was shot at over Iraq and Kuwait, to when I landed Space Shuttle Endeavour on its last mission, I gave everything I had to this country and I earned my rank of Captain, United States Navy. Now, Pete Hegseth wants our longest-serving military veterans to live with the constant threat that they could be deprived of their rank and pay years or even decades after they leave the military just because he or another Secretary of Defense doesn’t like what they’ve said. That’s not the way things work in the United States of America, and I won’t stand for it. In 1986, at just 22 years old, I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. I have fulfilled that oath every day since, but I never expected that I would have to defend it against a Secretary of Defense or President. But I’ve never shied away from a fight for our country, and I won’t shy away from this one. Because our freedom of speech, the separation of powers, and due process are not just words on a page, they are bedrock principles of our democracy that has lasted 250 years and will last 250 more as long as patriotic Americans are willing to stand up for our rights. So today, I filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of Defense because there are few things as important as standing up for the rights of the very Americans who fought to defend our freedoms.

I met with Mayor Frey and Police Chief O'Hara today for a briefing on ongoing ICE actions in Minneapolis. We must support our city leaders and local law enforcement working to keep our communities safe.

I'm a former defense attorney and currently a civil liberties attorney with no political dog in this fight. I watched the video at least 10 times from different angles and at different speeds and waited to offer an opinion, which I still reserve the right to change if additional information changes the calculus. It is very clear that the officers instigated the confrontation. The woman initially tried to wave them past her. ICE officers have no authority to search a US citizen or arrest her (unless there's probable cause to believe she's harboring undocumented individuals, not a contention here). A woman surrounded by masked, armed men who have no law enforcement authority over her has every right to try to escape. Video shows her steering wheel is turned to the right, clearly an attempt to leave WITHOUT hitting anyone and steer clear of the officer standing towards the front of her car. That officer had time to step to the side, which is where he was when he shot her. Even a real police officer would not have the right to shoot at her for trying to flee. This is well-established in the case law; deadly force may not be used simply to prevent someone from getting away. Given that the ICE officers had no law enforcement authority to begin with, AND the video footage shows she was trying to escape a perceived threat, not to kill anyone, the crime is all the more inexcusable. I'm praying for the victim's family, especially her children. I'm also praying for all the conservatives who are so unprincipled and lost they're excusing this terrible crime, and gloating over a death that will leave three young children motherless, because of the victim's politics.

🚨 BREAKING: Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass are being SLAMMED after it was confirmed a whopping 75 PERCENT of Palisades fire victims still live in temporary housing. Absolutely horrendous. It's been almost A FULL YEAR. Victims are furious. Other victims in temporary housing: Altadena: 67% Malibu: 43% Generational failure of leadership on full display.

The Affordable Care Act made health care less affordable… the Inflation Reduction Act caused a lot of inflation…government student loans made college more expensive…public housing and rent control destroyed decent housing…etc, etc. Government’s the problem; not the solution.