The Politics Thread

[Vee]

It's been less than a week since they took office. I think we can avoid doomsaying just because the centrist Dems are the ones who always give background to reporters first.

[DRW50]

 

Manchin and Sinema only seem to have much of anything to say when it's time to talk about bipartisanship or how they aren't going to do this or that liberal proposal. The clock is running out quickly on so much. Any day lost is something else that may not ever get done. 

[dragonflies]

LMAO 

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[Vee]

 

And they are the minority.

 

 

[janea4old]

 

[DRW50]

Unfortunately with 50 votes, one or two of them are enough to be the majority in situations like this. By a few weeks the media narrative of failure and disarray will have already set in and be difficult to shake, especially since right now it's difficult to see whether they will even be getting more checks out due to the likes of Susan Collins and (yet again) Manchin. 

 

The pace they have set feels out of step to me with how things are going. I am aware Schumer may not have a lot of choice, but if that is the case, then they are never going to be able to do anything beyond the bare minimum. 

[JaneAusten]

They have the ability to get rid of the filibuster for the organizing resolution which I am not sure why they haven't done already.  Manchin is supposed to chair one of the committees. Surely that morons would at least want that chairmanship.

[DRW50]

 

It seems to be based on the idea that "bipartisanship" is what the public need and want (backed up 24/7 by a media who push this - at least the kind that benefits Republicans). It is based on the fantasy of feeling special and Above the Fray, and also on the delusion that the GOP is operating in good faith if you just try hard enough (it's not just "centrists" like Manchin who fall for this, as many deadenders on the left say nonsense like oh if Schumer had started the impeachment trial immediately, Senate Republicans would have convicted Trump - but those people are not in office). 

 

The games and let's-not-help-people-and-say-we-did posturing from this ilk and their pals like Susan Collins also helps lead to stuff like this:

 

 

 

The longer this goes on the more that $2,000, and now $1,400, drifts away. That is what Biden campaigned on, and what Warnock and Ossoff campaigned on assuming they would be backed up, instead of being left open for attacks the way that these 'bipartisan' Democratic senators are now leaving them open to. If they do en up drastically changing the stimulus amount, then it was a mistake to ever open that door during the runoffs, because the media and the GOP are going to make this an issue over and over and over. 

 

Anyway, after all my bleating today, at least something is moving forward, even if McConnell again gets to come out of it as if he set the terms.

 

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by DRW50

[JaneAusten]

So apparently McConnell caved. According to McConnell Sinema and Machin's commitment to not nuke the filibuster was enough. I hope not because I DO NOT TRUST HIM. Unless someone threatened to go after his wife for all her shady dealings as Trans Sec the past 4 years because there are many.

 

And absolutely not on the $2000. HE COMMITTED to that as did Ossoff and Warnock. People will not forget. Anyway call Little Marco and Phony Hawley on this because they both wanted $2,000

Edited January 26, 2021 by JaneAusten

[Vee]

Jentleson knows of whence he speaks. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 26, 2021 by Vee

[Vee]

 

[Vee]

 

[Juliajms]

Biden can just do things like send out the $1,400 checks by executive order right?

 

I have to agree that the income thresholds should be up for negotiation. Upper middle class people do not need $1,400. Giving that kind of money to families with incomes of $300,000 is not going to stimulate anything except maybe the stock market.

Edited January 26, 2021 by Juliajms

[Vee]

 

You're going to see more than one debate over nuking the filibuster and more than one round of Dem Senators saying they don't want to before something either does or doesn't happen for good. So get used to it now.

 

[JaneAusten]

Exactly how does one figure that out. So far the relief checks have gone based on 2019 tax returns which has left out a heck of a lotta people who are not working still who were laid off in 2020.  My feeling has always been this is not hard to do. Send payments to everyone and reconcile at tax time. How is it I can figure this out but hundreds of people in congress can't. Or honestly don't want to.