Trump Invades Venezuela; Arrests President Maduro and Wife

US President Donald Trump speaks at press conference at 
Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, January 3, 2026.
(Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images) 
"We are going to run the country," Trump said.

Trump Declares U.S. 'In Charge' of Venezuela

Democrats Offer Weak Response

Netanyahu Calls Trump 'Bold and Brilliant'

Commentary

UPDATED - Madison, Wisconsin — President Trump launched another illegal U.S. regime-change war and invasion of a sovereign country — Venezuela.

Israel's radical Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar praised the invasion that followed the latest U.S. visit by Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu with Trump, and Christian Zionists.

Netanyahu dubbed Trump a leader for Peace this week.

Congressional Democrats' reaction is muted, often veering into legality and calls for Congressional movement, avoiding moral condemnation prominent among the American people.

Wisconsin's Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) is silent today, obeying her political instinct to gauge the political terrain first before commenting.

Jake Johnson in Common Dreams reports on exceptions to Baldwin's timidity:

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said he will force a Senate vote next week on a bipartisan War Powers Resolution to block additional US military action in Venezuela.
'Where will this go next?' Kaine asked in a statement. 'Will the president deploy our troops to protect Iranian protesters? To enforce the fragile ceasefire in Gaza? To battle terrorists in Nigeria? To seize Greenland or the Panama Canal? To suppress Americans peacefully assembling to protest his policies? Trump has threatened to do all this and more and sees no need to seek legal authorization from people’s elected legislature before putting servicemembers at risk.'

Quagmire Seen

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin), an AIPAC political foe, writes:

Trump continues to ignore the US Constitution and lie to Congress and the American people. Bombing and occupying Venezuela is an illegal act of war against a sovereign nation.

Only Congress has the ability to declare war, but Speaker Johnson and the Republican majorities in the House and Senate have rolled over and gave up our Article One powers. 

Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth told Members of Congress their illegal attacks on boats was not about regime change, but capturing a sitting leader is the literal definition of regime change. Trump and his band of misfits seem to have no endgame to this potential quagmire.

— Rep. Mark Pocan (@RepMarkPocan) January 3, 2026

House Democrat Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, and Israel-first supporter, put out a mealy-mouthed statement this morning.

This is so fucking weak. https://t.co/rwOQsqt0wQ

— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) January 3, 2026

Mainstream corporate press and social media have blacked out Israel, which controls U.S. foreign policy, and its political work with Trump for this latest military action.

🇻🇪 Venezuela President Maduro on Israel:

“They have sown an ideology more dangerous than Nazism.

They justify raids, extermination, genocide, and atomic bombs"

they'll come for the Christians, Catholics."

This is why he had to go.
pic.twitter.com/lyFDd60kxG

— ADAM (@AdameMedia) January 3, 2026

The Democratic governor of Colorado joins several Democratic House members in praising Trump's regime change operation in Venezuela.

Nothing unites the two parties like new wars and regime changes. It's beautiful DC bipartisanship at its most inspiring: https://t.co/9TL5KENuaj

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 3, 2026

Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump for your bold and historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice. I salute your decisive resolve and the brilliant action of your brave soldiers.

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) January 3, 2026

 

On Tammy Baldwin's Small Business Innovation Act

Needed with the newly introduced Small Business Innovation Act of 2013, is a tax code change for the self-employed making sub-poverty [less than $9,750] annually and still getting gouged by taxes at rates exceeding that of multi-billionaires. Why are
entrepreneurial, self-employed individuals making sub-poverty money getting punished by the tax code for being entrepreneurial, innovative and self-employed?

Wisconsin's newest senator, Tammy Baldwin announced her first authored initiative in the U.S. senate, introduced as the United States veers further into plutocratic territory, rivaling now the gilded age in wealth inequity.

Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) is pushing the rights and social utility of startups and small businesses, calling for funneling public money to get folks started in business.

Good for Baldwin.

If Republicans really believe in the value of free enterprise, they'll leap to her side and advocate for what is actually common sense, something you do not often see in Washington.

Baldwin introduces the "Small Business Innovation Act of 2013 to help fuel small business job creation and economic growth that is so desperately needed in Wisconsin. The legislation, Baldwin’s first bill in the U.S. Senate, will help provide startup businesses the capital they need to grow their companies and create jobs."

While we wait for Paul Ryan, Scott Walker and House and Senate Republicans to leap over each other to join Baldwin, one feels compelled to point to a needed change in the tax code for a particular small business, entrepreneurial enterprise—self-employed, low-income Americans.

Self-employed folks looking to make ends meet in a depression-era, jobs-lacking economy who make less than $9,750, are still forced to file income tax forms, if their incomes are above $400 and below $9,750, and they get taxed heavily.

Concomitant with the Small Business Innovation Act of 2013, we need to change the tax code, with real reform, [not pay-backs to the Koch brothers and other billionaires as Republicans advocate], to address how the self-employed, low-income tax payers making below-poverty income are now gouged. 

True also is the fact that tax deductions are available for the below-poverty, self-employed, but tax deductions certainly cannot be counted on in many situations and the fact that Americans—those who happen to be self-employed—are taxed at all while make less $9,750, it is an outrage.

The taxes imposed on the low-income self-employed are vicious, with tax liabilities from combined state-federal taxes comprising some 30 percent in many cases. 

Ask a graduate student who grabbed a gig to make it through school.

Say a new, entrepreneurial, innovative college graduate [or anyone for that matter] lands a freelance editing gig, makes $9,000 in total income; she would have a combined state-federal tax liability of some 30 percent. 

Whereas, someone who works as an employee and makes less than less than $9,750 owes no taxes, and in fact does not have to file (though she should anyway).

This situation begs the question: Why does an entrepreneurial, self-employed individual making sub-poverty money get punished by the tax code for being entrepreneurial, innovative and self-employed?

My question for Republicans is: Will you join Sen. Baldwin in advocating the Small Business Innovation Act of 2013, and blast and change the tax code wherein sub-poverty, self-employed, single Americans pay higher rates than billionaires? 

Timely as always, Paul Krugman asks today: "Do Republicans have anything to offer to "disaffected working-class white voters"?"

Tommy Thompson's Early Problem Is Himself

Tommy Thompson

Tommy Thompson has not learned from Karl Rove, or from Brett Farve for that matter.

Karl Rove's attempt to force a Sarah Palin decision on running for the GOP nomination for president in 2012 ought to be applied to Thompson who has [one too many times] played with the idea of his getting in, "You can only tease so many times in the political process, and I think she is getting to the end of that," said Rove on Fox.

But Thompson's latest tease has people thinking "Farve" [no need to elaborate], no matter that it's August.

' .... , or get off the pot,' as the saying goes.

People are not well in this economy; and want to know if a prospective office-holder knows this fact.

Put another way; politics is more about the people, not so much about politicians.

Tammy v. Tommy for U.S. Senate in 2012?

Looks a lot like Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) v. Tommy Thompson (R-Hedgefund) in the Wisconsin general election for U.S. Senate.

The great race featuring two of the most successful and beloved Wisconsin politicians.

This site is still getting lots of Mark Neumann traffic in hits the last several weeks, a predictor that Mark Neumann may be considering a run for the GOP nomination.

But who knows.

Talent Ready to Fill Sen. Kohl's Seat

• Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Middleton)
• Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison)
• Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee)

That's quite a choice.

Herb Kohl never wanted to be more than a mediocre senator, a nice guy who in his private life did a lot more for Wisconsin as a citizen than he did as a U.S. senator.

Kohl didn't have use his wealth to help our state but he did.

But a movement player is what is needed now for the Senate seat, and we have the people ready to step up.

Walker has lost trust and will not recover

Never before in Wisconsin history has a new governor lost the trust of the people in such a short span of time—some six weeks.

The problem for Gov. Walker is he is targeting the very people in our society seen as critical to our community: EMTs, nurses, teachers and so on. They're not in their professions for the money.

These folks are saying about the budget: Let's bargain; times are rough.

Walker's response: 'Forget it, no collective bargaining, no unions, and no compromise' violates most people's sense of fairness. And once you do that as a politician, you are through.

Politically, Walker can begin making post-gubernatorial plans for consulting for hedge funds.

“We certainly think we’re winning the public debate on this,” said Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) in Chicago. “People understand this isn’t about money, it’s about stripping collective bargaining rights, and that’s unsettling to them.” (Doug Erickson, WSJ)

One poll has Walker opposed two-to-one, and the demonstrations are just getting started as national media attention is now focusing on Madison, Wisconsin.

If I had to design a communications and legislative strategy to subvert the Walker administration, I could not do a better job than his people have.

I spoke with a major Republican operative late last year and [he/she (I won't say)] said, almost bragging, that obstructing Wisconsin voters, breaking Wisconsin unions, redrawing federal and legislative districts [huge coming fight] and some other goodies were planned months ago.

Specifically, [he/she] thinks Rep. Tammy Baldwin's (D-Madison) Second district can be redrawn out of existence.

I spoke to people at the rally on Wednesday. Most of those people are not even state workers. But they had family members and friends who are.

People seemed more jubilant and elated than angry at Walker. But their sentiments came through clear.

"Hey, [Walker] is messing with my family," said a young woman, appearing in her young-20s.

And you just don't do that.