Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

This fight is for everything.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

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

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Sadly, there is no cure for stupid.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Bark louder, little dog.

When do the post office & the dmv weigh in on the wuhan virus?

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

“Can i answer the question? No you can not!”

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Biden’s Going to Drop a Bomb

Biden’s Going to Drop a Bomb

by | 115 Comments

This post is in: 

Good:

The press conference is scheduled for 5 Eastern but I thought you’d want to discuss this now.

Reader Interactions

115Comments

  3. 3.

    Betty Cracker

    He’s playing hardball — good. We’ll never get the fuck out of this nightmare without putting the pain on the voluntary plague rats, which is exactly where it belongs.

  4. 4.

    dmsilev

    Full story in the Post

    The most far-reaching is a new regulation to be written by the Labor Department that will requires all businesses with more than 100 employees either to mandate vaccinations for all their workers, or require them to take weekly coronavirus tests. The White House estimates that the policy will impact about 80 million workers, or two-thirds of the country’s workforce.
    Businesses that ignore the policy, once it’s in place, could trigger penalties of up to $14,000 per violation, according to a senior Biden administration official, who briefed reporters on the plan ahead of the president’s speech under the condition that his name would not be used.
    Businesses also will be required to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated, according to the new rules.

  6. 6.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Betty Cracker:

    He’s playing hardball — good. We’ll never get the fuck out of this nightmare without putting the pain on the voluntary plague rats, which is where it belongs.

    We’ve tolerated them long enough, and it hasn’t done jack shit.  Agreed – time for consequences.

  8. 8.

    dmsilev

    Mandating vaccinations on federally-controlled transportation (air travel, mostly) would also be good.

    Also, I’d like to see a Federally-run betting pool on what completely-absurd “medication” will become the next miracle cure. I’ve got $10 on leeches.

  9. 9.

    Baud

    “The Biden administration took various far-ranging actions today in an attempt to change the subject from the fiasco in Afghanistan.” /media elite

  14. 14.

    geg6

    Biden bringing down the hammer. Good. About fucking time. Now I want him to do the same for all educational institutions that get Title IV funding.

  17. 17.

    Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix

    @WaterGirl: I’ll remove the video and let’s allow the scheduled one to go.  This thread is going to get pretty long.  Thanks

  18. 18.

    Roger Moore

    @dmsilev:

    Also, I’d like to see a Federally-run betting pool on what completely-absurd “medication” will become the next miracle cure.

    I’d look for something that’s either about to go off patent in the near future or has been supplanted by a similar but better medication.  Some drug marketing person has to have recognized that this is a great way to boost sales and started a guerilla misinformation campaign to convince people it’s a miracle COVID cure.

  19. 19.

    VOR

    It will be interesting to see who sues to block this rule. Because you know lawsuits are coming. I imagine many employers are happy to see the Federal Government create the mandate and take the pressure off the employer.

  20. 20.

    rikyrah

    @Betty Cracker:

    He’s playing hardball — good. We’ll never get the fuck out of this nightmare without putting the pain on the voluntary plague rats, which is exactly where it belongs.

     

    No more carrots.

    Time for baseball bat sized sticks.

  21. 21.

    rikyrah

    @dmsilev:

    Mandating vaccinations on federally-controlled transportation (air travel, mostly) would also be good.

     

    Planes

    Amtrak

    Greyhound

     

    they all should require proof of vaccination.

  24. 24.

    leeleeFL

    It’s imperative that people get vaxxed, or forced to stay away from the rest of us.  The rest of the Country has to be given the chance to move on.  As someone who was in the Polio/Smallpox/Tetanus vax era, and the Mother and GrandMother of the vax for all childhood diseases as well Generations, my patience with these shitheads is done!   Vax, or live in a cave.

  26. 26.

    Raoul Paste

    After Biden’s speech, Howard Stern will be available to take questions from the media.

    And we are temporarily suspending FCC profanity rules for Howard’s replies

  28. 28.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @dmsilev: I’m surprised cyanide hasn’t caught on. I mean, it’s got a 100% cure rate – everyone whose ever gotten Covid and taken a cyanide capsule, well, Covid didn’t kill a single one of them.

  31. 31.

    Joe Falco

    Biden: I’m going to drop a bomb.

    Press: *bursts into wild cheering*

    Biden: Not that kind of bomb.

    Press: Awww!

  34. 34.

    JKC

    And no fecking whining about Freedum from these idiots. They’re free to refuse the vaccine; they can just go find jobs in another profession.

  35. 35.

    Kay

    Rite aid sent me a digital verification card. Pretty snazzy!

    You guys are probably jealous, with your dog-eared paper cards.

  37. 37.

    leeleeFL

    @Ken: That’s probably too simple and bland. No chance of real misery caused, maybe some itchiness or some such.

    No it has to be nuts, maybe transfusions of gorilla blood?  Or possibly infusions of poop from convalescents?  The plasma helped some right?

  39. 39.

    Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix

    @JKC:

    And no fecking whining about Freedum from these idiots. They’re free to refuse the vaccine; they can just go find jobs in another profession.

    They’ll whine while they’re lining up for the shot.

    This is one case where the politics and policy line up.  Biden will be blamed if the pandemic is still raging in a few months, so doing this now is the right thing to do politically.  Of course, it’s also good policy.  I’m sure requiring vaccinations to board planes, trains and automobiles is just a shot away.

  40. 40.

    Amir Khalid

    The post headline made me do a double-take. In my neck of the woods, to drop a bomb is a colloquial expression synonymous with to do No. 2.

    It’s a good thing that Biden can finally issue these executive orders. No question that his action is right and necessary.

  42. 42.

    Joe Falco

    @Kay: I had a copy made and laminated for free at Office Max. When I got my 2nd shot in April at one of the sites being managed by the National Guard, one of the soldiers told me that offer when my card was handed back to me. I used my laminated copy for the first time last week when I went to DragonCon in Atlanta!

  44. 44.

    Woodrow/asim

    @rikyrah: Job-based is far more impactful than transportation-based. A lot of poorer folx will not step onto even a bus, anytime soon — but many of them will go to a job.

    I get that transportation is a major vector of spread, yet I think they are putting the focus in the right place. We’ll see how the inevitable lawsuits go…

  45. 45.

    Ken

    Requiring medical providers who take Medicare/Medicaid to vaccinate is a great motivator.  As the motto of the Omnian Quisition held, “Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum.“

  46. 46.

    JaneE

    Sounds good to me.

    I hope Democrats are going to be out pounding the drums talking about how it is a damn shame that people in this country have to be forced to prevent deaths in their communities.  There never has been a “freedom” to kill your neighbors, and the people who refuse to be vaccinated are doing just that, and I for one don’t believe that they know that very well.

  47. 47.

    dlwchico

    Friend of my wife went to our local hospital recently and the doctor she saw mentioned that the hospital is planning on making the vaccine mandatory for it’s employees and he said when they do about a third of the people that work there are saying they will quit.

  49. 49.

    smith

    I really hope the Goobers don’t find a RWNJ judge to put a stay on this, but I’m not holding my breath. It would be great if there were enough of a delay so that when it went to trial vaccination-for-all would be a fait accompli.

  54. 54.

    Roger Moore

    @dlwchico:

    This is a key reason having a federal mandate for healthcare providers is so important.  A lot of those people planning on quitting probably figured they’d be able to get another job elsewhere.  Good luck with that if there’s a federal mandate.

  58. 58.

    dmsilev

    @Kay: County and state both sent me QR codes. Haven’t been anywhere that’s asked to see them, but hey, I’ve got a couple of QR codes!

    3 actually, since my employer sent one out as well. That one got used once, though “used” is probably a bit strong. Person at the entrance to an outdoor event asked to see it, looked at the picture on my phone and said “yep, that’s a QR code sure enough, come on in.” I mean, the doorkeeper was someone I know fairly well so she was happy to take my word for it that I’d had the shots, but still….

  60. 60.

    dmsilev

    @Benw: LA is planning on mandating vaccines for all public school students 12 and over; the school board is meeting today to formalize the decision. Hopefully it will be the start of a trend.

  62. 62.

    Four Seasons Total Landscaping mistermix

    @dlwchico:

    Friend of my wife went to our local hospital recently and the doctor she saw mentioned that the hospital is planning on making the vaccine mandatory for it’s employees and he said when they do about a third of the people that work there are saying they will quit.

    Say one thing, do another, I’ll bet.

  63. 63.

    gvg

    Can this apply to state employees?  I am afraid it won’t. I really want it to. We aren’t private employees.

    I hate DeSantis and the GOP Florida legislature.

  66. 66.

    geg6

    @Kay:

    I got a plastic holder to put mine in that is specifically sized for the card.  It seals for protection from water.  Cost me two bucks for five.  I gave the extras to my John and some of my siblings.

  71. 71.

    cain

    One good thing about this is that it will give state govts an out to also do mandatory vaccination. Once big businesses are doing it – the dragnet is going to close for these assholes.

  72. 72.

    Betty Cracker

    @gvg: Did you see a clip of that lying fuck-nugget DeSantis saying he doesn’t understand why masks are politicized? As if he and the bloated orange fuck-knuckle whose leg he constantly humps haven’t been politicizing the fuck out of masks for well over a year? I wanted to throw a brick through the screen when I saw that! Gah!

  73. 73.

    NotMax

    @geg6

    Heh. I simply covered mine in plastic wrap. By happenstance I already use a style of wallet into which it readily fits.

  74. 74.

    Feathers

    I’m guessing part of the reason for creating an almost universal mandate is to cut down on people just saying “I’ll quit!” If 2/3s of US jobs will require vaccination, it may be Suck It Up Buttercup time.

  81. 81.

    JoyceH

    @dmsilev: ​
     

    I’d like to see a Federally-run betting pool on what completely-absurd “medication” will become the next miracle cure. I’ve got $10 on leeches.

    Snake oil. Literally. There’s one sketchy study about a venomous viper in Brazil.

    “A study published in the scientific journal Molecules this month found that the molecule produced by the jararacussu pit viper inhibited the virus’s ability to multiply in monkey cells by 75%.”

    https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/brazilian-viper-venom-may-become-tool-fight-against-coronavirus-study-shows-2021-08-31/

    Before the month is out, Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham will be doing for the word ‘jararacussu’ what they did for ‘ivermectin’. And yeah, it’s going to be hard to collect pit viper venom from the wilds of Brazil, but that won’t stop the grifters from claiming that’s what they’re selling.

  85. 85.

    The Dangerman

    Oh, please, please, PLEASE let me be in on the interviews when all these assholes need new jobs:

    Me: Why did you leave your last job?

    Them: I wouldn’t get the shot.

    Me: Fuck you. Next!

  87. 87.

    JML

    There’s will be some people who will actually quit rather than get vaxx’d, but the numbers will be relatively small and mostly from people who were already planning on leaving. Most people will talk big, whine a lot, and either get the shot or try to lie about it.

  90. 90.

    WaterGirl

    @The Dangerman:  You have that all wrong.

    Me: Why did you leave your last job?

    Then: I wouldn’t get the shot.

    Them: They were so unreasonable.  They tried to take away my freedom of choice and tried to make me get vaccinated!  Wah!

  92. 92.

    zhena gogolia

    @Betty Cracker: I think you might be right.

    But my husband would say, he doesn’t have Trump’s charisma. Trump’s charisma is invisible to me, but my husband identified it back when he was being questioned by Megyn Kelly.

  94. 94.

    Eunicecycle

    @Kay: my husband got one yesterday via text, but I haven’t gotten one yet. And ironically he has a flip phone (old style) so it doesn’t do him any good.

  96. 96.

    The Dangerman

    @WaterGirl: They can complain I’m taking away their freedom as I strap them to the table and jab them while they scream. I’m way past the point of giving a shit about their feelings.

  103. 103.

    E.

    Oh man the right wing website commenters are going nuts. They are calling for violence. “The lib Marxist traitors have forced our hand.” MTG’s Facebook page has gotten even worse, which is hard to fathom. There is going to be some real resistance to this.

  105. 105.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @zhena gogolia: Watched a bunch of episodes years back. I thought it was pretty good entertainment as well.**

    One thing that did somewhat bother me was how many episodes turned on the use of video from a dense network of surveillance cameras spread all over London. Intrusive much?***

    ** FTR The series name was changed to MI-5 for US release because the original British name (Spooks) is racially offensive here.

    *** Not that I’m complaining – once changing planes at Heathrow I had a rucksack full of computer gear, taken when my back was turned, that Security recovered by means of the ubiquitous video cameras.

Comments are closed.