The Biden-Harris Era

[Greg]

Cecily Strong absolutely nails Kyrsten Sinema in the opening of the latest Saturday Night Live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzEPvj46rGQ

[Sabin]

OscarGuy wrote
Who knows. She's incredibly unpopular in her home state and Mark Kelly doesn't seem to facing the negative effects of his straight party line adherence.

I will say this in support of your point: Mark Kelly over-performed Joe Biden's margins in Arizona. That's a good sign. He's as perfect a Democratic candidate as one could find in a red state like Arizona. He's an astronaut as well as the husband of Gabby Giffords who was shot in the head. That being said, I attribute at least a third of that credit to the fact that he was up against Martha McSally. Next year, she won't be on the ticket and neither will Trump. He's just going to be up against some average white guy. I'm not convinced that Mark Kelly would've won if he were up against some average white guy in the first place.

[OscarGuy]

Who knows. She's incredibly unpopular in her home state and Mark Kelly doesn't seem to facing the negative effects of his straight party line adherence.

[Sabin]

Greg wrote
From what I know, each state sets its own policy; and, in Arizona you may recall U.S. Senators and Representatives.

Got it. Oof... recalling a sitting Democrat in Arizona is a tricky prospect. It took a lot of weird factors to get the two that we have right now, including both of them running against a uniquely unpopular opponent (Martha McSally) who won't be on the ticket again. I'm concerned that it might be close to impossible to recall Sinema and get another Democrat in.

[Greg]

Greg wrote
So, it looks like Kyrsten Sinema will not be renominated and might even be recalled. I read where during a couple of summer months while she was a Senator she worked as an intern at a winery. Who the Hell works as an intern while being a U.S. Senator?

I thought you couldn't recall a federal officer.

From what I know, each state sets its own policy; and, in Arizona you may recall U.S. Senators and Representatives.

[Sabin]

Sonic Youth wrote

Sabin wrote
Sonic says that it was inevitable that Democrats were going to lose the House, that that has been the cycle of things over the last two Democratic presidents.

I said it was "likely", not inevitable. However, Democrats should govern as if it WERE inevitable. Whenever Democrats have a majority, they tip-toe around in fear of losing it. Then when they lose it, people say "nothing got done". Just pass this legislation and then go into the campaign with something to hang your hat on, is all I'm saying.

Fair point. And I agree.

Greg wrote
So, it looks like Kyrsten Sinema will not be renominated and might even be recalled. I read where during a couple of summer months while she was a Senator she worked as an intern at a winery. Who the Hell works as an intern while being a U.S. Senator?

I thought you couldn't recall a federal officer.

[Big Magilla]

I think she's got a few cases of that wine stored in her office and drinks a bottle or two of it a day. It's either that or drugs. She does not behave like a rational human being, let alone someone with such a heavy responsibility.

Her quote of just yesterday to a congressional reporter: "What do you mean they don't know where I am? I'm standing in the front of the elevator."

[Greg]

So, it looks like Kyrsten Sinema will not be renominated and might even be recalled. I read where during a couple of summer months while she was a Senator she worked as an intern at a winery. Who the Hell works as an intern while being a U.S. Senator?

[Sonic Youth]

Sonic says that it was inevitable that Democrats were going to lose the House, that that has been the cycle of things over the last two Democratic presidents.

I said it was "likely", not inevitable. However, Democrats should govern as if it WERE inevitable. Whenever Democrats have a majority, they tip-toe around in fear of losing it. Then when they lose it, people say "nothing got done". Just pass this legislation and then go into the campaign with something to hang your hat on, is all I'm saying.

I don't think Manchin and Sinema will vote against the larger package, there are too may things in it that everyone agrees on. I do think, however, that they'll use their clout to whittle it down to probably $2.5 trillion.

IOW, $250 billion a year instead of $350 billion a year, and $350 was meager to begin with. That's less than half of the Defense Department's budget, the difference being that - unlike the DOD - it will actually have some useful programs. I actually don't mind cutting it futher if that's what it takes to pass it - we'll at least head into the elections with some real accoplishments - but the recon package was already whittled down to begin with. Progressives have compromised for years, so I wouldn't blame them if they said "No more!". At some point, moderates need to decide who they're alligned with, and now is as good a time as any to put the pressure on them for a change.

I had sais in 2016 that the reason why I didn't support a progresive like Bernie Sanders for president was because I felt it wasn't time to have a progressive for president yet. We had a Republican congress at the time, it was likely the congress would remain so, and a progressive would get nothing passed whereas at least a moderate would get within spitting distance of getting something done. But right now in 2021, I say it's time. Look around. People are now demanding real services in exchange for all the tax cuts for the rich. It's time the Democrats send the message that they have the solutions, whatever the risk.

[Big Magilla]

Biden may be down in the polls but given a choice between him and Trump again, I think he'll win despite all the shenanigans the Republicans will pull though it may be time for fresh blood. At this point, no one including Harris, seems ready to pick up the mantle.

But, yes, to get through the midterms intact the Democrats have to do something. At this point, it's the Progressives who have to give some. They have to vote for the bipartisan infrastructure bill that has already passed the Senate. Enough with the stalling .

I don't think Manchin and Sinema will vote against the larger package, there are too may things in it that everyone agrees on. I do think, however, that they'll use their clout to whittle it down to probably $2.5 trillion.

In the end, though, the no-nothing public will still blame the Democrats all the things that went wrong while giving credit to the Republicans for everything that went right even though they did nothing but sit on their hands.

[Sabin]

Sonic says that it was inevitable that Democrats were going to lose the House, that that has been the cycle of things over the last two Democratic presidents. I don't know, maybe not. I thought Joe Biden had it in him to be a fairly unifying figure on both sides. Republicans had no idea how to attack this guy. And following a tumultuous 2020... sure, I could see an empowered Democratic Party keeping the House, or at the very least avoiding the traditional bloodbath. We are talking less than two years since the last President encouraged old people to die for the economy, admitted to knowing Coronavirus was deadly but kept it a secret from the American people, and... well, you all know. Yeah, I think Democrats could've kept the House after that.

It all just hinges on one thing: getting things done. One of the top messages of Joe Biden's candidacy was "I know how to get things done." It isn't "I know how to get things done unless two people in my part don't want to vote for something, in which case there's nothing I can do." Who knows? Maybe he can pull some rabbit out of his hat at the last moment. I'm certainly rooting for him. But right now, all I can hear is Will Roger's quote: "I am not a member of any organized political party. I'm a Democrat."

[Greg]

Four words of advice to President Biden:

Mint the damn coin!

Also, for good measure, make it $100 trillion, not $1 trillion.

[Sonic Youth]

Those who criticize Biden and the Democrats for not doing enough to prevent this disaster are not being fair. There is not much they can do without Republican cooperation, especially if they lose control of either chamber in 2022. It has become fashionable to write off any possibility that a handful of Republicans might rise up to save the day. This preemptive capitulation has certainly served well those Republicans who might otherwise be held to account for their cowardice. How nice for them that everyone has decided to focus fire on Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin.

Yet it is largely upon these Republicans that the fate of the republic rests.

Then I'm not exactly sure what he expects Democrats to do, or what the point of the frankly hysterical article is other than to recap where we are. If he's from the school of "Never criticize Democrats or Biden for anything", then this is counterproductive. We must criticize our own party BECAUSE IT IS OUR PARTY and we want it to always be better. Just about everything Biden is being attacked for is the grand result of problems that Trump allowed to linger - or make worse - during his presidency. But whatever Biden does in response to problems when they arise are all on him, good or bad. I don't blame him for the situation with the Haitian migrants gathering at the Texas border. But it's what he says and does afterwards that reflects upon him, and the truth is it's been a bit of a fuck-up. It's perfectly okay to say so, just as it's perfectly okay to put pressure on Manchin, Sinema et al. rather than on some Republicans who won't listen to us anyway.

I'm very concerned about everything in this column, but first things first. Yes, the Democrats are likely to lose the House in 2022, but wasn't that likely to happen anyway? The same thing happened to the last two Democratic administrations. There's really nothing we can do about it, so it's best that we focus our energy where it's most necessary: on whatever can get done between now and the end of 2022. If we can get the infrastructure bill passed as well as whatever's left of the reconstruction package, then this Democratic congress and administration will have done more than anyone has dreamed. To get it done, we need to stop getting distracted by the Republicans and place our focus on all Democrats. Make sure the moderates understand that the long-term strength of the party depends on our acheivements today. To do that, we of course have to "focus fire" on Manchin and Sinema and anyone else. A Republican's not going to get it done for us. Will it work? I don't know. But we can't panic and lose our nerve. The Republicans are already batshit crazy. We know that. We can't afford to make ourselves crazy either.

[Big Magilla]

Read it. Thanks, Okri.

It's all true but it's preaching to the choir.

Even after the discredited group that took on the Arizona vote ended up saying that Biden won, not only won but won by a greater margin than previously reported, Trump and his dumbass supporters are still saying he won.

Meanwhile, the Senate sits on its hands. It's gotten to the point that it doesn't really matter whether Democrats win or lose, the Republicans will remain in charge of the Senate as long as the ever-expanding rules of the filibuster remain in effect. Mitch McConnell has been the real man in charge of the country under three presidents now, and will likely remain so until he dies in office only to be replaced by one of his clones.

[Okri]

"Our constitutional crisis is already here"

Compelling, terrifying essay from Robert Kagan

I'd like to read the article but I'm not paying for a subscription to be able to do so.

Try this link