“It’s a little too quiet” - US Politics February 2021

Here it is, it was on Fresh Air: https://www.npr.org/2021/02/17/968638759/sum-of-us-examines-the-hidden-cost-of-racism-for-everyone

(this is not a Terry Gross episode, for those who can't take her. or you can just read the transcript there.)

yeah, McGhee is a sharp thinker. proof that not all Democratic think-tank leaders are bad!

seems utterly insane to me that the dems don’t use romney’s family security act, it’s better policy than anything those dipshits have come up with and you can claim bipartisanship. but what do I know

― k3vin k., Friday, February 19, 2021 7:38 AM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

cuz romney is the only Republican who supports it

jealous of those itt posting from alternate universe where Dems have 60 majority in the senate :)

They don’t need 60 votes to abolish the filibuster

they just need joe manchin to vote for the filibuster which will never happen

it might happen if the alternative is "joe manchin blocks covid relief".

https://newrepublic.com/article/161367/kyrsten-sinema-minimum-wage

If the parliamentarian rules against including the minimum wage proposal in reconciliation, and Democrats decide to overrule the parliamentarian, Sinema would still be unable to block its inclusion in the bill. The parliamentarian has no official power; the vice president, as president of the senate, decides whether to overrule the parliamentarian. It then takes 60 votes to overrule the vice president’s decision.

In other words, if the parliamentarian rules that the wage hike shouldn’t be in the bill (which is far from a given), and the vice president overrules her, Sinema couldn’t stop Harris. Even if she got Joe Manchin and Angus King and Mark Kelly and Jeanne Shaheen on board, they would not be able to block the inclusion of the minimum wage proposal. Their only other option would be to sink the entire package over one of its most popular elements.

Kyrsten Sinema is bluffing. It’s a bluff Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris should call.

It takes an incredible amount of work to be the worst freegan.

god I fucking hate these people so much

i like clarification on the authority of the vp to change senate rules but man theres a lot of rules need changin.

did anyone ever clarify why that vp didnt decide the impeachment vote would be a secret ballot? i dont love secret ballots, but *shrug*.

but i also think they should secret ballot kicking out insurrectionist senators. i’m pretty sure 17 gopers would kick out cruz in exchange for an abbot appt.

theyre clear they’ll play 52 pickup. they played it and been playin it and signs sure point to “keep playin it.” show them the cost of 52 pickup. make em fucking pay. but then DELIVER THE GOODS.

abolish the Senate imo

ASAP

ASAB

I almost think its worse as an elected body. Making it a state senate appt would up erones state election game🤔🤷🏻‍♂️

it might happen if the alternative is "joe manchin blocks covid relief".

https://newrepublic.com/article/161367/kyrsten-sinema-minimum-wage

If the parliamentarian rules against including the minimum wage proposal in reconciliation, and Democrats decide to overrule the parliamentarian, Sinema would still be unable to block its inclusion in the bill. The parliamentarian has no official power; the vice president, as president of the senate, decides whether to overrule the parliamentarian. It then takes 60 votes to overrule the vice president’s decision.
In other words, if the parliamentarian rules that the wage hike shouldn’t be in the bill (which is far from a given), and the vice president overrules her, Sinema couldn’t stop Harris. Even if she got Joe Manchin and Angus King and Mark Kelly and Jeanne Shaheen on board, they would not be able to block the inclusion of the minimum wage proposal. Their only other option would be to sink the entire package over one of its most popular elements.

Kyrsten Sinema is bluffing. It’s a bluff Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris should call.

― 𝔠𝔞𝔢𝔨 (caek), Saturday, February 20, 2021 2:53 AM (eleven hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

interesting. but presumably they don't have the votes to even get to this scenario

i.e., sinema is not pivotal

The my don’t need votes to have a vote and force sinema and manchin to block covid relief (which is what they would have to do under this strategy, and the assumption is they wouldn’t block).

As Caro makes clear in his bio of LBJ as Majority Leader, the most important skill the Majority Leader or House Speaker can have is the ability to accurately count votes before bringing a bill to the floor and to know with complete accuracy and confidence what the result will be beforehand. The alternative is a fiasco like the Republican "repeal and replace the ACA" bill that McCain shot down in full view of the public. A showdown Trump demanded, against McConnell's advice.

I have no idea to what degree Schumer has that kind of full command over vote counting, but I'd think he at least understands how vital it is to managing bills so they pass. In the case of the covid relief package, there's no margin for error. Biden's whole success is riding on it.

uh

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/02/20/gop-should-forgive-neera-tanden/

am I supposed to be for or against Neera Tanden?

I haven't liked Neera on Twitter but idk as much about her beyond that.

She’s pro-war crimes (not really OMB applicable) and outing sexual harassment victims (possibly applicable as a manager), both of which make her a shit person so really just root for whatever outcome makes you think makes her most miserable - not getting the job vs. having to grovel and apologize to get the job. The best theoretical option is for Biden to throw her under the bus and pull her nomination.

thinking that's probably gonna happen.

OHHHH she was the one who freaked out on a Twitter poster when someone called Kamala a "corncob" because she thought it was offensive even though the term was just a dril tweet lol

I didn’t come up with this and cannot take credit for it, but, y’all ...

FLED CRUZ

yeah too me an audio hearing to get flying ted, think I missed the pun when i saw it written

took me

https://airlinegeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/TED_2865026018.jpg

So Manchin is opposed to Tanden because of her partisan tweets, but he voted to confirm Trump nominees including twitter troll Richard Grennell. Also, re Tanden I she that she used to want to cut Social Security via chained cpi back when Obama & Biden also were hinting their support for such things, but now she opposes it and other Social Security cuts.

In this, our new simulated world, it may not be too outré to consider whether someone with a Pynchon-esque name that's a near-homophone of a status symbol of the monied elites is a megadouche (see also: Rep. Terry Yott, Sen. Richard Privatyland).

Well it’s spelled Terry Yott but it’s pronounced Throatwobbler Mangrove

don't hear a homophone in 'neera tanden' unless a 'tanden' is a thing I'm unaware of

near at hand hen. used to be a status symbol at one time, maybe needs to lay golden eggs nowadays?

lol. Talkin' about ol' Joey Mansions heah.

Neera seems like a pretty ridiculous character on Twitter. And as with most neolib careerists, I don’t know what she actually believes.

but I can only assume that Manchin wants someone even worse.

maybe it's 'near a tandem' which is likely to make you look less ridiculous than actually being on one?
So prestige by distant default?

Neera Tantrum is a p good stage name

Happy Merrick Garland day! My wife just learned he's a distant (third?) cousin of hers, so if any of you want any special legal favors ...

proud to sat I know him a little bit and he is one of the coolest, most insanely competent dudes I've ever met

Good morning!

Supreme Court allows release of Trump tax returns to NY prosecutorhttps://t.co/nhjqcyHZ3u

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 22, 2021

MyPillow guy also hit with is own $1.3 billion defamation suit.

where’s the qualmsley return?

xxpost god why can't people just move on. kinda clingy imo.

BREAKING: Lawmakers in Virginia, which historically has used the death penalty more than any other state, have given final approval to a bill ending end capital punishment. https://t.co/JKyryFXW2j

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 22, 2021

Coinciding with future attorney general Merrick Garland saying he'd had it with that shit.

a bill ending the end of capital punishment?

So...the former president is reacting to the Supreme Court's decision to give his tax returns to NY prosecutors with his usual dignity and equanimity.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eu2kiObXcAYhegW.jpg

what's nice is that he can't order any federal officers to do anything about it now so his words lose a lot of weight when he can't tap Barr on the shoulder

they'll have to include emergency funding for wahmbulances in the new covid relief bill

I still think Trump is actually dead