Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

Donald Trump found guilty as fuck – May 30, 2024!

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

All hail the time of the bunny!

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

There are some who say that there are too many strawmen arguments on this blog.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

Republicans do not trust women.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

Not rolling over. fuck you, make me.

Not all heroes wear capes.

Relentless negativity is not a sign that you are more realistic.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Today’s gop: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

You are here: Home / Elections / Biden-Harris 2020 / Proud to Be A Democrat: President Biden’s Rescue Plan

Proud to Be A Democrat: President Biden’s Rescue Plan

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This is, as Uncle Joe would say, a BFD — and deserves to be celebrated as such!

Cue the meeping, from the usual suspects…

Not forgetting our ‘progressive’ alt-left Betters (May God turn their hearts, or at least their ankles, so we’ll know them by their limping… )

Reader Interactions

143Comments

  3. 3.

    Baud

    The US fiscal response to COVID is easily among the most generous in the world

    Makes sense, since our response to COVID has been the worst.

    People who treat the 1400 vs 2000 thing as a betrayal should never be taken seriously again

    This is our first test to see if we can stand up to the Trumpers of the left.

  5. 5.

    Cameron

    My understanding was that this package was going to be introduced in pieces, with the additional $1400 going first as it was most likely to get bipartisan support.  If that’s true, Rubio’s full of it.  But what else is new?

  6. 6.

    kindness

    Sorry to see Congressional Republicans crapping on it already.  Republicans are hard wired to only allow their own leaders to actually lead.  Wish the MSM called them on it.  Still, I’m hopeful.  Uncle Joe pulling a Bernie on America.  Well played.

  8. 8.

    mvr

    Got in a Twitter fight yesterday over whether $1400 + $600 = $2,000. Apparently a number of people think it doesn’t.

  9. 9.

    MattF

    Real interest rates are currently (and, unbelieveably) negative. That means the federal govt would make money by leaving borrowed money in pots on the street.

  10. 10.

    dmsilev

    @Cameron: I haven’t seen any definite reports one way or the other on specific legislation. It might be better to pass as a package, just because the Republicans will oppose almost all of it anyway and it’d be better to have the fight once rather than a dozen separate times.

  12. 12.

    danielx

    @debbie:

    That is correct. On the other hand, you just know that in certain circles the deficit will become THE WORST CRISIS EVAR – worse than war, plague, famine and death – as of January 21, 2021.

  13. 13.

    MattF

    The big point to make is that the largest possible amount has to be distributed as soon as possible. IOW, NOW, IF NOT SOONER.

  14. 14.

    Geminid

    @Baud: The lefties make lot of noise but their numbers are small. I compare them to a cup of cappuccino that’s all foam.

  15. 15.

    NotMax

    Betting pool now open on when Florida will announce plans to replace one of the two statues in the Capitol to which it is entitled with an image of Dolt 45.

    //

  19. 19.

    p.a.

    @NotMax: What’s the punishment for vandalism on federal property?  Might put getting busted on my bucket list.  Few close calls, but clean record to date.

  20. 20.

    Cowboy Diva

    I think it’s fair to point out that Warnock and Ossoff campaigned on checks for $2K, not checks for $600 under the current administration and $1.4K when we’re in charge.

  21. 21.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    Toomey is already railing against the Biden plan. Guess no one told him yet that he’s supposed to be newly bipartisan because of the insurrection.

  22. 22.

    Ken

    @p.a.: What’s the punishment for vandalism on federal property?

    You’re hailed as a patriotic hero on Fox, and your GoFundMe account raises hundreds of thousands.

  23. 23.

    Brachiator

    President-elect Joe Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion stimulus package proposal and said bold investment was needed to jump-start the economy and speed up the response to the coronavirus pandemic

    I like much of Biden’s plan. It is a good start, though not as innovative as I would like.

    But a lot of economists and pundits are stuck in old ways of thinking.  It is stupid to talk about “jump starting an economy” that has been deliberately shut down and will continue to be slow until the pandemic has passed by enough people having received the vaccine.

    And even here, much of the economy may strongly rebound simply because a substantial portion of the workforce has been able to carry on.  However, significant sectors of the economy have been stifled and it is unclear whether they will ever return in the same way as before. Traditional movie theaters, for example, and all the people employed there, might never come back as before. But new business opportunities will emerge.

    So, at best, and this is a good thing, Biden’s plan may help people sustain themselves, and help prepare for any economic recovery.

    I also like the people on Biden’s economic team, especially Janet Yellen, and think that they will be able to respond to what happens next.

  25. 25.

    Spanky

    The US fiscal response to COVID is easily among the most generous in the world

    … Because we started out from nothing.

  26. 26.

    taumaturgo

    The right to life Supreme Court continues unabated and unmercifully the executions killing in all our names.

  27. 27.

    NotMax

    @dmsilev

    Just checked, and Florida’s two current statues are of a doctor and (soo-prize, soo-prize) a Confederate general.

    Doesn’t take The Amazing Kreskin to predict which would be chosen to stay put.

  28. 28.

    Lacuna Synechdoche

    So … I don’t know if anyone else has noticed-slash-commented on this yet, but, uh, erection is trending this morning on Twitter.

    Seems Harry Litman (now with the LA Times, apparently) was writing about Trump being charged with election tampering and, umm, you see, there was a typo …

    Not much doubt that Trump will be up to his eyeballs defending suits from this period for rest of his life; But this one is up there with the New York DA for jeopardy to him.Tampering with erection, a crime in Georgia, in his call to the Secretary of State

    Which I suppose is the mother of all Freudian slips (see what I did there?).

    I mean, seriously, look down at your typing hands – R is nowhere near L on the keyboard. It’s not even on the same hand.

    Anyhoo, enough people started making just enough twitter jokes about it to make it trend, and, of course, from there it took off, because everyone who looked at the trending What’s Happening? sidebar (including yours truly) thought, “What the hell is … ? Why is erection trending?”, clicked on it, and, well, you can figure out the rest from there.

    So now, when you see erection trending on Twitter this morning, you’ll know why and won’t have to click on it. Unless, of course, you really want to …

    ——

    Harry has since corrected it:

    Had to correct that typo but I was tempted to let it go and send around the 10 best responses because you guys were killing it.

     

    (Reposted from previous thread, because it’s so late in the thread, and a public service announcement like this does no good if no one sees it.)

  31. 31.

    Brachiator

    The US fiscal response to COVID is easily among the most generous in the world

    I am not sure that this is entirely true, but in any event, the statement is largely meaningless. The point is to have an effective response, not just a “big” one.

  32. 32.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @mvr: accepting that kind of third-grade level math would make them…. I can barely bring myself to type it… normie Democrats!

  33. 33.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Baud:

    People who treat the 1400 vs 2000 thing as a betrayal should never be taken seriously again

    This is our first test to see if we can stand up to the Trumpers of the left.

    One of the very rare moments in my life when I’ve been ahead of any curve.

  34. 34.

    different-church-lady

    When the first panemic aid package passed (when was that, six years ago now?) I was thinking, yes we need to do it, but how the hell are we going to pay for it? Today I’m thinking, fuck it, we gotta throw everything and the kitchen sink in this hole and figure out how we’re going to deal with finance charges later. 

  35. 35.

    taumaturgo

    This was Joe in Georgia:

    “If you send Jon and the Reverend to Washington,” Biden said, “those $2,000 checks will go out the door restoring hope and decency and honor for so many people who are struggling right now. And if you send Senators Perdue and Loeffler back to Washington, those checks will never get there. It’s just that simple. The power is literally in your hands.”

    Simple, clear message except for the actual convoluted math. Notice he mentioned $2,000 checks, nothing about minus $600. Remember, Trump, improved over 20 percentage points among Latinos, Brown, Black, and Asian. Teasing and malarkey talking your own voters ain’t an auspicious start.

  37. 37.

    patrick II

    I am thrilled that there will be some adults in charge, particularly at this moment, in charge of the vaccine distribution which will lead to so many other good things.  However wonderful the distribution plans, will we have the vaccine to distribute?  I have been reading that (naturally) the Trump admin doesn’t actually have the vaccine they have been promising.  Are we making a new deal with the manufacturers? Is there a new vaccine about to come online? Is there some other source?

    Asking for an old man staying mostly staying at home.

  38. 38.

    Kathleen

    @Amir Khalid: Remember that Bernie assured his cult he still had path to nomination in 2016 long after he was mathematically eliminated. Referred to as “Bernie Math”.

  39. 39.

    different-church-lady

    @Geminid: Yeah, well four years ago that foam was a big factor in giving us Trump. So fuck those baristas and their loud mouths.

  41. 41.

    Baud

    @taumaturgo:

    Apparently our people have to give speeches in legalese so that the left doesn’t twist our meaning.

    Everyone in the world knew that the debate was over $600 vs. $2000.

  42. 42.

    Baud

    Besides, there are better was to use the extra $600 per person that people are now deceptively pushing for.

  43. 43.

    Buskertype

    I think the “most generous covid response in the world” is a teeny bit misleading, because it ignores how thin our safety net is relative to other wealthy countries. However, this is an excellent proposal.

  44. 44.

    patrick II

    I just received a picture of my 98 year-old mother getting her vaccine shot.  The guy giving it to her is dressed like Santa Claus.  How wonderful!

  45. 45.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @patrick II:

    Are we making a new deal with the manufacturers?

    The take-away I got from Biden’s speech yesterday is that Biden and his Covid team are in back-channel discussions with manufacturers cause they can’t do more pre-inauguration, but I imagine they can see the defense production act, and the sweet, sweet free publicity that will come with it and will be (more or less) willing partners

    Is there a new vaccine about to come online?

    Most of what I’ve read about the Johnson and Johnson is positive and promising, but they’re still in (the last phase of) trials? As I understand it, it doesn’t need the same level of refrigeration (and I haven’t heard this in a while, but I recall people saying it was easier to produce than the Modern and Pfizer?).

  46. 46.

    Brachiator

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    Why is minimum wage not indexed to inflation, the way Social Security is? I assume the reason is political, but how does that work?

    Social Security is a government payment, so it is a little easier to include cost of living increases. But even here, how living costs are measured has been revised to slow the increase in payments.

    It is not as easy to impose potential increases in expense on business, especially when a lot of conservative politicians oppose the idea of minimum wages altogether.

    BTW, some economists think that the minimum wage should vary more by region, since some places have a lower cost of living than others.  But this would a very hard sell.

  47. 47.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    It’s a B F D ! ! !

    If it’s what you say, I love it!

    Pass this shit ASAP, Congress, and we’ll have a PARTY IN THE USA for the rest of the 20s!

    ? ? ? ?? ?

  48. 48.

    different-church-lady

    @MattF: I ain’t an economist, but I think ultra-cheap money is a big reason everything is so fucked up and inequitable. If you can get loans you can just do anything you want and there’s hardly any cost for failure. And then the little folks get crushed by the damage the failures do.

    But now there’s no way out that doesn’t just stun the whole machine into a coma.

  52. 52.

    Cowboy Diva

    @Baud: Because the phrase “Everyone in the world knew” is being used far too early in this discussion for me to respond without swearing, I will defer to the eloquent commentary by Mr. Crockett at The Root. Biden campaigned on what he would do, not on what Mnuchin could get Trump to sign.

  56. 56.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    @taumaturgo: Yeah, but many of those voters might be able to overlook that when a tipped waitress’ hourly wage goes from $2.13 to $15.00…

  59. 59.

    Brachiator

    @Steeplejack:

    But, but—forget all that stuff. What’s important is that $1,400 vs. $2,000 is the greatest betrayal since I don’t know when!  Cue the usual suspects

    I didn’t even know that this was an actual challenge, but I don’t follow these people much. Damn, they are some tiresome and petty fools.

  61. 61.

    Chyron HR

    @Cowboy Diva:

    I think it’s fair to point out that Warnock and Ossoff campaigned on checks for $2K

    I think it’s fair to point out that everyone from the Bernievolution campaigns on things that they, individually, have no power to do.

  62. 62.

    different-church-lady

    GODDAMMIT, ANOTHER SIX HUNDRED BUCKS AIN’T GONNA FIX JACK SHIT NOR IS PICKING A FIGHT OVER IT WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE THEY’RE JUST FUCKIN TROLLS.

  66. 66.

    Lacuna Synechdoche

    Heather Long via Anne Laurie @ Top:

    This is key–> Biden team wants to extend most aid through SEPTEMBER 2021.

    • Unemployment (UI/PUA) through Sept
    • Eviction/foreclosure moratorium through Sept
    • SNAP 15% increase through Sept
    • Paid leave through Sept

    They should make the SNAP increase permanent. Maybe they’ll do it in a later bill.

    In the meantime, this is all really good. It’ll help a lot of people.

  67. 67.

    Brachiator

    @Cowboy Diva:

    Biden campaigned on what he would do, not on what Mnuchin could get Trump to sign.

    All of the conversations in Congress was about a total of $2,000. All of them.  This was the basis of the legislation drafted by the Democrats. Nobody ever proposed, drafted or suggested $2,000 on top of $600.

    Any lefty fools seeing this as a sign of “betrayal” are just assholes looking for a reason to do what they always do.

  68. 68.

    Cowboy Diva

    @Baud: Here’s a whole [expletive deleted] article. I agree with you, the proposed bill is a good one, but someone in his administration should take the time to acknowledge that it is not what he said it would be and why that is.

    As for your comment that there are better ways to use the $600 than to give it to individuals, you may be right, except that I’m pretty sure there are a significant number of folks who spent that additional $600 on their rent or mortgage last August, and would like to avoid eviction or foreclosure for that much longer; this strikes me as having a pretty impressive cascade effect into the economy, but YMMV.

  70. 70.

    Baud

    @different-church-lady:

    My question too. If he said $2000 before the $600 passed, then that’s different than if he was promising $2000 afterwards.  Although even then, the notion that Joe changed his policy in a speech without telling anyone seems suspect.

  74. 74.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    @different-church-lady: 

    No kidding. It’s like the Yglesias tweet above…

    True, there’s basically nothing* in this Biden proposal for you unless you’re unemployed or poor or work in state & local government or have kids in school or are facing eviction or would like to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

    *And on top of that everyone gets $1,400 cash.

    And this is the plan they’re bashing. The one that’s estimated to cut child poverty in half.

  75. 75.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @different-church-lady: because the point isn’t helping people, it’s affirming their own self-image as (rhetorical) revolutionaries. It’s politics as, “Oh, did you get into them after they sold out went corporate? Good for you. I used to see them in little clubs back when they were cool.”

    updated to match the current jargon of willfully and righteously useless

  76. 76.

    different-church-lady

    The first $1200 didn’t mean jack to me. Expanding unemplyment to gig workers saved my neck.

    If I wasn’t a Twitter refusenik I could probably spend my days getting blocked by half the tustifarians in left Twitterstan explaining it to them.

  77. 77.

    Cowboy Diva

    @Brachiator: why do you mention the 116th Congress, when I mentioned the 46th President? The bill Biden proposes is what he campaigned on, right? The bill is a good one, but the point he repeatedly mentioned (especially when campaigning for the GA Senators for the 117th Congress) was to expect stimulus payments of $2K. It may not be a betrayal, but it does seem remarkably early in the administration to break campaign promises.

  78. 78.

    Cowboy Diva

    @Baud: screw that. If ever I need an example on how to move the fucking goalposts, I’ve got one now. I tell you what, you find a video where he said $1400 instead of $2000, and we’ll chat then.

  79. 79.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Cowboy Diva:

    It may not be a betrayal, but it does seem remarkably early in the administration to break campaign promises.

    how old are you and how much is the allowance you still get?

  80. 80.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @Brachiator: If I give you four payments of $500, will you have $2000?  Yes.  If I give you one payment of $2000, will you have $2000.  Yes.*

    *Just riffing off your point, not arguing with you.  Also, I will not be giving you $2000 in any series of payments (just to be clear).

  81. 81.

    Baud

    @Cowboy Diva:

    You’re the one accusing Joe of breaking campaign promises.  You can’t back it up.

    Why should we trust progressives with health care form or climate policy when they act like Republicans?

  82. 82.

    Chyron HR

    @Cowboy Diva:

    I guess it still hasn’t dawned on our progressive betters that if they wanted a voice in the Biden administration they shouldn’t have spent the entire general election slandering him as a senile rapist.

  84. 84.

    scav

    @NotMax: I was working along the lines of some princesses complain when there is no pea in their bed because that’s how one proves one’s a princess!

  85. 85.

    different-church-lady

    @Cowboy Diva: When I’m due $15 of change, and the clerk give me just a five by mistake, clearly the right thing to do is demand she give me the ten and another five, don’t you agree?

  86. 86.

    Brachiator

    @Cowboy Diva:

    why do you mention the 116th Congress, when I mentioned the 46th President?

    Congressional leadership is still the same. Nancy Pelosi, who will be responsible for overseeing any draft legislation, never promised $2,000 on top of $600. Biden never promised $2,000 on top of $600. His proposals clearly have a spending limit in mind.

    You are just making shit up.

    ETA: Every discussion about this in the tax and accounting world, assumed a total payout of $2,000, not a top off above the $600.

    Again, you are making shit up.

  88. 88.

    mvr

    @Cowboy Diva:

    I don’t want to be quarrelous, but I think it worth noting that the run off campaign started November 3rd.  At that time no $600 bill had been passed.  On somewhere around the 23rd of December Congress passed the $600 bill and it was signed by Trump after Christmas. The election was  little over a week later. During that whole time the talk was about $2K vs a mere $600. It seems like you don’t change your message just because Trump signs a bill, nor that the original message changes its meaning in virtue of his signing a bill.

    Some people might be confused and think you are promising $2K on top of the $600 but people who followed the debate would not have been misled.

  91. 91.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @different-church-lady: Nope, you need to demand $2000, screaming as loudly as you can with your mask removed, “You promised! You said! You meanie! I hate you! I hate this family! I’m running away!”

  92. 92.

    Honus

    @different-church-lady: as noted above, at current interest rates the money is free, and transferring money to the lower 90% of Americans has always resulted in increased economic activity and growth.  Unlike tax cuts which transfer money to the top .1%. So throwing money at the pandemic will not only help people, it will result in a better economy and ultimately a lower debt.  Every credible economist will concur.

  93. 93.

    taumaturgo

    @Brachiator: Poles are beginning to reverse even before the swearing-in ceremony. For MAGA idiots, Trump’s words were amusing and meaningless at the same time. For the serious Democrats, $2,000 checks never meant to be $2,000 checks much less on top of the $600 meaningful amount according to conservative Democrats before Trump busted the deal by requesting $2,000 checks. $2,000 don’t meant $2,000 it means $1,400.00 checks. “Dad remember the $100 you promised me last week? You only gave me $50. Of course son, you conveniently forgot the $50 I gave you at the begging of the month, added them up and you get your $100. Dad, you’re full of shit, you forgot since it was last week you promised me $100.” Are you doing malarky money math?

  96. 96.

    trnc

    @Cowboy Diva: The bill Biden proposes is what he campaigned on, right? The bill is a good one, but the point he repeatedly mentioned (especially when campaigning for the GA Senators for the 117th Congress) was to expect stimulus payments of $2K.

    IMHO, you’re arguing in bad faith here. I believe payments can refer to a lump sum or a total. I can understand how saying $2000 could have made people wonder, but you should admit that he and others could have been referring to the total. The only thing that would make me hop aboard your “broken campaign promise” train right now is if you can show a quote where Biden clearly said the 2K should be additional, $2600 should be the total or something like that. If you can’t produce that, it’s on you that you decided against considering math.

  97. 97.

    Steeplejack

    @MattF:

    Yep. My brother, who reads more deeply in the financial press than I do, was laughing last year about an article (The Economist? Financial Times?) talking about how some German company was running the numbers on storing actual cash on pallets in a secure facility because banks were starting to charge negative interest rates on savings accounts.

  98. 98.

    Cowboy Diva

    Wow. I appreciate all the feedback I am getting: the ad hominem attacks on my age and intelligence are wonderful to see.

    I understand that quite a few people on this thread believe that when Biden said $2000, he meant $600 under Trump’s presidency and $1400 under his own presidency. What I am not sure of is whether that was what was understood during his campaign, especially when he campaigned in Georgia after November 3, 2020.

    What I do not appreciate, and I do not understand, is the belief that all those who were expecting stimulus payments of $2000 are somehow against Biden’s proposed bill, or are otherwise mentally deficient because they cannot add. Instead, those of you who do understand the concept need to do a better job of explaining it to those who needed the money they were expecting–and needed it yesterday and voted accordingly–instead of treating them as the enemy to the gods of progressive policy.

    Thanks again for the feedback. I’m going back to study rhetoric again.

  102. 102.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @different-church-lady: I’m thinking late 20s, humanities BA from an expensive if undistinguished private college, two unfinished masters programs, spending the pandemic “working on” the more recent one at family’s second home

  103. 103.

    trnc

    @Cowboy Diva: I’m not saying you can’t add. I’m saying that a lot of people made reasonable arguments to support their beliefs that $2000 was the total. You’ve been asked to show anything from the campaign or other elected officials that indicates that they intended the total to be $2600, and all you’ve produced are other opinion articles.

    Don’t study rhetoric. Study evidence and how to support arguments you make, especially if you’re going to lob accusations of broken campaign promises. Or at least acknowledge that you can understand why some people believed all along that $2000 was the intended total.

  106. 106.

    mvr

    @Cowboy Diva:

    Sorry you are feeling dumped on.  I’m not questioning your motives.

    I understand that quite a few people on this thread believe that when Biden said $2000, he meant $600 under Trump’s presidency and $1400 under his own presidency. What I am not sure of is whether that was what was understood during his campaign, especially when he campaigned in Georgia after November 3, 2020.

    It is important to note that the $600 wasn’t passed until 7 weeks after November 3rd, and during that whole period the fight was about $600 vs $2,000. So I’m not saying he meant $1400 + $600. I’m saying he meant $2,000 and that didn’t change 7 weeks later when he didn’t change his form of words in response to belated passage of a small bill.

  110. 110.

    gwangung

    Focussing on $2000 is missing the forest for the trees. Eviction moratoriums, sustained unemployment is vastly more important. It’s Phony Progressivism to focus on the details rather the mass effect, particularly since the details often get changed from first proposal to implementation without affecting overall impact.

  111. 111.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I’m sure the average voter in Georgia is printing out copies of Biden’s speeches and the Congressional record, cross-referencing dates and the content of different legislative proposals to determine if they made the right choice when deciding whether to vote for the Pastor of Ebeneezer Baptist Church or the trumpist Real Housewife of Atlanta who married her billionaire boss then used his money to buy herself half a WNBA team and a Senate seat which she then sought to hold on to by running a racist-dog-whistle campaign.

  112. 112.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Baud:

    Everyone in the world who follows politics closely knew that the debate was over $600 vs. $2000.

    There, fixed that for ya.

    Now, do most people follow politics closely?

    I knew it, you knew it. But did the average father or mother trying to scrape by know that?

    Look, I’ve got no problem with it being $1400 instead of $2000 on top of the original $600.

    But I also see the point of those who are pointing out that the Dems did this in a way that raised people’s expectations beyond what they were actually going to do.

    If being able to see that makes me some sort of BernieBro*, when even Hillary’s friendship with a freakin’ war criminal** didn’t push me into Bernie’s camp in 2016, then that’s Someone Else’s Problem, as far as I’m concerned.

    *Seems that a lot of jackals feel that anyone to the left of wherever the Democratic Party leadership is, is a BernieBro. Frankly, that’s not only ridiculous, it’s a huge problem with the BJ commentariat.

    **Henry Kissinger, if you’re wondering. “Henry Kissinger is a friend of mine.” – actual Hillary quote from 2014.

  114. 114.

    taumaturgo

    The burden of proof is on the side of those defining $2,000 checks as $1,400 checks. Do you have any proof to present that the Biden team meant $1,400, not $2,000? I haven’t seen any but if you have please illuminate us.

  115. 115.

    gwangung

    Most people will backtrack when supplied details. Because they realize they don’t follow politics closely.

    Details vs. impact. $2000 was NEVER the whole of the plan.

    There, fixed that for ya.

    Now, do most people follow politics closely?

  118. 118.

    Kelly

    @Brachiator:

    BTW, some economists think that the minimum wage should vary more by region, since some places have a lower cost of living than others.  But this would a very hard sell.

    Oregon has 3 minimum wage regions implemented by initiative petition a few years ago. Minimum wages now tied to inflation. Initiative petition is an awkward tool. It’s given us better minimum wage and legal weed. It’s also screwed up our tax system and established harsh, inflexible prison sentences.

  119. 119.

    Baud

    @lowtechcyclist:

    It’s a Trumpian style lie to accuse Biden of breaking a campaign promise here. People who spread that lie are likely Bernie bros given their history of spreading Trumpian style lies.

    ETA: I don’t care if people want to argue for a larger amount on policy grounds.  It’s the reliance on lies against Dems that is unacceptable and helps promote the fascist demonization of Democrats.

  120. 120.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @lowtechcyclist: “We’ll get the rest of the $2000 to you as soon as the bill passes” is very easily understood by the average mother or father who is trying to scrape by.  It’s not like they don’t make those kind promises every day.  “Here’s part of the rent, I’ll get you the rest when I get paid on Friday.”

  122. 122.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    The best part of this was the intro comment about Our Progressive Betters and twisted ankles.

    In a meritocratic world, Matt Fucking Yglesias, would have been sent to journalism siberia at least a decade ago.  Instead he’ll have a statue in the Smithsonian’s American Museum of Feckless Journalism right next to those of people like Chris Fucking Cilizza, Chuck Fucking Todd, Mrs Greenspan, David Fucking Brooks, etc.  It’ll be a crowded collection, would have to curate it.

  123. 123.

    gwangung

    @Baud: Yeah, they focus on politicians, rather than policy. Focus on Democrats rather than Republicans, who are the true source of obstructions.

    Destroy the Republicans first, then everything slides to the left naturally.

  124. 124.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @taumaturgo: I suggest you stick to your forte.  Witticisms aren’t really your bag.  Tendentious windbaggery is your thing.  I am not really a fan, but you are good at it.  It’s like prog rock; I am not fond of it, but I recognize that Rick Wakeman was talented.

  125. 125.

    SFAW

    @Steeplejack:

    Your reading those tweets (and their replies), so you could tell us about them, is penance on a par with 10,000 Ave Marias and 10,000 Pater nosters. I especially (dis)liked the reply mentioning “Joe ‘dirtbag liar’ Biden.”

  126. 126.

    scav

    Ah yes, I clearly remember the low information voters deserting Trump in droves because Mexico didn’t pay for the wall — because low information voters are just like that, they believe each and every word spoken in a political campaign as a gold-plated irrevocable promise fulfilled to every crossed i and t.

  127. 127.

    Brachiator

    @Kelly:

    Oregon has 3 minimum wage regions implemented by initiative petition a few years ago. Minimum wages now tied to inflation. Initiative petition is an awkward tool. It’s given us better minimum wage and legal weed. It’s also screwed up our tax system and established harsh, inflexible prison sentences.

    Thanks very much for the info on this.

    We have ballot initiatives here in California and it is often a terrible tool for political change.

  131. 131.

    Steeplejack

    @SFAW:

    It’s interesting where Twitter leads me sometimes. You can go off on a tangent from comments to a specific tweet, of course, but there is also another feature (at least in vanilla browser view—I don’t have a Twitter account) that offers “More Tweets” or something like that after the first few replies to a tweet. They’re somewhat related to the original post, in a somewhat sloppy way, and following those threads can get real trippy. That’s how I stumbled on the whole $1,400 vs. $2,000 thing a few days ago. I was flabbergasted. It wasn’t missing the forest for the trees. It was like missing the trees for one specific tree.

  133. 133.

    Ixnay

    Major points for the ankle turning song. I had my HS chorus sing that one year. My favorite Irish “prayer.”

  134. 134.

    MisterForkbeard

    @taumaturgo: No, people are doing the “we’re going to get you $2k checks” that they started in mid december before the $600 passed.

    They did not say $2600. They said “give $2000 to everyone”. They got $600. Tbis is the remaining $1400.

     

    I mean, do you TRY to be a complete jackass or does it come naturally? It is it just something you do to when its Democrats you want to shit on?

  135. 135.

    Mo Salad

    @Cowboy Diva: But most of that campaigning was before the law was signed on December 27th to shank Loeffler and Perdue with Trump’s words. (Using the word IDEA there was just a bridge too far for me.)

    Did you expect them to add “But, actually, now that the law is signed…” qualifiers that final week?

  137. 137.

    Mo Salad

    @Steeplejack: Especially with the $15 minimum wage thing, the expanded unemployment thing…

    We are at the cusp of many big wins here and purity ponies are throwing what Ross Perot called Gorilla Dust and are qvetching  about this.

    I find it hard to believe that the whole $1,400  does not equal $2,000 over simplification of an argument began in good faith. It may have been offered in good faith here, so don’t take this personally.

    We have the chance to ram through an amazing amount of stuff because we will be able to say that the Republicans are holding up 100 million vaccines. Don’t derail this with pedantry.

    Yes, $600 is real. But so is everything else proposed. And much of that is bigger than a $600 one off.

  138. 138.

    trnc

    @taumaturgo: Do you have any proof to present that the Biden team meant $1,400, not $2,000?

    Proving a negative is difficult, but $2000 is the only number I heard before the $600 payment was mentioned, and it was the highest number I heard after the $600 was mentioned. I have not seen $2600 mentioned ever, and I never saw “additional $2000” mentioned. If you can point to something that Biden or a dem said to that effect, fine. Otherwise, $2600 was an assumption.

  139. 139.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Cowboy Diva: Thanks again for the feedback. I’m going back to study rhetoric again.

    You’re going to take a break from studying your colonic polyps from close range? Believe that when I see it, asshole.

  142. 142.

    Chris T.

    @Cowboy Diva: As for your comment that there are better ways to use the $600 than to give it to individuals, you may be right, except that I’m pretty sure there are a significant number of folks who spent that additional $600 on their rent or mortgage last August …

    That’s a good trick, spending $600 four-to-six-months before you get it.  I think I’ll spend now the million bucks I expect to get paid in 50 years!

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