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You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / Saturday Morning Open Thread: Thank You, Nancy Pelosi

Saturday Morning Open Thread: Thank You, Nancy Pelosi

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Per the Washington Post:

… The 363-40 vote — gaveled down just before 1 a.m. — capped two days of volatile negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that threatened to fall apart entirely for hours Friday amid GOP misgivings. But even after President Trump criticized House Democrats at an afternoon news conference Pelosi and Mnuchin kept at it, speaking by phone 13 times in the course of the day Friday and finally clinching a deal.

Not long thereafter Trump endorsed the legislation over Twitter, ensuring widespread GOP support…

The House vote sends the legislation to the Senate, which is expected to pass it next week after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) canceled a planned recess so senators could act on the issue. All of the “no” votes Saturday came from Republicans, while one lawmaker — Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) — voted “present.”

In a letter to Democratic lawmakers Friday night, Pelosi thanked them for their patience through the ups and downs of the talks, which began when House Democrats released a version of the legislation Wednesday with a number of provisions Republicans opposed…

The agreement reached Friday is primarily aimed at expanding the safety net to cope with the potentially catastrophic economic impact of the coronavirus. In addition to ensuring free coronavirus testing, the plan would dramatically increase several benefits, particularly family medical leave and paid sick leave, while also bolstering unemployment insurance; spending on health insurance for the poor; and food programs for children and the elderly.

One of the biggest changes is a new paid sick leave guarantee for those impacted by the coronavirus, and reaching agreement on this issue was one of the final sticking points to a deal. Under the agreement, employers would be required to provide 14 days of paid sick leave at “not less” than two-thirds their regular rate. They would qualify for the benefit if they are sick and have to be quarantined or treated for coronavirus, or if they have to leave their jobs to take care of a family member who has coronavirus. Workers would also be eligible for paid sick leave if they have to stay home because they have a child whose school or childcare facility has closed due to the coronavirus.

The agreement also dramatically expands the existing paid family medical and leave program from its current form. Under existing law, employers are required to give “job protected” medical leave for up to 12 weeks — meaning workers cannot be fired — without additional pay. Under the Pelosi-Mnuchin plan, workers taking paid medical leave would also be paid at two-thirds of their typical rate of pay for the 12 weeks. This benefit, which applies to companies with fewer than 500 employees, would be available for a year for people affected by the coronavirus…

Additionally, the plan seeks to address fears that coronavirus could force many Americans to go without adequate food. The agreement provides $500 million to the women, infants, and children nutrition program; nullifies existing work requirements on the food stamp program; and provides $100 million in food grants to U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. It provides additional funding to nutritional assistance programs for children and the elderly…

Guess who intends to throw as much sand in the gears as possible:

Reader Interactions

307Comments

  1. 1.

    JPL

    Mitch said the earliest they could vote would be 5:30 Monday, which is after the markets close.   hmmm

  3. 3.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    Any Senator can force a multi-day delay to run all the cloture clocks.

    I assume Rand Paul is going to see this as his moment to prove he is a true douchbage of a libertarian.

  6. 6.

    Geminid

    And Thank You to the 41 Democrats who flipped House seats in 2018, and all the people who helped them do it!

  9. 9.

    Xentik

    I guess now we see if McConnell will leave the country to die on his desk along with all the other bills he hasn’t touched.

    I’d love to say I have faith in the senate republicans, but given that the logical, humane and ethical thing to do is to pass the bill as soon as possible, I expect we’ll see them add amendments to the bill that end obamacare, social security and medicare. Quoth McConnell: “We have to pay for these filthy entitlements somehow, best to take it out of the other ones”

  10. 10.

    Betty Cracker

    My little town is having a St. Paddy’s parade and festival today. A nearby town is having a parade and festival on Tuesday. The following week, the county fair opens.

  11. 11.

    MattF

    There’s several different pooible candidates for ‘Senator Evil’… Maybe a week or two of quarantine will clarify the issues here.

  12. 12.

    Chyron HR

    @Xentik:

    “I never thought the self-proclaimed Grim Reaper would kill ME,” sobs woman who voted for the self-proclaimed Grim Reaper.

  13. 13.

    MagdaInBlack

    Whats that bit about “applies to companies with fewer than 500 employees” ?!

  14. 14.

    Mousebumples

    Good morning, all! I’m officially working from home starting Monday , so I’m planning to get a better chair with lumbar support this weekend. Fortunately , my family is young ish (my husband and I are in our 30s and our daughter is 6mo)… Though I wonder about the safety of childcare options. We have a nanny , and grandma (mid 50s) watches our little one on Wednesdays. With naps, I could probably work ‘half days” during normal business hours… But just not sure when to pull the proverbial trigger on making such a switch…

  15. 15.

    TS (the original)

    So many thanks to Speaker Pelosi and to all those who voted for a democratic house in 2018. The thought of what may have been happening without either is as frightening as the coronavirus.

    As for the 40 members who voted NO – may most of them be unemployed from next January.

  17. 17.

    NotMax

    @MagdaInBlack

    Presumably those companies were previously exempted from such requirements under existing legislation and this provision temporarily brings them into the fold.

  19. 19.

    PsiFighter37

    @Xentik: Some asshole like Mike Lee or Rand Paul will hold the bill up for a few days, because they are the truly heartless ones.

    Ironically enough, I looked at where the U.S. cases are located…and for all of Cole’s freaking out, West Virginia is the only state that doesn’t have any confirmed cases yet.

  21. 21.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @NotMax: Reading between the lines, I thought it meant the aid for leave pay was targeted towards them. It’s not well worded at all.

  24. 24.

    Starfish

    @Mousebumples: That sounds hard. They sent us to work from home on Wednesday afternoon. Schools shutdown on Friday. My son is going to watch all the YouTube people doing Minecraft videos.

    I am moving my desk to the basement this weekend.

  25. 25.

    MagdaInBlack

    @NotMax:

    I read it 4 times, it’s not clear, so I’ll dig deeper

    Of course, I’m thinking of myself, my company has 700+ shops. And first it has to pass.

  27. 27.

    Mousebumples

    @debbie: thanks for the recommendation! My current setup is mostly for snow days , so it involves a folding chair , so I do want to get a better chair since I expect to be home for awhile , depending on how all this plays out.

  28. 28.

    burnspbesq

    Good stuff.

    Somebody should ask Joe (and Bernie, not that his answer matters) whether his Administration will make those things permanent.

  29. 29.

    Quinerly

    Good morning from HOME!

    Jojo all settled in. Loves his small courtyard and is now racing around on a steep 1880’s Victorian staircase. (I had had some unexpresssd concerns with his previously, badly broken leg… it was pinned back together, 6 weeks in a cast.. Had worried that stairs would be a problem.) He mastered them in less than 2 hrs. Very fightened at first.

    Unrelated, I highly suggest this piece about the party at Mar-a-Lago last weekend….not just for the coronavirus angle:

    miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article241026546.html

  34. 34.

    Shalimar

    I think we should lock any senator who puts a hold on this bill in a room with Trump until either the senator allows the vote or one of them kills the other.

  37. 37.

    NotMax

    That’s what I get for rushing at two in the morning. Formatting fix.

    The 363-40 vote

    That’s a total of 403. Justin Amash voted Present, making 404. AFAIK there are currently 4 vacancies ( 1 each in California, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin), so 27 members missing from the 431 holding office at this time.

    @MagdaInBlack

    Text of the bill (.pdf file) here. Family and medical leave covered in Division C, paid sick leave addressed in the section tilted Division E.

  38. 38.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Chyron HR: Yup.

    I really can’t wrap my head around what a sack of shit the turtle-faced fascist motherfucker is.  I mean all these bastards know you can’t take it with you, right?  And at this rate, someone’s going to punch their corpses in the face before we can all piss on their graves.

  39. 39.

    Shalimar

    @NotMax: Safe to assume the majority of those 27 are in quarantine.  most likely all Republicans so far since they have been very careless with the mass gatherings,  but it should even out between parties over time.

    I wonder if there are enough senators in quarantine to give Dems a temporary majority?

  40. 40.

    J R in WV

     

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    It’s not well worded at all.

    Don’t you suspect we are reading a brief summary of what is included in an 800 page bill ? Written by someone who has slept 4 hours a night since mid-Feb. or so to get the bill written, and then modified as Pelosi and Mnuchkin talked on the phone?

  41. 41.

    rikyrah

    A vote for Bernie is literally a vote to leave 100 million people who have pre-existing conditions behind since he would lose by McGovern proportions, allowing GOP to control everything and dismantle the Affordable Care Act. t.co/rgDbM5UN3u— Vetting Bernie (@vetthebern) March 14, 2020

  44. 44.

    BobS

    As has become my morning routine, I come here directly from Al Jazeera (which I’ve found to be the best site for succinct and up-to-date international coverage of the pandemic). It really dawned on me this morning (especially reading about the response in Singapore and South Korea) how the federal government is (at best) leading from behind. If our mitigation efforts are successful, it will be because of state and local governments and, in my opinion, the one guy who is most responsible for driving home the seriousness of this to ordinary people- David Stern (who should get a Medal of Honor from Joe Biden, who himself looked more presidential on Thursday than Trump has in 4 years).

    The delayed response of the Trump administration (and now Senate Republicans) to a world-wide emergency as well as Trump’s refusal to accept responsibility should be the focus of every Democratic campaign going forward- ‘we can’t count on Republicans when the stakes are the highest’.

  47. 47.

    Quinerly

    @Baud: thanks. Longer drive time getting back. Three nights on the road so JoJo had plenty of breaks. I also feel like potential exposure to “stuff.” We are self quarantining. An excuse to get my house in order, paperwork… I told JoJo it’s “too peoplely out there.” We will get some walks in, though.

  52. 52.

    Shalimar

    @Baud: As in many, many cases, Bernie’s plan is better but no way in hell he gets it through the Senate.   Which, as a senator for 14 years now, he should know.

  55. 55.

    OzarkHillbilly

    FTFNYT, an actually not bad column from Bretbug Stephens: Trump Meets Nemesis, Punisher of Hubris

    The word “nemesis” is too often misused. We tend to think of it as meaning a powerful, nefarious, but ultimately conquerable enemy: Vader; Voldemort; the Wicked Witch of the West. But the original Nemesis was not a villain. She was a goddess — an implacable agent of justice who gives the arrogant, insolent and wicked what they deserve.

    As a matter of public health, nobody should ever suggest that the novel coronavirus represents any form of justice, divine or otherwise. It’s a virus that must be stopped.

    As a matter of politics, however, it’s hard to think of a mechanism so uniquely well-suited for exposing the hubris, ignorance, prejudice, mendacity and catastrophic self-regard of the president who is supposed to lead us through this crisis.

    I couldn’t help thinking of a different definition of nemesis tho:

    A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by an ‘orrible cunt… me.

  59. 59.

    Lapassionara

    @Quinerly: welcome back. I’m currently social distancing, but when things calm down (if), let’s do another STL meetup. I would enjoy meeting your new pup and seeing you again.

  61. 61.

    Ken

    @Shalimar: The phrasing reflects their relative grasp of political realities.

    Biden: “I believe we should guarantee it”

    Sanders: “I will guarantee it”

  65. 65.

    Immanentize

    This 27 missing House members is interesting.  Most votes don’t include everyone, especially those at one on the morning — on Shabbos* no less. 

    Imagine that there was some group of people, let’s call them, I dunno, journalists, who could run down that story of who was where why.

    *Walter don’t roll on Shabbos!

  68. 68.

    Lapassionara

    @Quinerly: Great.

     

    BTW, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated the decision re McGahn doesn’t have to testify before Congress. The full court will hear arguments again and issue another ruling. This happened yesterday.

  70. 70.

    Immanentize

    So yesterday at the news conference, when Seema Verma (obvious villain name) stated that all nursing homes would now preclude all visitors, I was wondering — how can they do that?

    They cant. My Mom’s transitional facility has requested people not visit, but as they pointed out — it’s not a fucking prison!

  71. 71.

    Immanentize

    @Leto: Don’t blame me!  Ozark started it, Dad!!!!

    ETA or in the lingo of the times, “I take no responsibility at all “

  72. 72.

    Princess

    What is Mitch McConnell and the senate GOP doing that is soooo important that they couldn’t stay over the weekend and pass the bill?
    I mean that as a serious question. This is the biggest crisis of our lifetimes and they’re AWOL. They are up to something.

  73. 73.

    Immanentize

    @Lapassionara: I think I predicted that outcome.  The majority was so weak in analysis and the dissent so strong, court had to take it en banc. (full court).

  75. 75.

    Shalimar

    Meanwhile, DeSantis has appointed a pediatrician to be Florida’s Surgeon General, so response in one of the two largest Republican states will be led by someone with no public health experience whatsoever.

  76. 76.

    MomSense

    We have a power outage and I really need coffee.

    My kid got a puppy last night.  He’s adorable and up to all the puppy tricks like asking to go out and then coming back in the house and peeing.  What a face he has.

  78. 78.

    Shalimar

    @Lapassionara: Sounds like running out the clock.  a few months after the hearings to issue the opinion, another 6 months before the Supreme Court hears the appeal, and we are looking at a final ruling next February at the earliest.

  79. 79.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Princess: Not giving a flying fuck about the vast majority of the people in this country (their own constituents too) is a very tiring task.  They really need the weekend off to start fresh on Monday.

    Seriously, you’re looking for a logical explanation when the explanation is “Fuck off, you dirty peasants.”

  84. 84.

    NotMax

    @Immanentize

    Yeah, normally something one would shrug off. But at this juncture inquiring minds have a warranted curiosity about the circumstances.

  90. 90.

    Quinerly

    @NotMax: you seem to know me pretty well. I have a list. Plus, Ozark’s friend, Red, has almost finished the rest of the basement apartment’s floor. She worked a lot here while I was gone. Looks fabulous! 650 sq feet of pebbles!

  91. 91.

    Ken

    Open thread, so I’ll just quote from the Cracked article “Get Ready for Coronavirus P*rn” (mostly SFW):

    There have been millions of searches for these videos, peaking on March 5, but expected to spike again with preventive self-isolation (and therefore lots of bored, horny people) on the rise. Incidentally, the location where the most searches are coming from is Washington, D.C.

    Good to see our elected representatives and their staffs are learning all they can about the disease.

  93. 93.

    Immanentize

    @Lapassionara: I don’t have the rules in front of me (too lazy right now) but I think the lower appellate panel opinion is automatically vacated once a Circuit grants en banc review. The en banc court can reinstate it, but that almost never happens as it will issue its own opinion. The panel opinion is vacated because it is really the same court with the same powers so you can’t have two opinions out there at once. And it returns the en banc court to the same position as the panel was on — reviewing the District Court opinion.

    So, I don’t think they did anything extraordinary, it just happens that way.

  94. 94.

    gene108

    I am not hoarding supplies like it seems some people are.

    I wonder, if I am wrong in not turning into a dooms day prepper?

  95. 95.

    OzarkHillbilly

    If you are into self abuse: Bernie or Bust: the Sanders fans who will never vote for Biden

    Ekene Okonkwo studies political science, advocates for gun control and reproductive rights, and is voting in a presidential election for the first time this year. But only if she can vote for Bernie Sanders.

    The 19-year-old, who studies political science and lives in the Bronx, said the Vermont senator is the only candidate she trusts to deal with the issues she cares most about – on climate change, for instance, she called former vice-president Joe Biden’s plan “unfeasible”. A vote for Biden, who is likely to be the Democratic nominee in November, would only give the party more reason to take her vote for granted, she said.

    That was enough for me. I have to ask tho, is it just me or does anyone else here feel like she is failing in her chosen major?

  100. 100.

    Immanentize

    @gene108: you are not wrong.  Resist the urge to go insane.   

    So, the Immp and I mathed the toilet paper question. We have two bathrooms. Two men (this is an important variable) and we do not go through two rolls a week. But let’s imagine high use for both bathroom and nose blowing uses. Two rolls a week. Ok, go crazy! Call it three. We had an unopened six pack in the closet. All set! And, the stores will be open all the time. And delivery from the local stores or Amazon.

    There are  no zombies.

  101. 101.

    delk

    Just went shopping in Chicago. Plenty of everything still on shelves. Long, long, long checkout lines though and over half of the available registers did not have anybody working them.

  103. 103.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @Betty Cracker:

    As I wrote in the overnight thread, my brother and his partner went to dinner with another couple last night and then on to see a RuPaul Drag Race show at the Flamingo. And today we’re piling into the rental van with their kids to go out in the desert with our RWNJ brother and our 90-year-old mom.

    Plus, as I’m checking Facebook notifications last night, I see that the Sighthound Hall “manny,” while the family is out here, is sending greetings from Puerto Rico! He is a Brazilian yoot who is trying to see the U.S. in his off time. A month or two ago he was in Boston.

    It’s beginning to look like when I get back to D.C. the main virus vector I will have to socially distance from is Sighthound Hall.

    I think at some point today I’m going to have a “Y’know, what about this whole coronavirus thing?” conversation with Bro’ Man. He is a doctor, and thus well aware of the risks—we’ve talked about them—but there seems to be a bit of a disconnect with his actions. Maybe he feels like since he had to roll the dice on making this trip to see Mom he might as well do some entertainment stuff.

    I am pretty much sticking to my friend’s place except when involved in family activities.

  104. 104.

    johnnybuck

    @mrmoshpotato:  It’s the paid leave part of the bill they’ll be opposed to. This is a plank in the Democratic party platform, and you can bet when people see this benefit they’re going to want it to continue. Better to bankrupt and kill people than to help I guess.

  105. 105.

    Baud

    @delk:

    I’m about to go to Costco. If I don’t make it back, I just want to tell all you guys how much you mean to me.

  106. 106.

    mrmoshpotato

    @OzarkHillbilly: “Failing” is putting it generously.

    the only candidate she trusts to deal with the issues she cares most about

    I get that she’s 19, but how does a polsci major not realize every election has a winner?

    If the Democratic nominee doesn’t win, guess who we’re stuck with for four more years?  Hint – he’s an orange manchild who sucks Kremlin ass.

  107. 107.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Immanentize:And, the stores will be open all the time. And delivery from the local stores or Amazon.

    My wife went to Wally World the other day. No TP.
    Came home and got on Amazon. No TP.

    ETA that was 3 or 4 days ago, WW had some yesterday, emphasis on the “some”. They were probably stripped again by the time she got home.

  110. 110.

    Immanentize

    @Baud: I promise, if you dont make it, once we get out of the trenches I’ll see that your Mom gets this letter you wrote….

  111. 111.

    JPL

    @Immanentize: When  YY Sima Qian started posting I went out and purchased toilet paper.   I have a well stocked pantry so wasn’t really concerned about anything else.    He hasn’t posted in awhile so hope he is okay.

  112. 112.

    Lapassionara

    @Immanentize: Maybe so, but I looked at the order, which applied to two cases that present similar issues. Only the McGahn case was vacated. Maybe the rules provide for automatic vacatur, but if so, why would the order specifically include a vacatur for McGahn and not the other case?

  116. 116.

    germy

    I visited my (big) grocery store again today and found empty shelves where paper products, nonperishable food and sanitizing wipes used to be.

    late-stage capitalism put under even the slightest stress looks exactly what capitalists claim socialism looks like t.co/Hc9pGPfdhg
    — ben shapiro has a small penis (@agrabruh) March 12, 2020

  120. 120.

    TS (the original)

    @JPL:

    Susan Collins will express concern

    And the deficit – they will be so concerned about the deficit

  122. 122.

    germy

    From a public health friend in NYC: “Behavior resulting from panic is hurting those around you. The USA culture of individualism will be the death of us.”
    — Lauren Wolfe (@Wolfe321) March 14, 2020

  125. 125.

    NotMax

    @Baud

    “Last we saw of him he was going down for the third time under a mound of rotisserie chickens, officer.”

  127. 127.

    Nelle

    @Quinerly: I’m stealing your phrase about it being “too people out there.”  That you said it to your new friend makes it extra fine.  I think my daughter, who is normally self-isolating (well, with her husband, four rescue dogs, and a rescue cat) is going to appreciate the phrase too.

  128. 128.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @mrmoshpotato: but how does a polsci major not realize every election has a winner?

    What I want to know is how does a polisci major not understand that a president without a party behind him can’t do a damn thing?

  129. 129.

    Immanentize

    @jeffreyw: is he having a big Rubin Sandwich fest?  And the Russian Dressing  was all gone?

    Mmmm. I just made myself hungry.  And I do have a corned beef brisket in the fridge.

  134. 134.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @jeffreyw: Does he have requisite amounts of corned beef, sauerkraut, and rye bread?

    ETA Also I wonder if he has enough milk for the corn flakes?

  135. 135.

    Immanentize

    @NotMax: We have those several roll dispensers.  They only way to steal paper would be to pull, and pull, and wrap it up.

    Someone will do that and my bet would be on someone tenured.

  139. 139.

    Quinerly

    @mrmoshpotato: the entire article is a study in selfishness and greed. I read another article about a guy selling a bottle of Purell for about $100.

  141. 141.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Steeplejack (phone): Day has a special meaning for me, beyond π. On March 14, 1993 (smack in the middle of one of the worst blizzards ever to hit the entire east coast), I quit smoking forever — for the very rational reason that I was having a heart attack. And on March 14, 2001 — eight years later, to the day — I had quadruple bypass surgery.

    These days, they could probably just insert stents and it would take an hour. The technology has really evolved, and for the better.

  143. 143.

    Immanentize

    @Steeplejack (phone): Students are learning about their college futures today.  Stressful for all the students and for parents with applying kids. If that applies to anyone reading, good luck and may the odds be always in your favor.

  144. 144.

    Ken

    @NotMax: Have you browsed the websites devoted to recipe card horrors from the 1950s?  They probably didn’t use much Russian dressing, but I’m sure you could adapt “Party Lime Jello Mold with Spam, Black Olives, Maraschino Cherries, and Thousand Island Dressing”.

  145. 145.

    mrmoshpotato

    @NotMax: “He dove into a mountain of roast chickens while yelling, “I’ll eat my way out!” His bones have yet to be identified.  So. Many. Bones.”

    To this day, we don’t know why he dove in seeing as how he well – didn’t have to.

  146. 146.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Ken: As I told my wife, a couple weeks worth is probably more than enough. Things will ease up soon enough.

  151. 151.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Immanentize:They only way to steal paper would be to pull, and pull, and wrap it up.

    Sheeeeit, You lack imagination. I got a 24 oz framing hammer that says otherwise.

  154. 154.

    SFAW

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Oh suuuure, blame me.

    Well, it’s not as if you don’t deserve it. Frankly, if the rotating tags database weren’t filled to overflowing, “Blame Ozark” should be the next one added. Well, either that, or “Blech.”

    Belch.

  155. 155.

    NotMax

    @Ken

    Yup. Great fun and also time sink. Especially the ones where they prepare it and force significant other to sample.

  163. 163.

    Kristine

    @OzarkHillbilly: the common thread I see linking all these Bernie-or-Busters is the inability/refusal to understand the sausage-making side of legislation and the facts that half the room is against you, you won’t get all the things you want even if you have the Biggest Bestest Personality Evah, and you have to accept bargaining and compromise. You can rail against those things all you want, but until tens of millions of Americans have a collective flash on the road to Damascus moment, it ain’t happening.

    I want to ask them if they ever had to negotiate anything in their lives, or was everything they wanted simply handed to them because they demanded, without question.

  164. 164.

    Gin & Tonic

    @BobS:

    the one guy who is most responsible for driving home the seriousness of this to ordinary people- David Stern (who should get a Medal of Honor from Joe Biden

    David Stern, unfortunately, is dead, so probably not eligible. The NBA Commissioner now is Adam Silver. I know (and agree with) the point you were trying to make, just setting the record straight.

  167. 167.

    SFAW

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    My daughter braved the panic-driven crowds at the local grocery store. She said the check-out lines were around the store. [This was at 8:30 AM this morning.]

    “But I got you guys toilet paper!”
    “That’s great, honey, how much? Like, a four-pack?”

    “No, I got a big one.” [which is something like 24)

    She’s such a good kid. I guess she got that from Mrs. SFAW.

  171. 171.

    artem1s

    inability/refusal to understand the sausage-making side of legislation and the facts that half the room is against you, you won’t get all the things you want even if you have the Biggest Bestest Personality Evah,

     

     

    @Kristine: Sounds a lot like the folks who voted for the Biggest Bestest Deal Maker Evah, don’t it?

  174. 174.

    Immanentize

    @jeffreyw:. Sorry, I just took a quickie look and it looked like fresh cabbage.  I love home made slaw.  I wish I had some NOW.

    OK, I am cooking that corned beef today.

  175. 175.

    Quiltingfool

    I like being at home.  I can easily switch from being a “people person” to a hermit!  If you tell me to avoid crowds, shopping, big events, I’m all in.  Weekly shopping for me is a chore that I can’t wait to get through.  I think the reason I can hang out at home without going stir crazy is I have lots of hobby interests,  the main one is quilting.  I’ve got tons of fabric, more quilt ideas than I could do in a lifetime, so I’m good to go!  I love to read too.  Plus, if sewing and reading gets to be a drag (hahahahahahaha, yeah, right) I could do some serious housecleaning.  Oh, who am I kidding, lol!  I just worry about my parents.  As I said in a thread a few days ago, my mom just went into a nursing home on the day they locked down.  My dad spoke to her on the phone yesterday, and she seems to be doing okay, so far.  I worry about him, as he went from a 24-7 care routine for mom to having nothing to do.  He’s a doer.  So he will have some massive adjustments.  But, like it or not, adjustments must be made, we go forward.

     

    Stay safe, my friends!

  176. 176.

    germy

    @Kristine:   thirdway centrist Democrats whittle every proposal down to its bare bones before facing a single Republican.  The Joe Lieberman syndrome.

  178. 178.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Kristine: I don’t think you’re factoring in the power of a yelling 79-year-old wagging his finger at you about INCOME INEQUALITY.

  182. 182.

    Gin & Tonic

    Got a thoughtful note from my son – Asian supermarkets are seeing the shopping hordes staying away due to irrational fear, so if you need to shop and have one nearby, patronize them instead. They likely need the business and won’t have crowds (and they may even have toilet paper.)

    Son, of course, is kind of trapped – Ukraine is closing its borders to non-citizens, so even if he goes to Poland or Slovakia, he won’t be able to get back in.

  185. 185.

    SFAW

    @Immanentize:

    OK, I am cooking that corned beef today.

    I need to make sure I have enough potatoes. The SFAW-ette said the Market Basket she visited was out of potatoes, mushrooms, spinach.

    Corned beef hash, one of the seven basic food groups.

  187. 187.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @germy:thirdway centrist Democrats whittle every proposal down to its bare bones before facing a single Republican.

    And the Republicans vote against it anyway. It’s not about the GOP, it’s about those DEMs on the edge getting re-elected. We went thru this with the ACA. Several of those DEMs committed political Seppuku when they voted in favor of it and voted for it anyway.

  188. 188.

    germy

    I decided to check in with Real Americans to see what they have to say:

    Because of the Corona virus and Lime disease (Corona beer and lime juice) we may have to shut down. So, when you visit this site be sure and wear your protective mask. Better yet; go on line ordering the following: Beta Glucan, Triple Mushroom Complex, Vit D-3 from Swanson Vitamins and then order “Drop It” that is advertised for stopping a headache when you drink wine. This product contains a powerful ingredient called Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide which will go head to head with all viruses. – Sid

    Here’s the DNC’s playbook: Hope that the stock market crash and broken economy sink Mr. Trump in public opinion, then contrive to nominate Mr. Biden and get a black woman on the ticket as veep. That part of the story has been trotted out already. I’m beginning to wonder whether that black woman will happen to be Michelle Obama, and I’m also wondering whether Barack Obama is behind the scenes orchestrating this. Of course, Mr. Biden, if elected, will serve in office less than a week — just long enough to hustle him off with the 25th amendment. Voila! The Obamas are back in the White House, out-Clintoning even the Clintons! Happy days are here again! (Not.) – Jim

  190. 190.

    Scout211

    We canceled our book group for the first time ever. We have been meeting for 37 years and none of us are young. We agreed to share our thoughts via email. I wish we could do the zoom thing but some of the members barely can text. It’s for the best, but sad.

  196. 196.

    Leto

    @germy: Does Jim, that fabulous Constitutional scholar that he is, understand how the 25th works?

    *Narrator: no he does not.

  197. 197.

    BroD

    WaPo: “McConnell absent as Pelosi, White House reach deal on coronavirus economic relief package“

    He was back in his office searching  for his gonads.

  198. 198.

    SFAW

    @germy:

    Matt Gaetz, who voted against paid sick leave, is currently on paid sick leave from Congress

    Being “under the weather” is not really a valid use of “paid sick leave,” you fucking mook.

    [NB: Using “under the weather” in the sense of its semi-traditional meaning of “really hungover.”]

  205. 205.

    germy

    @SFAW:  I think he feels fine, he’s just self-isolating to be safe.  (The gas mask he wore as a joke wasn’t helpful)

  206. 206.

    Leto

    @NotMax: I don’t know what Jim will do when his great leader, Rush, isn’t around to tell him who is really the diabolical puppet master!!! Who’s the next up and coming AM shitbag? =/

  207. 207.

    Chyron HR

    @germy:

    Well, guess Bernie’s little idiots have no choice but to elect Trump to teach Joe Fucking Lieberman (I-CT) a lesson.

  208. 208.

    germy

    @Chyron HR:  Haven’t they heightened the contradictions enough?  The contradictions are heightened enough for me.  Maybe the idiots will vote blue this time.  But being idiots, maybe they won’t.

    But after drumpf’s win, I no longer play the “this or that person is not electable” game.

  210. 210.

    debbie

    @Mousebumples:

    I have an Aeron at work which is pretty good for a workplace chair, but my back needs better support and this thing made a real difference. I even use it when I’m at home sitting on my couch.

  211. 211.

    germy

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Shit, they’re in a jar on Nancy’s desk, right next to trump’s.

    Oh crap, is that what that is??   Floating in alcohol? Matt Gaetz just took a big swig!

    Nobody tell him…

  212. 212.

    debbie

    @Baud:

    Bernie’s acting like a real capitalist. “Look at all my goodies! I’ll wipe out your student debt, I’ll give you free healthcare, I’ll give you six months — no, six YEARS — paid leave!”

  213. 213.

    debbie

    @jeffreyw:

    Heh, I just got back from trying to find a few things (paper towels, bread, butter, potatoes, and carrots so I can make stew tonight). I’m not hoarding and I’m only buying paper stuff, etc. for a couple of weeks.

    I was surprised to find that I was still brand-conscious and refusing to buy any off-brand stuff (It’s Land O Lakes or nothing!). What an old fart I am.

  214. 214.

    debbie

    @germy:

    I was just listening to a report on waiving work requirements for food stamps during the pandemic. Conservatives of course oppose it, but it occurred to me that legislators (state and federal both) don’t work enough to qualify, what with the 3-day weeks and bunches of times devoted to fundraising. Isn’t that something?

  217. 217.

    germy

    @debbie:  that would be funny if Republican state legislators needed food stamps to make ends meet.

    We’d see sweeping legislation, as the NYT calls it.

  218. 218.

    A Ghost to Most

    I hit the store late (5:45 am vs 5:00 am opening). Still no paper products, but the meat was being restocked, so I was able to get hamburger and a couple of nice chuck roasts.

  219. 219.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @debbie: but it occurred to me that legislators (state and federal both) don’t work enough to qualify, what with the 3-day weeks and bunches of times devoted to fundraising. Isn’t that something?

    That’s awfully similar to the logic of people who say that teachers have it easy – 8-3 and summers off.

  220. 220.

    debbie

    Will Roberts even be concerned? From Dalia Lithwick:

    James Dannenberg is a retired Hawaii state judge. He sat on the District Court of the 1st Circuit of the state judiciary for 27 years. Before that, he served as the deputy attorney general of Hawaii. He was also an adjunct professor at the University of Hawaii Richardson School of Law, teaching federal jurisdiction for more than a decade. He has appeared on briefs and petitions as part of the most prestigious association of attorneys in the country: the Supreme Court Bar. The lawyers admitted to practice before the high court enjoy preferred seating at arguments and access to the court library, and are deemed members of the legal elite. Above all, the bar stands as a sprawling national signifier that the work of the court, the legitimacy of the institution, and the business of justice is bolstered by tens of thousands of lawyers across the nation.

    …

    On Wednesday, Dannenberg tendered a letter of resignation from the Supreme Court Bar to Chief Justice John Roberts. He has been a member of that bar since 1972. In his letter, reprinted in full below, Dannenberg compares the current Supreme Court, with its boundless solicitude for the rights of the wealthy, the privileged, and the comfortable, to the court that ushered in the Lochner era in the early 20th century, a period of profound judicial activism that put a heavy thumb on the scale for big business, banking, and insurance interests, and ruled consistently against child labor, fair wages, and labor regulations.

  222. 222.

    kindness

    Nancy Pelosi should be our next Vice President.  I can’t imagine she would want the job but just imagine Biden’s age catches up to him during his term.  Who would you like to see be sworn in immediately?  Nancy’s earned that.

  225. 225.

    MomSense

    I’ve got so much food in the house.  Going to make lots of soups with dried beans and veggies. I’ve decided to start baking bread again since I’ll have a stretch of time to work on it.  I wish you were all closer so I could deliver meals to you.  My next door neighbors are not doing well.  They are in their late 80s and he just had a pacemaker installed two weeks ago.  I’m going to doorbell ditch meals every day.

    My oldest and his girlfriend are going to come here and stay.  All his gigs have been canceled and his day job, too.  I’m looking forward to lots of music in the house.

    Can we try to do some music threads every day for some relief from this stress.

  228. 228.

    NotMax

    @kindness

    She’s doing just fine where she is, and better than most anyone else in the House could in that position.

    Plus she turns 80 at the end of this month, fer cripes sake. We really don’t need Biden to be the youngster on the ticket.

  229. 229.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @debbie: If you are placing me on a list, consider placing me on the list of people who don’t care for facile and cynical generalizations.

  230. 230.

    debbie

    @MomSense:

    When I was out walking yesterday, I passed a yard and thought how barren it looked before its bazillion flowers and shrubs begin to bloom. It’s got a chubby Buddha statuette in the middle of the yard and my first thought was that that little guy sure could use a Momsense scarf!

  232. 232.

    ThresherK

    @germy: Haven’t they heightened the contradictions enough?

    No: Exact quote follows from a sincere social media respondent.

    Not voting for Joe forces them (ed note: moderate Dems? moderate Republicans? (sic) both?) to hit bottom faster. They may need four more years to have their faces rubbed in the crap of their denial.

  233. 233.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @kindness:

    Nancy Pelosi should be our next Vice President. I can’t imagine she would want the job but just imagine Biden’s age catches up to him during his term. Who would you like to see be sworn in immediately? Nancy’s earned that.

    Ummm … Nancy is nearly three years older than Joe (she’ll turn 80 in a couple of weeks).

  235. 235.

    kindness

    @NotMax: I agree with that some.  As I say, I can’t imagine she’d want the job.  But she would help the election ticket much more than she’d hurt it.  Republicans smear Nancy all the time but it doesn’t stick to anyone outside the Fox News audience.  Plus, I like the sound of President Nancy Pelosi.

    @SiubhanDuinne: Age isn’t concerning me as much as a lot of folk I guess.

  236. 236.

    J R in WV

    Hey, Open Thread !!

    So I just saw a Reuters story about a B-737 with a 12 inch crack caused gradual loss of cabin pressure. That’ll teach those folk to fly during a pandemic!

    There was a headline about another big story, which I copied to paste here for your reading delight:

    Hindu group offers cow urine in a bid to ward off coronavirus

    Pretty good plan, there (not). . .    we used to keep a milk cow, and I have lost more than one bucket of fresh warm from the cow milk to a prolific stream of fresh warm cow urine. . . no thank you, please!

  237. 237.

    Immanentize

    @jeffreyw: You are just mean!  I put the corned beef 1/2 brisket in the slow cooker.  Tonight, tastebud heaven.  Thank you for inspiring me

  238. 238.

    Immanentize

    @debbie: I can’t afford to quit the SCt bar.  Meanwhile, all the things he complains about are seen as feature not bug by the current court. They thank him for noticing.

  242. 242.

    Immanentize

    @Lapassionara: OK. You may be long gone but I figured out the answer.  There is no opinion in the House v. Mnuchin case — it was still being considered by the panel.  The en banc court is going to only address the standing issue which is how the McGahn case got thrown out.

  247. 247.

    taumaturgo

    Think about this. Under the radar, the Fed shoved $1.5 trillion out the door to aid liquidity. Who’s liquidity? The bankers, of course, while the GOP cowardly waited for Trump’s approval signal to vote for a modest TEMPORARY assistance package for the middle and poor working-class class. Moscow Mich is nowhere to be found doing the second act of Nero while the country succumbs to his malignant neglect.  I wish a sound good night’s sleep for all GOP supporters.

  248. 248.

    Brachiator

    @Chyron HR:

    “I never thought the self-proclaimed Grim Reaper would kill ME,” sobs woman who voted for the self-proclaimed Grim Reaper.

    Sad, but true.

    Thanks for the grim chuckle.

  249. 249.

    germy

    Claims that streamlining NSC structures impaired our nation's bio defense are false. Global health remained a top NSC priority, and its expert team was critical to effectively handling the 2018-19 Africa Ebola crisis. The angry Left just can't stop attacking, even in a crisis.
    — John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) March 14, 2020

  251. 251.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump·
    10m
    Just finished a meeting on Covid-19 in the Situation Room, news conference coming up shortly. 

    get out your umbrellas cause it’s about to rain some bullshit

  252. 252.

    joel hanes

    @Quinerly:

    Outdoors away from people is a good place.   Direct sunlight is very hard on the virus, whether in aerosol microdroplets or on surfaces.   Stay upwind or crosswind of other people.

    and good luck to us all

  253. 253.

    joel hanes

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    hubris, ignorance, prejudice, mendacity and catastrophic self-regard

    Whatever one thinks of Stephens, the man has a way with words.   I’m saving that particular string of them for later use.

  254. 254.

    joel hanes

    @Immanentize:

    Seema Verma (obvious villain name)

    She is a villian.   The Medicaid policies she’s trying to put in place would push hundreds of thousands off Medicaid, which of course is the program of last resort for the destitute elderly.  The policies amount to deliberate murder by neglect.

    She is one of Pence’s cronies from Indiana.

  255. 255.

    Martin

    Trump’s elimination of the payroll tax was being pitched as permanent, which is why even his supporters backed away from it.

  256. 256.

    Martin

    I’m glad Trump is wearing the USA hat, because it’s legit hard to figure out who he’s working for.

  257. 257.

    joel hanes

    @Princess:

    What is Mitch McConnell and the senate GOP doing that is soooo important that they couldn’t stay over the weekend and pass the bill?

    Speculating:  they plan to hold the nation hostage, to demand a couple toxic right-wing wet-dream provisions be added to the bill in conference, or they won’t pass it.   They need the weekend to conspire in this villiany.

  260. 260.

    A Ghost to Most

    So, they’ve dug the trench and buried the 66″ pipe (down from 84″ – yay) right up to the road in front of us. We’re meeting  with Denver Water Wednesday about how they are going to rip up our entire property from 15′ away from our foundation to the street in May/June to lay the pipe.

    So, what’s this I hear about a bug going around?

  264. 264.

    joel hanes

    @germy:

    Behavior resulting from panic is hurting those around you.

    DeFoe documents exactly the same kind of folly in 1665 in _A_Journal_Of_The_Plague_Year_.   People don’t change much.

  266. 266.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    @PsiFighter37: Ironically enough, I looked at where the U.S. cases are located…and for all of Cole’s freaking out, West Virginia is the only state that doesn’t have any confirmed cases yet.

    Speaking as someone who lives in a hot zone and works at company that’s at high risk, I have yet to know of or hear of anyone whose been seriously ill. I just know it’s going on around me.

  268. 268.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I’m sure this will be greatly calming for the markets

    Robert Costa@costareports
    12m
    NEWS: President Trump tells reporters, “I have the right to do that,” in terms of removing Powell as chair, if he chooses to do so. Does not rule it out.

    are there futures markets to track over the weekend?

  269. 269.

    Brachiator

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Ekene Okonkwo studies political science, advocates for gun control and reproductive rights, and is voting in a presidential election for the first time this year. But only if she can vote for Bernie Sanders.

    So, she advocates for reproductive rights, but would let Trump and the GOP, absolute enemies of reproductive rights, remain in power. OK, then.

    BTW, has Bernie Sanders said anything in response to the Trump administration’s proposals and actions related to the corona virus?

  270. 270.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    he’s just talking to make himself feel powerful and “tough”

    Philip Rucker@PhilipRucker
    14m

    Lots of headlines from President Trump:
    -He took coronavirus test last night and is awaiting lab results
    -He said it’s good for retail stores to close
    -He said people shouldn’t travel unless they have to
    -He may expand travel ban, including some domestic restrictions

  271. 271.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    the things he says out loud…

    Philip Rucker @ PhilipRucker
    Breaking —> Trump says he was tested for coronavirus last night and a lab is reviewing for results. “I decided I should based on the press conference yesterday,” Trump says.

  274. 274.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Maggie Haberman @ maggieNYT
    Pretty striking that Trump says he took the test in the same time window that the WH physician put out a note explaining why he didn’t need to be tested.

  275. 275.

    joel hanes

    @taumaturgo:

    We all need the financial markets to work.

    You have no idea what widespread bank failure would mean to you, and I hope you never find out.

    Also, that money is a _loan_, not a gift, and assuming that it succeeds in forestalling the complete failure of our financial system, it will all be paid back.

  277. 277.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @OzarkHillbilly: I made it one paragraph further

    “If we lose to Trump then hopefully within the next four years maybe an AOC or Rashida Tlaib would be able to run,” Okonkwo said, referring to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and another progressive politician who has gained popularity in the last two years. “Maybe there would be a better chance to save the planet.”

    Granted, I was in my early thirties in the spring of 2001 when I was breezily confident that the GOP would suffer long-term damage from electing that stumble-bum legacy moron.

  279. 279.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @OzarkHillbilly: and a little further…

    Martha Baez, a 54-year-old who works in finance, is one of those voters. She is registered as an independent and voted for Jill Stein in 2016. ….“I don’t think that I should put aside my values and vote out of fear,” she said. “The DNC needs an overhaul, it lacks values, real leaders that represent the people not its donors.”

    The impact on the supreme court or other policies, she said, was not her responsibility.

    “Why is that my problem?” she said. “Shouldn’t it have been considered before selecting the ‘chosen one’? Will they try and flip the script and make it my issue or fault?”

    My values are fuck everyone else, I want to feel special!

  280. 280.

    Ken

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: I’m trying to imagine what’s in the note from the WH physician.

    “Although he has been repeatedly exposed in the last few days, the President is not exhibiting any symptoms; certainly not to the degree that is required for ordinary people to be tested”?

    “He is just the healthiest man ever to be in this office, hugely strong, no way he’d ever get the virus”?

    I’m leaning toward the second.

  281. 281.

    Brachiator

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    “If we lose to Trump then hopefully within the next four years maybe an AOC or Rashida Tlaib would be able to run,” Okonkwo said

    She lost to Trump once. Why does she want to repeat the experience?

    Some of these people live in a bubble where nothing exists except their belief in Bernie.

    I suppose it is similar to those fundies who ignore the pain and suffering in the world because they only see the Paradise of the after-life.

    In practical terms, while many Democrats (and pretty much all of Balloon Juice) have taken the pledge to vote for the Democratic Party nominee, whoever that person might be, an unknown portion of the Bernie cult refuse to do the right thing.

    If Bernie is not the nominee, he is going to have to try to talk these people down from the ledge.

  282. 282.

    Chyron HR

    @Brachiator:

    If Bernie is not the nominee, he is going to have to try to talk these people down from the ledge.

    Who’s going to make him do that?

  283. 283.

    trollhattan

    @joel hanes:

    This would be a good year to hike the Pacific Trail (not intending to invoke Mark Sanford in any way). Not only is the snowpack well below average (i.e., the passes will open well ahead of normal) you’re simply not catching this thing from a marmot.

    We’re beginning our first winter storm in a month and a half here in NorCa. Considering more than half of the state is experiencing drought, this is a good thing. Supposed to last three days.

  286. 286.

    A Ghost to Most

    My stomach just dropped, reading about Virus Johnson’s (autocorrect changed Boris to Virus) policy of “Let’s all get it, and get over it”. Cold.

  287. 287.

    Chyron HR

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    “Why is that my problem?” she said. “Shouldn’t it have been considered before selecting the ‘chosen one’?”

    Why is it the voters’ fault that Bernie can’t win a primary election?  Shouldn’t she have considered that before selecting him as the “”””chosen one””””?

  288. 288.

    Brachiator

    @Chyron HR:

    RE: If Bernie is not the nominee, he is going to have to try to talk these people down from the ledge.

    Who’s going to make him do that?

    No one. It’s up to him. Earlier, I asked if he had any response or reaction to Trump’s foolish actions with respect to the virus.

    From now through the election, I am curious to see what Sanders does.

    I suspect that he is too rigid to vary his themes and approach, but we shall see.

  290. 290.

    Marcopolo

    @joel hanes: Probably a dead thread but I think after the vote & passage of the legislation the House recessed for Spring break so they aren’t around if the senate wants changes.

  293. 293.

    HumboldtBlue

    @joel hanes: 

    Plenty of hail overnight and the latest hail downpur just ended. We are in desperate need of rain, we’ve had a very dry winter.

  294. 294.

    Brachiator

    @Chyron HR:

    So it would be more accurate to say that he DOES NOT have to do that, and most likely WILL NOT do it.

    No, not at all. I am curious to see how Biden, Sanders and Warren, among others, react to the current crisis. Especially Biden and Sanders, since they are still in contention for the nomination.

    We’ve heard from Biden, in his recent remarks.

  295. 295.

    ziggy

    No new post on the press conference? Trump looked awful, and he left the room. I wonder if that test is weighing on him.

  299. 299.

    joel hanes

    Over/under on days until Trump is (secretly) on a ventilator?

    I’ll take fifteen.

    Watch for his appearances to completely halt, and improved English in “his” tweets.

  300. 300.

    ziggy

    @joel hanes: Don’t know about the ventilator, but he looks SO bad. Saying he had Coronavirus would be a good excuse to get him out of the public eye for a while…We’ll never know the truth.

  303. 303.

    Another Scott

    Checking in from NoVA:

    – got signed up for telework. No official word yet from work on when we will be starting.

    – heard from a former colleague at a different agency now that they are being told to plan on teleworking for 30 days and no work travel for 60 days.

    – stopped at the local Target on the way home last night. The week before it had plenty of TP and other paper products but were out of many soups, chilis, hand sanitizer, etc. Yesterday, the paper shelves were picked clean, no cleaning wipes, no bread, no milk, no water, etc.

    – as of Thursday, VA was saying public schools would be closed Friday and Monday while they figured out what to do. Today I walked past our local elementary with a sign saying schools were closing until April 12. Lots of kids playing in the school yard, not keeping their “social distance”, several groups of runners/walkers through the neighborhood who were very close also…

    – Metro is cutting back trains and buses to a “Saturday schedule” that they may adjust again as needed. That’s sensible, but will make things more difficult for people who need to keep working.

    It’s good to see that we’re finally starting to take things seriously around here, but there’s a lot more to do. I suspect next week will see even more changes to normal routines. (There are huge numbers of military and civil service retirees around here.)

    Hang in there, everyone.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

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