Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

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

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

American History and Black History can not be separated.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

The frogs are rarely mistaken.

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

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

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

“Joe Biden deserved better than he got from some folks in his own party.”

Let’s show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

The problem people have with Biden’s age is the color of the VPs skin.

The US Supreme Court is on the ballot in november.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Meanwhile over at truth Social, the former president is busy confessing to crimes.

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

I desperately hope that, yet again, I am wrong.

You are here: Home / Politics / Biden Administration in Action / Thursday Evening Open Thread: (Temporary) Shut-Down Reprieve

Thursday Evening Open Thread: (Temporary) Shut-Down Reprieve

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Congress on Thursday approved a measure to fund the government into early December, staving off a shutdown that was set to occur after midnight…

The funding stopgap sustains federal agencies’ existing spending until December 3, at which point Congress must adopt another short-term fix, called a continuing resolution, or pass a dozen appropriations bills that fund federal agencies through the 2022 fiscal year.

The new measure also includes billions of dollars to assist in responding to two recent, deadly hurricanes that battered the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard, as well as other money to aid in resettling refugees arriving from Afghanistan.

Senators adopted the measure Thursday after Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) brokered a deal with Republicans that allowed them to vote on a series of amendments, including one that seeks to block the federal government from spending money to carry out President Biden’s pending vaccine requirements for medium and large-sized businesses. That amendment, and another targeting Afghan aid, require 60 votes to pass and failed in a chamber where Democrats possess a tie-breaking majority.

House lawmakers followed suit later in the day, sparing what would have been a potentially destabilizing shutdown during the coronavirus pandemic. Federal agencies in recent days had scrambled in preparation for the worst, seeking to safeguard critical public health programs from possible disruption…

Not great:

Still unresolved is the fight over the debt ceiling, the statutory limit on U.S. borrowing. The cap allows the government to rack up debt to pay its bills. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has told Congress that her agency will run out of flexibility to avoid missing payments after October 18, at which point Washington would face the unprecedented threat of default unless Congress acts.

House Democrats on Wednesday adopted a measure to raise the debt ceiling, but Senate lawmakers have been stymied amid a partisan dispute. Republicans have refused to raise the debt ceiling in the narrowly divided chamber, arguing they should not have to foot the bill for Biden’s broader economic agenda. That has angered Schumer and Democrats, who stress the debt ceiling covers past spending — and point out their party agreed to raise the borrowing limit without issue even under former president Donald Trump.

Republicans led by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have blocked multiple attempts to address the debt ceiling in recent days, arguing that Democrats should use a process known as reconciliation to address the issue. The move allows Democrats to adopt bills with a simple majority. But Schumer has argued it is time consuming and “risky,” creating a stalemate in the chamber with significant economic implications, as the Biden administration warns inaction could plunge the country into a recession…

GOP Death Cultists, beavering away:

… Lawmakers reached a deal on the spending legislation after Democrats agreed to strip out a provision that would have raised the federal government’s ability to continue borrowing funds through the end of 2022. Senate Republicans blocked an initial funding package on Monday over its inclusion, refusing to give the majority party any of the votes needed to move ahead on a bill to avert a first-ever federal default in the coming weeks.

The legislation that passed on Thursday would keep the government fully funded through Dec. 3, giving lawmakers additional time to reach consensus over the dozen annual bills that dictate federal spending. It would provide $6.3 billion to help Afghan refugees resettle in the United States and $28.6 billion to help communities rebuild from hurricanes, wildfires and other recent natural disasters…

Before agreeing to the details of the spending bill Thursday morning, the Senate defeated an amendment proposed by Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, that would have curtailed the duration of some of the benefits for Afghan refugees.

Senators also voted down an amendment, offered by Senator Roger Marshall, Republican of Kansas, that would have barred funds from going toward the implementation and enforcement of Mr. Biden’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, as well as an amendment that would deny lawmakers pay should they fail to pass a budget resolution and the dozen spending bills by Oct. 1.

Reader Interactions

234Comments

  2. 2.

    Kirk Spencer

    Ironically, this passage of a stop-gap business as usual resolution gives me hope about the two big bills we’re all (well, most of us) suffering such angst about.

  3. 3.

    Medicine Man

    The debt limit is just a mechanism for Republicans to virtue signal and waste time when they’re not in power. It needs to be axed.

  4. 4.

    Another Scott

    Team D should call the debt limit bill something like “The Donald Trump Is America’s Greatest President Act of 2021” (TDTIAGPA?) (or something similar with snazzy acronym) and force a roll-call vote on it.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  7. 7.

    Another Scott

    Meanwhile, … RollCall:

    The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Thursday to decriminalize and deschedule marijuana, finishing a two-day markup in which the panel also approved a series of bipartisan measures designed to lower drug prices.

    Republicans Matt Gaetz of Florida and Tom McClintock of California joined Democrats to advance the marijuana bill by a vote of 26-15.

    The measure, sponsored by Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., passed the chamber last year but stalled in the GOP-controlled Senate. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer proposed a similar measure in July, sparking hopes among advocates that the legislation would finally make it into law.

    The bill would decriminalize and deschedule cannabis, and implement a federal tax on marijuana products to fund grants for communities hardest hit by the nation’s war on drugs. The bill would also allow most individuals convicted of nonviolent cannabis offenses to expunge their records, with the exception of those considered to be “kingpins,” or those who helped oversee a criminal drug ring.

    The outlook for final passage is still uncertain. Schumer and co-sponsors, including Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., have not yet formally introduced their draft bill, and Congress is currently consumed by a debate to pass trillions of dollars in spending on infrastructure and social programs.

    […]

    Good, good. Keep pushing forward!!

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  8. 8.

    Urza

    YAY we get to hear about all this again in 9 weeks.  Its not like anything is going to change about the situation by then.  Though a headline of “Republicans stole Xmas” for blocking it would be nice.

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: You know that card from years ago, maybe based on the far side?

    Scene:  Yelling at your dog

    What you say:  “Ginger!  Bad dog, Ginger!  Bad dog!  Ginger, you know you’re not supposed to get in the garbage.”

    What they hear:  “Ginger! blah blah Ginger! blah blah Ginger!  blah blah blah”

    That’s the point I am at about all the speculation about these two bills.  No one, and I mean no one, has an inside track on what’s going on or what will happen.

    So I am tuning it all out as “blah blah blah blah blah blah blah”.

    All it’s doing is stressing everyone out.  The people who are talking don’t know, and the people who know are not talking.

    We are all just being spun like cotton candy, and I’m done being a pawn of the media.

  31. 31.

    Urza

    I’d rather we eliminate the filibuster and the debt ceiling because we finally learned Republicans don’t mind slashing the tires if it keeps the rest of us from getting where we need to go.  Pushing it off 9 weeks changes nothing other than putting framing about Xmas around it.

  32. 32.

    Another Scott

    Just spoke to a lawmaker familiar with the Progressive Caucus’s whip count, and they seemed confident there’d be at least 50 Dems voting no on the infrastructure bill if Pelosi held a vote tonight.

    This lawmaker also guessed there wouldn’t be a vote tonight.

    — Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) September 30, 2021

    A Josh/TPM tweet says that the Progressives are holding firm so far (and he’s right – why wouldn’t they at this point, the S&M crew haven’t given up anything yet) and that Clyburn isn’t whipping yet.

    Everyone wants to get out of town and get this off their backs, that can’t be underestimated, so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there’s an agreement before say 0300 tomorrow. But it’s probably 50/50.

    Exciting!!

    (via nycsouthpaw)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  33. 33.

    Kropacetic

    Just picked my buddy up from work and a bunch of plague rats were demonstrating for “medical freedom” across the street.  Plenty of weird signs about Biden being Obama’s puppet and traitor, none suggesting this medical freedom should extend to abortions.

    Come to think of it, the pro-life crowd is being somewhat consistent in one sense.  Every sperm microorganism is sacred and must be allowed to proliferate.

  35. 35.

    trollhattan

    A public service reminder that Louis DeJoy still runs the Post Office. He is working as hard as he can to make it uncompetitive and unable to perform its full suite of services.

    “The Postal Service’s problems are serious but, working together, they can be solved,” U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said in a release. “Our 10-year Plan capitalizes on our natural strengths and addresses our serious weaknesses.”

    United States Postal Service changes to delivery times kick in Friday, meaning that cross-country mail could see up to two-day delays going forward.

    The changes also mean package shipments will be more expensive during the upcoming holiday season, U.S. Postal Service spokesperson Meiko Patton said.

    Current standards regulate that first-class mail shipped from any location reaches its destination in three days or less. New regulations would allow mail to be delivered in up to five days, depending on where it is coming from within the continental U.S., as the service transitions more of its operations to ground shipping from air.

    Mail traveling more than 931 miles, or 20 hours, will have a four-day delivery standard. Mail traveling more than 1,908 miles, or more than 41 hours, will have a five-day delivery standard.

    Still, 61% of first-class mail and 93% of periodicals — like subscription magazines released at regular intervals — will not be affected by the changes, Patton said.

    Consumers can still choose priority mail services for one-to-three day shipping across the continental U.S.

    The U.S. Postal Service also will increase the cost of domestic package shipments during this holiday season — from Oct. 3 to Dec. 26 — to reflect the needs presented last year, Patton said. International mail will not be affected.

    Previously, letters and flats coming from within a six-hour drive would have a two-day standard. The U.S. Postal Service adjusted that to apply to flat mail within a three-hour drive, bumping most mail coming from farther away to a three-day standard.

    But packages within an eight-hour drive, rather than from the previous time-frame of six hours, will now meet two-day standard. Sixty-eight percent of packages will still have one-to-two day delivery.

    The U.S. Postal Service contends that this better meets consumer needs, as demand increases for packages in a more competitive market and decreases for letters and flats.
    https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article254582267.html#storylink=cpy

  43. 43.

    trollhattan

    @germy: 
    The business model being proposed by DeJoy seems to be that of Theranos, and just maybe that Holmes person will be available, post-trial, to give it a go. Winning!

  45. 45.

    trollhattan

    Checking in on the Scientist-Shaman Russian lady arrested on suspicion of arson in the Fawn Fire; surprise, she’s fucking nuts!

    A Palo Alto woman facing felony charges of arson in connection with the Fawn Fire in Shasta County told authorities she was trying to boil bear urine out of creek water the day the fire started, according to a criminal complaint.

    Alexandra Souverneva, 30, is accused of “willfully, unlawfully, and maliciously” setting fire to forest land in the Mountain Gate area near Redding on Sept. 22, igniting a blaze that has destroyed 185 structures and forced the evacuation of thousands of residents.

    On Wednesday, authorities lifted the remaining evacuations for the Fawn Fire, which was 75% contained according to Cal Fire after charring more than 8,595 acres.

    In Redding, just miles from the Fawn Fire, Souverneva faces a felony arson charge with an enhanced charge of committing arson during a state of emergency. Together, the charges could result in up to nine years in prison, Shasta County District Attorney, Stephanie Bridgett said. She has pleaded not guilty.

    Souverneva told Cal Fire officials that she was hiking to Canada when she became thirsty and found a puddle of water near a dry creek bed, according to court records. The water contained bear urine, Souverneva said, and after an unsuccessful attempt to filter it with a tea bag, she tried to start a fire to boil the water instead. But, she said, “it was too wet for the fire to start.”

    She drank the water anyway and continued to walk uphill, she told authorities, until she saw smoke and “airplanes dropping pink stuff” and then contacted the fire department.

    Quarry workers reported seeing a woman matching Souverneva’s description who was “acting irrationally” near where the fire began Wednesday afternoon. Court documents indicate the woman continued walking east into the vegetation, leaving behind two carbon dioxide cartridges and a battery along a dirt road.

    Later that night, fire officials found Souverneva as they battled the growing blaze and assessed her for possible dehydration. At the time, she was carrying a functioning cigarette lighter and a “pink and white item containing a green leafy substance she admitted to smoking that day,” Cal Fire Officer Matt Alexander reported.

    This “Wild” sequel will be lit.

  51. 51.

    UncleEbeneezer

    GARDENA, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed eight bills Thursday, Sept. 30, focusing on policing reform.

    Those bills include requiring officers to intervene when another officer uses excessive force, a process to decertify peace officers for serious misconduct and banning certain restraints.

    “We have work to do. Just because you sign a piece of legislation doesn’t change things fundamentally, it’s the application. Program passing is not problem-solving,” Newsom said.

    The ‘George Floyd Bill,’ authored by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), requires and outlines techniques for officers to intervene when witnessing another officer using excessive force.

    “Derek Chauvin was charged for killing George Floyd, but justice for George Floyd doesn’t rest in Chauvin’s conviction alone – there were three additional officers simply stood by and watched him die,” Holden said.

    Holden said that an officer who fails to intervene could be disciplined in the same way as the officer who used excessive force.

    State Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) authored a bill known as the ‘Kenneth Ross Jr.’ initiative, which allows California to decertify police officers for misconduct. Kenneth Ross Jr. was killed April 11, 2018, while running past Rowley Park. Gardena Police Officer Michael Robbins was cleared of any wrongdoing in the incident, but criminal justice reform advocates asked for more police accountability, pointing out this was Robbins’ fourth shooting.

    At the time, California was one of only four states in the county without the ability to decertify police officers.

    https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/governor-gavin-newsom-police-reform-bills/103-6ac47832-b09e-4dc3-8e5a-ab10a5e5f92a

  52. 52.

    debbie

    Is Manchin saying he would support funding a $1.5 trillion package by reversing Trump tax cuts new or old news?

  55. 55.

    germy

    I love that a reporter asked manchin about his son being CEO of an energy company & he was like “hey shut the fuck up about that” & they did. This country rocks

    — Justin?Boldaji بلداجي (@justinboldaji) September 30, 2021

    Remember when his daughter was price gouging emergency allergic reaction medicine? There were dudes in here that were like, "he's just looking out for his baby girl" like she isn't a 40 year old supervillain

    — Famous Bowl Carver (@RateMySalad) September 30, 2021

  58. 58.

    debbie

    @Kropacetic:

    Hearings have started in the Ohio Senate over a proposed abortion bill that would end all abortions once Roe v. Wade had been overturned. One of the legislators (Dem) asked one of the sponsors (Rep female) if exceptions would be made for incest, and she said no because “They have human DNA. There is human DNA.”

    I’m wondering if there’s a conspiracy theory somewhere that I’ve missed that would explain this human DNA thing.

  60. 60.

    Morzer

    @germy: Didn’t Manchin put pressure on the local university to give his daughter an MBA, even though she hadn’t completed the requirements for it?

  61. 61.

    Dan B

    @Omnes Omnibus: Raise hand, “I do!”

    It seems the Democratic (can we say Midnight Blue Dawg) chair of the Post Office Board admires DeJoy for his innovations.

    Ask Satby what she thinks about DeJoy and the board.  She sent me a package of Skinluvver’s soaps via Priority Mail.  Took a week and this was before the most blatant DeJoy destruction.  He’s been at it a long time.

  64. 64.

    germy

    MANCHIN asked by @AriNatter whether an energy company he founded is a conflict of interest as he negotiates reconciliation:

    MANCHIN: "I've been in a blind trust for 20 years, I have no idea what they're doing.

    Ari: You're still getting dividends.

    MANCHIN: "You got a problem?"

    — Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 29, 2021

    More from @AriNatter RE: the energy company Manchin founded: Your son still owns it, doesn't he?

    MANCHIN: "You'd do best to change the subject."

    — Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 29, 2021

  65. 65.

    Chetan Murthy

    @Dan B: Wasn’t that the same chair who got caught accepting a big-ass bribe from Dejoy ?  ISTR something about that.  So much corruption, so much corruption.

  67. 67.

    trollhattan

    @Ksmiami:

    IIUC the Postal Board (Commission?) has to hire/fire the Postmaster General and it’s not a direct presidential appointment. Ugh.
    ETA it’s the Board of Governors.

  68. 68.

    trollhattan

    Pro tip: keep an eye on your Nazis at all times.

    A former secretary at a Nazi concentration camp has been captured after trying to flee before her trial in northern Germany.

    Irmgard Furchner, 96, was due to stand trial for complicity in 11,000 murders, but she failed to turn up and the judge issued a warrant for her arrest.

    The defendant was detained by police hours after disappearing from a nursing home in the town of Quickborn.

    She fled to Hamburg where she was picked up on a local street.

    After her capture on Thursday, Ms Furchner was placed in provisional detention ahead of the opening of her trial.

    She had been due to appear at a special court in Itzehoe, an hour’s drive north of Hamburg.

    Instead she left her retirement home between 06:00 and 07:20 local time (05:00 and 06:20 BST), apparently heading for an underground station. “She took a taxi,” said court spokeswoman Frederike Milhoffer.

  70. 70.

    UncleEbeneezer

    Another good CA story:

    MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law Thursday allowing ownership of a prime beachfront property to be transferred to heirs of a couple who built a resort for Black people in the early 1900s but were stripped of the land by local officials.

    The legislation unanimously approved by state lawmakers this month was necessary to allow the start of the complex legal process of transferring ownership of what was once known as Bruce’s Beach in the city of Manhattan Beach and has been owned by Los Angeles County.

    https://abc7.com/bruces-beach-manhattan-property-seized-from-black-family-gavin-newsom/11064261/

  72. 72.

    Brachiator

     

    @debbie:

    Is Manchin saying he would support funding a $1.5 trillion package by reversing Trump tax cuts new or old news?

    Good question. I had not previously heard about specific Manchin proposals. Just generalized grumbling.

    And yet earlier I heard that Manchin wanted a thorough overhaul of the Trump tax law. This is not the same thing as a reversal.

    And besides, Biden had dealt with this to a large degree in his plan. Manchin is just making noise and hurting the party.

  73. 73.

    UncleEbeneezer

    And these Texas kids are alright:

    ‘We said what we had to say’ | Temple High students stage walkout after transgender student is denied access to female locker room
    Kendall Tinoco, 16, said that before this year there was no issue with her using the restroom or locker room. Today, students walked out of class to support her.

  80. 80.

    WaterGirl

    @UncleEbeneezer: Thank you for all of these stories and links, UncleEb.

    I understand that we are poised on a knife edge, but the unrelenting focus on what’s bad and what’s wrong and the worst that could happen is wearing me down.

  82. 82.

    RaflW

    @UncleEbeneezer: Things like this make we think that we just have to keep the wheels from totally flying off for six or eight more years.

    The shifts that conservatives are so mortally terrified of are coming.
    It’s just a matter of how bad the fight will be in between, and who sustains more of the casualties (there shouldn’t be any casualties – but 4,000 or 5,000 years of human history suggest that the peaceful way thru is unlikely).

  85. 85.

    germy

    @WaterGirl:

    Here’s a positive thought:  The Republicans have gotten so extreme, they’re turning off more and more voters.   Young people who previously considered themselves apolitical are now following every story and registering to vote.

  86. 86.

    dmsilev

    Senators adopted the measure Thursday after Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) brokered a deal with Republicans that allowed them to vote on a series of amendments, including one that seeks to block the federal government from spending money to carry out President Biden’s pending vaccine requirements for medium and large-sized businesses. That amendment, and another targeting Afghan aid, require 60 votes to pass and failed in a chamber where Democrats possess a tie-breaking majority.

    OK, so the government stays open and the Republicans put themselves on record opposing the vaccine mandates that most of the country supports? Further evidence that Mitch McConnell isn’t some all-knowing nefarious genius, he’s just a totally amoral asshole who really doesn’t have much of a strategy set besides “be a totally amoral asshole”.

  88. 88.

    C Stars

    @Baud: Also good news. My 8 year old has gotten extremely into the hobby of “watching sports” which is a bit of a quandary for this non-sporty family. We just cast around on the TV for some live sports, or at least a game that looks kinda life (baseball is the favorite right now). And then the 8 year old plops down for 4 hours and demands nachos and tries to figure out when to cheer. Will be fun to turn the Super Bowl into a big event for him this year.

  89. 89.

    dmsilev

    @germy: Another forum I hang out on, which is dominated by science and tech types, used to be fairly non-political. Nowadays, call the Republican Party a bunch of sociopathic Nazi-adjacent saboteurs and most of the people on the forum will agree, with just a few “well, maybe that’s a bit extreme” takes.

    One data point in support.

  99. 99.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    Not necessarily good news, but funny news. Popehat’s latest nym is FinstaHat. Why, you may ask?

    Sen. Blumenthal asks Facebook “Will you commit to ending Finsta?”

    Facebook’s safety chief has to explain that Finsta is slang for a fake account.
    pic.twitter.com/jMYy5AIZjY

    — Eric Morrow (@morroweric) September 30, 2021

  100. 100.

    WaterGirl

    @prostratedragon: Yeah, I understand how important it all is, and I get why we are all stressed about it.

    But sometimes we seem to work ourselves into a collective lather, and today another favorite commenter of mine is choosing to leave BJ because it just gets to be too much.

    So i’m bummed.

  104. 104.

    lowtechcyclist

    The shutdown is one thing where just kicking it down the road is a good thing.  If there’s a shutdown, the closer to the election it is, the more likely voters are to remember it.  Though even December is probably not close enough for that.

  107. 107.

    NotMax

    @Steeplejack

    I’m Clickin’, He’s Finsta.

    (Now that’s an obscure (and strained) reference, the original of which I expect maybe 1% of folks will recognize.)

  108. 108.

    zhena gogolia

    @NotMax: Oh, I’m in that 1%.

    On The Chair, we have persisted. Holland Taylor is hilarious, and the romcom aspect is pretty good.

    But as an academic satire, it is totally clueless, and it’s unfair to:

    Faculty

    Students

    Administrators (never thought I’d say that)

    and Trustees (REALLY never thought I’d say that)

  109. 109.

    lowtechcyclist

    @NotMax: There was briefly a TV show, “I’m Dickens, He’s Fenster” in the mid-1960s sometime.  But yeah, that’s one seriously obscure cultural reference.
    What do I win? ;-)​
     

    ETA: Damn, I’m not even the first one to get it. Props to zhena gogolia!

  112. 112.

    prostratedragon

    @WaterGirl:  It’s only important because of that stupid law, whose history I understand to be kind of dubious. Fundamentally, it doesn’t matter at all. Just a horrendous timesink and, indeed, source of unnecessary stress.

  119. 119.

    WaterGirl

    @Ella in New Mexico: Excellent point.

    No more haircuts!

    Oh my god, are we flushing human DNA down the toilet every time we go to the bathroom?

    No more masturbation… we are most certainly losing human DNA that way.  Especially when the males do it!

    These people are fucking idiots.

  121. 121.

    zhena gogolia

    @WaterGirl: No dean I’ve ever known would hand a chair a list of faculty with the highest salaries and lowest enrollments and tell them to get rid of them. NEVER. Not in a million years. (Caveat: they’re presenting this as a prestigious liberal-arts college.)

    No trustee, on first meeting the chair of the English Department, would say, “What about this clusterfuck?” Etc.

  125. 125.

    trollhattan

    @NotMax:

    Picturing a Mercedes (naturlich) sedan, full-size (S-class) with an oompah band in the back seat playing the “Curb” theme.

  127. 127.

    Roger Moore

    @Chetan Murthy:

    I think this is exactly what the grownups are afraid of.  Kids today, even conservative kids, are growing up with a completely different idea of gender and sexuality from what adults had at the same age.  They’re accepting of things that weren’t just unacceptable to people my age but unthinkable.  And the scariest thing to conservatives is that the kids see this as a critical issue, so the adults risk losing those kids forever if they don’t bend on the issue.

  128. 128.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    I’m getting the exterior of my house painted and I had a really dim-witted encounter with an anti-vaxer.

    yikes! All the golden oldies: I’m suspicious of the government, it’s too new, why should I be vaccinated to get a job, it’s just a strong case of the flu, there are side effects, I’ll take my chances, people are too afraid, and even more dumb ones.

    as the person was obviously nuts, I was as gentle as possible in applying logic, but it was like talking to a wall.

  129. 129.

    WaterGirl

    @zhena gogolia:  Ridiculous!  Watching a show like that would make me crazy, I think.  i know you had about 50 people telling you to watch it, but still..

    edit: and if any of the deans actually know how to spell, then it is absolutely and totally unbelievable. :-)

  131. 131.

    NotMax

    @zhena gogolia

    IIRC, you’re an aficionado of both Barbara Stanwyck and Sterling Hayden. Mentioned only because earlier today finished watching them together in a movie had never seen (or don’t remember having seen before) on Prime, Crime of Passion.

    Not the best of outings for either of them but they work to make the most of what’s there.

  134. 134.

    Roger Moore

    @dmsilev:

    This sounds about right.  When I started working in science, scientists skewed liberal but it wasn’t an absolute thing by any means.  You could still be conservative and a scientist without anyone thinking it was a problem or even unusual enough to comment about.  Now, scientists feel very comfortable being extremely liberal and even anti-conservative around each other because there just aren’t any conservative scientists around to push back.  They’ve all retired, moved into other careers, or given up on conservatism.  I guess there might be some conservatives hiding out by keeping quiet, but it’s very, very quiet.

  137. 137.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @Baud:

    Snoop Dog will be doing the next Super bowl halftime show.

    I love Soul Plane. How Snoop became a mainstream face/persona on TV and ads would make a good story.

  141. 141.

    gwangung

    @Roger Moore: I think right wingers have divorced science from technology and has waged a decades war on Science, because it doesn’t give them the answers they want—just what’s out there in nature.

    And that hostility will naturally turn scientists against right wing ideology….

  146. 146.

    Roger Moore

    @gwangung:

    I’m sure that the conservative anti-science ideology has a lot to do with it, but it’s interesting the extent to which all aspects of ideology have been coupled.  There’s no particular reason that conservatives being anti-science should make scientists give up conservatism in areas where it isn’t in obvious conflict with science, but it does.  Ideology has come to touch all aspects of everything, so it’s harder and harder to remain conservative on some issues and liberal on others.  It’s much more of an all-or-nothing proposition than it was 30 years ago.

  150. 150.

    Kropacetic

    @Kayla Rudbek: Probably not for you then, but Legal Eagle on Youtube reviews media depictions of lawyers and grades them.  Not surprisingly, few shows follow actual courtroom procedure closely in favor of heightening the drama.

  151. 151.

    Roger Moore

    @Kayla Rudbek:

    and all human chimeras should get to vote at least twice (one vote per every set of unique DNA that they have)

    I beg to disagree.  Maybe some human chimeras should be allowed to vote multiple times, but I don’t think that would apply to people who have received a transplant from a living donor.  In that case, giving them a second vote would be allowing someone to vote twice.  Full disclosure: I am a stem cell donor, and the idea of my recipient getting a second vote because of my blood cells seems wrong.

  152. 152.

    The Golux

    @WaterGirl:

    @Baud:

    I am extremely pleased to have Chris Murphy as my senator.  He probably works harder than the entire GQP side.

    And Richard Blumenthal ain’t no slouch, neither.

  157. 157.

    Kropacetic

    @Steeplejack (phone): Sen. Blumenthal asks Facebook “Will you commit to ending Finsta?”

    Facebook’s safety chief has to explain that Finsta is slang for a fake account.

    So, will they commit to ending fake accounts? Deflecting a poorly phrased question with pedantry is gross.

  159. 159.

    dmsilev

    @Roger Moore: Also, the definition of ‘conservative’ has shifted a lot over the last generation or so. Someone who was comfortable calling themselves conservative in say the Reagan era might well look at the current crop and recoil in horror without having changed their own views one jot.

  161. 161.

    Another Scott

    Twitter was saying earlier that the House wouldn’t vote until after 9pm. C-SPAN isn’t showing the House live now, but is showing the Senate staff milling around waiting for things to happen. Along with a PiP of Manchin talking with the press earlier.

    Bernie steps outside for a bit and says “it is an absurd way to do business to be negotiating a multi-trillion bill a few minutes before with virtually nobody knowing what’s going on.”

    — Eric Michael Garcia (@EricMGarcia) October 1, 2021

    Presumably something is happening, but it doesn’t mean that they will vote tonight.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  165. 165.

    Kropacetic

    @oatler: I’ll offer my ex up as proof.  Had to nurse the poor man back to sanity after what we thought was a restrained amount of edibles.

  166. 166.

    Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes

    @Baud:

    I vote we supply Manchin with the same weed my children had for me on Father’s Day. The little shits killed me – it wasn’t the same shitty ditch weed of my youth.

    They looked at me and guffawed at my giant hit. Some uncounted minutes later, I mumbled “I’m going to bed. Put out the tiki torches when you’re done and carry in my guitar; I’m afraid I’ll stumble and will smash it.”  When I staggered into the bedroom and noticed that the Contessa was awake, she took one look and said “oh, God, you smoked their weed. Come to bed and don’t snore.”

  168. 168.

    PsiFighter37

    Seems like Pelosi is putting her reputation on the line with pushing this vote ahead tonight. It certainly seems like there is a lot of discord. I wish that some people would take a step back and realize what a victory it would be to commit $2 trillion ($550 billion from the infrastructure bill and Manchin’s $1.5 trillion topline). Those are numbers Barack Obama could only dream of in 2009, and he had much wider majorities.

    Progressives, socialists, whatever you want to call yourselves – that’s a huge fucking victory. Take it, get the victory lap, and then we will have to deal with smaller things until the midterms. That is the nature of how things (unfortunately) have to work. Pramila Jayapal doesn’t seem to get that, and the Squad certainly doesn’t (although I could see Pressley voting aye, since she seems to be the most pragmatic).

    ETA: that’s not to say that more isn’t needed, especially around climate change. But take what we can get now, win the fucking midterms in 2022 so that we don’t have to rely on Sinema and Manchin, kill the filibuster, and then everyone’s progressive wet dreams can come true after that.

  169. 169.

    Ruckus

    @dmsilev:

    Mitch McConnell isn’t some all-knowing nefarious genius, he’s just a totally amoral asshole who really doesn’t have much of a strategy set besides “be a totally amoral asshole”.

    That deserves a repeat.

  172. 172.

    jonas

    @trollhattan: ​
      If I fired my assistant, chopped off one foot, sold my only car, and then told my boss a lot of my work was going to get done a bit later than planned going forward this year due to unforeseen circumstances, his response probably would not be such a sanguine one.

  173. 173.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @jonas: Selling your car might make sense if it had a manual transmission.  Unless you used a broomstick to depress the clutch.

  175. 175.

    Another Scott

    @Omnes Omnibus: Indeed.

    It’s just curious to me that they are showing the Senate when the reports today were that Nancy was charging ahead like a common Leeroy Jenkins.  The text on C-SPAN 2 is that the Senate is approving nominees, but it seems like what is actually happening is that S&M are being given the what-for so that enough specifics and commitments can be sent to the House to get the Progressives on board to vote for the BIF tonight.  Will it happen tonight?  Maybe.  Nancy and Chuck and Joe know how this stuff works…

    We’ll see.

    But I remain convinced that it will happen at some point soon.

    Cheers,

    Scott.

  178. 178.

    Another Scott

    Chuck is speaking, they’re doing nominations (quickly, without debate).

    (Ossoff is in the big chair and presiding.)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  179. 179.

    PsiFighter37

    @Omnes Omnibus: It seems quite self-evident. Honestly, the moderates are not morons either. Especially people like Gottenheimer, whose raison d’etre is to kill SALT. The only way SALT gets killed or rolled back at all is via reconciliation.

    There is still leverage to be had, but Democrats of all stripes need to fucking understand that with a 50-50 tie in the Senate, we can only accomplish as much as a conservative self-important twat like Joe Manchin or a bought-off ditzy asshole like Krysten Sinema wants. Those are the cold, hard facts, and no amount of Bernie pontificating and telling his ladies in the House how to vote is going to change that.

    Jesus Fucking Christ. Truly will be a ‘Democrats in Disarray’ moment if we don’t realize that. And frankly, the longer the morons in the media chatter about it, the more nervous people will get overall. The ACA barely made it over the finish line because we fucking tried to play ball with the GOP for way too long over it. If Democrats had fucking steamrolled the process, we might have taken the same hit politically, but we would have come out with better policy and (likely) better politics.

    Just fucking do it, guys. Pass the fucking bipartisan bill, let the moderates get their circle jerk on, and then put the screws to them on getting as much reconciliation done as possible. Manchin voted for up to $3.5 trillion; make that fucker justify $1.5 – or frankly, bribe that asshole and tell him you’ll rename every building that has Robert Byrd’s name on it for him. Whatever it takes.

  181. 181.

    Kropacetic

    @PsiFighter37: I wish that some people would take a step back and realize what a victory it would be to commit $2 trillion ($550 billion from the infrastructure bill and Manchin’s $1.5 trillion topline).

    If that’s actually on the table, then I’m on board.  Focusing on the top line dollar value is ludicrous, though.  What’s in an what’s out?

    Yesterday it sure as hell seemed like the offer was nothing.

  183. 183.

    Roger Moore

    @dmsilev:

    There may be some shifting of what classifies as conservative, but there’s a fair bit of people’s views shifting.  I think that’s more true of social issues than economic issues- the political center has shifted way to the left on things like sexuality and gender- but it’s even true of economic issues.

  186. 186.

    Chetan Murthy

    @C Stars: It is!  It is!  Temple is 35mi from Waco, and Waco ain’t exactly Dallas/Fort Worth, if you know what I mean.  Home of Baylor University (You rape ’em, we ban scrapin’ ’em).   I was pretty damn surprised, lemme tellya.

  190. 190.

    PsiFighter37

    @Kropacetic: We can fight about that later. There is no way those details get hammered out now. But the fact that the lefties insist that the bills must be linked, and that they will only vote on reconciliation first, is stupid. It’s stupid politics as well. You get a win, you can say “Look at what we did! Now we are going to debate another bill that focuses on issues not addressed in the other bill,” and then they can fucking fight over SALT and climate change and other things that need to go in it.

    Yes, we clearly need to spend lots of money. Hell, even Bernie’s $6 trillion is too little. But the democratic socialists who call themselves Democrats need to fucking lay off the hash pipe and get a dose of realism. They also need to realize that, outside of deep-blue districts, they are HORRIBLE at electoral politics. They need to stop fucking thinking they have the answers to all of society’s problems, if only they could be unleashed into Appalachia – the rednecks and the hillbillies would definitely listen to them and be convinced!

  193. 193.

    Another Scott

    @Omnes Omnibus: Maybe.

    Maybe they waited for Chuck to finish his business in the Senate and now he’s walking across the Capitol to Nancy’s office with S&M to put enough on paper to get the BIF done tonight.

    Who knows, except that most of them really don’t want to be there all night and they want to fly home…

    Cheers,

    Scott.

  195. 195.

    Ken

    @Roger Moore: I think you mean “two people who share one body each get votes”.

    “Yes, precious, that’s what I meant — No! Not what I means at all. Nasty Roger hates us — No, he doesn’t, precious, Roger is good to us –“

  197. 197.

    Fair Economist

    @PsiFighter37: Check out TPM. Splitting off the bill and then cheating on the deal is a tactic for the Conservadems and the lobbyists to get things they desperately want without giving us anything. If we fall for this we will never get anything substantial. Manchin and the lobbyist are suddenly talking compromise today. If we beat this back we will get something substantive in reconciliation so they can get their pork.

  199. 199.

    JWR

    Via TV news, I heard that Pelosi, and I assume Schumer, are still determined to get something big done tonight.

  200. 200.

    Kropacetic

    @PsiFighter37: No, the conservatives have already shown bad faith.  Cut a deal first.  Vote on them together.

    I’m actually disgusted by the way their trying to push the infrastructure bill alone.  Yes, we need massive investments in infrastructure.  But it sickens me to no end that, as always, the only jobs in this country we seem to value are traditionally male work.  This fight reflects that.

  201. 201.

    gwangung

    @Kropacetic: In addition to that, the mindset STILL assumes that one paycheck will fuel the family and that “soft” infrastructure like child care is a frill.

    This ignores that TWO paychecks are needed to survive in the modern American society and their assumptions are making it impossible for American families to exist (and are, in fact, anti-family).

    All the stuff conservatives deride in the $3.5 trillion bill are actually necessary for American families to exist, because IT ALL REALLY IS INTERCONNECTED. Take out one piece and the whole system will grind to a halt.

  202. 202.

    slybrarian

    Why should Manchin get everything he wants and no one else gets anything? Even just from a simple quid pro quo stance it makes no sense. The reason why pork worked back in the day was the understanding that you vote for stuff that other people in your party want and in exchange they will vote for yours. Here’s the proposed trade between, as an example, Manchin and AOC if only the BIF passes.
    Manchin: gets to tell his constituents about how there’s going to be highway improvements and rural broadbandAOC: gets to tell her constituents that they get to keep drowning in their illegal basement apartments during climate change-induced severe weather, thanks to prioritizing the feelings of Big Tough Real Working Class coal miners and construction worker, who are more important than women doing essential care labor and who can now mock urban dwellers on Facebook more easily​

  204. 204.

    RaflW

    No vote tonight. Hoyer says 9:30 tomorrow morning is the next activity (not vote time per se).
    I hope “1000 percent we’re gonna do it today” Gottheimer looks like a dork in all this.

  205. 205.

    Bill Arnold

    @Roger Moore:

    because there just aren’t any conservative scientists around to push back.</c

    There are some in corporate science (I mean corporate research labs) but they are a small minority(outnumbered!) and generally just stay quiet.
    (Still trying to figure out the US national labs (new job); people avoid politics online (e.g. Slack), which is probably good.)

  206. 206.

    Kropacetic

    @slybrarian: Why should Manchin get everything he wants and no one else gets anything?

    Because his concerns are valid and the left are lucky to even be part of the conversation.  Now it’s time to line up and help the other side’s voters and not ours

    ETA: I guess it will be time in the morning.

  207. 207.

    RaflW

    Now I have to watch people bake things in a marquee tent in Britain, because I need to check out for the night.
    G’night all.

  208. 208.

    slybrarian

    @Kropacetic: 

    “The progressives are lucky to be heard” is nonsense when they’re one of the largest groups in the House and can block what he wants just like he’s blocking them. There has to be give and take here. They don’t believe everything in the (Republican-approved) BIF is good. Highway funding for example is very controversial when not paired with climate change mitigation, and is rightly seen as focusing on white male workers at the expense of female workers in other industries. He’s even trying to block expanded electric vehicle funding, apparently just out of spite against any form of carbon mitigation! Why should progressives vote against something they see as a net negative if they get nothing in return?

  209. 209.

    Kropacetic

    @slybrarian: Highway funding for example is very controversial when not paired with climate change mitigation

    I, personally, would like to our entire transportation modernized and take initial steps away from cars being the primary mode of transportation. But if a lefty Senator or two were holding up the whole process demanding this, we would rightfully be calling them insane.

  211. 211.

    Another Scott

    Meanwhile, …

    Justice Alito defends the #SB8 ruling coming at 11:58 p.m. EDT because the law was set to go into effect at midnight. Except it went into effect at midnight the night *before.*

    — Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) September 30, 2021

    Only the best people, amirite??

    Grrr…

    (via darth)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  212. 212.

    Kropacetic

    @Another Scott: Justice Alito defends the #SB8 ruling coming at 11:58 p.m. EDT because the law was set to go into effect at midnight. Except it went into effect at midnight the night *before.*

    Sounds to me like a good reason to force the state to delay implementation of a law of such questionable Constitutionality until a full ruling can be issued.  That’s just me, though.

  213. 213.

    Another Scott

    Elsewhere, …

    Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin ethics in question as FAA investigates

    https://p.dw.com/p/417JR

    Toxic white male dominated sexist dehumanizing work environment that over-works people, cuts corners, etc? Unpossible.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  214. 214.

    Kay

    @Another Scott:

    It’s amusing they’re freaking out about “credibility” though. It never occurs to any of them that if they have to go out and insist they’re credible it’s already gone.

    it’s just more ego. It’s about them personally and how they view themselves – it has nothing to do with the public.

  215. 215.

    dmsilev

    @Kay: The whole point of that assholish ‘shadow docket’ decision was to rub into people’s faces that five Supreme Court Justices can do whatever they want and there’s not much anyone can do about it. A power move. Whining about how mean people are to them really undercuts that, especially since all the critics will just turn around and point out how substantively true the criticism is…

  217. 217.

    Kay

    @dmsilev:

    It’s oddly demanding of the public. They’re the people with a credibility problem. It’s not my job to assure them they’re credible. Justice Alito has lots of opportunity to explain his position- he writes and issues orders and opinions. If they don’t stand on their own without an aggrieved and petulant campaign tour that’s a problem with his work, not my perception of his work.

    I will say this, though. It’s much harder to get it back once you’ve pissed it away than it is to keep. They were handed all the credibility and institutional legitimacy of that court. All they had to do was hang onto that unearned gift and they couldn’t even do that.

  218. 218.

    Another Scott

    In Congress, we don’t make predictions like this until we know we have the votes. Some of us get this, others bluff & fall on their face.

    Hopefully, @JoshGottheimer and the other 4% of Democrats will not obstruct but negotiate and help us get @POTUS’s agenda done for the people. https://t.co/VxeY0ueYjK

    — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 1, 2021

    Ooof. ;-)

    People know the parameters now. Everyone wants an agreement. I expect an agreement on the BIF and RB soon (however long it takes to write the bill). It’s in nobody’s interest (nobody on Team D, including S&M) to drag it out.

    (via nycsouthpaw)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  219. 219.

    Another Scott

    Sausage making at its finest!

    And it's official: No votes until 9:30 am or later tomorrow morning

    ALSO House is technically *in* all night so that they can claim they're still on same legislative day tomorrow

    This is a nod to the moderates who demanded infra vote by today

    — Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) October 1, 2021

    rofl.

    (via nycsouthpaw)

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  220. 220.

    dmsilev

    @Kay:

    Justice Alito has lots of opportunity to explain his position- he writes and issues orders and opinions. If they don’t stand on their own without an aggrieved and petulant campaign tour that’s a problem with his work, not my perception of his work.

    Gee, maybe he and his colleagues should have thought about that before issuing a dead of night ‘decision’ in which they conspicuously declined to provide any real reasoning for their action.

  221. 221.

    Kay

    @dmsilev:

    I’m ALSO amused the conservative justices only speak to friendly audiences at conservative events.

    Aren’t these the people who have been scolding us about “safe spaces” and how we all must engage on ideas?  They exist in a Right wing cocoon. The only liberals they ever encounter are Sotomayor and Kagan.

  223. 223.

    JWR

    @eemom: Wow, a blast from the past! And yeah, I’m one who (almost) always enjoyed your cantankerous commentary. ;)

    Welcome, back?

  224. 224.

    Anya

    @germy:

    Manchin’s daughter is the female Martin Shkreli. If there is any justice in the world she would have been arrested.

  226. 226.

    GoBlueInOak

    The Centrist Simps are learning what power is. The Progressive Caucus is the largest single caucus within the House Democrats – by a wide margin. And most of its members are in safe House districts. They absolutely should be dictating terms.

    If the corporate Dems want their lobbyist written pork bill that is mostly a highway funding climate arson bill passed, then there is a PRICE to be paid.

    The Progressive Caucus should absolutely have a BATNA in this negotiation over which they will otherwise walk – its the only way to force the other side to provide an exchange of concessions.
    And “pass the BIF and maybe after we consider the actually useful spending bill” is entirely not sufficient.

    (And by the way, highway spending mostly means public works construction – and we don’t suffer from mass unemployment in that sector – if anything the opposite – construction labor is in SHORT supply nationally – so spending more money on highway construction isn’t going to make all sorts of new JERBZ – we already have more construction JERBZ than we can find labor for – the sectors that could use the money are not in construction currently – so the BIF isn’t even a well targeted working class JERBZ bill)

  227. 227.

    RaflW

    By the way, this is what happens when Republicans think they can gerrymander their way out of any electoral consequences.

    @HoustonChron
    Houston, epicenter of Harvey damage, still would get $0 under Texas’ latest disaster aid plan

  228. 228.

    Geminid

    @GoBlueInOak: The Progressive Caucus is not the largest caucus within the Democratic House Caucus,  and certainly not by “a wide margin.” With 95 members, the Progressive Caucus is equal in number to the moderate 95 member New Democrat Caucus. Another group of moderates, the Blue Dogs, number 19.

  229. 229.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @NotMax:  Count me in the 1%. One of your most inspired** punishments, IMHO.

    ** Dang, did I just misspell “insipid”?? ;^p

  230. 230.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Miss Bianca:

    @Another Scott: Matt Gaetz was a co-sponsor?!

    Eeeeeeevrybody must get stoned!

     

    @Baud: You know the old Army saying:

    • If it moves, salute it.
    • If it doesn’t move, paint it.
    • If you can’t paint it, piss on it.

    (NB I did not serve, but absorbed such lore via colocation osmosis during the years of my misspent yoot when our upstairs apartment hosted a series of ossifer famblies whose paterfamilias was posted to the fort a bit over a mile down the road.)

  231. 231.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @gwangung:

    @Roger Moore: I think right wingers have divorced science from technology and has waged a decades war on Science, because it doesn’t give them the answers they want—just what’s out there in nature.

    Spot on, mon ami! More to the point, they confuse science with technology – which is, after all, applied science, where the science in question may have taken decades to reach the point of applicability, but appears to burst suddenly into being fully formed (like Minerva ‘sploding from Jupiter’s head) to “heal the sick, raise the dead/ And make little girls go outa their head.”[1]

    And that hostility will naturally turn scientists against right wing ideology….

    Un- or poorly-lettered “ordinary folks” expect science to operate the same way as technology[2], and are first dismayed and then infuriated to learn that the practice of science is slow and deliberate and frequently leads scientists with the best of motives down enticing but ultimately fruitless paths from which they must backtrack – ten steps forward, nine steps back.[3]

    [1] E.g., coherent emission of electromagnetic radiation, first demonstrated in 1953, is traced back to a paper by Einstein in 1917. Another e.g.: One of my college friends (now a prof of physical chemistry) worked as an undergraduate in the late 60s with a prof on one-dimensional metals – ancestors of the liquid crystal display.

    [2] Here it’s worth quoting Clarke’s Third Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Applies most drastically to cell phones and the Internet.

    [3] I was (too briefly – long sad story omitted) an astrophysics graduate student in the early 1970s, intending to concentrate on cosmology – and I can report that at least 3/4 of what we thought we knew back then has turned out to be at best a vast oversimplification where not broadly untrue. ​​​​

  232. 232.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Another Scott: ​There’s a quote from a character in a Clifford D. Simak SF novel (Our Children’s Children IIRC) that I pull out for situations like this:

    “Something we don’t understand is very much afoot.”

  233. 233.

    karen marie

    “The cap allows the government to rack up debt to pay its bills.”

    This framing pisses me right the fuck off. It’s so inaccurate as to be criminal.

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