Vaccines, Infrastructure, and Kids In Cages: US Politics April 2021

"400 billion for elder care" intended as a scare quote suggests a great deal of disconnection with the needs of the people

Yeah but "elder care" is probably shorthand for Obama's death panels

I'm almost...unnerved at the lack of GOP response to any of Biden-Schumer-Pelosi's plans/considerations/musings. This is not what I've been trained to endure.

they seem to know they're beaten and that there's not much upside in arguing just now
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/04/democrats-get-one-more-bill-that-cannot-be-filibustered.html

quick reminder that in the past year under GOP rule we saw literal death panels as doctors were forced to chose whose lives deserved saving over others at least in part BECAUSE OF LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE
likely no one in this thread needed that memory jog but it bears pointing out at every turn

I guess they await signals from their leader, but Trump, banished from Twitter, hasn't given a shit about policy anyway, and it's complicated by how popular the COVID relief bill and infrastructure bill are.

Still, a weird place to be in.

They probably feel pretty good that thanks to Manchin/Sinema/etc. Democrats get two more bills for this entire year that matter and that major Biden campaign promises like the public option, PRO Act and $15 minimum wage (not to mention the VRAA) are flatlining.

GOP doesn't really give much of a shit about policy either over the past few years as far as i can see beyond DEATH CULT MONEY MONEY

i'm enjoying the relative silence while i can

"400 billion for elder care" intended as a scare quote suggests a great deal of disconnection with the needs of the people

― G.A.G.S. (Gophers Against Getting Stuffed) (forksclovetofu)

And with a large segment of their base.

A couple of bills they can play deficit hawk on is the best case scenario when they could be facing down a radical reimagining of American politics with two DC Senators or abolishing the filibuster to pursue all the Democratic policies that enjoy supermajorities of support.

I'll believe it when I see it.

Biden wants to “take care” of your grandparents

He "wouldn't want anything to happen" to them.

I'm told this is real?

https://i.imgur.com/7Q8OYgd.png

Joe Manchin says he won't support filibuster reform because we need "a new era of bipartisanship."

Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham and Josh Hawley are laughing all the way to the ballot boxes they're closing down.https://t.co/zydySkKA4d

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 8, 2021

screw you joe manchin! fucking idiot clown

Yet Dems need him anyway. He goes, his seat turns red.

As usual with this clown he has a price so he can flash bipartisan semaphores to his constituents. Then he'll sigh, shake his head, mourn the loss of comity, vote.

It's probably time to retire the 'he's just holding out for flying cars in West Virginia' line.

Turn. all. screws. Joe. Tho if he bails the party, that would suck too.

Has anyone heard of Dems trying to turn a GOPer to Dem or indy?

Jim Jeffords.

Charlie Crist!

I think the best bet in this Senate would be persuading Murkowski to go independent.

Biden should work that famous charm on her.

My perception of the Republican position right now is that they're focusing heavily on the state governments they control and on redistricting. They can afford to write off two years of Biden getting some things done (while obstructing wherever possible), all in anticipation of controlling the House and Senate again in '22 and the White House in '24.

And then they use whatever maneuvers Biden and Schumer have concocted to ram literally everything they want through the Senate in about six months. Heck maybe they'll even pack the court themselves and add 5-6 more justices, who will proceed to roll back most of the past 160 years. It is entirely conceivable.

'the democrats clearly signalled their willingness to consider these changes, so it's pure hypocrisy for them now to attempt to block the same expansion when it's coming from our side" - which will have the added bonus of being correct

Good moooorning!

Hardly sufficient, but it feels like another step in the right direction:

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/04/07/us/biden-news-today

The ghost gun/parts kit bit is a classic bit of pretending to do something while actually doing absolutely nothing at all.

The problem is that unmilled/80% receivers are just blocks of metal. With CNC technology making it easy for any dipshit who can press a button on a communal machine to finish one, you have to tackle that through actual legislation.

https://www.thenation.com/article/economy/biden-infrastructure-plan-caregiver/

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/04/biden-tax-increases-infrastructure-bill-wages-class-warfare-without-the-war.html

Whoops!

JUST IIN: Joel Greenberg, a key figure in the ongoing investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz, is likely to strike a plea deal with federal prosecutors, his attorney said in court @PaulaReidCNN reports

— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) April 8, 2021

ruh roh

I think the best bet in this Senate would be persuading Murkowski to go independent.

Agree. If Manchin bailed and Murkowski turned independent and caucused with the Dems, she'd 'sell high' on her vote and bring home the bacon for Alaskans in a big way, then she'd make sure they all knew about it. She's just pragmatic enough I could see it happening, but only if Manchin switched sides.

EXCLUSIVE: My story in the Guardian: "The DOD inspector general has uncovered evidence that Michael Flynn accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from foreign interests & governments, despite repeated warnings that his conduct might be illegal."https://t.co/StoLd7L6L3

— murray waas (@murraywaas) April 8, 2021

https://i.ibb.co/hKtzYcB/DI7k-BSx-XYAAzg0i.jpg

wow! I'm shocked!

The memo field for the first of Gaetz’s transactions to Greenberg was titled “Test.” In the second, the Florida GOP congressman wrote “hit up ___.” But instead of a blank, Gaetz wrote a nickname for one of the recipients. (The Daily Beast is not sharing that nickname because the teenager had only turned 18 less than six months before.) When Greenberg then made his Venmo payments to these three young women, he described the money as being for “Tuition,” “School,” and “School.”

If you don't specifically say it's for illegal activities on the memo line the government can't prove you were doing illegal activities.

"What school was this, Mr. Gaetz?"

"Sex school, uh, wait, can I change--"

"No further questions, your honor."

so

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/09/president-biden-to-sign-executive-order-creating-the-presidential-commission-on-the-supreme-court-of-the-united-states/?s=09

Here we go

It takes an executive order to form a commission?

Meanwhile, Gaetz has lawyered up.

It takes an executive order to form a commission?

Hillary's most moving book.

lol

"I just dropped in to see what condition my commission was in ... "

So that's what that gremlin Harlan Hill has moved on to.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/08/gaetz-reporters-trump-480534

The whole “his denials are super-strong” outta you-know are so fucking gross, now that i’m more attuned to them.

After the first big splash of news around the $1.9 trillion "Jobs for Americans Act", or whatever the cute title is, with Manchin immediately (and typically) announcing his preference for a corporate tax hike from 21% to 25%, instead of to 28%, the process of shaping this bill into its final form has entered the cone of silence. Now judging from this thread, ilxors all seem to think the Gaetz scandal is the biggest story out there.

It's rather refreshing in a way.

Looks like I’m gonna need to buy the Post tomorrow

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/hogan-vetoes-police-accountibility/2021/04/09/c0ac4096-9967-11eb-962b-78c1d8228819_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0nLw9kJkvi_7GBBRjPtDaq_PWYrOgn3TieDio0BUAIv5tnnNGymeBKEcY

Sorry again Sic