Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Don’t expect peaches from an apple tree.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

The frogs are rarely mistaken.

So many bastards, so little time.

Please don’t feed the bears.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

It’s a doggy dog world.

One of our two political parties is a cult whose leader admires Vladimir Putin.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

How can republicans represent us when they don’t trust women?

The gop couldn’t organize an orgy in a whorehouse with a fist full of 50s.

Books are my comfort food!

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

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

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

“Everybody’s entitled to be an idiot.”

Elections aren’t won by handwringing, cowering, and/or bashing your own candidates.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

An unpunished coup is a training exercise.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Open Thread: Shocker – President Biden Turns Out to Be Good At Politics

Open Thread: Shocker – President Biden Turns Out to Be Good At Politics

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I swear, half of Political Twitter — professionals as well as amateurs — are bitterly offended that President Biden got his big program approved without the use of Green Lanternism, the Bullying Pulpit, or any of their other favorite theories…

Counter-argument:

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140Comments

  3. 3.

    M31

    omg the comments on the Rosenberg thread, only like 2 in and the Twitter purity ponies are out in full force ‘but he couldn’t even keep his party together’, ‘$15 is popular why couldn’t he get it done’

    WTFFFFFF (‘what the fucking fuckery fuckhole fuckwit fuckhead fuuuuuucking fuck’)

  4. 4.

    HumboldtBlue

    I must not follow the naysayers because my feed is almost nothing but praise and hope for more, particularly getting rid of the filibuster.

  7. 7.

    Uncle Cosmo

    My dad – whose personal Holy Trinity was FDR, JFK, and Adlai Stevenson (Big Daddy, Junior, and the Egghead, respectively) – would have read the reactions to Uncle Joe’s major and continuing wins, shaken his head sadly, & said Some people just can’t stand prosperity…

  10. 10.

    Jerry

    I love when folks say something like, “The only reason that Joe Biden beat Trump is because of Covid,” as if Covid was just a misstatement by Trump or something.

  11. 11.

    Major Major Major Major

    @Rich Gardner: I’ve always assumed this was more or less what was going on. Manchin is a team player and in on the game. It’s Sinema I’m actually worried about when it comes to the filibuster. Manchin needs to look like he’s being forced into passing HR1 with fifty votes. Sinema may actually need to be pressured into it.

  12. 12.

    Yutsano

    But but but…we didn’t pwn the cons!

    Seriously. We’re one vote away from one of the most progressive policies to have ever been enacted. This child tax credit will do SO much for lots of people I know. It’s going to make things improve for many people in the lower incomes that we won’t even know what its effects will be on their lives, plus the economy. I can foresee this getting extended.

  13. 13.

    dmsilev

    @Jerry: Yeah, most of the competent leaders saw their popularity increase during the crisis, at least for a while. Hell, for the few weeks in which T**** was vaguely appearing to take the pandemic seriously, his popularity was inching up. Because he is who he is, he couldn’t sustain even the facade for very long of course.

  14. 14.

    cain

    Chuck Schumer knows politics too – we had some great wins this weekend. It will be good to see Merrick Garland seated. I hope he works out for us – some folks are concerned he is a life long Republican and I suppose we have been burned before. But I expect that this man will do his due diligence and help make our Democracy strong again.

  15. 15.

    bbleh

    @dmsilev:  Lol right? Evidently the common rabble has not yet managed to achieve the level of understanding of the Savvy.

    Of course, it might also help that he looks like a huge fraction of the American electorate …

  16. 16.

    cain

    @Major Major Major Major: ​

    @Rich Gardner: I’ve always assumed this was more or less what was going on. Manchin is a team player and in on the game. It’s Sinema I’m actually worried about when it comes to the filibuster. Manchin needs to look like he’s being forced into passing HR1 with fifty votes. Sinema may actually need to be pressured into it.

     
    I think she will lose a lot of support if she manages to stop us from getting the voting rights in. She wins nothing blocking it – it’s not like the Republicans will help her out – but she will earn dividends if she is a team player. But if she decides to play mavericky – well.. she will be primaried.

  17. 17.

    CaseyL

    I am loving these Fighting Democrats, just loving it.

    The ARA is amazing, and I’m ecstatic that it is on its way to (re-)passing in the House, then on for the President’s signature.

    If we can get HR 1 passed and signed into law, I will be beyond ecstatic.  I will breathe a HUGE sigh of relief that maybe, just maybe, we can stop this cycle of GQP destroying everything, Democrats rebuilding it all, and then GQP getting elected to bring it all down again.  Maybe, just maybe, we can regain some of the ground we’ve lost over the past 40 years.

    Wouldn’t that be something?

  18. 18.

    Brachiator

    When voters repeatedly tell pollsters they want a “moderate” for president, they mean they want someone who is moderate in affect, not in aspirations. It’s about personality more than policies (which most voters don’t know that much about). But Twitter incentivizes the opposite.

    This may not be entirely true. But pundits love to spend grand theories rather than actually going out and asking voters.

    But okay my theory. Voters liked and trusted Biden. To a lot of black voters in particular, they appreciated his loyalty to Obama.

    Voters believed Biden when he said he wanted to help them. I don’t think they cared much whether the remedy was considered moderate or progressive.

    BTW, A lot of the people who voted for the Orange Beast wanted an outsider who would shake things up. Yeah, they got a liar and a fraud. But they may not have been looking for a moderate.

    Anyway, Biden, along with Pelosi and Schumer, got a lot done. Big congratulations.

  19. 19.

    Kent

    Biden’s other secret weapon is that they don’t really know how to attack him.

    They tried the Hunter Biden bullshit for 2 years and it got Trump impeached the first time. All for nothing. They flailed around talking about ANTIFA and other random bullshit like Dr. Seuss but none of is really even directed at Biden. He has them completely flummoxed.

    All the olds in my family, even the GOPers are basically fine with Biden. All the flailing around just doesn’t touch him. No one believes it. They used to talk about Reagan being the Teflon president. But so far Biden is doing it even better.

  22. 22.

    bbleh

    @Major Major Major Major: Concur, but even before the Politico story (and wtf is up with that, Tester dunking on Manchin in public, but I digress), I thought, what did Manchin get out of his grandstanding, beyond his name in the papers?  What did he get for WV?  It really seemed like all performance and no goodies, and that does not say “skilled player” to me.

  23. 23.

    Kropacetic

    @Uncle Cosmo: Some people just can’t stand prosperity…

    **Looks around with dramatic affect**

    I mean Biden and the Democrats are doing extremely well, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

  27. 27.

    Brachiator

    @Yutsano:

    This child tax credit will do SO much for lots of people I know.

    Yep. And the expansion of the Earned Income Credit for individuals and couples without children is also a huge deal. The present maximum EITC for single individuals is $538. It is as much as $6,660 for some people with children.

    I love that Biden’s efforts is not just “think of the children,” but an attempt to help all lower and middle income citizens.

  30. 30.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Kent: ​
     

    And I think it’s deeper than just a reaction to the horror show that was Trump. Biden is a trustworthy older, competent white man and people are used to men like that.

  31. 31.

    Jerzy Russian

    T**** had strong favorable numbers on the economy?    The universe is irretrievably broken if that was the case.

  33. 33.

    schrodingers_cat

    So glad I voted for Biden on Super Tuesday last year. He didn’t carry my town (BS won here) but carried MA.

    OT observation, all the fans of British monarchy seem awfully quiet this evening.

  34. 34.

    cain

    @CaseyL: Wouldn’t that be something?

    It would be. I want to check out of this world knowing that those motherfuckers will get a chance at the reins of power for a long time until they moderate themselves back into a right of center party and accept a few truths about our Republic.

  35. 35.

    Yutsano

    @Brachiator: ​ It also occurred to me as I’m sitting here eating dinner the Democrats have also given the biggest boost to the military without even mentioning it. But we could be seeing fewer troops with dependents needing food stamps. Hell I can think of a few people off the top of my head that will get a major boost out of this. One of these is a guy I know in the Air Force who just had his third kid. He struggles because he’s a single income household but he’s about to get some huge relief.

    EDIT: just messaged him on Twitter about it. I wonder if he’s even aware.

  37. 37.

    Jeffro

    @Jerry:I love when folks say something like, “The only reason that Joe Biden beat Trump is because of Covid,” as if Covid was just a misstatement by Trump or something.

    Right???

    “Hey, don’t hold my complete non-response – despite knowing back in February that this thing was spread through the air, and that masks/distancing would save lives, and not WARNING MY FELLOW AMERICANS – against me!  After all, we’ve got a stock market not to spook an election to win!  Also, I have a tee time waiting…”

    Honestly, I think the initial CARES Act checks or whatever plus the FoxBrain HiveMind insulated the orange moron from much of the fallout.  The response by voters in November was visceral hatred of trumpov + Covid rage (our side) vs outright racism (their side) and we. won.

  39. 39.

    cain

    @schrodingers_cat: ​
     

    OT observation, all the fans of British monarchy seem awfully quiet this evening.

    Fuck those racists assholes. I’m particularly happy to see the English press getting dragged as they should be. We all know are assholes of the highest order – sick, twisted, deeply malicious group of people.

  40. 40.

    Brachiator

    @Yutsano:

    It also occurred to me as I’m sitting here eating dinner the Democrats have also given the biggest boost to the military without even mentioning it. But we could be seeing fewer troops with dependents needing food stamps.

    That has got to be a big morale boost. Thanks for pointing this out.

    Republicans have been all over the media pushing the big lie that Biden’s relief package mainly helps blue states. The Democrats need to rightly emphasize that it helps a wide range of Americans.

  41. 41.

    cain

    @Jeffro: ​
     

    @Major Major Major Major: Sinema should get with the program. It’s HR 1 or else she gets voter-suppressed right the heck out of her precious seat.

    Maybe she thinks she will make all kinds of friends with her GOP constituents. That’s not gonna work – they want to put their shit stirring, stir crazy MFs. Sinema is still a damned Democrat. Although they will be happy to fund her campaign against a primary challenger.

  42. 42.

    Another Scott

    @Rich Gardner: Yup, it’s interesting.  And it certainly help’s Manchin stay in the news and maybe helps him at home.

    Not sure it helps Democrats when we get beyond 50:50, or even helps us get to 55 or 60, but its a defensible strategery at the moment.

    Thanks.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  43. 43.

    cain

    @Brachiator: ​
     

    Republicans have been all over the media pushing the big lie that Biden’s relief package mainly helps blue states. The Democrats need to rightly emphasize that it helps a wide range of Americans.

    Hey, conservatives live in blue states too! I suppose they will say it only helps blue voters – but policy doesnt work that way.

    When we stopping payments to those farmers? Shouldn’t they be trying to find another market for their soybeans?

  44. 44.

    Jeffro

    @Kent:All the olds in my family, even the GOPers are basically fine with Biden. All the flailing around just doesn’t touch him. No one believes it. They used to talk about Reagan being the Teflon president. But so far Biden is doing it even better.

    Wait…so you’re saying the attacks on Biden’s ‘unpresidential, dirty’ dog didn’t register?

    What about his fake marriage to Jill?

    I think the latest was that he’s not doing enough on weekends?  (seriously!)  Not even two months in, and without golfing 2/3x a week, that was raised this week.

    What’s next?  Truly, the mind boggles…

    “Biden mixes up salad fork with dinner fork!”

    “Biden’s flag pin spotted at a 25-degree tilt…TO THE LEFT!…on his lapel”

    “Here, let me read you ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ and hope that works…oh wait…”

  45. 45.

    JWR

    @Kent:

    They used to talk about Reagan being the Teflon president. But so far Biden is doing it even better.

    Reagan’s Teflon was used to deflect from bad policies, Biden’s, from the nattering nabobs of negativism nattering on about the nifty.

  46. 46.

    bbleh

    @Major Major Major Major: Ok, but that just added to his leverage.  And I agree with a lot of what Atticus Goldfinch said about his political positioning — the guy is a genius at that, hello longtime Dem Gov and Senator in one of the reddest states in the country, and all respect — but what did he get for WV?

    About the only reasonable answer I can come up with is, the bill as it stands is great for WV anyway, so he’s collecting chits and the payoff will come later, but … why pass up the opportunity? There must be a hundred WV schools that could use major retrofits that could plausibly be called COVID safety improvements.  Even Republican Senators were making asks that were less plausible.

    My best guess is, you cannot learn to wield the full power of the Ring in one day, and he was like the dog who caught the car.

    But he’s gotta up his game.  WV needs it.

  47. 47.

    Jeffro

    @cain: she’s looking for ‘love them mavericks regardless of party’ constituency that doesn’t exist.  If it ever did.

    Whether the concern is a primary or vote suppression, the solution is basically the same: stand. the hell. up. for the people who put you in office, Senator Sinema.  If you don’t, a) we’ll primary you and if you make it through that, b) the GQP will suppress your voters right on out of the voting booth.

  48. 48.

    Arclite

    Dad and I were talking about this today.  I mentioned that Biden gave the Repubs one chance to negotiate and they returned an offer so low that it wasn’t even worth discussing with them.  So he blew them off, justifiably so, and went through reconciliation. Dad made a great point: Obama negotiated and negotiated TARP with the Repubs, and they whittled it down, and then none of them voted for it anyways.  Biden remembers that lesson.

  49. 49.

    Brachiator

    @schrodingers_cat:

    OT observation, all the fans of British monarchy seem awfully quiet this evening.

    Americans like the British monarchy at a distance. And right now, not much is going on in the UK apart from the disastrous continuing negative impact of BREXIT on the British economy.

    Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party ministers seem intent on exacerbating Irish tensions despite clear signals from the US that this will not be tolerated.

  50. 50.

    Another Scott

    @cain: Hearing him testify at his confirmation hearing tells me that whatever his label, he takes the job seriously and understands the vital importance of the law treating everyone fairly.  He choked up talking about his family coming to America to escape persecution.  He takes this stuff seriously.

    I don’t think we could ask for better in that position.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  53. 53.

    Redshift

    @Jerry:

    I love when folks say something like, “The only reason that Joe Biden beat Trump is because of Covid,” as if Covid was just a misstatement by Trump or something.

    On top of that, it’s not even true. Trump might have turned it around and won if not for covid, but he definitely wasn’t on a path to winning even before that, which is terrible for an incumbent.

  54. 54.

    Martin

    @Major Major Major Major: TPM reports that Sinema has written to her constituents in favor of a move to a speaking filibuster.

    Honestly, this all feels like theater. Prominent Dems go all out in favor of killing the filibuster, but the Dem moderates of Sinema and Manchin swoop in to save the day, saving the filibuster with only modest reforms, maintaining the 60 vote threshold. Dems get credit for both being willing to kill it, but also ultimately voting to preserve bipartisanship. 99% of the public is completely in the dark that the only things the dems wanted – all bills getting a 51 floor vote, they got. What does the GOP have to complain about? It’ll take hours of explanation for them to educate their voters what they actually lost.

  56. 56.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Arclite:

    Dad made a great point: Obama negotiated and negotiated TARP with the Repubs, and they whittled it down, and then none of them voted for it anyways.

    Obama was negotiating with Democrats as much as Republicans. I remember Claire McCaskill bragging on this new thing called twitter that they had cut out some “silly stuff”, among other things if memory serves a program to buy a bunch of hybrid vehicles for the federal fleet. And a lot the Dems he was negotiating with were far more conservative than McCaskill. Or Manchin. And the ARRA was signed on Feb 17, less than a month after his inauguration.

    ETA: all counterfactuals is bunk, but I wonder if Kent Conrad or Byron Dorgan would have voted for this bill. Evan Bayh. Ben Nelson. Blanche Lincoln. I could go on. I have. And probably will again.

     

    @Major Major Major Major: Three, wasn’t it? Collins, Snowe and Specter, who made a ten billion dollar cut out for cancer research the price of his vote. A noble and not very stimulative bit of blackmail.

  57. 57.

    Brachiator

    @cain:

    Fuck those racists assholes. I’m particularly happy to see the English press getting dragged as they should be.

    British media publishers are even more shameless than American editors and publishers. And they have been at it longer.

  58. 58.

    Martin

    @Major Major Major Major: Actually, the more I read the better this deal is. It’s retroactive to 2020 – so everyone doing their taxes right now get that benefit, plus it’ll extend to 2021. I originally thought it only applied to 2021.

    So for anyone whose benefits ran out last year, they get 12%-22% (plus whatever their state income tax is) of it back now. They may not realize it because they may not have realized it was taxable and not didn’t set up withholding, but it’s an odd sort of way to provide 2021 benefits off of 2020 dollars.

  59. 59.

    Obvious Russian Troll

    @cain: If you read his wiki page, Garland’s mentors include Clinton AG Jamie Gorelick and Abner Mikva, a Democratic member of the House who was later appointed a judge by Carter and who also served as White House counsel under Clinton. Garland himself was appointed as a judge by Clinton.

    I suspect he’s on the conservative side, but the idea that he’s a lifelong Republican sounds like bullshit.

  61. 61.

    Brachiator

    @Major Major Major Major:

     I think the simplest explanation is that he genuinely worries that the UI expansion will go on too long.

    And so he wanted to cut the benefit level?

    Also, he has a magic lantern telling him when economic recovery will kick in?

  62. 62.

    Redshift

    @Martin: Everybody thinks the talking filibuster will be a big help, mainly because everyone knows about Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. But (correct me if I’m wrong here), the more important fix would be reversing the 1975 change that required 3/5 of all senators to cut off debate, rather than a supermajority of those present. The filibuster would be less appealing if they all have to stick around to keep it going.

  65. 65.

    bbleh

    @Martin:  Lol right?  About time Dems learned to do this sort of thing.

    Dems: “We are Sensible Moderates™! All hail Sensible Moderation™!”  Reps: “But, but, technically this is a conflict because of what arguably are the following inherent contradictions …!”

    @Major Major Major Major: Ok running this into the ground maybe, BUT … WV has one of the higher unemployment rates in the country, and a lot of that is structural rather than temporary (coal, not tourism), so why limit UI?  Concern for the finances of the state gov vs those of its citizens?  Belief in the incentive for and promise of retraining?  (Attention laid-off mine equipment operators! Exciting new careers await YOU in web programming and personal home-care assistance!)

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

  66. 66.

    Major Major Major Major

    @Brachiator: I didn’t say he was right. Maybe he just actually believes his stated concerns and was annoyed he wasn’t consulted on the deal. In this case he said he was concerned the UI was too generous for too long and would disincentivize work or whatever. Wouldn’t make him the only incorrect Democratic Senator

    @Martin: Yeah I am around 70% sure that what you describe will be the result. Really not sure about Sinema but everybody else’s moves have been choreographed.

  71. 71.

    Brachiator

    @Martin:

    Actually, the more I read the better this deal is. It’s retroactive to 2020 – so everyone doing their taxes right now get that benefit, plus it’ll extend to 2021.

    Huh??

    Maybe, but I am not seeing it this way right now. And the final legislation has not been drafted.

    This would be a significant issue for the IRS and tax software providers. Forms and schedules would have to be revised. At some point efile would have to stop for some big edits.

    And about 40 to 50 million tax returns have already been filed. The number of returns that would need to be amended would be staggering.

  73. 73.

    Ken

    @Brachiator: And right now, not much is going on in the UK apart from the disastrous continuing negative impact of BREXIT on the British economy.

    Nonsense. Why, just in the last two weeks there’ve been stories in the Independent, the Daily Mail, the Sun, the Evening Standard, the Metro, and many local British papers, all reporting on how great Brexit is going and the many benefits it —

    (Excuse me… mutter mutter)

    Ah, hem, yes, well. I am informed that those positive stories were sponsored articles, paid for by the British government, and may be at some variance with reality.  Carry on.

  75. 75.

    Starboard Tack

    @Kent:

    Biden’s other secret weapon is that they don’t really know how to attack him.

    I think one of Biden’s strength is his age. He’s an old guy, really experienced, doesn’t have much to prove, and knows that, even more than most presidents, his presidency is almost certainly his political finale. Bernie’s politics are a lot closer to  mine, but I’m feeling cautiously optimistic, so far.

  76. 76.

    Ivan X

    @Kent: Yes. When my Twitter-reading brother was all freaked out about him becoming the candidate, I said that he had a superpower none of the others did, which is that nobody authentically hates him, and that might go a long way against a guy whose superpower is viciousness.

  78. 78.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @zhena gogolia: There are people who have enjoyed Victoria and The Crown.  There also are people who have admitted to an admiration for Elizabeth II.  And even some who are fascinated by it.  I would guess that they are rather fascinated by the whole Sussex thing.

  80. 80.

    Gvg

    @gwangung:  He benefits also by following Obama. A lot of us learned about sticking together and other lessons. Manchin an Simina are exceptions and the caucus is really sticking together in both houses and not wasting time on bad faith GOP ploys. It’s making a difference

  82. 82.

    Another Scott

    My eldest daughter is five. In the past two days, her school has recorded two positive COVID tests. Among little kids. Please, this isn’t over, don’t act like it is.

    — Spencer Ackerman (@attackerman) March 8, 2021

    Too many people need to wake up.

    :-(

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  84. 84.

    Old School

    @Brachiator:

    From the NYT:

    Although unemployment benefits are taxable, the new law would make the first $10,200 of benefits tax-free for people with income less than $150,000. This applies to 2020 only.

  85. 85.

    Kent

    @gwangung:@Kent: Well, that sort of ties back in a lot of ways to being a cis het white male. He’s going to get more breaks than Obama did…

    True to some extent.  But Clinton, Gore, Kerry, etc. all got the full force of fake right wing outrage.  It just hasn’t stuck to Biden because he is such a real honest character that none of it rings true.

  86. 86.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Gvg: I’m not gonna defend Manchin or Sinema, except to say they did both vote for a big ass bill that is almost two-and-a-half times the ’09 Stimulus, and comes after several bills bigger than the ARRA. Manchin seems to genuinely believe that the Deficit is coming to get us, and Sinema… whatever positive thoughts I had about her got knocked unconscious by whatever the hell that move she busted on Friday was.

    I do wonder if Manchin’s willingness to talk about filibuster reform stems from a belief that a handful of Rs would negotiate in good faith. I think Collins in particular sees a chance to at long-last take center stage as the designated disappointed moderate, and Manchin might well have thought she’d be key to his imagined bipartisan, centrist Gang of X (along with Romney and Murkowski, maybe Porter?)

  87. 87.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I’m very much drawn by the history of the Royal Family and after watching the first few seasons of the Crown I came to despise pretty much all of them. But the history can’t be ignored, and it is fascinating.

    On another note — here’s an excellent WW2 podcast, just very well done and focused more on the how rather than the who, when and where.

  88. 88.

    Brachiator

    @Major Major Major Major:

    I didn’t say he was right. Maybe he just actually believes his stated concerns and was annoyed he wasn’t consulted on the deal. In this case he said he was concerned the UI was too generous for too long and would disincentivize work or whatever.

    I hear you.

    I have seen some of these arguments before. Their inconsistency is annoying. I think NPR Marketplace noted that on average unemployment benefits add up to about half of wages for some workers, and that the enhancements will raise that up to about 85 percent. I think that a wage subsidy is appropriate, especially since a lot of the economy is still shut down.

    I also know that Republicans think that people should be forced to take any shitty job, even if the pay is low.

    I am posting from my phone and cannot find the reference, but a recent study suggests that people who can still do remote work have seen wage increases. Essential workers, already lower paid, have seen wage stagnation or wage decreases. And unemployment is still high.

    So in the absence of a formal increase in the minimum wage, higher unemployment benefits would be good on a number of levels. Even an interesting tactical move.

    So again, opposition of enhanced benefits by any Democrat is somewhat baffling. And even if I understand their reasons, it is just wrongheaded or backwards thinking.

  89. 89.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: and as I often have to remind myself about Manchin: I thought he was signing his own political obituary with Manchin-Toomey, as modest as it may have seemed to most people.

  92. 92.

    Amir Khalid

    @zhena gogolia:
    I think that to most non-Britons, the House of Windsor is a long-running soap opera that some of us follow closely, some not so closely, and some hear about from friends. One could call the first group fans of the show, but not necessarily fans ​of the Royal Family itself — which is certainly no gathering of saints.

  93. 93.

    Kent

    @Martin:

    @Major Major Major Major: TPM reports that Sinema has written to her constituents in favor of a move to a speaking filibuster.

    Honestly, this all feels like theater. Prominent Dems go all out in favor of killing the filibuster, but the Dem moderates of Sinema and Manchin swoop in to save the day, saving the filibuster with only modest reforms, maintaining the 60 vote threshold. Dems get credit for both being willing to kill it, but also ultimately voting to preserve bipartisanship. 99% of the public is completely in the dark that the only things the dems wanted – all bills getting a 51 floor vote, they got. What does the GOP have to complain about? It’ll take hours of explanation for them to educate their voters what they actually lost.

    The far better reform would be to carve out additional categories of legislation that cannot be filibustered.  We already have the Byrd Rule and no filibuster for budget reconciliation.

    We could come up with a new Schumer rule that prohibits filibuster for civil rights legislation (i.e. voting rights).  Filibuster would still be in effect for ordinary infrastructure bills and such.  But you couldn’t filibuster against civil rights.  Dems could cite the long history of racist blockage of civil rights legislation (by both Dems and Republicans) as justification for ending it for that type of legislation.  Then you will have the Senate parliamentarian determining if different provisions of bills are related to civil rights or not. Etc. etc.  But it would let HR1 go through.  The argument being that a minority should not be able to block civil rights for others. That’s a pretty reasonable principle.

    Then the next battle will be about minimum wage or green new deal and we start all over again.  But at least it would be more progress then some speaking filibuster bullshit.

  94. 94.

    Starboard Tack

    @Brachiator:

    I also know that Republicans think that people should be forced to take any shitty job, even if the pay is low.

    In my experience it’s a general “conservative” opinion that people are at heart lazy and greedy and need to be coerced to get out of bed. Every accusation an admission.

  95. 95.

    Major Major Major Major

    @Kent:

    Then the next battle will be about minimum wage or green new deal and we start all over again.

    This congress has two more opportunities to do reconciliation bills! I do suspect the carve-out will be something like what you say, “oh this only works for uhh voting rights bills as defined by the parliamentarian”

  96. 96.

    zhena gogolia

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I enjoy Victoria. Don’t have Netflix, but I suspect I would enjoy The Crown. I have some admiration for Elizabeth II. But I would not call myself a fan of the British monarchy. No way.

  98. 98.

    cain

    @Brachiator: Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party ministers seem intent on exacerbating Irish tensions despite clear signals from the US that this will not be tolerated.

    Not a great idea with an American president with Irish Catholic roots.

  100. 100.

    cain

    @Brachiator: ​
    British media publishers are even more shameless than American editors and publishers. And they have been at it longer.

     

    The Tyler Perry twist seems to have blown everyone’s mind – and another exmple of Black America saving people. :-) I hope Black people win “Most favorable person” in Time Magazine :D

    ETA: OMG! OMG! #100!!!!!!! Fantastic! I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say right now – I’m just so so honored to be commentator 100. I want to thank this wonderful commentariat, the blog father, and Democrats everywhere – this is not just a win for me, but a win for us all!

  101. 101.

    Starboard Tack

    @zhena gogolia:

    The Queen still has cachet from the role the monarchy played in binding the British together in WW2 and the cold war, but the last time I can recall anything like that was the Falklands. I don’t see that Prince Charles was ever able to carry that role on, and the other royals are even less impressive.

  102. 102.

    Brachiator

    @cain:

    Not a great idea with an American president with Irish Catholic roots.

    BREXIT supporting Tories are full of themselves. Shortly after the election, one Conservative member of the House of Lords insulted Biden because of his Irish roots, and also insulted Harris because of her Indian heritage.

  104. 104.

    cain

    @Omnes Omnibus: ​
     

    How do they suggest that he is a lifelong Republican?

    I think the idea that it might be bernie bros is exactly right. Reading the tone, it sounds just like one of those lefty left dorks yelling at clouds.

  105. 105.

    Another Scott

    @Starboard Tack:

    Charles would have liked to be in the Navy all his life, or been an engineer, or lived out his days doing his excellent and very consequential charity work. Being King and having to shut up horrifies him. https://t.co/1CTM2Ln5ut

    — Richard M. Nixon (@dick_nixon) March 8, 2021

    I haven’t seen the interview, but it sounds like Oprah did a great job, and the English people have a lot to think about if they have the courage to do so.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  106. 106.

    JaySinWA

    @Kent:

    The argument being that a minority should not be able to block civil rights for others. That’s a pretty reasonable principle.

    OTOH They have the potential of clawing back those gains with a tyranny of the majority if the senate and house flip. The R’s are already mobilized in the states to do just that.

    Even with that possibility I am all for an end to the filibuster as it stands. But do it for everything. The carve outs just limit the ability to get the rest of the job done.

  108. 108.

    James E Powell

    @Kent:

    But Clinton, Gore, Kerry, etc. all got the full force of fake right wing outrage.  It just hasn’t stuck to Biden because he is such a real honest character that none of it rings true.

    I would also note that Biden has not wasted any time chasing after the mythical Republicans who will work with him. Now a lot of that is because the world and the Democratic congressional caucuses have changed, but a lot of it is that Biden is not wasting effort to convince people who don’t want to be part of the team.

  109. 109.

    Brachiator

    @Old School:

    RE:

    Although unemployment benefits are taxable, the new law would make the first $10,200 of benefits tax-free for people with income less than $150,000. This applies to 2020 only.

    I have not seen this confirmed by tax and accounting sites. And I just don’t have time to read the Senate bill itself.

    So, it’s possible, but it would throw a monkey wrench in an already shortened but complex tax season.

    We will see what’s in the final bill.

  110. 110.

    cain

    @Brachiator: ​
     

    BREXIT supporting Tories are full of themselves. Shortly after the election, one Conservative member of the House of Lords insulted Biden because of his Irish roots, and also insulted Harris because of her Indian heritage.

    Yeah, I think the Tories need to be bent over and given a painful time out with a switch with a rusty nail on it. I’m really sick of their shit – and I think it makes sense to start putting some serious pressure on them – we _should_ make the recommendation that they re-join the EU.

  111. 111.

    cain

    @Kent: ​
     

    True to some extent. But Clinton, Gore, Kerry, etc. all got the full force of fake right wing outrage. It just hasn’t stuck to Biden because he is such a real honest character that none of it rings true.

    Also white old guy from the old days.

  112. 112.

    Kent

    @JaySinWA:

    OTOH They have the potential of clawing back those gains with a tyranny of the majority if the senate and house flip. The R’s are already mobilized in the states to do just that.

    Even with that possibility I am all for an end to the filibuster as it stands. But do it for everything. The carve outs just limit the ability to get the rest of the job done.

    Ending the filibuster obviously cuts both ways. But it is always going to be a big Dem win since the GOP no longer even has a legislative agenda outside of tax cuts and deregulation, neither of which can be filibustered.  The last time the GOP had a major legislative initiative was Bush’s social security reform. And that was a LONG time ago.

  113. 113.

    cain

    @Starboard Tack: ​
     

    Is #100 a thing now, or are you just really bored?

    I think I’ve bloviated every #100 post thus far. I also made #2 popular here too. ? It gives me an excuse to be express myself dramatically.

  117. 117.

    Another Scott

    @Ken: Relatedly, the taxicab number:

    When Ramanujan heard that Hardy had come in a taxi he asked him what the number of the taxi was. Hardy said that it was just a boring number: 1729. Ramanujan replied that 1729 was not a boring number at all: it was a very interesting one. He explained that it was the smallest number that could be expressed by the sum of two cubes in two different ways.

    (I see it’s mentioned in your link, but I remember it from a biography of Ramanujan.)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  119. 119.

    James E Powell

    The fundamental fact that all the filibuster defenders have to recognize is that unless and until the Republicans abandon their 100% obstruction and bad faith, there will be no bipartisanship. Republicans do not want to participate, they want to sabotage.

    The surest way to turn that around is to hand them ten or twelve major 51-50 losses on legislative programs.

  120. 120.

    karen marie

    @James E Powell:  Biden also apparently understands the importance of reading the room. He’s seen opinion polls that clearly show a majority of all Americans are in favor of what he and the Dem Congress are doing.

  121. 121.

    KrackenJack

    @cain: I believe it is traditional to thank “all the little people” who made comments 1 through 99 to make this moment possible.

  122. 122.

    cain

    @Kent – have you seen the news about a new strain of COVID that seems have been detected in Oregon? It seems we have ourselves a mutation that seems to have started in Oregon. I get the impression that this will complicate the effectiveness of the vaccinations we have.
    There are going to need to do a very fast ramp before this runs rampant if it isn’t already rampant.
    I know here they are allowing people into restaurants nad stuff – no way I’m going into those places.

  123. 123.

    cain

    @KrackenJack: ​
     

    @cain: I believe it is traditional to thank “all the little people” who made comments 1 through 99 to make this moment possible.

    It’s true that I stand on the shoulders of those who carried me to #100. I thank y’alls for this blessing :D

  124. 124.

    phdesmond

    @Brachiator:

    i applaud this development!  of course i am a paid tax preparer, and now some clients will be paying me to amend their tax returns in my otherwise slow summer months. .  . .   :-)

  125. 125.

    JoyceH

    @Starboard Tack: ​
     

    I think one of Biden’s strength is his age. He’s an old guy, really experienced, doesn’t have much to prove, and knows that, even more than most presidents, his presidency is almost certainly his political finale.

    The other day I thought, geez, if we’d known how good the guy was at this stuff, we would have elected him thirty years ago. But I suspect he’s so good at this stuff because he wasn’t elected president thirty years ago. He had all that Senate experience and then eight years as VP – and man, is he the right man for the moment! If ever we needed a guy who was familiar with every nook and cranny of the Executive Branch, it’s in the immediate aftermath of a lunatic who took a wrecking ball to the place. And having that eight years of learning that the GOP is playing football-Lucy is icing on the cake.

  126. 126.

    Kent

    @cain:@Kent – have you seen the news about a new strain of COVID that seems have been detected in Oregon? It seems we have ourselves a mutation that seems to have started in Oregon. I get the impression that this will complicate the effectiveness of the vaccinations we have.
    There are going to need to do a very fast ramp before this runs rampant if it isn’t already rampant.
    I know here they are allowing people into restaurants nad stuff – no way I’m going into those places.

    Yeah, I’ve read about it.  I’m afraid we are going to be doing wack-a-mole for the rest of the decade on this.  But eventually we have to get back to some sort of normal life.

    Seems like the vaccines still work on these variants, just not quite as well.  But who the hell knows.  I have a kid going to college in the fall and one in 9th grade.  I don’t know how much more zoom they can take.

  127. 127.

    smike

    @Starboard Tack:

    You’d be surprised. Although, the concentration remains on #s 1 and 2, I myself had the honor of 42 recently. I was so proud to be sitting on the “The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.”

  128. 128.

    JoyceH

    @Kent: ​
     

    @Kent: 

    I’m afraid we are going to be doing wack-a-mole for the rest of the decade on this. But eventually we have to get back to some sort of normal life.

    But on the upside, I saw an article the other day about how Merck, once their two vaccine candidates washed out, concentrated on therapeutics, and they have something now they’re looking to get approval for that serves as a treatment once a person already has COVID. Seems to seriously reduce the virus progression into more serious illness. So that’s hopeful…

  129. 129.

    CaseyL

    @Kent:

    @JoyceH:

    If they can beat covid-19 down to actually being “just the flu,” that will be a BFD.  Esp. if there’s an annual shot for it, also like the flu.

  130. 130.

    2liberal

    @cain:. It will be good to see Merrick Garland seated. I hope he works out for us – some folks are concerned he is a life long Republican and I suppose we have been burned before.

     

    he was a clerk for william brennan and served in the Carter and Clinton  administrations..

  133. 133.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @mrmoshpotato: And you forgot “Soviet shitpile mobster conman.” I thought you had that on a hot-under-the-collar-key, Moshie, something like ctrl-shift-A (for angry) or F (for furious) or P (for pissed off)…

  134. 134.

    SFAW

    @Brachiator:

    Republicans have been all over the media pushing the big lie that Biden’s relief package mainly helps blue states. The Democrats need to rightly emphasize that it helps a wide range of Americans.

    But in their minds [sic], if a package doesn’t help only the Red states, or even help the Red states much more than the Blue — in other words, if it’s not fucking over the Blue the way Shitgibbon did — then it’s helping the Blue states too much!

  137. 137.

    SFAW

    @SFAW:

    Damn, can’t even get that right. Thanks, FTWP, for the inability to edit.

    ETA: OK, now edit works. I tells ya, ya gotta have the patience of a saint

  139. 139.

    Ramalama

    @Rich Gardner: LOVE THIS. It’s very Obama chess move. It did bother me, thoughts of Why Joe Manchin was being such a dick. I mean, he may very well be one. but Atticus Goldfinch lays out such a different and cooler perspective.

  140. 140.

    J R in WV

    @Brachiator:

    Shortly after the election, one Conservative member of the House of Lords insulted Biden because of his Irish roots, and also insulted Harris because of her Indian heritage.

    The British Tories have racist proclivities we colonials cannot even imagine. That’s how they managed to kill a substantial proportion of the Irish population without losing a single hour of sleep!

    The MP in question should be treated so that he no longer understands what his role in government is. Although he appears to already be brain-damaged, so maybe that is superfluous. I have no tolerance for racism OR classism whatsoever at this point!

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