Deadline Poet / November 11, 2023

Senator Tuberville’s Block on Military Promotions

Calvin Trillin
Sen. Tommy Tuberville looks into the distance at the Capitol
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, talks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, May 16, 2023.(J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo)

And then there’s Tommy Tuberville.
With rules the Senate favors still,
He needs a single poison pill
To block the jobs we need to fill.
For Tuberville this is a thrill—
And manna for his campaign till.
Among his colleagues on the Hill
Respect for him is nearing nil.

Calvin Trillin

Calvin Trillin is The Nation’s “deadline poet.”

More from The Nation

Supporters cheer during an election night event for Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, now the Democratic candidate for Senate, on August 11, 2026, in Minneapolis.

Peggy Flanagan’s Many Crush the Money in the Minnesota Senate Primary Peggy Flanagan’s Many Crush the Money in the Minnesota Senate Primary

Corporate Dem Angie Craig outspent Flanagan by roughly four to one. But Flanagan’s ground game, and her promise to “avenge Minnesota” after ICE’s cruelty, gave her a 20-point win....

Joan Walsh

Ken Martin speaks at the 2026 California Democratic Party State Convention in San Francisco, February 21, 2026.

We’re Longtime DNC Members—and We Support Ken Martin We’re Longtime DNC Members—and We Support Ken Martin

Many of those trying to bring the DNC chair down just want the party to continue to act as an ATM machine for their consultancies.

Larry Cohen and James Zogby

Pa’lante Siempre: Denise Oliver-Velez (1947–2026)

Pa’lante Siempre: Denise Oliver-Velez (1947–2026) Pa’lante Siempre: Denise Oliver-Velez (1947–2026)

From frontline organizing to political commentary, her fierce, multiracial advocacy reshaped 20th-century liberation and continues to inspire social justice.

OppArt / Sylvia Hernández

How Occupy Wall Street Still Explains Politics Today

How Occupy Wall Street Still Explains Politics Today How Occupy Wall Street Still Explains Politics Today

It sowed the seeds for a new era of social movements—but its politics of powerlessness should act as a cautionary tale.

Yotam Marom

JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump in the Oval Office on April 23, 2026.

Trump’s Iran Disaster Is Making All His Cronies Look Like Fools Trump’s Iran Disaster Is Making All His Cronies Look Like Fools

Two foreign-policy camps are claiming Trump for themselves, while the Middle East fiasco humiliates every single one of them.

Column / David Klion

A still from “I Love Boosters.”

Boots Riley’s Communist Heist Film Boots Riley’s Communist Heist Film

Yes, it even has Marxist teleporters.

Books & the Arts / Jorge Cotte