The Politics Thread

[marceline]

Except when the magic solution doesn't appear those people will go right back to blaming Democrats instead of their own unrealistic expectations.

[DRW50]

Some of them, yes. And those people can never be trusted. I just think there are other people who can be reached and are  slowly losing any hope in where we are heading. They are being told that no one cares about them, or even about democracy. 

[DramatistDreamer]

[DRW50]

I was reading about Trump's ranting over Kavanaugh, which I don't really care about at this point as it won't lead to him being removed from the bench. However, this led to some other revelations, including that a man who was allegedly verbally and physically accosted by Kavanaugh during the Starr Report era reported this to Jeff Flake during the confirmation hearings - who still went on to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. 

Today, Biden announced Flake as his pick to be ambassador to Turkey. 

I wish these patronage jobs could be done away with. I don't care if he endorsed Biden (I don't really know if I believe he had an affect on the Arizona results anyway). The decisions Flake made will ruin the lives of generations of Americans.

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by DRW50

[Vee]

I'm not particularly happy about the speech. but I understand the issue. Biden is dealing with two supreme egotists in Manchin and Sinema who have to be massaged gently to get his priorities through while making it seem like their own idea; if he alienates them by demanding the filibuster die and pounding the pulpit, they'll dig in hoping for a book deal about being The Last Non-Partisan. I think Manchin will agree to filibuster reforms, which will be absolutely essential to pass anything. I also think it has to be soon, and this speech is not nearly enough without action and direct engagement and pressurizing them in private. Which needs to be coming, and then the rhetoric needs to get more specific in public. Right now, I think what is working most on them is the Texas Dem contingent, Jim Clyburn, and the groups pressuring them one on one, as well as the Senate. And Biden is going to have to get in there, whether he does it on TV or not. I'm sorry, but any key people (and I'm not saying this is Joe) pretending "just vote!" and educating voters on turnout is going to turn back what the GOP is doing is not enough, and anyone left in the establishment apparatus who believes they can lean on that to avoid dealing with the Senate dysfunction is delusional. Real action is going to be necessary. I don't care if he excoriates them on TV, but I care that the work gets done.

Important thread re: the supposed 'many Senate Dems' secretly supporting Manchin and Sinema, none of whom I've been afraid of:

In the meantime, we (probably) got it:

 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Vee

[Juliajms]

I remember feeling a little guilty when I decided to send my kids to a Jewish day school instead of public school. Now I'm just grateful, especially were we live. Things are getting crazier by the day. I really wish we had a national public school system instead of local schools that are so easily taken over by nutjobs. No masks, no reality based sex ed and fear of historical fact is where we are at in some many school districts.

What's happening in Tennessee is also disturbing. The Republicans are an off the chain death cult. Just when I think things can't possibly get more surreal they do.

 

[DRW50]

If a picture paints a thousand words...

 

[amybrickwallace]

They all look thrilled, don't they?

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[dragonflies]

 

[Huntress]

While Angela Merkel is on her swansong visit to Washington, DC, parts of Germany have been hit hard by severe floodings – also in my city.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/07/15/europe/germany-deaths-severe-flooding-intl/index.html

In my city, at least two people died in flooded basements. Several subway stations were flooded, and in some quarters, the water was at knee-height.

Flooded subway station:

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The water level is rising:

Water in the city:

Destroyed town:

[Faulkner]

 

[DRW50]

@HuntressI'm so sorry. Those photos are haunting. 

[DRW50]

This feels like an act of pure spite. What a horrible person Manchin is, if that is the case. 

 

[amybrickwallace]

That man just makes me sick.

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[DRW50]