The Biden Presidency is underway.

ShivaX · 2021-03-09T23:40:51.248Z

sarah jeong (sarahjeong)

Joe Manchin dropping increasingly overt hints to his D&D party like “is that the elemental damage you want to use” or “do you have any magic weapons” twitter.com/jhweissmann/st…

Jordan Weissmann 🗽 @JHWeissmann

Manchin is actually being more specific about what filibuster reforms he'd support—and it's bad for the GOP. He previously said he'd consider reinstating the talking filibuster. Now he says he's open to requiring the minority to keep 41 votes on the floor. https://t.co/prZnaWIv1H

11:37 PM - 9 Mar 2021 75 17

anonymgeist · 2021-03-09T23:42:32.522Z

I get gas once a week. I’ve been commuting to work throughout, and while traffic is still lighter than it used to be, it’s been picking up.

ArmandoPenblade · 2021-03-09T23:42:39.916Z

Yeah, to be clear, I think we’ve gotten gas two or three times this past year, though usually just a half tank cuz we know we aren’t using it quickly enough. There’s theoretically like a quarter-tank in my car that died over the pandemic. RIP, Journey :(

Thrag · 2021-03-09T23:53:16.196Z

ShivaX:

requiring the minority to keep 41 votes on the floor

This brings a smile to my face.

In other news, I think maybe the Biden admin should hire this Onion writer. These are some pretty good ideas.

The Onion

CDC Launches Ad Campaign Featuring Racist Mascot In Effort To Get More...

ATLANTA—Targeting the series of PSAs towards communities that were skeptical of inoculation, the Centers For Disease Control launched a new ad campaign Tuesday featuring a racially offensive animated mascot in an effort to get more conservatives...

lordkosc · 2021-03-09T23:59:00.812Z

I am still buying 10 gallons a week give or take.

I should blame Biden for the price increase. Right? :P

Gordon_Cameron · 2021-03-10T00:18:56.847Z

I have no problem with the price of gas going up under Biden if it’s related to meaningful climate-change mitigation.

RichVR · 2021-03-10T00:27:04.970Z

Thrag:

This brings a smile to my face.

Indeed. Fingers crossed.

Misguided · 2021-03-10T00:54:40.205Z

So instead of nuking the filibuster, they are (maybe) going old school. Love it. If the minority want to hold up legislature with a procedural maneuver like this, they should have to work for it, presumably meaning it won’t be used except for things they find especially important rather than just obstructing everything because it costs them nothing. Do I have that right?

RichVR · 2021-03-10T00:57:28.643Z

So we should force Manchin to vote for nuking it. By, holding a gun to his head? Threatening his family? Or maybe do nothing if we can’t have everything? Do I have that right?

Menzo · 2021-03-10T00:59:33.027Z

Gordon_Cameron:

I have no problem with the price of gas going up under Biden if it’s related to meaningful climate-change mitigation.

I had assumed the jump in gas prices was directly because of the big freeze in Texas, which knocked out several refineries. Is that not the case?

RichVR · 2021-03-10T01:00:22.727Z

Not just Texas. Gulf states in general.

Misguided · 2021-03-10T01:05:18.296Z

You lost me. They are his ideas (reportedly) and sound great.

RichVR · 2021-03-10T01:19:38.487Z

I guess I read your post and got the wrong idea. So you’re for this? Then I apologize.

Misguided · 2021-03-10T01:42:42.217Z

RichVR:

So you’re for this?

Absolutely. Apologies for being unclear. Made a slight edit to clarify, hopefully

Thrag · 2021-03-10T01:59:56.264Z

I still have to travel between the Bay Area and Reno periodically so I have been getting gas on a regular basis.

I think it has to do with the altitude change.

Woolen_Horde · 2021-03-10T02:18:44.244Z

I do a lot of short-distance driving to get take-out and drive-through. I fuel about once every 2-3 weeks.

dionisus1122 · 2021-03-10T03:09:06.259Z

I drive so little that I sold my car… My wife still has hers, but I haven’t noticed at all

Alstein · 2021-03-10T04:06:28.252Z

I’m fine with Manchin’s ideas, I think dems would have an easier time using the filibuster than Republicans under those limitations, as they’d only use it on the big things.

scottagibson · 2021-03-10T11:26:29.325Z

Misguided:

So instead of nuking the filibuster, they are (maybe) going old school.

It’s even better than old school. Old school is the Republicans have to keep at least one person on the floor constantly talking, rotating that person, around the clock. This is that they have to keep 40 people on the floor at all times. The minute they have only 39, the filibuster can be broken.

Manchin does seem to be playing an odd game. It certainly looks clever, though it’s very possible he’s just fumbling around in the dark trying to balance his party with his constituency.

Charlatan · 2021-03-10T12:03:24.241Z

The weird thing about gas prices in NoVa was even when everything was shut down, I never noticed the price of gas drop a penny. It was $2.59 when the pandemic hit, and every time I’d go out (which was, admittedly, not that often) I’d check the price at the corner gas station I have to go by. I kept waiting for the prices to plummet, but it never did. I couldn’t figure it out (other than some sort of gas cartel conspiracy). I filled my wife’s car up last week and the price was $2.79 so prices are higher but I’m using so little that it doesn’t really matter to me. Since I can work from home we are pretty much just using one car all the time - I bet I’ve driven my car less than 500 miles in the past year.

Regarding the filibuster and Manchin, I am hoping he’s playing the long game here. I think a case can be made for limiting the filibuster for certain bills (in the same way the Republicans removed it for Supreme Court noms) and/or making it so the guys who want to delay have more skin in the game.