“…something stupid this way comes.”
The Pod Save Whatevs email thingie:
- After releasing the latest version of the Build Back Better Act on Wednesday (all 2,135 pages of it), Democratic leaders hoped to hold a House vote on the bill as soon as Thursday night, with an eye towards both chambers sealing the deal on President Biden’s full agenda before Thanksgiving. One teensy snag: A handful of centrist Democrats, including beloved icon Rep. Josh Goatherder (D-NJ), said in a Tuesday letter that they would first need 72 hours to read the full text, as well as a formal analysis showing that the bill wouldn’t add to the federal deficit.
- They’re in luck! On Thursday, the Joint Committee on Taxation released an official score finding that the reconciliation bill would raise about $1.5 trillion in revenue over the next 10 years. That score didn’t factor in cost-saving provisions that would beef up IRS enforcement and allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices; once those offsets are included, the $1.75 trillion package fully pays for itself. Some centrists will likely push to wait for a separate analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, which could still be weeks away.
- In any event, once the House passes both bills, the fate of the Biden agenda will be in the royal hands of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), and he’d like everybody to know that he’s in absolutely no rush. That puts him at odds with the Democratic PAC Priorities USA, which warned in a Wednesday memo that campaigning against the malevolent ghost of Donald Trump won’t be enough to retain Democratic majorities in the midterms. The solution, the memo advised, is for the party to get these bills passed and then get busy selling them.
And as they said Manchinema is in no rush.
- So maybe let’s hurry up and take those antidemocratic handicaps off the table? On Wednesday, Senate Republicans once again filibustered to block Democrats from even opening debate on voting-rights legislation—this time the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. On Thursday, long-time filibuster-defender Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) published an op-ed announcing he’s had enough of this shit: “No barrier—not even the filibuster—should stand in the way of our sacred obligation to protect our democracy.”
- We’ve been saying “it’s now or never” on election protections for a while now, but “now” really does mean now, now. The GOP-controlled North Carolina legislature has given its final approval to a wildly gerrymandered congressional map, which Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) can’t veto. Without federal redistricting reform, it will be up to state courts to block extreme maps like these from tilting the electoral playing field towards Republicans for the next 10 years, and not all of them will be terribly inclined.
The Pod Save Whatevs guys do have a point. One cannot win against Team Evil without having a candidate in the race (50-State Strategy, looking at you!), one also needs to differentiate oneself against Team Evil, and having some accomplishments to point to is kinda important. Getting rid of the filibuster (somehow?) is the key to it.
UPDATE 1: from Tiger Beat on the Potomac –
Kyrsten Sinema took to Insta to post about her upcoming triathlete season: “Here’s hoping 2022 has fewer surgeries and injuries and more rad adventures!”
the first comment on the ‘Gram that I saw:
“Sure would love to see you this excited about working for you constituents”
Mock Paper Scissors 
Well, you don’t have to be pricking your thumbs to be a world class prick…
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Every comment is some sort of variation on that.
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At least Kyrsten is still rocking the potato-sack couture
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With pink running shoes.
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What is the name of the caucus in the picture?
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Rat Effers
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Asshole Caucus
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I thought that, too-great minds again!
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“Sith lord and apprentices”
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Where is Kyrsten’s denim vest?
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That women’s white female not so secret republican arrogance and distain for her constituents and the Democratic party as reflected in her few public statements and her work attire – be it a potato sack and running shoes, Aaron Neville cos player, saucy school girl or just stopped by on the way to the club, it takes my breath away. Who does that? I’ve never seen anyone who struggled through life to make their live better act like complete hot garbage. I’ve seen pride, relief, character, happiness and joy, a lasting fear of hard times returning, and even fame and fortune, but not this shocking contempt. She could still get filthy rich and reelected and do good in her position and then get filthier rich as a lobbyist. And yet, a petty nouveau riche shit bag endlessly letting us eat cake.
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You nailed it. It’s baffling how she has morphed into this completely amoral narcissist. Honestly she wasn’t like this when she was in the AZ lege, or when she ran for Senate. (or to be honest, until this year.
She’s always had this weird ‘bipartisan’ fetish, but that stems from the fact that until January, her entire political career has been as being a member of the minority party. In AZ, Dems have to figure out how to work with the Republicans to get anything done, but she doesn’t need to do that anymore. It’s on the minority party to work with the majority, not vice-versa.
#MoscowMitch only does complete obstruction. He’ll only work with Dems if absolutely cornered.
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Well spoken, thank you!
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Brilliant!
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