The Swamp Log: Washington's Palace Intrigue Gets a Fresh Tell
Caden Olson launches a new newsletter format for Matt Taibbi's Racket that promises to strip Washington reporting of its insider pretense and deliver palace intrigue that actually intrigues. The premise is audacious: that public resources and a mind uncluttered by conventional wisdom can demystify a city whose morning newsletters breed blinkered narratives.
Funding Impasse and DHS on the Brink
Congress passed a $1.2 trillion, five-department funding package last Tuesday, ending a roughly 72-hour shutdown. Only Department of Homeland Security funding remains on the appropriations docket for 2026. Olson writes, "DHS funding is now left floating in a continuing resolution until Feb. 13, a buffer period which Democrats hope to use for negotiating ICE reform."
Legislators reportedly did not make progress in negotiations last week, forcing Senate Majority Leader John Thune to prepare another continuing resolution for DHS in the event of an impasse. The collateral damage would include TSA and FEMA, among fourteen other agencies.
As Olson puts it, "ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Director Joseph Edlow and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott testify tomorrow before the House Committee on Homeland Security at 10 a.m."
"We're not insiders trading elite knowledge for a price. We're out to prove that with public resources and a mind uncluttered by Washington's toxic conventional wisdom, anyone can understand this town."
Critics might note that continuing resolutions have become the default governing mechanism in Washington, with short-term funding bills replacing actual budget discipline for over a decade. The threat of agency shutdowns becomes routine leverage rather than genuine negotiation.
Voter ID Expansion and Electoral Access
The House is expected to vote this week on the SAVE America Act, introduced by Texas Representative Chip Roy. Olson writes, "Under the new rules, mail-only registrations would be eliminated and voters would have to present an eligible photo ID before voting, in addition to proving citizenship in person while registering to vote."
The bill expands on the SAVE Act passed by the House in April 2025 and stalled in the Senate for nine months. Olson quotes the former president's social media post: "America's Elections are Rigged, Stolen, and a Laughingstock all over the World. We are either going to fix them, or we won't have a Country any longer."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer countered: "If you're one of the tens of millions of U.S. citizens who does not have access to your birth certificate, or if you're one of the 50 percent of Americans who don't have a passport, the SAVE Act could make it impossible for you to participate in elections."
Critics might note that voter identification laws in the United States have consistently shown minimal impact on election security while creating measurable barriers to participation for elderly, minority, and low-income voters. The evidentiary basis for the claimed fraud remains disputed.
Epstein Documents and Congressional Theater
Ghislaine Maxwell, serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors, testified virtually before the House Oversight Committee. Olson writes, "As expected, Ghislaine Maxwell took the fifth and refused to answer any questions."
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer called it "very disappointing — we had many questions to ask about the crimes she and Epstein committed, as well as questions about potential co-conspirators."
The Epstein estate documents reveal extensive interactions with Bill Clinton and Clinton aides. Olson quotes from the New York Times reporting: "Booboo, are you around? I am very ill and require immediate medical attention," Maxwell wrote to Doug Band, a former top aide to Bill Clinton. "I am suffering from boobooitis - a very serious condition."
Band replied: "My boobooitis is also reaching epic poportions. Lots going on but will be In boobooville the second you arrive."
Bill and Hillary Clinton agreed to testify before Congress from February 26 to 27 relating to the Epstein investigation. Olson notes this would be "the first congressional testimony by a former president in 42 years."
Critics might note that congressional investigations into Epstein have produced more spectacle than substantive accountability, with document releases timed for maximum political damage rather than judicial clarity.
White House Exclusivity and Cultural Divides
The president is planning to meet with only Republican governors during the annual National Governors Association summit on February 19-21. Brandon Tatum, interim NGA CEO, said: "To disinvite individual governors to the White House sessions undermines an important opportunity for federal-state collaboration."
Olson writes, "The decision to exclude Democratic governors from the White House meeting comes as sanctuary cities, the question of state governors' duty of compliance with federal law, and the president's electoral mandate all play out on MAGA's signature issue of immigration."
On cultural matters, Olson quotes the president's social media post about the Super Bowl halftime show: "Nobody understands a word this guy is saying, and the dancing is disgusting. This 'Show' is just a 'slap in the face' to our Country."
Crypto Deals and Nuclear Negotiations
Fallout has been muted from the revelation of a $100 million deal between the president's family cryptocurrency company and a United Arab Emirates royal. Olson writes, "After inquiring many of the committees of jurisdiction, Racket can report only limited congressional inquiry amid a roiling crypto market that boosts members of both parties."
The "Spy Sheikh" dealmaker, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, serves as UAE national security advisor and manages the country's largest sovereign wealth fund. California Representative Ro Khanna called it "not just a scandal, but may even represent a violation of multiple laws and the United States Constitution."
On nuclear matters, Olson notes that as the foundational U.S.-Russia nuclear treaty expires, the president's top envoy to the Middle East met with Iran's foreign minister in the first formal negotiations since U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last June.
Bottom Line
Olson's Swamp Log delivers on its promise to make Washington readable without insider pretense, but the format risks conflating genuine institutional dysfunction with theatrical congressional investigations. The voter ID expansion and DHS funding impasse represent real policy conflicts with measurable consequences for citizens. The Epstein document releases and crypto deal revelations, while sensational, may prove harder to translate into accountability.