US Politics, May 2023: May 1 never happened

The so called “pro business” and “fiscally responsible” trade and beltway groups believe they can make bigger profits under a GOP-dominated government more easily than a Democrat-dominated one. After all, McConnell delivered them a gift of massive tax breaks as recently as 2017. This belief is tenuous at best, but they prefer gambling on keeping in the good graces of a MAGA-dominated Repuublican party to making a few relatively painless compromises with the Democrats. It's probably just that simple.

Wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a sense among some of them that this is a pivotal political moment, getting Trump re-elected is their one big shot at fascism lite, and they’re willing to accept a short-term setback to make that happen.

Cause you know if it goes off the rails there’s gonna be a whole lot of ‘both sides’ BS in the corporate media that will sufficiently befuddle swing voters and leave them with the feeling it’s mainly Biden’s mess cause he’s the Prez.

Plus it’s just common sense that Republicans are better at the economy amirite. (Pretty sure there was a recent poll even suggesting many Democratic voters feel like the GOP is stronger at economics?)

Haven't the Republicans got the short end of every other shutdown?

Have they? Maybe, but for now the public seems mostly split on this one. 36% blame Biden, 39% blame the GOP.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/05/05/debt-ceiling-poll/

The problem is political media, which thinks the debt ceiling is negotiable, therefore Biden and the GOP have to "compromise."

Biden just needs to hold the line and not negotiate with terrorists and rely on the fact that it will be Republicans who are shutting down the government, which has been the story every other time this has happened.

Yeah, might be tough to explain the debt ceiling to the average non-wonk, but shutting government down usually gets everyone's attention, especially when people stop getting expected pay and benefits in the mail because (checks notes) the GOP wants to cut their benefits by billions.

Yeah, might be tough to explain the debt ceiling to the average non-wonk

with the caveat that i understand the federal budget is very different from household expenses (ie, "tightening the belt" on spending is different for the federal government than it is for mom and pop sitting around the kitchen table),

the line i always used was that the debt ceiling is a credit card bill that has to be paid. it's a bill for things that have already been purchased. you can't suddenly have a realization that you're spending too much and refuse to pay off your credit card. the time for demanding giant cuts to social services is during the passing of the federal budget.

i think the very term "debt ceiling" obscures the fact that it is referring to paying for spending that has already occurred

and alfred otm on political media. what a fucking shitshow, year after year, zero learning, negative learning. cnn working with trump to schedule a "town hall", what a balogna load

Maybe we should close tax loopholes to bring spending more in line with revenue. Just an idea I had while taking peyote in the desert.

Looking at the rationale for 14th Amdmnt makes me go “the debt ceiling vote itself is unconstitutional on its face. Congress undertakes the spending, obligation is inherent, the end.” To make another step is an absurdity within the language of the Amndnt. I’ll pretend not to notice old conservative screeds to this effect.

Also what treesh wrote

the comments from hochul and adams about the subway killing were some of the most ghoulish political statements from democratic leaders since...idk, the segregation era?

just a severe feeling of hopelessness knowing we're stuck with those assholes for many more years

JUST IN: 8 of the false pro-Trump electors in Georgia accepted immunity deals from the Fulton County DA, new filing indicates. pic.twitter.com/nJSe6iFbnp

— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) May 5, 2023

I admit that this incident and some of what is being said on the Twitter thread really just makes me comfortable in saying fuck the vote blue no matter who types, we need to get these fascist Dems out of government just as fast as the fascist GOP ghouls. I simply won’t hold my nose and vote for people who are so equally (but differently) committed to the complete devaluation of human life, particularly poor and non-white lives.

I don’t know why New York Dems are so right wing. Michigan and Minnesota D’s show how it’s done when you have complete control

Whenever young NY dems try and infiltrate the old NY dems literally change the rules to ice them out. It’s really dispiriting and gross

It’s wild that AOC has been reelected tbh

Reading about Teddy Roosevelt’s time in the NY legislature was enlightening. It’s been rotten forever.

I blame it in Albany. They should’ve made the capital a nicer city. (Apologies to any Albanyans.)

No apologies, Albany is a pit

The Egg, though.

having grown up in the Albany burbs, I can't defend it.

DeSantis shoots his state in its collective dick again...watch the video.

Negative impact on Florida has begun from the recently passed DeSantis’ anti-immigrant bill. Immigrant labor is leaving as construction work sites grapple with new restrictions. All to demonize people who simply want to work and be left alone while providing for their families. pic.twitter.com/JQfqPxKbsC

— Thomas Kennedy (@tomaskenn) May 7, 2023

Circling back on this legitimately alarming bit:

So Florida is simultaneously trying to institute the death penalty for child sexual abuse while insisting that queer and trans people are by definition sexually "grooming" children.

The math is grim.https://t.co/QjG93iZxa6

— Absurdistwords (@absurdistwords) May 5, 2023

Yeah that's the thing I keep shouting about, it's scary, esp since SCOTUS is almost sure to uphold it because "lol precedent who cares"

To link grooming with pedophilia has always been the goal. They can't go after the marriage decisions, so you go with the most despised in society by even libs.

And here he is crowing about it:

DeSantis, having a normal one this morning pic.twitter.com/a1726JuSu5

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 8, 2023

Everything but the bloodhounds yappin' at his rear end!

DeSantis shoots his state in its collective dick again...

Florida's collective dick? I was informed that Florida is itself somewhat dick-shaped.

So a dick within a dick is... dickception? or metadicktion?

Do we have or need or general strike thread?

behold:

Rolling Labor Action Thread

Thank you!!!

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/09/republican-drag-shows-danger-for-kids-resigns-misconduct-intern

A Republican Texas state lawmaker who once proposed banning children from attending drag shows to supposedly shield them from being groomed for abuse has resigned after he was found to have engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a 19-year-old intern.

Bryan Slaton, 45, resigned on Monday while facing mounting calls from the state’s Republican party and conservative groups to step down. A state house investigation last week determined that he supplied alcohol to the intern and another young staffer, had sex with the intern after she had become intoxicated, and later showed her a threatening email while saying everything would be fine if she kept quiet about the encounter.

gasp!

That bitter cynicism of yours is something you've acquired since you left Radcliffe

It strikes me that Eric's disloyalty and ingratitude must be contagious!

JUST IN: Sen. Dianne Feinstein is returning to the Senate after an absence due to health issues prompted calls to resign. https://t.co/HVCAMDVOFu

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 9, 2023

The good news/bad news joke writes itself.

Stop, guys. She's rested and recharged for another century of service.

does her return in person make it easier for her to step down from her committees and be replaced by a democrat?

She should declare her candidacy for president.

She's back and ready to vote on Scalia's replacement

Is she too late for the 4:30 auto-gyro?

Stop, guys. She's rested and recharged for another century of service.

― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, May 9, 2023 4:11 PM (ten minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

irl lol

George Santos indicted on federal charges. (Indictment is still sealed but he might be in court tomorrow.)

For now Biden demanding that Congress raise the debt ceiling unconditionally to avoid a default and McCarthy still insisting on his ransom price of spending cuts. They will meet again on Friday.

The Santos charges are out: seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. He's in custody. From the Times:

Broadly, George Santos has been charged in three schemes outlined in the indictment:

First, a fraudulent political contribution solicitation scheme, in which prosecutors say Santos and an unnamed Queens-based political consultant induced donors to give money to an LLC he controlled. He then used the money for personal expenses, including to buy designer goods and to pay off personal debts.

Second, an unemployment insurance fraud scheme: Prosecutors say that in June 2020, in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, Santos applied for government assistance in New York, even though he was at the time employed by a Florida-based investment firm and drew an annual salary of $120,000.

And, finally, the indictment says Santos misled the House of Representatives about his financial condition. In May 2020 – during his first, unsuccessful campaign – he is accused of overstating one source of income while failing to disclose his investment firm salary. And in September 2022, when he ran a second time, Santos is accused of including a number of falsehoods in his financial disclosure form.

Perp walked too.

Good luck isa

I think this is going to seem incredibly weird to general election voters

DeSantis: As president, I recognize that the woke mind virus represents a war on the truth so we will wage a war on the woke. We will fight the woke in education, we will fight the woke in corporations, we will fight the woke in the halls of congress. pic.twitter.com/8bd7eQSDgM

— Acyn (@Acyn) June 3, 2023

He sounds disturbed

Sunshine state Blake Masters

I am watching a water skiing show in Wisconsin right now, and the MC is giving off serious Meatball Ron vibes. Like he's found himself in front of tens of people and has no idea what to do or how to come off like a human person while attempting it.

Here's a freebie thread title. Use as is or twist to your heart's content:

US Politics, June 2023: Meatball Ron And The Don

Meatballs III: Summer “Rob”

We shall fight woke on the beaches, we will fight woke on the landing grounds, we shall fight woke in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight woke in the hills. We shall never surrender.

US Politics, June 2023: We Refused to Let Our State Descend Into Some Kind of Faucian Dystopia