Progressives so far are not taking the bait. They must be sure that Build Back Better supports all. Lying Republican politicians continue to be pretzels for Trump. All hail to progressives Politics Done Right Live weekdays @ 11:00 AM Central Video Zoom: LINK — Live Calls: (346)248-7799 ID:254 0 9091...
Reconciliation
Democratic voters are depressed, demoralized, and tuning out — and there's no use in denying it. Amanda Marcotte In a couple of weeks, the world will come together in Glasgow, Scotland, in what is yet another attempt for worldwide action to attempt to prevent planetwide devastation trajectory we have yet to slow...
As she walked through Ronald Reagan airport, Senator Krysten Sinema of Arizona confronted climate activists and others over her ongoing obstruction of the 3.5 trillion dollars build-back better plan. The former Green Party activist who campaigned for Ralph Nader in 2000 (which helped Goerge W Bush win the presidential election...
As she walked through Ronald Reagan airport, Senator Krysten Sinema of Arizona was confronted by climate activists over her ongoing obstruction of the 3.5 trillion dollars build-back better plan. The 3.5 plan is where the majority of climate provisions can be found. It is strongly opposed by the fossil fuel interests that...
Let’s face it, nothing gets through the Senate if Moscow Mitch McConnell doesn’t want it to pass. (Almost nothing: we did get the Covid-19 relief package through, and a few other things, using reconciliation.) And it’s been clear to everyone (even Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema!) that there aren’t 10...
Among the countless examples of inane “Washington group-think” is the notion that only Democrats have to “pay for” their legislative priorities (i.e., enact corresponding tax increases and/or spending cuts to match the costs of new programs). Republicans do not remotely consider themselves so constrained — in part because they also are...
The Senate Parliamentarian has ruled that Chuck Schumer may be able to use budget reconciliation rules to pass two additional amendments to the 2021 budget bill that was used in enacting Biden’s Covid relief law. Reconciliation, though complicated, allows bills to pass the Senate with a 51 to 50 vote. thehill.com/… The ruling...
Friendly reminder: retiring U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R. PA) is still an asshole and will not be missed: Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania on Thursday blocked a bill meant to bar private debt collectors from seizing checks issued as part of the recent stimulus bill. The law that Toomey...
Last night, I happily threw out any notion of nutrition and ordered dinner from a fast-food restaurant. I am far from being a foodie or a snob. I enjoy a good cheeseburger and fries just like the next plumber named Joe. Watching what I eat, as I get older, is...
Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen’s (D. MD) re-election campaign: Wealth and income inequality in America have been increasing dramatically for decades and Trump’s 2017 billionaire tax-cut made this situation even worse. We are now experiencing the extreme inequality levels that existed just prior to the...
Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen’s (D. MD) re-election campaign: Americans should not be robbed of a living wage by archaic Senate rules and procedures—including the filibuster. We must increase the minimum wage, and I’ll keep pushing until we get it done. pic.twitter.com/ymfS056bux — Senator Chris...
Are we not distracted enough by bombing targets in Syria to know that the White House will do better than the “best path forward”. Pelosi indicates bill expected to pass House Friday will include wage hike. Then that means the Senate will strip it out next week. And assuming Senate...
I’ve seen general pieces about the filibuster and its history, and so let me be specific that I am asking for commentary that is a little deeper, or granular. My question is simple — I’’m old enough to have been politically aware since the Ford/Carter years, and for most of my life the...
Received this e-mail today from the progressive organization, Indivisible: When we woke up this morning, Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) was trending on Twitter. And you should be pissed off. Yesterday, she told Politico that she’s opposed to including raising the federal minimum wage to $15 in the COVID-19 relief package moving through...
Lat week was my birthday and I took most of the week and weekend off so I am playing catch up here with my e-mails. Received this e-mail on Friday from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I. VT) group, Our Revolution: Yesterday, because of the incredible grassroots pressure that you helped...
While our attention was consumed by the latest Republican shiny object, Vice President Kamala Harris the originator of the pearls and Chucks meme, un-clutched her pearls, laced up her Chucks, and cast her first tie-breaking vote in the Senate. President Joe Biden and his second in command are demonstrating what...
Republicans are intimidated by the size of Joe Biden’s bills. Maine Sen. Susan Collins and a group of likeminded milquetoasts are balking at the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package Democrats appear determined to pass through budget reconciliation. Seems they’ve either noticed the giant deficit Donald Trump amassed both pre- and...
Let me begin by saying that I am strongly for eliminating the legislative filibuster entirely. But certain Democratic Senators, most notably Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), have made it clear that they will not vote to remove the legislative filibuster and, thus, at least for now, Democrats lack the votes to end...
Received this e-mail today from former presidential candidate, Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s (D. TX) organization, Powered By People: Beto O’Rourke (D. TX) Ted Cruz led the effort to overturn the 2020 election results in the Senate, placing our democracy on the altar of his own political ambition. Two major Texas newspapers...
All his life, Donald Trump has managed to avoid responsibility for the damage he’s done to others: his racial discrimination in his housing (not to mention his neglect of that same housing), his stiffing of contractors, driving many of them into bankruptcy, his exploitation of undocumented immigrants, his misogynistic treatment...
To be a better writer, I force myself to review right-wing media. Every day I go on Fox News, but also a rotating menu of rightwing sites. It’s very easy to live inside a bubble, but I can’t make arguments if I don’t know what the other side is thinking....
Five years ago (was it only five years ago?) the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Obergefell v Hodges that same-sex couples were entitled to the same marriage rights as opposite-sex couples. Jim Obergefell was the named plaintiff, and Richard Hodges the defendant in his capacity as director of the Ohio...
Reminding myself that during nearly two decades of my life, racial segregation dominated some states, and that in 2020 we are still battling some of the same issues preventing people from voting. As if we didn’t need more reminders of systemic racism. People are going to need to be “carefully taught”,...
“Oyez! The Summer Session of Frog Court is called to order, Judge Jeramiah Bullfrog presiding,” honked the Bailiff, who was a Canadian goose. In strode two robed judges, who were six foot tall bullfrogs, trying to walk on two legs, but instead hopping from foot to foot. The third bullfrog...
THANK YOU!!! x President Obama is absolutely right. It is an outrage that modern-day poll taxes, gerrymandering, I.D. requirements, and other forms of voter suppression still exist today. If expanding the Voting Rights Act requires us to eliminate the filibuster, then that is what we must do. https://t.co/4pLb1rZCSjâ” Bernie Sanders...
The New York Times has a great piece out about how Democrats are eager to not only help Joe Biden take out Trump but also want him to expand the electoral map. The goal is to get to 270 electoral votes and here are the current states Biden’s campaign is...
The Economist has a great piece out about former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential candidate. The part that I think always deserves emphasis about how Biden has quickly reached out to Bernie Sanders and his team to help draft a progressive agenda that he can implement as president: When Mr...
North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office building just north of the heavily armed border with South Korea, which may be more for domestic consumption, but also signifies the impotence of US-DPRK diplomacy. Easier to develop disinformation blaming South Korea and the US than the PRC. Trump’s incompetence continues as in the aggregate, any diplomacy with the DPRK...
Stealing valor is not like taking your taser, much like renaming military bases happens normally. Jeff Sessions is desperate for “his” voters x … whose courage & duty reached the highest levels, on both sides. Naming U.S. bases for those who fought for the South was seen as an act...
Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D. OR) in support of Rev. Raphael Warnock’s (D. GA) U.S. Senate campaign: America is hurting. Tens of thousands of Americans are gathering every day in righteous protest against violence and racism. Instead of seeking reconciliation and justice, the president tries...
There’s been a lot of discussions about how progressives are trying to figure out which policies they can push Joe Biden on fully embracing and campaigning on. But Osita Nwanevu at The New Republic makes the argument that instead of pushing Biden more to the left on policy, they should...
Hi everyone, So my last diary that made the Rec list was from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, an organization that I respect greatly and still do, was an e-mail about how Elizabeth Warren was gaining votes from Amy Klobuchar and Pete Buttigieg. It presented Tweets from the people who...
This is why I fully support U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D. MA) in this primary: Sen. Elizabeth Warren wrapped up a three-day swing through southeast Iowa Monday, focusing on rural parts of the state fewer than two months shy of the caucuses. Warren traversed the southeast corner of Iowa, holding...
Here’s some big news today out of Alaska courtesy of the DSCC: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, issued the following statement endorsing Dr. Al Gross in the Alaska U.S. Senate race: “Dr. Al Gross is a lifelong Alaskan who understands the unique needs of...
Medicare For All activist, Ady Barkan, who is dying from ALS, released an op-ed piece for The Nation explaining not only why he's endorsing U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D. MA) in the Democratic Primary but also why he is backing her plan to transition into Medicare For All over U.S....
As many of you know, the filibuster has been the top issue for me in the 2020 Democratic Primary. I support Elizabeth Warren because she has called for eliminating the archaic 60 vote rule that has constantly killed progress time and time again. Her, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Julian Castro,...