Update - 3/11/21 - America Rescue Plan Bill is signed!

[LD0506]

Just now, tshile said:

Well, that, and the fundamental issue of being a big tent party that includes progressives that will sit home or vote for someone like trump if they don’t get their way (Bernie bros?!)

 

the old guard has been trying to manage that as well and we all kind of argue over whether they’re doing a good job and what should be done. 🤷‍♂️ 

 

Exactly

 

The job they face ain't easy, you can't just run it with visceral soundbites like a fascistic movement, it takes actual work and rational moves that fit together.

 

I'm at "benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise" right now

[visionary]

People seem to be forgetting that the GOP did not get a lot done in Trump’s first two years despite having more of an advantage than the Dems have now.  

[tshile]

2 minutes ago, visionary said:

People seem to be forgetting that the GOP did not get a lot done in Trump’s first two years despite having more of an advantage than the Dems have now.  

because they were a non-functional administration. 
 

I at one point thought they’d remove him from office just so pence could take over and get more done. 
 

imagine what a functional, driven GOP admin could have done. 
 

(and when you look at the damage done across the board, they did quite a lot)

[Llevron]

Just now, visionary said:

People seem to be forgetting that the GOP did not get a lot done in Trump’s first two years despite having more of an advantage than the Dems have now.  

 

I think the big difference is that the GOP is good at politically playing the game. Their goal isnt really to get anything done. Its to hold power by whatever means necessary and enrich themselves. Actually, when you say it like that the two groups are playing very different games. 

 

The entire thing is honestly that the GOP has gerrymandered districts enough that they can get a 50-50 Senet by representing less than 40% of the country. That is the really problem here. If dems had the house 60-40 like their policies have the country split 60-40 then this woudnt even be a question and the country wouldnt be in this mess. Which is why HR1 has to ****ing happen. Im praying to all the gods, old and new, that they understand this and take it seriously. 

1 minute ago, tshile said:

imagine what a functional, driven GOP admin could have done. 
 

(and when you look at the damage done across the board, they did quite a lot)

 

Trump definitely did not hold the GOP back. I hope thats not what you are intimating 

[visionary]

 

 

[LadySkinsFan]

The wealth tax championed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and the tax on stock exchanges needs to happen, that will help. Plus they need to expire the "permanent" tax cuts that Republicans legislated during Trump. Plus remove the corporate welfare tax codes. This will all help pay for the necessary relief.

Edited March 11, 2021 by LadySkinsFan

[Springfield]

The thing that republicans want to accomplish is nothing. They want nothing to get done. They did nothing with Trump and they're doing a great job of doing nothing with Biden.

 

It's hard to think of a better example of a lack of any sort of conviction. They just want nothing.

[China]

8 minutes ago, Springfield said:

The thing that republicans want to accomplish is nothing. They want nothing to get done. They did nothing with Trump and they're doing a great job of doing nothing with Biden.

 

It's hard to think of a better example of a lack of any sort of conviction. They just want nothing.

 

Very true, except they want to line their own pockets and prevent people of color from voting.

 

Even recently when they controlled both the presidency and the senate they did nothing.

 

Mitch McConnell's 'Legislative Graveyard' Helping Current Congress to Be the Least Productive in History, Report Says

 

The Republican-controlled Senate has the 116th Congress on track to be the least productive in history.

 

Only 1 percent of nearly 15,000 bills have been enacted into law between January 3, 2019, and now, a new report from watchdog group Common Cause shows.

 

"The House of Representatives passed nearly 10 democracy reform bills, often with bipartisan support, this session, but Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked debate and markups on all of these bills and refused to allow a vote," Common Cause's director of legislative affairs, Aaron Scherb, said.

 

Scherb told Newsweek that McConnell has been instrumental in blocking the current Congress from enacting laws.

 

"There have been hundreds that have been passed by the House at this point. There have only been 158 enacted laws by this 116th Congress to this point. Yet there are hundreds of bills that have passed the House but continue to sit in Senate Majority Leader McConnell's desk, or his 'legislative graveyard' as it's been called," he said.

 

McConnell has been known to obstruct bills that have passed the House. In February, the majority leader admitted in an interview with Fox News that 395 bills sitting in the Senate are not going to be passed because of their "left-wing solutions."

 

Scherb said hyper-politicization and hyper-partisanship have caused the Republican Party to go "off the deep end" and completely switch its stances on a number of reforms.

"While Democrats are largely supporting these now, it's not too many years ago that Republicans actually used to be supportive of the Voting Rights Act. They used to be for increased disclosure of campaign spending," he noted.

 

He said that while election season makes it much more difficult for members of Congress to come to an agreement on legislation, the number of laws enacted by the current Congress is at a historic low.

 

"Usually, it's anywhere from 3 or 4 percent. In terms of actual numbers, this year to date it's been 158 bills passed into law, whereas the last couple of Congresses—115th Congress [passed] 443 bills, 114th Congress was 329 bills, 113th Congress was 296 bills. All of which were 3 percent of bills," Scherb said.

 

Click on the link for the full article

[Momma There Goes That Man]

They hate government and want to break it so the wealthy can gain even more power and influence. 
 

if you elect people that literally hate government, don’t be surprised when they can’t govern or have no interest in it. 

[Larry]

3 hours ago, TheDoyler23 said:

The Democrats gave concessions to the right and that got them 0 votes.  Maybe it’s time to concede just enough to get your 50 votes from your side. Burn the boats. 
 

 

 

The Democrats gave concessions to the Democrats.  And they conceded just enough to get 50 votes.  

 

2 hours ago, visionary said:

People seem to be forgetting that the GOP did not get a lot done in Trump’s first two years despite having more of an advantage than the Dems have now.  

 

Although, granted, part of that is because their legislative agenda consists pretty much entirely of "**** things up, then complain about it".  

Edited March 11, 2021 by Larry

[Cooked Crack]

 

 

[Larry]

3 hours ago, visionary said:

 

 

 

Repeal Skippy's tax cut on the rich, effective immediately.  (On the grounds that the recession is already over, for the rich).  

 

And make the tax cuts on the bottom 90% permanent.  

 

Love to watch people vote on that one.  

[88Comrade2000]

4 hours ago, LD0506 said:

 

Which is precisely why addressing voting is the key issue. HR1, the John Lewis VRA and beyond

One problem with that. Anything other issue; you will have to overcome filibuster and moderate/conservative Dems.

 

Infrastructure is probably what they will use reconciliation again for but that will be it.

 

All you will have is show votes because Joe won’t be able to pass much of anything else.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

1 hour ago, Momma There Goes That Man said:

They hate government and want to break it so the wealthy can gain even more power and influence. 
 

 

I'm pretty sure "We hate government and want to break it so the wealthy can gain even more power and influence" is the official motto on Texas' state flag.

[goskins10]

1 minute ago, Rdskns2000 said:

One problem with that. Anything other issue; you will have to overcome filibuster and moderate/conservative Dems.

 

Infrastructure is probably what they will use reconciliation again for but that will be it.

 

All you will have is show votes because Joe won’t be able to pass much of anything else.

 

Until recently I was not for breaking the filibuster rules. It certainly has it's consequences. However a few things have changed my mind: 

 

1. It's clear there is no bi-partisan work anymore. The Rep claim bi-partisan work on previous Covid relief which is true on the surface. But it was only that way becasue Dems had to convince stupid Reps to give more money!!  It's not like the Reps wanted to do something and the Dems stopped them. In fact when dumb dumb asked for the first package, it was the Dems who said "You need to ask for more!! We will give it to you! Have to take this thing serious!"   

 

2. At this point it's either the Dems do it now or the Reps do it next time they have control. So why not take full advantage and be first. 

 

3. Pass HR1, Infrastructure, and health care reform and let the Rep explain to people why that's a bad thing! Why should it be harder for me to vote? Why shoudl those infrastructure jobs go away and us still drive on bad roads and bridges! And why should we subsidize Health Insurance companies te deterient of real people???  

 

So I am now on the plan of do it. Let's get on the offensive for once instead of playing defense. There will be a very good story to be told, starting with Dems used reconciliation to provide desperately needed relief for Covid while Reps used it to give corporations and rich people a tax break! 

 

[visionary]

 

[NoCalMike]

"We need revenues to pay for some of this" oh you mean like the revenues that come from the taxes that continue to be cut for the wealthiest Americans? 

[@DCGoldPants]

Biden signing a day earlier is interesting. GOP was out there today trying to convince people of a fake crises elsewhere and now get to decide if they want to pivot back to their canva graphics from earlier in the week, or keep this path.

 

Admin has an opportunity to take a small victory lap with a somber tone. Then pivot to something like Infrastructure and going big with a call for nationwide programs to rebuild everything using American labor and American Made materials. Creating jobs and infusing money into American Companies for those supplies. 

[PleaseBlitz]

2 minutes ago, @SkinsGoldPants said:

Admin has an opportunity to take a small victory lap with a somber tone.

 

Obama made that mistake.  Biden should take a huge victory lap and yell loudly and repeatedly about how much this is going to help individuals and the country as a whole.  

[@DCGoldPants]

4 minutes ago, PleaseBlitz said:

 

Obama made that mistake.  Biden should take a huge victory lap and yell loudly and repeatedly about how much this is going to help individuals and the country as a whole.  

people are dead. a lot of people are dead. Need to be careful there.

[Llevron]

1 minute ago, @SkinsGoldPants said:

people are dead. a lot of people are dead. Need to be careful there.

 

Yes but also this is politics and if no one knows YOU and YOUR homies did the thing then you wont be around to help do the rest of the things and you will have to turn over your government to people who literally dont give a **** about how many people they hurt. 

 

Its a balance, but humility in leadership is not what we need at the moment, unfortunately. 

[Burgold]

2 hours ago, Springfield said:

The thing that republicans want to accomplish is nothing. They want nothing to get done. They did nothing with Trump and they're doing a great job of doing nothing with Biden.

 

It's hard to think of a better example of a lack of any sort of conviction. They just want nothing.

It's an interesting strategy. The Republican's core message is "Government doesn't work." So, they almost can't get anything done or do good and stay on message. All they can do is prove government incompetence and corruption. Luckily for them, they excel in those two categories. 

6 minutes ago, @SkinsGoldPants said:

people are dead. a lot of people are dead. Need to be careful there.

If Biden has proven anything, it's that he knows how to be empathetic. I don't think there's a huge risk of him gloating and coming off tone deaf. My bet is that he will build a message that incorporates the tragedy and loss into his message as a way of building back in the midst of pain.

[PleaseBlitz]

The bill does more to end the pandemic than anything the previous guy did during almost an entire year.  Biden should tout the **** out of that.  

[Fresh8686]

56 minutes ago, Rdskns2000 said:

One problem with that. Anything other issue; you will have to overcome filibuster and moderate/conservative Dems.

 

Infrastructure is probably what they will use reconciliation again for but that will be it.

 

All you will have is show votes because Joe won’t be able to pass much of anything else.

 

Stacey Abrams brought up on Rachel Maddow yesterday, the idea of modifying the fillibuster rather than doing away with it altogether. Like there are now exceptions for judicial appointments, we can add a voting rights exception that allows HR 1 and SR 1 to bypass that 60 vote threshold.

[visionary]

Now it just needs to be sealed and delivered.