4754

4756

But he does reserve the right to destroy the world at a later date if he isn’t happy.

4757

Am I the only Democrat in the room who thinks that Pelosi and Schumer shitting all over Republicans seemingly every time they advance even one centimeter closer to the center line is dumb?

4758

I would imagine most of the Democrats in the room think the GOP needs to grow the fuck up.

Although I suppose there might, instead, be a few in room for whom Murc’s Law is operative.

4759

It did seem like pointless theatrics…
Certainly they pale in comparison to the GOP theatrics, but still, pointless.

Save that shit for after you win the game, not a random first down.

4760

I would love for the Democrats to pass their bill under resolution rules without a debt limit fix. Then there would be nothing they could do to raise the limit without Republican cooperation. Would McConnell have the Republicans vote down a simple limit-raising measure when that would, with certainty, tank the economy?

4761

Calmly stating the reality of what happened is “hysterics”. Sure Mitch.

This whole narrative is beyond ridiculous.

4762

If people want to watch Schumer’s speech, it is 3.5 minutes long and is here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/schumer-decries-republicans-during-debt-ceiling-floor-speech/2021/10/08/bfd7d9cb-75c7-4835-b29e-b407a7b130d0_video.html

I thought the speech was reasonable. The sequence of events around this seems to be pretty standard, e.g.

  1. Republicans do shitty thing
  2. Democrats complain about the shitty thing
  3. News media covers Republicans talking about how rude the Democrats are for complaining

Nobody forced the Republicans to put a loaded gun to the throat of the US Economy. They could have just as easily decided that they love their country more than they hate Democrats.

4763

Honestly, just mint a $10 trillion dollar coin, pay off the debt, and give dear old Mitch the finger once and for all.

4764

(Oops already posted)

4765

I think this is what they plan to do, if they can. And no, I doubt that McConnell would force Republicans to sit on their hands and let that measure fail when there was no longer any point to refusing to cooperate with it. I don’t think Schumer’s speech makes the slightest bit of difference.

4766

I agree. It’s just performative complaining by McConnell.

4767

McConnell is a deliberate troll, not worthy of anger or hatred. He’s a very smart and experienced politician making the moves he thinks will get him what he wants the soonest. I don’t think he’s any more evil than any other other Republican (i.e. he’s a fart stain on Satan’s taint.)

4768

Strongly disagree. YMMV

4770

So it seems like, after the last week, Manchin wants to dump all the climate-related stuff from the BBB reconciliation bill, and he wants to means test the child tax credit down to $60k — the equivalent of two parents making $15 per hour?

That’s pretty ugly, Joe. You might as well just line West Virginians up and shoot them directly.

4771

That is fucking ridiculous on both counts. Damn him to hell.

4772

Biden and everyone in the Administration need to be talking about two or three big, popular things in the bill CONSTANTLY to anyone in the press who will listen. Only that way will it get the support needed (even in WV and AZ) for these fuckers to get on board.

4773

At this point, I think we need to go beyond “talking about” just two or three big, popular aspects of the bill and shrink the target down to those 2 or 3 big popular things. I hate to do it, etc., but we’ve got to get some shit done and trying to preserve every priority is IMO going to tank ALL priorities.

Most of the stuff in the big bill is important and I support them but I also feel our political system in in the ICU and we need to conduct triage.

Of course, everyone will argue about what the “big 3” things are but I think there are strong arguments to cut the bill down to these 3 things:

1)Investment in environmental infrastructure/energy research/green jobs
2)child tax credit without a lot of BS means and work testing
3)health care subsidies, primarily ACA subsidies

#1 IMO is the kind of “pumping money into the economy” that we need, combined with an environment focus for the long term, and b/c it can be presented politically as being about jobs, is a political winner.

#2 is also good policy and if unencumbered is of benefit to a broad swathe of the population and is also a political winner

#3 is another broad based benefit that is a political winner and is also much needed.

Sad to say, the rest of the big bill, pre-K, home health care, family leave, dental benefits for Medicare, etc.are all massively important, and in a sane society we would do them all and more and yet I don’t think we can, at least in this election cycle. And I realize saying these programs are going to have to wait for a better political climate sounds like saying “sit in the back of the bus” but hell I don’t think we have a choice.

The full package is not happening. Period. Manchin, for whatever reason, is simply not going to go for the full package and at this point I have no expectation that he can be brought around. If a deal to pass all or most of the full package could have been made with Manchin, it would have been made in the last 9 months; it ain’t gonna happen IMO.

We need to focus, and in our fucked up politics that means important stuff has to get triaged. It sucks but it is what it is.

4774

I basically agree, both with the approach and with the specific priorities.

4775

Manchin’s about lining his own pocket. He’s just more honest and artful about it than Sinema.

That said, I also reluctantly agree with that approach, since we can’t force Manchin and Sinema to shut up and color.