With Friends Like These…

[Chew Toy McCoy]

When you finally get a chance to meet your congressperson you may have elected, and get to ask why they don't want to do what the majority of what their constituents want.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1445187146420297736/



Notice. She asks why she won't do something. Response. "I don't negotiate in public." I don't believe your constituents asking why the 'F' you aren't doing what they voted you into office to do what they majority wants, is 'negotiating'. It's asking WTF are you doing and why.

She can't even be honest with basic questions anymore.

And being a contrarian doesn't make you a maverick. It makes you a Republican. It's like the people who worship Steve Jobs and think the only lesson to learn from his success is be an asshole to your employees. I don't know if we're ever seen such a decline from a liberal champion to a corrupt corporatist before.

 

[Herdfan]

Sinema and Manchin must not want any allies. Literally ANY Democrat right now could do exactly what they are doing since the majority is so thin, but they have chosen to put country ahead of self.

Quite a few of us look at them putting country over party. I know some will disagree, but both have their reasons and they are different from each other's.

One thing I do think they have in common is that bullying them will only make them dig in deeper. I know Manchin is willing to work together to try to come up with something, no idea about Sinema.

What I don't understand is why there are no GOP Reps willing to vote Yay on the $1.5T bill that was somewhat bi-partisan in the Senate. Get that done and let Joe have the win. Then the Dems can go try to get bigger majorities in 2022 and pass whatever they want then.

 

[Roller]

Quite a few of us look at them putting country over party. I know some will disagree, but both have their reasons and they are different from each other's.

One thing I do think they have in common is that bullying them will only make them dig in deeper. I know Manchin is willing to work together to try to come up with something, no idea about Sinema.

What I don't understand is why there are no GOP Reps willing to vote Yay on the $1.5T bill that was somewhat bi-partisan in the Senate. Get that done and let Joe have the win. Then the Dems can go try to get bigger majorities in 2022 and pass whatever they want then.

Let Joe have the win? Country over party? This isn't a game. It's about legislation that will start to address climate change, reduce poverty, cut prescription drug prices, expand medical coverage, and more. And it's paid for by tax hikes on wealthy corporations and individuals. Yes, there's room for negotiation, and according to reporting tonight Sinema and Manchin may be ready to do that.

What makes no sense is that no Republican senators are willing to support any piece of this bill, even though it will benefit their own families and constituents. Why? Because they care more about sowing chaos and making the Democrats look bad to further their selfish political interests. It's disgusting.

 

[SuperMatt]

Let Joe have the win? Country over party? This isn't a game. It's about legislation that will start to address climate change, reduce poverty, cut prescription drug prices, expand medical coverage, and more. And it's paid for by tax hikes on wealthy corporations and individuals. Yes, there's room for negotiation, and according to reporting tonight Sinema and Manchin may be ready to do that.

What makes no sense is that no Republican senators are willing to support any piece of this bill, even though it will benefit their own families and constituents. Why? Because they care more about sowing chaos and making the Democrats look bad to further their selfish political interests. It's disgusting.

And as for Republicans wanting what’s best for America, I ask this: What does McConnell want in exchange for letting the debt limit expire, which would have a disastrous effect on the economy (as seen the last time he did it)? Nothing. So, he’s blocking it for no reason other than to, what… own the libs?

He infamously said his only goal after Obama was elected was that he only be a 1-term president. What does that have to do with benefitting the country? Nothing. It’s just seeking power for the sake of having power.

The Republicans could have done something in 2017 when they were passing their tax cut. They could have lowered government spending to match. All they talk about is cutting government spending, but when they have power, they never lower it. They just cut taxes, make false promises that those tax cuts will pay for themselves. Rinse and repeat. They are totally ineffective, even to accomplish the goals they espouse.

 

[JayMysteri0]

I'm still fairly certain her plan isn't to run again, at least not as a 'd'.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1445902215093231617/

As far as any harassment being shown her way, I certainly don't agree with it. Common sense will tell you though, if you intentionally make yourself ( a public official hired / voted to serve their voters ) unobtainable, the more frustrated / extreme will go to whatever lengths to talk to you. I've never understood the whole run for office, press the flesh & get out there for votes, then when in office tell those same voters to talk to your "office".

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

What I don't understand is why there are no GOP Reps willing to vote Yay on the $1.5T bill that was somewhat bi-partisan in the Senate. Get that done and let Joe have the win. Then the Dems can go try to get bigger majorities in 2022 and pass whatever they want then.

We’ve reached the point when the opposing party in Congress will just unilaterally attempt to block the agenda of the party the current President belongs to. It has nothing to do with the American people. Fuck them. They just can’t allow that one person to have a perceived win. Then they’ll issue some word salad in an attempt to defend it when all it is, is not allowing that win. Republicans couldn’t give less of a shit about the budget under Trump. Now they’re refusing to pay for his budget that they passed. I don’t know why people are consumed with the deep state when the surface state is just as bad, if not worse.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Branching out from the usual suspects in this thread.

Big Pharma’s Democrats

Three House Dems working to kill drug price legislation raked in roughly $1.6 million from pharma donors — and the top aide for one of them is now a pharma lobbyist.

www.dailyposter.com

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

“They Pick The One”

How Big Pharma flipped Kyrsten Sinema, who’s now threatening to be their key obstructionist.

www.dailyposter.com

 

[lizkat]

I'm still fairly certain her plan isn't to run again, at least not as a 'd'.

https://www.twitter.com/i/web/status/1445902215093231617/

As far as any harassment being shown her way, I certainly don't agree with it. Common sense will tell you though, if you intentionally make yourself ( a public official hired / voted to serve their voters ) unobtainable, the more frustrated / extreme will go to whatever lengths to talk to you. I've never understood the whole run for office, press the flesh & get out there for votes, then when in office tell those same voters to talk to your "office".

Sinema may have been trying to channel the late Senator McCain in her studied picks of saying No at critical junctures. However, her choices on what to say no to as a member of her own party have hardly run parallel to McCain's attempts to correct his own party's course from time to time, at least in terms of potential benefit to the country. So if she thinks Arizona will soon like her better if she switches to an R, she may have a bigger surprise than if she remains a Democrat.

Either way Sinema will end up facing challengers in whatever ends up as "her party", from the right as an R or the left as a D. Joe Manchin is a better example of a blue dog Dem than Sinema can ever be, because the West Virginia version of progressive goals is more tied up in the coal mine unions than anything else on the Dem platform, and because Sinema's originally more progressive credentials were on the social side of the ledger... so her credentials as a conservative Dem in Arizona are not rock solid either.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

Sinema may have been trying to channel the late Senator McCain in her studied picks of saying No at critical junctures. However, her choices on what to say no to as a member of her own party have hardly run parallel to McCain's attempts to correct his own party's course from time to time, at least in terms of potential benefit to the country. So if she thinks Arizona will soon like her better if she switches to an R, she may have a bigger surprise than if she remains a Democrat.

Either way Sinema will end up facing challengers in whatever ends up as "her party", from the right as an R or the left as a D. Joe Manchin is a better example of a blue dog Dem than Sinema can ever be, because the West Virginia version of progressive goals is more tied up in the coal mine unions than anything else on the Dem platform, and because Sinema's originally more progressive credentials were on the social side of the ledger... so her credentials as a conservative Dem in Arizona are not rock solid either.

Like I said before, being blindly contrarian doesn’t make you a maverick, and that’s all she’s doing which also conveniently aligns with her corruption. And to rub salt in the wound, how far she’s gone against her roots. It’s not like the Matt Gaetz of the world ever had a social justice day in the sun. He just hatched out a self-serving asshole hoisted up by mouth-breathing knuckle draggers.

 

[JayMysteri0]

 

[Herdfan]

He needs to work on his math. It is 52 people blocking it, not just 2.

 

[Pumbaa]

He needs to work on his math. It is 52 people blocking it, not just 2.

Well… Any 2 of those 52 would do, right?

 

[SuperMatt]

At this point, maybe the Democrats should pass what they can and then focus on winning more seats in the next election.

 

[Chew Toy McCoy]

He needs to work on his math. It is 52 people blocking it, not just 2.

You're being just as disingenuous. Republicans are being blanket obstructionists and I suggested many months ago they should be allowed to just stay home after signing a "no to everything" letter.

I think any kind of debate on this bill (or any large bill for that matter) should include going through each item and every member needs to vote on the record what they are specifically for and against. It should be important to their constituents to know what exactly their representatives are voting for or against on their behalf.

What’s going on right now is like declaring the winner of the Super Bowl based on a couple recently injured players without actually playing the game and people are just supposed to accept that.

 

[Herdfan]

You're being just as disingenuous.

So is he. There was a bi-partisan bill passed by the Senate that the House won't even take up. Probably because the Squad has threatened to derail it, but make them vote on it anyway.

At this point, maybe the Democrats should pass what they can and then focus on winning more seats in the next election.

Absolutely. This is how it used to be. Get what you can now and live to fight another day. Or maybe try negotiating in good faith, a little give and take. Sadly BOTH sides just want to take.

 

[hulugu]

Sinema may have been trying to channel the late Senator McCain in her studied picks of saying No at critical junctures. However, her choices on what to say no to as a member of her own party have hardly run parallel to McCain's attempts to correct his own party's course from time to time, at least in terms of potential benefit to the country. So if she thinks Arizona will soon like her better if she switches to an R, she may have a bigger surprise than if she remains a Democrat.

Either way Sinema will end up facing challengers in whatever ends up as "her party", from the right as an R or the left as a D. Joe Manchin is a better example of a blue dog Dem than Sinema can ever be, because the West Virginia version of progressive goals is more tied up in the coal mine unions than anything else on the Dem platform, and because Sinema's originally more progressive credentials were on the social side of the ledger... so her credentials as a conservative Dem in Arizona are not rock solid either.

Importantly, while McCain loved playing the Maverick, when it came to major votes he almost always joined with his party. Really, his ACA vote was one of the few times he broke, and that was because the ACA vote was so obviously stupid that McCain understood that he had to vote it down.

Sinema is playing some kind of "chaos" game, and her Sphinx-like maneuvering has absolutely guaranteed a primary in 2024. People in Arizona politics have long memories, and all the little groups that pushed hard for her are furious.

And, for the DNC, she's a huge problem because they sold her as a solution. But, now either people are going to push hard for progressive, and even independent candidates, or they're going to opt out, arguing that there's no real difference between Democrats and Republicans.

Sinema's digging her own political grave.

 

[lizkat]

Sinema's digging her own political grave.

Fine... so long as she doesn't take the Dems' ability to legislate into the same hole in the ground.

Someone in the party's top echelons must have said something to her about that by now.

Question is whether Sinema cares any more.

Someow she seems to have gone off into a bubble where media attention to her enigmatic behavior is all that matters.

 

[hulugu]

Fine... so long as she doesn't take the Dems' ability to legislate into the same hole in the ground.

Someone in the party's top echelons must have said something to her about that by now.

Question is whether Sinema cares any more.

Someow she seems to have gone off into a bubble where media attention to her enigmatic behavior is all that matters.

That's what I think is so suprising. She's wrecking the Arizona Democratic party, trashing the allies that helped her win against McSally in Maricopa, and she's going to blow up the president's agenda? I mean, you usually don't want to do any of these things.

Her refusal to explain herself, or talk to her constituents is just stupid. She should be out there laying out the groundwork for a grand plan, making arguments and setting agendas. Whomever is running her staffing is a goddamned fool.

 

[lizkat]

So is he. There was a bi-partisan bill passed by the Senate that the House won't even take up. Probably because the Squad has threatened to derail it, but make them vote on it anyway.



Absolutely. This is how it used to be. Get what you can now and live to fight another day. Or maybe try negotiating in good faith, a little give and take. Sadly BOTH sides just want to take.

What's different today is the higher relative strengths of fringe caucuses in both parties in the House, and some intraparty fissures in the other body as well, although in the Senate more potential division among Rs than Ds, so far.

Anyway that complicates good faith "give and take" across party lines for sure, because neither party can count on a renegade not breaking ranks and tweeting or sound-biting some hand grenade --on the same day, even in the same hour as when new agreements are being trial ballooned by designated party spokesmen du jour on whatever a key issue is at that time.