Democratic (Party) Direction

His Twitter comments are often sharper than his show, and his retweets are often of economic news. He gets that the Russia stuff gives his show ballast, but he uses the ballast to discuss the carceral state, tax policy, etc.

He has the best MSNBC show for sure. He gave more coverage to stuff like the WV teachers strike last year than anyone.

I also think Khanna's rebranding is weird and suspicious tbh

ack, I'd thought Ro was one of the good ones and spidey senses hadn't been tingling, but Hoos is trustworthy on these things

Btw it's not disqualifying or whatever but it is kinda weird to me that Warren used to be a republican even if she wisened up at the young age of (looks it up) uhh...45

Otoh this sounds pretty dope

Don’t call Warren’s tax a 2% tax. Over 10 years it would wipe out 18% of wealth over $50M and over 50 years it would wipe out 64%. Over a billion dollars it would wipe out 27% over 10 years and 82% (!) over 50. And that’s not taking into account the returns on these assets.

— Patrick Ruffini (@PatrickRuffini) January 25, 2019

yes!

in 50 years you'll be dead and a separate 100% estate tax will take care of the rest. see ya suckers

Patrick Ruffini has a shot of Bush II's Cabinet as a wallpaper.

If we can't have a robust estate tax on the plutocracy (so that democracy might be saved), I'll take a wealth tax. Florida of all states has one.

This from Stacey Abrams is really good:

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2019-02-01/stacey-abrams-response-to-francis-fukuyama-identity-politics-article

Xxp lol Rania Khalek is not an “assadist” what liberal dumpster did you fish that ragged talking point out of?

If she is an assadist than I’m a Baathist for opposing the Iraq war.

Eh, it's not the same at all, lol.

It’s Rania’s defining characteristic

Ok, then I'm an Assadist for opposing intervention in Syria.

Rania Khalek (RK): I am not a fan of the Syrian government. I’m not out here to support the Syrian government.

What I oppose is the dismantling of the Syrian state which is what several powers have done in the past six years. I oppose that because we’ve seen what it looks like in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and I don’t want to see that happen to Syria.

I also oppose the current alternative to the Syrian government which is a patchwork of Salafi Jihadist groups that want to impose strict religious law, kill minorities, and stone women for adultery. That’s unacceptable to me, and to many people including my relatives who live in Syria who happen to be minorities.

It's not the same at all, because the war in Syria didn't begin as foreign intervention, but as a popular uprising. Goes without saying, but she's lying about the opposition being just islamists. She wants Assad to stay in place while the state is reformed, which won't happen, anf she must know that. Anyone saying tt just wants Assad to stay, which sounds pretty much like being an Assadist.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/pulsemedia.org/2017/08/22/did-a-kremlin-pilgrimage-cause-alternet-bloggers-damascene-conversion/amp/

“She soon delivered a scoop: according to a “UN report”, she claimed, U.S.-EU sanctions were “crippling aid work during the largest humanitarian emergency since World War II”. This was in stark contrast to the UN’s public position, which blamed the Assad regime for blocking 80% of the aid entering Syria. The story was sensational—and, as it turned out, also false. There was no such UN report. The document Khalek cited was an opinion piece written by a member of the British Bankers’ Association, which describes itself as “the voice of banking.”

“After her return from Damascus, as writing and public speaking opportunities started drying up, Khalek became less circumspect in her Assadism, at one point going so far as to promote a video produced by the pro-Assad and far-right activist Vanessa Beeley, who, in direct violation of the Geneva conventions, featured that testimony of a White Helmet extracted under torture. (The video that has been pointedly denounced by Amnesty International.)”

Fred, it's mostly Islamists. Islamists are the strongest and most organized of the rebel groups in any case, and would undoubtedly dominate any replacement regime, just like has happened in every single one of these fucking situations.

Um, no?

That's neither what she said, nor is it true. That's actually rather impressive.

Um, no?

― Frederik B, Wednesday, February 6, 2019 11:15 AM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

what?

Goes without saying, but she's lying about the opposition being just islamists.

― Frederik B, Wednesday, February 6, 2019 4:41 PM (three hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

there's several dynamics at play here, right? there's 'the syrian opposition,' meaning the political opposition to assad that seeks a liberal democratic alternative to autocracy. then there are the kurds, of course, distinct from the political opposition and distinct from the islamist rebels. then there are 'the rebels' who are, whether your like it or not, primarily saudi-backed islamists. 'the syrian opposition,' the sectors of civil society that were the main players in the aborted popular revolution of 2011-12, have retreated from street protest out of concern for their safety in the midst of a civil war, and the prevailing mentality is 'first we save syria from collapse, then we reject this government.' that's a fact that you can verify talking to leaders of syrian civil society. that means that today the active fighters against the government are, if not entirely, certainly primarily islamist.

Yeah, the situation is complicated, but the fact that she's lying is not.

from a recent column, this person is sold on harris:

Which minute differences exist in the candidates’ various “Medicare for all” plans. I doubt that is how Democratic voters are thinking. Their immediate problem is Donald Trump, and the culture of shamelessness he has instigated.

To beat Trump, I suspect Democrats will want unity. They won’t want somebody who essentially runs against the Democratic establishment (Bernie Sanders); they’ll want somebody who embodies it (Harris). They’ll want somebody who seems able to pulverize Trump in a debate (Harris).

It will be interesting to see how primary voters wrestle with these questions: Is America too racist and sexist right now to elect a black woman? Or would nominating a black woman in fact be the perfect rebuttal to Trump?

But the larger issue may be temperament and toughness. Harris’s fearless, cut-the-crap rhetorical style will probably serve her well in this pugilistic political moment.

Yeah, the situation is complicated, but the fact that she's lying is not.

― Frederik B, Wednesday, February 6, 2019 8:52 PM (twelve minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

no, fred, what's simple is you

just a simple Danish arms dealer

fred doesn't know what he's talking about, news at 11

Fwiw I don’t find khalek’s analysis to be particularly strong but her concerns strike me as very valid and reasonable. And the accusations that she’s a paid propagandist are exceedingly thin.

If someone writes pieces for RT about how the Assad govt somehow wasn’t behind this latest gas attack, that’s the natural conclusion. It always turns out that Assad was responsible for the gas attack.

Appreciate @SpeakerPelosi‘s strong statement of support. The U.S. stands united in its support of Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaidó, and of the peaceful, constitutional transition to democracy in Venezuela. https://t.co/slwxPTHwoZ

— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) February 10, 2019

I don’t think she’s exactly saying Mr Bolton has my blessing to go regime change crazy over there but w/e

I eagerly await her denouncement of Mr. Bolton's endorsement

(yeah, yeah, he didn't call for explicit regime change via US force in that particular statement, but we all know what that fucker wants)

She’ll tweet whoa hey that’s not what I meant

Isn't our normal opinion that you shouldn't wrestle with pigs? Pelosi wrote a good statement, fuck Bolton

a very American coup

Pramilaaaaaa

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/we-will-only-get-stronger-inside-a-liberal-leaders-balancing-act-on-pushing-the-house-left/2019/02/24/b8d22f9a-36c0-11e9-af5b-b51b7ff322e9_story.html

if Pelosi declines to run for speaker in the next congress I hope she will run

The Democrat from Washington state could have joined new liberal icon Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in trying to sink a House rules package some advocates warned would hinder liberal priorities. She didn’t.

And when bipartisan negotiators announced a budget deal in mid-February that ignored Jayapal’s pitch to rein in immigration enforcement policies she has dedicated her adult life to protesting, the second-term lawmaker could have tried to derail the package. She didn’t.

impressive!

mm yes because derailing things is popular and everyone loves it

anyway Medicare for All Act to be introduced by her Wednesday

Joint profile of freshman Dem reps Ilhan Omar and Dean Phillips, who represent adjacent districts but opposite governing philosophies:

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/08/ilhan-omar-dean-phillips-minnesota-democratic-party-225696

What I learned is that, despite the cautionary tale offered by years of vicious Republican infighting,

In Michigan, while Tlaib’s flamboyant liberalism suits the Detroit-anchored 13th District—“We’re going to impeach the motherfucker!” she declared hours after being sworn in—it makes life considerably harder for Haley Stevens and Elissa Slotkin, a pair of moderate freshmen who won difficult races in the suburban-heavy 11th and 8th Districts, respectively.

lots of chatter about this today

NEW: @DCCC makes moves to block primary challenges against Dem incumbents.

Per new hiring standards DCCC won't contract with or recommend to House campaign any political firm that works against a sitting member. That's a stark financial deterrent

More: https://t.co/NPmXyQyef8

— Ally Mutnick (@allymutnick) March 22, 2019

This is perfect: A political party, which calls itself the Democratic Party (in the 19th C. it was even referred to as "the Democracy") leverages the power of markets and firms to stop citizens from running against sitting members of Congress. Who call themselves "Democrats." https://t.co/XZrVub9z66

— corey robin (@CoreyRobin) March 22, 2019

Democratic (Party) Direction doesn't seem to be driven by the DCCC much these days

I predict that trend will continue after this

It's certainly one way of concentrating expertise in running primary campaigns against incumbents in a few firms.

Some incumbents need to go. Due to gerrymandering, they're mostly (all?) in safe districts, where the winner of the primary wins the general. Honestly, I can see shunning firms that work against incumbents in 2018 pickups. These new reps in suburbia have little of the advantages of incumbancy, and need to save powder for the general. But urban districts? Often that's were some of the worst Dem reps have clung on.

have Pelosi and/or Schumer spoken up to defend Omar from this latest round of attacks yet?