Retire, Breyer: another September 2021 US Politics thread

Sinema can retire from politics after the next election as a hero to corporations.

I’m sure the people of AZ are dead set against corporate tax increases tho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp_QkUVZGPc

This would be a full shutdown since Congress hasn't yet passed
any funding bills. The last shutdown, from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, was a partial closure since Congress had already enacted five of the 12 appropriations bills.

That means more federal agencies would likely be affected in a new shutdown. The partial shutdown in 2018-2019 was a record-setting 35 days, which reduced economic growth in the final three months of 2018 by $3 billion, the Congressional Budget Office estimated.

details:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-shutdown-2021-impact/

she is extremely powerful and hella useful as a roadblock. I really don’t think anyone with any real juice actually wants her gone

Killing Biden’s Presidency might be the only way the party apparatus doesn’t line up for her in a primary fight.

Sinema seems like a politician in a Neil Breen movie, no stated or coherent ideology, just using her power to do bad things.

so many people seem to think that "making a lot of money for kyrsten sinema" is a bad thing, but that's where sinema disagrees!

also if it's true that she is not in favor of any corporate tax hikes at all, she might as well switch parties already

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX6L65xgOzY

Making money for Kyrsten Sinema
Making money for Kyrsten Sinema
and all the friends of Kyrsten Sinema!
ARIZONA....UBER ALLES!!

Sometimes I really think we need a Dead Kennedys-style band right now. There aren't any good contenders from what I can tell.

That said, so many of their songs have hardly aged.

Manchin I can figure out: a bog standard Clintonian Democrat who actually does go along with the caucus most of the time even when it seems it might hurt (i.e. impeachment).

As for Sinema, the last AZ poll (need a link)showed over 60% of Dem primary voters would vote for her opponent. And she believes Arizonan independents are real independents. She's fucking mad.

this all makes sense as a journey of personal discovery for her

The Tulsi Gabbard of Flagstaff.

Sinema is probably drooling at the chance to be the lone Democratic vote to convict Biden when the GOP House impeaches him in March 2023.

I'm sure she's already picked out the perfect outfit!

As for Sinema, the last AZ poll (need a link)showed over 60% of Dem primary voters would vote for her opponent.

There was a recent poll that showed her favorability among AZ Dems is now 17% (unfavorable: 65%):
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/9/27/2054753/-Sinema-s-unforced-errors-have-cost-her-big-time-with-Arizona-Democrats

Maybe she's holding out for a lifetime pasta pass from Olive Garden.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAd9oTJWQAYVkbg?format=jpg&name=medium

a straight winner

My dream of seeing Trump and his family perpetually tied up in legal proceedings is coming true

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/trump-still-faces-a-reckoning-in-new-york?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_092921&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5be9da642ddf9c72dc27c25d&cndid=29476922&hasha=f0ef51a738774f8c6d037c5c6beb7573&hashb=7cfed5b1cbcbc6a71fea3c2fc2bc754ee2661f52&hashc=fdd5c8d249d863be98861f55628588b242a4ca01384346986428715bbfdd44db&esrc=CDS_OP&utm_term=TNY_Daily

nice kicker to the NYT story on Senator Sinema https://t.co/L0dueHdl12 pic.twitter.com/nfCiYoMGol

— Faiz (@fshakir) September 29, 2021

omg on sinema at the sinema

Manchin has issued a statement which clearly states what needs to be done in order to reach the deal that is being held up by himself and Sinema:

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released the following statement about infrastructure and reconciliation negotiations.

“Every Member of Congress has a solemn duty to vote for what they believe is best for the country and the American people, not their party. Respectfully, as I have said for months, I can’t support $3.5 trillion more in spending when we have already spent $5.4 trillion since last March. At some point, all of us, regardless of party must ask the simple question – how much is enough?
What I have made clear to the President and Democratic leaders is that spending trillions more on new and expanded government programs, when we can’t even pay for the essential social programs, like Social Security and Medicare, is the definition of fiscal insanity. Suggesting that spending trillions more will not have an impact on inflation ignores the everyday reality that America’s families continue pay an unavoidable inflation tax. Proposing a historic expansion of social programs while ignoring the fact we are not in a recession and that millions of jobs remain open will only feed a dysfunction that could weaken our economic recovery. This is the shared reality we all now face, and it is this reality that must shape the future decisions that we, as elected leaders, must make.

Since the beginning of this reconciliation debate, I have been consistent in my belief that any expansion of social programs must be targeted to those in need, not expanded beyond what is fiscally possible. Our tax code should be reformed to fix the flaws of the 2017 tax bill and ensure everyone pays their fair share but it should not weaken our global competitiveness or the ability of millions of small businesses to compete with the Amazons of the world. Overall, the amount we spend now must be balanced with what we need and can afford – not designed to reengineer the social and economic fabric of this nation or vengefully tax for the sake of wishful spending.

In August, I recommended we take a strategic pause to provide time to develop the right policies and to continue to monitor how the pandemic and economic factors are affecting our nation’s fiscal situation before we spend more. Throughout September, I have made it clear to all those who would listen the need to means test any new social programs so that we are helping those who need it the most, not spend for the sake of spending.

While I am hopeful that common ground can be found that would result in another historic investment in our nation, I cannot – and will not - support trillions in spending or an all or nothing approach that ignores the brutal fiscal reality our nation faces. There is a better way and I believe we can find it if we are willing to continue to negotiate in good faith.
If there is one final lesson that will continue to guide me in this difficult debate ahead it is this: America is a great nation but great nations throughout history have been weakened by careless spending and bad policies. Now, more than ever, we must work together to avoid these fatal mistakes so that we may fulfill our greatest responsibility as elected leaders and pass on a better America to the next generation.”

see? that's all they have to do!

and now democrats are going to spend the remaining year doing the 1/6/21 investigation as their main thing. wonderful

goodbye midterms, goodbye 2024

At some point, all of us, regardless of party must ask the simple question – how much is enough?

i don't know, how about...$3.5B you asshole?

are West Virginia "centrists" "independents" THAT concerned about the federal deficit? i can't believe it

manchin has this reputation as a guy who is kind of tactical and smart about how he walks the line -- you'd have to be to be elected to multiple terms in WV as a democrat, as everyone says -- but just read that. he's a fucking moron. what is the deal with all of these fucking morons? how is THIS guy the best they can come up with? how is Sinema, who is just a fucking turd on wheels, selected as the best hope of the Democrats in Arizona? if it's so hard to win as a Democrat in these states, why did the national party apparatus select two people who are so blank and obviously making it up as they go? that's all you have to do? be a dumbass and make it up as you go??

See: Byrd, Robert.

"If there is one final lesson that will continue to guide me in this difficult debate ahead it is this: America is a great nation but great nations throughout history have been weakened by careless spending and bad policies."

rather than spending $3.5B on something that happens to also address climate change now, we will instead pocket all of that and pay $100s of billions on emergency adaptation to climate change for the rest of our lives. so that we will be a great nation

"if there is one thing i know, it is this: i am old as fuck and i will die without having to do much about climate change, lol, to my own political benefit, lol, as you all die, lol"

At the end, Manchin added: “Have a great summer, smell ya later.”

so manchin's deal is that he...doesn't want to spend any more money and won't say how much he's willing to spend, and sinema's deal is that she won't agree to any spending that relies on tax increases, even if they're mostly on the incredibly wealthy. and the entire plan relies on taxes. cool

Suggesting that spending trillions more will not have an impact on inflation ignores the everyday reality that America’s families continue pay an unavoidable inflation tax. Proposing a historic expansion of social programs while ignoring the fact we are not in a recession and that millions of jobs remain open will only feed a dysfunction that could weaken our economic recovery.

i'm not sure about an "unavoidable inflation tax", but one thing that would be cool to combat such a thing would be to make sure that minimum wages reflect inflation. i'm sure senator manchin of West Virginia -- a state without poor people or minimum wage jobs -- will lead the charge on that in the future.

and we can't expand social programs while we're not in a recession. got it. i guess the good time to expand social programs is when we're deep in a crisis and people are dying everywhere for no particular reason. hope that never happens!!!

I guess the bright side the dems being in complete control of the federal government for two (and only two) years is that it gave us a breather before the GOP gets back to making life psychic hell for every non-rich on this oversized plot of land. Otherwise, I kinda fail to see what the point was.

Dr. Doomposting in full effect.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/dr_doom_a_l.jpg

$3.5Bnl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_092921&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5be9da642ddf9c72dc27c25d&cndid=29476922&hasha=f0ef51a738774f8c6d037c5c6beb7573&hashb=7cfed5b1cbcbc6a71fea3c2fc2bc754ee2661f52&hashc=fdd5c8d249d863be98861f55628588b242a4ca01384346986428715bbfdd44db&esrc=CDS_OP&utm_term=TNY_Daily

Not even the Congressional Baseball Game can calm the partisan waters on Capitol Hill these days.

Usually the feel-good event of the summer, the annual game pits Democratic members of Congress against Republicans and has raised many millions of dollars for local charities.

...

With so much to do legislatively at the moment, moving forward with the baseball game appeared politically tone deaf. Rather than staying in session to approve a resolution to fund the government, with a midnight Thursday deadline to avoid a shutdown, both chambers adjourned in the late afternoon so lawmakers and staff could head a mile down South Capitol Street to the home of the 2019 World Series champions.

Fiscal deadlines usually spawn meetings that go deep into the night to try to bridge the divides, but not Wednesday night, not even with the prospect of a potential default on the nation’s $28 trillion debt just 19 days away that is also complicating the legislative agenda.

President Biden has made dozens of phone calls and had near daily in-person meetings with key lawmakers in the last few weeks in pursuit of a $3.5 trillion framework for his agenda, which could unlock enough Democratic votes to pass the infrastructure legislation.

As he convened one final meeting with lawmakers Wednesday, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majortity Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), speculation spread that Biden might attend the game.

Rather than hunkering down for more meetings or calls, Biden attended the game in a show of support from the former senator, taking advantage of a chance to press the flesh and mingle with lawmakers who hold the keys to his ambitious agenda.

Republicans have dug in entirely against the bigger legislation. The GOP manager, Rep. Roger Williams (R-Tex.), who made it into the Atlanta Braves’ minor league system, is using that proposal to motivate his team and get ready for the November 2022 midterm elections.

“I’m deeming this game as socialism vs. capitalism,” Williams told his team at their final practice, which Roll Call attended. “It’s a game, but let me tell you: If we win tomorrow night, we’ll send a message for November.”

god, please tell me senator Coach was there. this was the moment he was born for

absolute clown

Manchin proposes raising the corporate tax rate to 25%, the top tax rate on income to 39.6%, raising the capital gains tax rate to 28% and says that any revenue from the bill “exceeding” $1.5T will go to deficit reduction. Also asks Fed to stop quantitative easing program

— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) September 30, 2021

is the QE thing supposed to be a requirement for agreement? because that is clearly not going to happen just because Joe says so

this shit with Sinema is so frustrating. I mean Manchin I kinda get, WV is a R+40 state and some idiot centrist like Machin is the best the Dems are ever gonna get there. Sinema on the other hand is from a state that Biden won, if she tanks his agenda she's almost certainly going to get primaried. It feels like her goal is to be the Susan Collins of the left, absolutely despised by both parties with no real sign of what the hell she actually wants and because our country is set up in such an unbelievably stupid way it gives her an insane amount of power, power which is undoubtedly going to be used to tank the left's climate agenda and make our kids' future even worse

Meanwhile much of her state will be uninhabitable sometime in the next two decades.

Why doesn't Schumer call her into his office and say "Get in line or I'll support a primary challenger against you"?

I know the answer is, "because he's Chuck Schumer," but I wish there was a more satisfying answer than that.

"...what the hell she actually wants..."

Enough name recognition to snag a choice cable news slot when she is booted?

Being Majority Leader means having to listen when your members say, "If I vote the way you want, I'll lose my election."

But in Sinema's case, it's like, "If I vote the way you want, I'll damage my idiosyncratic brand that really should be making me more popular with op-ed writers, don't you think?"

Why doesn't Schumer call her into his office and say "Get in line or I'll support a primary challenger against you"?

Because she’d laugh at him. She knows they won’t gut a centrist incumbent.

I think regardless of what she does, there's a good chance she'll be primaried and lose. Possibly the only thing that might save her is getting in line with the rest of her colleagues.

The primary challenge campaign is already starting to rev up.

Dem voters in AZ are reporting that they're receiving tons of pro-Sinema mailers--probably Koch funded