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You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / She Chose Poorly

She Chose Poorly

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Two days ago in Atlanta, Joe Biden laid out what’s at stake in the fight to protect voting rights:

So, I ask every elected official in America: How do you want to be remembered?

At consequential moments in history, they present a choice: Do you want to be the side of Dr. King or George Wallace? Do you want to be on the side of John Lewis or Bull Connor? Do you want to be on the side of Abraham Lincoln or Jefferson Davis?

Here’s one elected official’s answer:

Sinema chose Wallace over King, Connor over Lewis, and Davis over Lincoln.

I don’t claim to have any special insight, and I admit I often have crappy political instincts. But the president and all party leaders have been shouting the danger Republican-led voter suppression and election subversion pose to democracy from the rooftop, and rightly so.

Now they need to hold the vote on a filibuster carveout to protect voting rights, which will fall short by at least one or more likely two Democratic votes and 100% of Republican votes. And then they need to throw the saboteurs off that same rooftop — Republican and Democratic saboteurs alike.

Otherwise, “Democrats” will take collective blame for failing to protect voting rights. That may happen anyway, but IMO, party leaders, including the president just shivved by Sinema, need to treat “nay” voters like people who chose Wallace, Connor and Davis. The consequences of that nay vote have to be in line with the scale of the betrayal and equal to the magnitude of the danger the saboteurs are keeping us in.

I don’t know exactly what that would look like. But absent a serious and perhaps unprecedented response to this unprecedented betrayal, the words spoken about the danger we’re in will ring hollow.

As a senator who famously got along with Republicans back in the day, Biden used to say that while he might question a colleague’s actions, he never questioned their motives. Well, maybe it’s time to question their motives. I don’t think this is a situation where you can disagree without being disagreeable.

Reader Interactions

360Comments

  2. 2.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    a lot to talk about here, but I still think our guiding star has to be “Will this help or hurt Dems’ chances in 2022?”, cause if you think we’re fucked now, think about Majority Leader McConnell and Speaker McCarthy (if not Speaker trump, unlikely but I think there’s a chance he’d do it just have that chair during the ’23 SOTU, then resign and go back to the golf course).

    Barely a year after Amy Coney Barrett’s SuperSpreader Dance on RBG’s grave, let’s not fall into the trap of “judges or whatever”

  3. 3.

    A Ghost to Most

    Eleven seditious conspiracy charges just handed down, including Stewart Rhodes. The tide has turned. This is a big fucking deal. Thanks, Joe.

  4. 4.

    dmsilev

    Well, if nothing else she’s probably guaranteed herself a primary opponent with lots of resources and lots of support. Manchin is safe from that sort of thing given the lack of plausible alternatives, but Sinema most certainly is not.

  6. 6.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @RaflW: (reposting from below)

    IANAL, but seditious conspiracy seems like a whole new ball game to me, the big gun I’ve been wondering if they’d bring out. At the very least, that may inspire some plea bargains.

    That dumb coward Merrick Garland might actually be a careful lawyer who understands he’s in mostly unchartered waters, and so is working his way up the chain. Who woulda thunk?

  7. 7.

    Low Key Swagger

    Hate to ask in this important thread, but a few commenters have posted links to good places to get kn95 masks.  If anyone who did so reads this, please post again?  My daughter is frantically looking.  Thanks.

  11. 11.

    Betty

    Sinema will be replaced and that will hopefully be by a Democrat. She thinks she is playing the Maverick role. I expect her to find out she didn’t understand how to do that and stay in office. Maybe she doesn’t care, but she has engendered more animosity than any Democrat I can remember. Manchin gets a pass from a lot of folks because West Virginia is so red.

  12. 12.

    The Dangerman

    Waking up slowly so you are forewarned. I see only two outcomes:

    The voting bill is passed and the Right loses their shit.

    The voting bill fails and the Right cheats their asses off causing the Left to lose their shit. Sienna and/or Machin are on top of the blame list.

    I don’t see a third outcome.

    I have no particular problem with Voter ID if just about everything under the sun, including a note from your Mother, is considered valid ID. I’d trade that for, say, Election Day being a Holiday.

  14. 14.

    Eolirin

    @dmsilev: Assuming she actually votes against it when it comes to it. This could just be stupid grandstanding. I’m not willing to bet on it, mind, just she’s that fucking nuts that I wouldn’t take anything she says as being indicative of how she’ll end up acting.

  15. 15.

    Paul W.

    I’m not going to watch a video of her. But what did she say that is putting a kibosh on voting rights before they are even brought up for a vote?

  16. 16.

    Mai Naem mobile

    @dmsilev: pretty sure Ruben Gallego is going to run against her and he’s got a nice resume going for a Senator. Kyrsten Sinema wrote in John Lewis’ name for speaker when she was in the House because she supposedly admired him so much. This POS  is now actively advocating against what John Lewis would want.  I did try calling all three of her offices this AM. Sounds like the office is getting a ton of calls because you get a busy signal not even going to voice mail.

  17. 17.

    RaflW

    @Betty: She forgets that McCain occasionally put his thumb UP as a maverick. I wasn’t just preening (though there was that, too).

  19. 19.

    dmsilev

    @Paul W.: She opposes any sort of filibuster reform, thereby immediately dooming any sort of voting rights bill that can’t get 10 Republican votes (which is to say, dooming any sort of voting rights bill).

  21. 21.

    Patricia Kayden

    Kyrsten Sinema represents the white women who talk a real good game and then walk into the booth every two years to vote for white supremacy.— Ragnarok Lobster (@eclecticbrotha) January 13, 2022

  22. 22.

    Cameron

    Ms. Cracker, we’re not in a good position down here. We can denounce Manima and Simchin all we like, but at the end of the day we’re stuck with Nosfetratu and Scooter. I don’t know what else we can do other than to fight state and local fights. Well, we could quit, too – that’s always an option.

  23. 23.

    MattF

    @A Ghost to Most: Seditious conspiracy charges raise 14th Amendment questions- e.g. suppose a Federal court declares that Trump & Co. are ineligible to run for federal office… what happens then?

  25. 25.

    Eolirin

    Honestly even if by some miracle we actually get these bills passed, what’s the likelihood they survive the Supreme Court?

    With a decision stayed all the way through the election.

    Outrage is all we can rely on here.

  26. 26.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Mai Naem mobile: right, the only possible consequences for Sinema are in 2024. 2022 will tell us, and her, a lot about whether those consequences are coming

  28. 28.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    As a senator who famously got along with Republicans back in the day, Biden used to say that while he might question a colleague’s actions, he never questioned their motives. Well, maybe it’s time to question their motives. I don’t think this is a situation where you can disagree without being disagreeable.

    Um. Haven’t Republicans been using funds provided with them, to investigate actual legislative matters, to stage their next campaign video? (And C-SPAN provides the recording for them!) Rand Paul has gone even further, filming campaign spots, while also using *our* money to lie about a person who is doing his best to protect people.

    It’s long past time to question their motives. People motivated by doing the right thing simply wouldn’t do this.

  29. 29.

    Rusty

    I have to wonder about Sinema’s staff.  Who, as a democrat, would sign up to work for someone that opposes so much of what the party represents?  Is she getting any professional advice at all?  It’s all particularly bizzare given she ran as a green, which theoretically puts her at the far left.  I really can’t believe her staff hasn’t quit en masse.

  31. 31.

    Kay

    She’s just wrong on division. If the states supress voting all that will do is give people no peaceful and lawful outlet to express disagreement or desire for change.

    It is once again the incredibly short sighted, lazy bleating about “healing divisions” without doing any fucking WORK. You don’t “heal divisions” by pretending they don’t exist. These people can’t return to 1986 or 1993 or whatever bullshit, romantized past they’re yearning for. As always, the only way forward is through. There is no “staying in place”. You go forward or you go backward. She chooses “backward”.

  32. 32.

    Steeplejack

    I am apoplectic over Sinema’s grandstanding sabotage, so here’s a minor distraction that may be of use to some others.

    Last night I upgraded Firefox (Win10) to 96.0 (64-bit) and found that it screwed up my color scheme. WTF. Very dark, almost unreadable in places. So I spent some time today distracting myself from politics by fixing my colors.

    Short version: I had been using the Blue Carbon Fiber theme and have now switched to Elemental (Balanced). You can look at and try out themes in Firefox by going to Tools | Add-Ons and Themes.

  36. 36.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Suzanne: I haven’t spent much time in AZ, but I’ve read and can see enough about it that I am only surprised at Sinema’s success because the way she presents strikes me as so juvenile (I’m thinking of the fuck you ring, not so much the hair and clothes, but the ring colors my perception of the wardrobe)

  38. 38.

    Ksmiami

    @Kay: so we cut them out… I think it’s better for the Dems to isolate Sinemanchin and sharpen the message for 2022.

  39. 39.

    Kay

    The funniest part if they have managed to convince themselves that there are, actually, no real divisions.

    They dismiss the divisions. Not real. They don’t do any work at all to actually debate them or delve into them, no, it’s easier to declare them “not real”. All contested points or issues are now “divisive” so either imaginary or off limits entirely.

    The carpet they’re shoving all this shit under is now so lumpy they can barely cross the room, but she’ll shove “voting rights” under there too and thereby “heal the divisions”. See any voting rights in this room? No? Division HEALED. Like magic.

  41. 41.

    Baud

    Maybe we can reach a compromise with Senate Republicans that would preserve democracy while allowing the Arizona legislature to overturn Sinema’s reelection in 2024.

  42. 42.

    RaflW

    @different-church-lady: Time for a revision of the “There’s a few people Putin pays” theme?

    I kid, but Sinema gives off shoe whiffs of having been turned. Turned by domestic big money corruption? Turned by her own foolish self-regard? Turned by forces beyond our shores? It’d be irresponsible not to speculate.

  44. 44.

    Mai Naem mobile

    @Suzanne: i used to think that but I think the combination of Gallego being young, Hispanic, a veteran and stridently anti TFG will help motivate Dem voters.

  45. 45.

    Geminid

    @Low Key Swagger: She might start calling around to local grocery stores. I picked up a 12 pack of KN95 masks two weeks ago at the Stanardsville, Virginia GreatValue. It’s just a plain grocery store in a small town.

  46. 46.

    JPL

    @Baud:  And Barrett who preaches life, dissented on the CMS mandate, along with Alito, Thomas and Gorsuch.    I think Gorsuch cares more about ridding us of all regulation, except those that control the female body.

  47. 47.

    Subsole

     

     

    @Rusty: I have read that members of her staff have resigned, loudly, in disgust.

    Not over this. Some other dumb stunt, but the fact remains.

  48. 48.

    RaflW

    @Baud: Split the baby ‘pragmatism’ from America’s Highest Court™.

    eta: Conservatives have consistently hated OSHA. A nakedly partisan SCOTUS I’m sure is happy to weaken it.

  50. 50.

    Rusty

    @Suzanne: Pragmatic as in, “it’s a job”, or politically pragmatic as this part of a larger strategy (I can’t see that strategy but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist).

  51. 51.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Suzanne: I’ve only seen him through the media– TV and twitter, etc– and I’ve seen him look really good, and not ready for prime time. There are models he can study, but I hope he chooses the right ones.

  52. 52.

    Kay

    @Ksmiami:

    There are no good choices, but that’s the least bad, IMO, in terms of the D base and the D base is all they have right now. Manchin and Sinema have not attracted any Right leaners or independents. There is apparently no group of voters who find this performance appealing, outside political media.

  56. 56.

    ian

    @Rusty: The staff thing can be tricky.  You don’t always get a choice- before the election of Mark Kelley, the staff had to choose Sinema or Bust.  The politics of the congressperson doesn’t always reflect on their staff’s politics.  I know a fairly liberal social studies teacher at University of Wyo who staffed for John Barasso, not because he liked the guy or his politics but because there is no other option here.  Being a staff member for any congresscritter is a good resume enhancer, and not easy to get especially if the person in question has walked away from an earlier staffing gig.

    That being said, I would have been fired from Sinema’s staff for throwing a cake or a pie at her during a televised event, which shows just how uncivil of a person I am.

  57. 57.

    catclub

    @Rusty: I have to wonder about Sinema’s staff. Who, as a democrat, would sign up to work for someone that opposes so much of what the party represents?

     

    That goes double for any re-election prospects. Maybe she already knows it is one  and  done  payday elsewhere.

  61. 61.

    Ksmiami

    @Kay: I mean they’ve pretty much done exactly what Republicans wanted so stop giving either of them airtime or political support. And move their offices to the bathrooms.

  62. 62.

    matt

    ‘division’ isn’t bad – it’s just politics. If you don’t like politics, don’t work in politics.

  63. 63.

    Kay

    @JPL:

    They’re going after OSHA. Maybe it has to happen. Workplace regulations really are written in blood. If you take them for granted you lose them and have to learn the lesson all over again.

    You just run out of people who remember what it was like before we had them. I see it with wage and hours rules in my practice. They think these things sprang from the earth unbidden and are impossible to lose. No part of that is true.

  64. 64.

    Geminid

    @Suzanne: This year’s Arizona Senate and State office elections will tell us something at least about the Arizona electorate,  whether or not Democratic victories last year were part of a trend or were outliers. Kelly and Hobbs(?) look like strong candidates on the Democratic side, but right now the Republicans seem pretty fractious.

  65. 65.

    Ksmiami

    @Baud: nah I blame him for not being able to find rare earth truffle salt in Albertsons. Now that needs to be an administration priority.

  70. 70.

    mick mcdick

    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable. – JFK

    I see the Supremes have blocked OSHA vax mandates. They permitted nursing home vax mandates though, 5-4.  The timing was engineered to give max effect to a very bad day for Biden. Yeah, who doesn’t think it’s political with the 6 unwise souls?

    Revenge is a dish best eaten cold – Talleyrand

    What a day…and i unfortunately heard chuck toddler giving advice to dems – “Why don’t they reach across the aisle?” yeah that’s what he thinks, sweet reason and Kumbaya time. Jesus Christ what a tool he is.

  71. 71.

    Kay

    @matt:

    They think the scary thing is disagreeing, but it’s not. The scary thing is papering over divisions with platitudes until the divisions resurface at a flashpoint and explode. They want to avoid the hard, unpleasant part. It just won’t work. You can’t wish it away.

  72. 72.

    MisterDancer

    @Rusty: Who, as a democrat, would sign up to work for someone that opposes so much of what the party represents?

    This is the bit where I blithely mention that, as a teen who was vocally a Democrat, my equally (at the time) vocally Democratic Party aligned Parents got my Black ass on as an Office Page for Strom “Black People Sux My Dick (literally)” Thurmond.

    Jesse Jackson was making his run for President when I was there, and I’m here to tell you, those were some awkward conversations, gang.

    That said — yeah, it can be Just a Job. Which doesn’t excuse them not walking out over something this critical! Just explains why someone might take such a gig and just try to keep head down.

  73. 73.

    JPL

    @Kay: It was only a few years ago, that talk radio bigots wanted those receiving a free lunch at school to mop the floors and clean the bathroom.

  75. 75.

    MisterDancer

    @Low Key Swagger: I went for N95s straight from the manufacturer, Honeywell: https://ppe.honeywell.com/collections/n95-masks-1/products/honeywell-dc300-n95-particulate-disposable-respirators-box-of-20-df300h910n95

    Costs more than a lot of the KN95, but they shipped pretty quick just before XMas and they are as “real” as you get, from what I can surmise.

    Can also confirm thru both Bona Fine’s increasingly-frantic “we’re working on it” emails and friends still waiting for shipping, that they will be a while to get you your masks.

  78. 78.

    JPL

    @Kay: Abbott blocked companies from requiring the vaccine, or a test.   Do you know if that stands?    I’m not sure it was part of this ruling, but I do know it was mentioned.

  79. 79.

    Paul W.

    @mick mcdick: I wish I could understand why the general Dem population is not more aware of how we are careening towards the world where Democratic administrations are stripped of power at every level. The OSHA ruling is a farce, and has no historical basis – but I will not be surprised when the media somehow portrays this court as “reasonable”. It does not resemble any court we have had in living memory, and is a power grab in a way that I can’t point to a similar historical precedent.

  80. 80.

    Kay

    @JPL:

    I talked to a labor organizer once about “gig workers”, whether they would ever be organized or unionized. He said it would take decades for a union just to bargain them to a place where they had the same workplace protections every “employee” does now under federal law. It would just be privately negotiated contract rights that would only replicate existing federal and state regulations, never exceed them because each one would take years.

    You don’t notice the ground under your feet until it’s washed away.

  81. 81.

    Kent

    I can see no downside to forcing a vote and getting everyone on record. For far too long, Sinema, Manchin, and others have been allowed to skate along and not actually cast anti-Democratic votes. Make them actually vote so we actually know who the good guys are and who the obstructionists are.

  83. 83.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Ksmiami: And move their offices to the bathrooms.

    Actually, this is an excellent idea.  Maybe not to the bathrooms, but to the most cramped offices in the most dingy, out-of-the-way corners of the Capitol and Senate office building basements.

  84. 84.

    RaflW

    @mick mcdick: JFC, Chuckie Todd. Even the mild Mitt Romney slapped Biden’s hand away on voting. The fantasies of people who will never face deprivation or discomfort. SMDH.

  85. 85.

    taumaturgo

    @Patricia Kayden: Hear, hear. Conservative white women posturing as progressives tend to vote for conservative centrist politicians that also pose as progressives while campaigning but once in power, vote against the interest of the working class. Any benefits for the working poor is a drip measure, cut back to the bone on orders from powerful corporate donors.

  87. 87.

    Kent

    @Kay: The solution isn’t to unionize gig workers. The solution is to just legally treat them like employees by law.  Something Biden’s DOL could do at any time through regulation.  So their employers are required to pay into social security and unemployment comp just like for everyone else, regardless of whether they get a W2 or 1099.

  88. 88.

    Baud

    From the libs dissent in the OSHA case.

    When we are wise, we know enough to defer on
    matters like this one. When we are wise, we know not to
    displace the judgments of experts, acting within the sphere
    Congress marked out and under Presidential control, to
    deal with emergency conditions. Today, we are not wise. In
    the face of a still-raging pandemic, this Court tells the
    agency charged with protecting worker safety that it may
    not do so in all the workplaces needed. As disease and
    death continue to mount, this Court tells the agency that it
    cannot respond in the most effective way possible. Without
    legal basis, the Court usurps a decision that rightfully belongs to others. It undercuts the capacity of the responsible federal officials, acting well within the scope of their authority, to protect American workers from grave danger.

  90. 90.

    JoyceH

    @RaflW:

    I kid, but Sinema gives off shoe whiffs of having been turned. Turned by domestic big money corruption? Turned by her own foolish self-regard? Turned by forces beyond our shores? It’d be irresponsible not to speculate.

    I don’t understand why there doesn’t seem to have been any in-depth Ronan-Farrow style investigative journalism into Sinema. Before she was a Senator, she made public statements supporting abolishing the filibuster, and I haven’t seen any persuasive or even coherent explanations for why she did such a 180. Isn’t that worth a real look?

  91. 91.

    narya

    @Low Key Swagger: I got some N95s from WellBefore dot com. They were a Wirecutter/FYNYT pick. They’re individually packaged, which is a little odd, but it does make it easier to throw one in your bag or pocket, or to share with others.

  94. 94.

    lowtechcyclist

    @mick mcdick: What a day…and i unfortunately heard chuck toddler giving advice to dems – “Why don’t they reach across the aisle?” yeah that’s what he thinks, sweet reason and Kumbaya time. Jesus Christ what a tool he is.

    Good Lord, how ridiculous.  That makes as much sense as Arthur King and his silly k-niggets trying to negotiate with the French taunters.

  95. 95.

    RaflW

    @Paul W.: Jay Rosen and others would likely have some pithy words for why Dem voters are unclear on what’s happening.

    I listen to NPR from time to time (and still contribute to my MN & CO affiliates). There are times when I’m am just screaming at the radio. It’s like they live inside of cotton balls and have no perception, despite being paid reporters and analysts, of what is coming down the pike. Forest for the trees, some of it.

    At other times, NPR or the NYT or whoever does some bang-up journalism. But on politics, it’s awful.

  96. 96.

    Ksmiami

    @Baud: I don’t see this court -as it is made up today -lasting very long. Been studying the French Revolution lately and well there’s only so much a population can take.

  97. 97.

    Geminid

    @Baud: I think Democratic voters will come out in force for Kelly in November. Party registrations as of last October were 35% Republican, 32% Democrat, and 31.7% Independent, so Kelly will probably need a majority of Independent voters too.

    The big question I have is the effect of Trump’s absence from the ticket. That’s a question hanging over a lot of close contests this year, and I don’t think we’ll find out until November.

  99. 99.

    Kay

    @JPL:

    I don’t have the heart to read the opinion right now. Voting rights are the issue I care about most. I haven’t felt this bad since they gutted the VRA. I know there are “workarounds”, that organization and voter education can do a lot, blah, blah, but it’s really profound to me that we as a country no longer stand for this principle. I think these ideas we’re jettisoning do a kind of damage that is larger and more profound than any immediate harm. My personality and temperament is such that I think you have to pay for mistakes. There are consequences. You can’t just beat a malicious actor like Donald Trump and breeze away, back to “normal”. There’s a cost and it accrues. Pay now or pay later, but we will pay.

  100. 100.

    germy

    @JoyceH:  I haven’t seen any persuasive or even coherent explanations for why she did such a 180.

    She meets with big money donors and they tell her she’ll be taken care of for the rest of her life if she does what they want.

    She has said in the past she suffered from economic hardship growing up.  She has vowed never to experience that again.

    What is the mystery?  She’s a former Green (flake) with dollar signs in her eyes.

  101. 101.

    JPL

    @Kay: I feel your pain.   I live in Lucy McBath’s district in Fulton Cty.    Election results in this democratic county will soon be overseen by republicans, only.

  102. 102.

    RaflW

    @JoyceH: [side note: I should proofread better. How tf spellcheck or my fat fingers wrote ‘shoe whiffs’ for ‘some whiffs’ I do not know. Though maybe the scent of a pair of Salvatore Farragamos is enough to turn her?]

  104. 104.

    Gravenstone

    @Rusty: she ran as a green

    A reminder that Green has become (always been?) Getting Republicans Elected Every November. They are not a serious party.

  105. 105.

    Kent

    @Rusty: I have to wonder about Sinema’s staff.  Who, as a democrat, would sign up to work for someone that opposes so much of what the party represents?  Is she getting any professional advice at all?  It’s all particularly bizzare given she ran as a green, which theoretically puts her at the far left.  I really can’t believe her staff hasn’t quit en masse.

    When I was younger and working in DC in the 90s I was technically on McCain’s staff for a spell. I was actually working for NOAA and detailed to the Senate Commerce Committee to work on Magnuson-Stevens Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act reauthorization, and another piece of legislation called the American Fisheries Act.  As a committee staffer I technically answered to the committee Chairman McCain.  And the permanent committee staffers were all on his payroll.  That’s the way it works.  But Congress has two categories of staff.  The personal staff of each member.  And then the professional committee staff and folks who work for the CRS. Who technically answer to whoever is in the majority.

    But yes, those who work on Sinema’s personal staff have to be a little oblivious I would think.  Or just typical mercenary young DC climber types who don’t care.

  106. 106.

    taumaturgo

    @Paul W.: Part of it is the party abandoning the base in a trade for electability and power. Beginning in earnest with Clinton’s triangulation, the base was pushed to the side while NAFTA, welfare “reform”, and bank deregulation planted the seed for today’s obscene wealth inequality. The party cynical move to the center allowed for some presidential and congress election wins but at the high cost of voting for corporate-friendly legislation at the working poor expense. Unfortunately, Obama internalized the majority of Clinton’s neoliberal dogma exacerbating the party electability issues and like Biden, believed in the delusional idea of bipartisanship.

  107. 107.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @germy:

    What is the mystery? She’s a former Green (flake) with dollar signs in her eyes.

    Yep. Seems pretty clear. If she’s that transactional, though, I wonder what carrots and sticks from the Democrats were not enough to keep her on board. Ah well, she’s shit the bed now. Hopefully Shumer will dole out grisly punishment publicly if she votes the wrong way. Not even sure what that would be though.

  110. 110.

    Betty Cracker

    @Geminid: I know nothing about AZ politics, but I think read fairly recently that a Pillow Guy-level conspiracy crackpot is leading the GOP gubernatorial primary race. (Too lazy to look it up. Kara somebody?) If they nominate a bunch of nuts — and there’s every reason to believe they will — maybe that will help drive Dem turnout for Kelly and other Dem candidates.

  111. 111.

    Kay

    @JPL:

    I just think there’s only so many “national values” a country can jettison and cavalierly throw away before there’s not much left to care about. We can be just about making money- we can do that. But it isn’t a national identity and it isn’t anything anyone will die to defend. It’s a transaction.

    I’ve read extensively on voting rights for 20+ years. It was a MORAL argument. Always. It was a matter of national character. It’s much, much bigger and more profound than the mechanics of voting systems, and that was reflected in the suffrage movements, including the womens movement. It’s a big, foundational idea and we’ll be much, much poorer without it.

  112. 112.

    germy

    Sen. Durbin: "Perhaps the president went a little too far in rhetoric."

    — Doug Andres (@DougAndres) January 12, 2022

    Want to know one reason Dems rarely "go on the offensive"? Because if you do, there's a 99% chance that some other Dem will undercut you in an effort to signal how Reasonable they are to the DC chattering classes. https://t.co/Lolp44eckj

    — David Roberts (@drvolts) January 12, 2022

  113. 113.

    The Dangerman

    @Baud: Well, it can be done on the Macro (all employers with more than 100 by order of OSHA) or done on the Micro (all CEOs tell their employees they have 2 choices, get jabbed or get fired). Not including legitimate exemptions. This is bullshit on steroids.

  114. 114.

    Geminid

    @Rusty: Sinema was a Green before she ran for public office. Then she won state legislative offices as a Democrat. When she won a new Congressional District in 2012, Sinema joined the Blue Dog Caucus. So Democrats who voted her in as Senator in 2018 knew where she was in the Party.

    Ironically, Sinema’s positions would make her an outlier among the 19 members of the current House Blue Dog Caucus.

  115. 115.

    JoyceH

    @germy:

    She meets with big money donors and they tell her she’ll be taken care of for the rest of her life if she does what they want.

    She has said in the past she suffered from economic hardship growing up. She has vowed never to experience that again.

    What is the mystery? She’s a former Green (flake) with dollar signs in her eyes.

    Nope. Still not getting it. If we were talking about something like prescription drug prices, that would make sense. But what major industry or eccentric billionaire is going to open up their pocketbooks and risk bribery charges over an arcane rule of the Senate?

  117. 117.

    Jinchi

    I don’t see much discussion about this anymore, but early on in the debate we heard lots of ideas for reforming the filibuster, but not eliminating it (to win over the support of Manchin and Sinema).
    Things like requiring members to hold the floor in a classic “Mr Smith goes to Washington” fashion. Or that 41 Senators have to actively oppose cloture, rather than 60 Senators actively voting for it.
    Manchin at least has given lip service to these reforms, not that I’m holding out hope that he’ll act in good faith.​

  118. 118.

    germy

    @JoyceH:

    Do you really think Sinema’s biggest donors want more Democrats voting?  What happens to their taxes if more Democrats are elected? I would assume their tax rate would go up, unless they can find more Sinemas.

  120. 120.

    cmorenc

    @Betty:

    Betcha a key part of the explanation for simena’s behavior is the same as for manchin: follow the monied interests each is beholden to – difference is that in manchin’s case its more openly overt and well-known and at least aligns in pigheaded-shortsightedness with fossil fuel extraction interests within his home state.  Simena otoh is being cozily played by interests she doesn’t adequately recognize will happily dump her for a real republican senator next election, not a squishy conservadem like her

  123. 123.

    Ksmiami

    @Kay: I’m not sure what America is anymore… between cable and huge inequality, we don’t really have a shared national identity.

  124. 124.

    germy

    Meanwhile, I predict the pundits will heat up their war against VP Harris, for pointing out their bullshit is bullshit:

    .@craigmelvin: “There’s been some talk about a Biden-Cheney ticket perhaps in 2024. Did you read that article?”

    @VP: “I did not, and I could really care less about the high-class gossip on these issues.” pic.twitter.com/j1f5ej733F

    — Ryan Johnson (@Ryan_Johnson) January 13, 2022

  125. 125.

    Sure Lurkalot

    @RaflW: cannot recommend Bona Fide for masks right now. I ordered on 12/27 and have received nothing. Well, promises, when I’ve called.  Twice.

  126. 126.

    Soprano2

    Well, I have good news and bad news today. The good news – HOORAY I DON’T HAVE COVID!! Just got my results from the Health Department. The bad news – the vet says our new cat Gary has feline leukemia. :-( Our other cats are vaxxed for it, so I guess we’ll just have to be careful with him. Hubby will find out more when he picks Gary up this afternoon.

  129. 129.

    Kay

    @germy:

    Why shouldn’t he? Why shouldn’t everyone play by the Donald Trump rules?  He’s positioning himself for a leadership role in the GOP.

  130. 130.

    germy

    @Baud:

    High Class Gossip.  She’s absolutely right, and they’ll hate her even more for saying it.  Did you see the reaction on the faces of the hosts at the end of that clip?

  133. 133.

    Kay

    @Ksmiami:

    Well, we sort of need one- more than many other countries since the vast majority of us are not indigenious so had to craft one. It’s…guns. We’re the gun country.

  134. 134.

    West of the Rockies

    What the hell does she campaign on:  vote for me, Dems, because I… uh, I am perky and wear cool boots!

  135. 135.

    germy

    @Kay:

    Another republican trend:

    NEWS: The RNC has told the Commission on Presidential Debates that it’s preparing to require presidential candidates to refuse to take part in those debates, potentially leading to a significant change in how debates have been conducted for 35 years https://t.co/v08IlEsG3L

    — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 13, 2022

    They know their candidate will be incapable of defending any of their policy ideas in a debate, and so they’d rather devote their time to election rigging.

  137. 137.

    lowtechcyclist

    @JoyceH:

    Nope. Still not getting it. If we were talking about something like prescription drug prices, that would make sense. But what major industry or eccentric billionaire is going to open up their pocketbooks and risk bribery charges over an arcane rule of the Senate?

    Oh, they know how to do this stuff without risking criminal charges.

    The reason why they’re doing it is, as long as the filibuster’s in place, the Dems can’t pass new laws regulating their businesses, probably can’t raise their taxes, and definitely can’t pass laws making it easier for their workers to unionize.

  138. 138.

    Cacti

    This is a legacy vote.

    Stand on the wrong side of this one, and a straight line will be drawn to this vote when the postmortem is written on the American Republic.

  139. 139.

    germy

    @lowtechcyclist:  as long as the filibuster’s in place, the Dems can’t pass new laws regulating their businesses, probably can’t raise their taxes, and definitely can’t pass laws making it easier for their workers to unionize.

    That’s it exactly.

  141. 141.

    germy

    @Baud:

    I like watching candidates answer questions in an environment they (mostly) can’t control, rather than the carefully edited bytes we’re usually fed.

    Although I admit I’ve fallen asleep during a few primary debates.

  142. 142.

    Kay

    @germy:

    I personally love debates, because I love arguing, but they’re very “divisive” so just pitch that in the trash too. There are no real differences! Nothing to debate anyway.

  143. 143.

    Baud

    @germy:

    Oh, I didn’t click through.  I was referring to the general election debates.  The primary debates are a little bit better, but sometimes I feel like we don’t have enough candidates to fill up the whole week.

  145. 145.

    MisterDancer

    So there is an additional issue that’s a major part of why this critical vote cannot go forward, even if everyone was on board:

    Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week. Schatz’s breakthrough infection means that even if Manchin and Sinema were fully on board, Democrats do not have the 50 votes needed to change the filibuster rules, pass their voting rights bills, or any other legislation for the time being

    That said — no one on the right side of this sounds at all positive anything can get done, from what I’m reading. [EDITING OUT UNINFORMED SPECULATION]

  147. 147.

    Mary G

    It’s all up to the voters – you cannot gerrymander the Senate. NC, ME, they are went indisputably right. Get a bigger Senate majority in 2022 and throw out what gets done now.

  148. 148.

    Peale

    Yep. At this point, the rules of the Senate prevent any meaningful legislation. Want to adress the Supreme Court decision on vaccine mandates? Well, that’s not going to happen. Want to break up BBB and pass popular measures one at a time? Not going to happen. Want to address immigration? Global warming? Whether to have a post office? Well, that’s done because of the Senate.

    I want the Senate gone. I want the Senators gone. I want them living in exile in whatever country is foolish enough to take them in. That’s my new amendment. Strike all the language about the Senate from the Constitution and give the Senators 14 days to gather their belongings and leave the country or face bounty hunters. I don’t want it replaced by better Senators. I want that entire wing of the Capitol building ground to dust even if it messes with the symmetry of the building.

  149. 149.

    gene108

    @taumaturgo:

    Part of it is the party abandoning the base in a trade for electability and power. Beginning in earnest with Clinton’s triangulation, the base was pushed to the side while NAFTA, welfare “reform”, and bank deregulation planted the seed for today’s obscene wealth inequality. The party cynical move to the center allowed for some presidential and congress election wins but at the high cost of voting for corporate-friendly legislation at the working poor expense.

    George HW Bush would’ve done more for the working poor in 1993 than Bill Clinton?

    I’m having a hard time figuring out what you’re saying. Democrats got crushed in three straight Presidential elections, and it looked hopeless that they’d retake the White House anytime soon, after 1988. Bill Clinton wins in 1992, which shocked people that Democrats bounced back so quickly after the drubbings in the 1980’s.

  153. 153.

    Soprano2

    @Baud: Thanks, it sounds like the feline leukemia is manageable and he’s a young cat, so I’m hopeful it won’t be too bad.

  154. 154.

    Scout211

    @Low Key Swagger:

    Have her check online whether her local Home Depot has 3 m Aura N95 masks in stock. Ordering online is not a good option right now for most masks. Most orders won’t ship for weeks because they are so backed up with orders. The Home Depot stores sell these in stores and can sell out  but they do get new stock often (at least they have in the past few months).

    These 3m aura masks are a bit smaller than the typical N95 respirators and fit smaller faces well. I bought some but ended up giving them to my family members because I didn’t like the head band.  The mask itself was very comfortable on the face, though. If she can pull her hair into a pony tail, she will be fine with the these.  If a store near her has them in stock, that is.

    Good luck. I hope she finds some soon.

    ETA: and frosty recommends them, too! :)

  155. 155.

    Kay

    @Peale:

    They’re stil negotiating with Manchin on BBB. I think he’s got it pared back to just the child tax credit with income limits. But he won’t come through and he brings no one with him so maybe it’s just playing it through to the end, which is admirable. I could never do it. I would have walked away months ago.

  156. 156.

    Betty Cracker

    @MisterDancer: Here’s hoping Schatz recovers quickly and fully. He’s one of the good guys. His need to quarantine delays the vote, but I sure hope they hold it as soon as he returns, as hopeless as passage appears to be. It’s imperative to get the obstructionists on record, IMO. Make them take that vote.

  157. 157.

    catclub

    @eclare: I bought 3M N95 masks at Home Depot a while back.

     

    was that “AURA” dust mask liners?  I like those, they have good features.

  160. 160.

    JWR

    In a bit of good news, one of the broadcast news stations in L.A. KTLA 5, (sorry. No link as of yet), ran a pretty good interview with Barbara F. Walter, author of How Civil Wars Start, and how to stop them, who I’ve seen or heard on  the Background Briefing podcast and Amanpour & Co.

    Walter says that one of the easiest ways to stop a civil war from starting is to increase/strengthen Democracy. I guess Kyrsten didn’t get the memo. ;(

  161. 161.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    @mick mcdick: Yeah, who doesn’t think it’s political with the 6 unwise souls?

    I can tell you flat out it’s political. A full third of the Supreme Court was filled using an ultra-partisan method – stealing a seat, timed resignation, and a rushed appointment for a justice being selected by Trump “because of the ballots”.

    So: Trump stated that he wanted a pet Justice that would help him steal the election, and the Republicans said “sure!”

    When a third of the Supreme court is picked for nakedly partisan reasons, it’s now a partisan institution. I’m sorry, I’m not saying this is bad about the judges, they didn’t ask to be *specifically* appointed for nakedly partisan reasons, but they were.

    Thing is, they’re supposed to be lawyers who aren’t stupid, so they should clearly see that swapping out a third of the court, by a single political party, makes the institution partisan, de facto, if not de jura. (See? I even used a legal term to help explain it.)

  162. 162.

    Peale

    @Kay: Its not like they have anything else to do, anyway. The Senate can only deal with one thing at a time. We learned that during the Obama years when they begged him to quit moving so fast. They are the types of workers who claim to be busy when they really have 2 hours of work to do all week that they just stretch out so they don’t get asked to do anything else.

  163. 163.

    RaflW

    @germy: I look forward — not at all — to how Chuck Todd will blame Biden (and/or wokeness) for this newest moment of GOP norm-smashing.

  164. 164.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Ksmiami: we will be better when the senate doesn’t exist anymore

    The only way the Senate will cease to exist in my lifetime is if the Republicans really do manage to turn the U.S. into an autocracy.

  166. 166.

    topclimber

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: ​
      OT here, but twice now you have put words in my mouth and I haven’t had a chance to respond.

    There is what you claim I said, whatever I did say, and this: whatever harm Bernie caused Clinton was overshadowed by Comey, a media that preferred shots of Trump’s empty podium to Hillary’s campaign, and a Clinton team that didn’t wake up to what was happening in swing states until too late. Educating more people about income inequality is something Bernie deserves credit for.

    I guess feeble mockery aimed at my age (rather than my youth, as you apparently thought earlier–thanks I guess) is your idea of new material.

    Still waiting for the real thing.

  167. 167.

    Ksmiami

    @Peale: time to just incinerate it. The institution is anti American, anti progress and anti democratic. It’s a relic of a compromise that should be tossed into the gutter. And I want Sinema and Manchin hounded till the end of days.

  168. 168.

    AnthroBabe

    Arizona voter here: My lord, that speech by Sinema…firstly, why the hell does she sound like she is on the verge of bawling her eyes out? She may have done that purposefully to make everyone think this was SO DIFFICULT FOR HER (sob). It isn’t and it wasn’t. Secondly what the frack is a Christian cross doing around her neck? She has a history of being cagey about religion and possibly an atheist. I can only imagine why she is displaying that symbol. Thirdly, who are the ones NOT LISTENING to other’s views? I just can’t with her anymore.

  170. 170.

    germy

    @AnthroBabe:

    She famously didn't swear on a bible, because she is the first senator who said she has no religious affiliation — a pose from back when she was in the Green Party.

    But now she's wearing a cross, while posing as a Republican.

    I think that says it all. https://t.co/kVzQ5xmg2A

    — Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) January 13, 2022

  171. 171.

    JML

    Clowns like Chuck Todd refuse to understand that the modern GOP won’t bargain in good faith. Hell, they won’t bargain at all. They want what they want and think they are entitled to it. But the other aspect is, the biggest thing they want is to not change anything. And you can’t bargain with a refusnik whose answer to everything is always no, because the most important thing to the modern GOP is “pwning the libs” and “beating the Dems”.

  173. 173.

    Ksmiami

    @Kay: I think we are the country of invent stuff to make you spend money to be more comfortable than any humans ever. So we have fast cars, central air, endless appliances etc. Of course our entire environment is degrading as a result, but gosh darn it living in TX with the A/C set to 70 is comfortable

  174. 174.

    RaflW

    @LongHairedWeirdo: ” they didn’t ask to be *specifically* appointed for nakedly partisan reasons”

    I believe in at least two cases they did ask. Maybe not in ways that could be video-quoted for the general public, but they auditioned and waved their hands like Sweathogs in Mr. Kotter’s class.

  181. 181.

    Subsole

    @Paul W.: Who’s gonna tell them?

    The Beltway thinks its fine and the NuSocialists are busy crowing about how we deserve this because we didn’t elect Birbnie.

    Hell, all those Righteous Mighty Activists Whomst We All Must Cherish and Respect had plenty of mouth for the President and VP yesterday.

    They got any smoke left over for the folks who ACTUALLY spit in their face today, or nah?

  183. 183.

    Kay

    “Eliminating the 60-vote threshold on a party line with the thinnest of possible majorities to pass these bills that I support will not guarantee that we prevent demagogues from winning office,” she says. Calls filibuster “critical tool” for safeguarding democracy

    Just shameless. She wants to kill voting rights protections in the most grandstanding and self-aggrandizing way possible while claiming to support them.

    Just go home. Collect the paycheck and go home. You don’t do any work.

  184. 184.

    Betty Cracker

    @Baud: I think outsourcing this to Obama could make Biden look weak. Biden is the one who said you’re either with Wallace or King, Connor or Lewis, Lincoln or Davis. That was a bold way to lay it out, and we needed that boldness, that sharp line. Now he has to act like he meant what he said, IMO.

  187. 187.

    Kay

    Daniel Radosh
    @danielradosh
    · 1h
    A lot of legal experts on here gave assurances that Biden’s vaccine mandate was clearly allowed by law and precedent. If you haven’t yet figured out that this Supreme Court doesn’t care about those things, you are not a legal expert

    Exactly.

  190. 190.

    Soprano2

    @Kay: And it’s a stupid argument too, because they’re asking for a carve out for voting rights, not to get rid of the filibuster altogether. She’s arguing against something they aren’t even asking her to do! I do wonder who bought her vote.

  191. 191.

    Kay

    One thing Biden could do is challenge Sinema and Manchin to pass voting protections. They both claim to support voting rights and both obviously see themselves as leaders. We know they don’t deliver shit and won’t get anything done but now that they’ve annointed themselves as the Conscience of a Nation at the very least someone should insist they deliver something real. Make them fail publicly and specifically. Biden isn’t in the senate. They are.

  194. 194.

    Kay

    @Soprano2:

    Maybe she doesn’t know that. When you’re bargaining in bad faith there’s reallly no point in listening to the offer. It’s all play acting. It only works if your objective is not to reach a deal, if the status quo is what you’re after, hence, the behavior we have witnessed the past year. What she wants is “nothing” and that’s what she accomplished.

  195. 195.

    Barbara

    @The Dangerman: I am going to deviate from the party line here a little bit.  I haven’t read the briefs or the decision, but my take is that the Covid mandate for “all employers” with more than 100 employees was the most at-risk of all the mandate rules.  The Medicare participation rule falls squarely within the kind of stuff that is routinely imposed on health care providers — infection control at all levels being something that they are already required to do.  Given public health emergency it just shouldn’t be controversial that your patients have a right to be protected from a rampant infectious disease that is transmitted by employees who have chosen not to get vaccinated.

    OSHA rules have always — fairly or not — been subject to a significantly more searching cost/benefit analysis that is probably hard to meet for a generalized rule that applies to many different types of employers based simply on the number of employees.

    The general press focuses on the OSHA rule, but the trade press headlines I have seen are “Healthcare Vaccine Mandate Upheld” and “Court delivers mixed verdict on vaccine mandates.”  I don’t think we should always be so apocalyptic about these things.

  197. 197.

    Ksmiami

    @Baud: anger is good if it’s channeled – I want our side ready to fight and if that means running over Sinema with an asphalt paver or a Zamboni- good.

  199. 199.

    Peale

    @Kay: This is the same logic that since vaccines don’t prevent all COVID infections, they are useless. So she wants us to stop now to come up with a way to prevent a demagogue from winning an election?

  200. 200.

    Subsole

    @taumaturgo: Wow. That’s genuinely shocking.

    Somebody ought to go tell the white folks they’re voting to screw themselves. Especially the working class folks. Bet they’d be shocked to hear it. What did they say when you told them, over in your neck of the woods?

    Also, when you say we abandoned the base, do you mean black women – who are the actual base and reliably show up to vote because they appreciate the money we send them to help on their issues, like childcare? Or low-wage workers, such as janitorial or hospitality, who reliably vote Democratic already?

    Or do you mean burly white manly factory-worker men, qnd other skilled labor folks who move buckets of molten iron with their mighty hands? (And, coiincidentally, defected to Reagan back in 1980 to keep the blacks out of their union and haven’t looked back since?)

     

    Because I’m pretty sure people have asked you this stuff  before. Must have missed your answer.

  202. 202.

    Kay

    @topclimber:

    Oh, I don’t believe them. I don’t think either one of them has ever behaved like people who want to make progress on any of these issues. I suppose their colleagues have to pretend to believe them, otherwise there’s not much to do in the senate.

    Both parties have to have some interest in reaching an agreement. We didn’t have that here, and without it nothing happens. Manchin and Sinema’s best outcome was the status quo, and that’s what they worked for and got.

  203. 203.

    Kay

    @Peale:

    She wants everything to stay exactly the same as the day Biden was elected, so that’s what she worked for. It’s a real goal in negotiations sometimes- “I have what I want so I delay and block”. She has what she wants. Voting rights legislation is not something she wants.

  204. 204.

    Subsole

    @germy: Said it before, saying it again.

    Trump was a snippy little puffed up gossip queen, just like them. That’s part of why they’re so thirsty for him, and part of why they resent us so much. We rejected him. And in their dim, fuzzy way, they realize what that implies about them.

  205. 205.

    TriassicSands

    @Betty:

     

    I don’t know whether Sinema is counting on a career in the Senate. I think she wants a lot more money than that can provide. I think she might decide to not run again and accept a lucrative position with some sleazy outfit that’s willing to pay her at least a million a year for doing nothing.

    On the other hand, the Right doesn’t or at least might not have any use for her and others may consider her too much of a flake to bring on board.

    Her speech revealed a level of cluelessness that probably won’t impress a lot of people, whatever their political leanings. Her belief that the only way to save democracy is to work with the people who are actively engaged in destroying it is way, way beyond stupid. I would think Republican senators are laughing under their breath and are thankful that a Democrat is willing to do their work for them.

  207. 207.

    eclare

    @Soprano2:   I had a kitty with feline leukemia who lived for years as a very healthy cat.  Died of kidney disease…like too many kitties.  Best of luck.

  208. 208.

    JWR

    Meanwhile, over at Politico, (not gonna link):

    Opinion | Why Is Joe Biden the ‘Unifier’ Ignoring Bipartisan Election Reform?
    By RICH LOWERY

    A**hole writes about reforming the Electoral Count Act and calls it “election reform”. Hey, might even be bipartisan, so must be good! Man, today is pretty f*cked up.

  209. 209.

    Kay

    Josh Marshall
    @joshtpm
    ·42m
    Just after Sinema speechlet, Rep. Tim Ryan, who’s running for Senate, sent fundraising email on his commitment to end the filibuster. Given Ryan’s background a telling sign no filibuster-supporting Democrat (except possibly WV) will ever be elected again.

    This is what they need to do. They need to put Manchin and Sinema and Republicans together. It’s the best (only?) way they hold their base and it’s actually less complicated to just put them on the other side than it is to make some attenuated “dilute their influence” argument that never works anyway.

  211. 211.

    Kay

    @JWR:

    I’m really wary of it. The far Right (elite legal division) has a legal theory where state legislatures are the only arbiters of elections. I think this “reform” codifies that idea and takes it not just into the mainstream but into law they could use.

    These are people who will not admit Joe Biden won the election. We’re going to sign onto their election reform law? That just seems like madness.

  212. 212.

    cain

    @mick mcdick: What a day…and i unfortunately heard chuck toddler giving advice to dems – “Why don’t they reach across the aisle?” yeah that’s what he thinks, sweet reason and Kumbaya time. Jesus Christ what a tool he is.

    He and every other media clown never gives that advice to the Republican. Fancy that.

  213. 213.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @eclare: Yep, we’ve had two or three who lived with FIV for many, many years. None died from it or from complications of having it as a comorbidity. Good luck.

  214. 214.

    topclimber

    @Kay: It looks like whatever BBB leavings Manchin will give us is the only part of the Dem agenda that will likely survive.

    I personally am torn between whether to support the expanded child care credit (if that is all that’s left of BBB) or saying no thanks without climate change money. If we don’t start a big investment in containing global warming now–when even prosperous folks are seeing global effects like tornadoes and forest fires in their own backyards– when?

  215. 215.

    MisterForkbeard

    @VeniceRiley: What drives me nuts is that I’ve seen this reported as a “mixed bag” result for the Biden Administration.

    No. It’s bad. Conservative judges overturned a ton of precedent based on Fox News lies about covid, used extremely suspect reasoning, and did it in order to damage a Democratic President.

    It’s ALL bad. They left the health worker mandate in place exactly so the media would report it as a ‘balanced’ result.

  216. 216.

    Ksmiami

    @Kay: yep. Isolate the cancer or at this point the gangrene that are Sinema and Manchin. They are too toxic to even engage with now.

  217. 217.

    patroclus

    What a terrible day for the country!  Voting rights is dead for the Session, OSHA can’t regulate workplace health and safety in the midst of a raging pandemic and the House Minority Leader is allowed to snub a House Committee with no consequences.  And the media blames the Democrats and so do many of us.

    I’m inclined to blame those really responsible – the hack Republican Justices (yeah, I know, they only upheld the stay and haven’t decided the merits as yet); every single Republican Senator who has and continues to filibuster voting rights and virtually every single House Republican.  And Sinema too.

  218. 218.

    Low Key Swagger

    First:  Thanks to all that chimed in regarding masks.  Second….I should have clarified that because (I know I know) she discards hers after a single day of usage, she needs a better option than 5 bucks a day.  I told her about Bonefide’s rates on a 30 pack was roughly a buck per.  She tried, backordered.  We’ll get it figured out!

  219. 219.

    Kay

    @JWR:

    It also gives Republicans cover on their opposition to voting rights, and that is just a bridge too far to ask Democratic base voters to swallow. It will primarily benefit the Republican Party – Democrats don’t attempt coups when they lose elections- and they have given nothing in exchange for it.

    I hope they don’t do it. It’s just more rewarding bad behavior.

  220. 220.

    Suzanne

    @TriassicSands:

    I don’t know whether Sinema is counting on a career in the Senate. I think she wants a lot more money than that can provide. I think she might decide to not run again and accept a lucrative position with some sleazy outfit that’s willing to pay her at least a million a year for doing nothing.

    I think she wants to be famous. I think she wants Meghan McCain’s spot on The View or something akin to that. All of her behavior makes perfect sense if you look at it through the lens of visual culture and branding.

  221. 221.

    cain

    @germy: Boy is she gonna be pissed when they forget all about her and move on to some other bozo. Once you’re out, they won’t give a shit about you.

  222. 222.

    Scout211

    @eclare:

    Don’t the cool flow ones have the valves that are not safe for virus protection? Or am I getting that wrong?

    The 3m Aura has head bands like all the N95s NIOSH masks in the US.

  223. 223.

    eclare

    @Low Key Swagger:   You can wear each N95 five times, according to an article (CDC?) that I read.  You put it in a brown paper sack, let it sit three days, then it’s ready to go again.  The virus can’t live on paper.

    So a box of ten gives you fifty one-offs.

  225. 225.

    RandomMonster

    Off topic, but I’m enjoying reading about those Oaf Keeper chodes being charged with seditious conspiracy.

  231. 231.

    Kay

    If President Manchin and Sinema had run in 2020 on their platform of “accomplishing absolutely nothing” would they have won?

    It’s certainly less divisive.

  234. 234.

    Subsole

    @topclimber: Yeah. That’s nice and all, but Bernie didn’t actually raise awareness.

    See, what he actually did, was he hired a bunch of scumfuck trust-fund twitter trolls (and noted leftist paragons, like Tad Devine) who convinced people that everything that is wrong with this country could be fixed overnight if Democrats wanted to, but they don’t because they get off on watching you suffer. You wonder why no one blames Republicans? That useless piece of shit right there.

    He actively derided and undermined people who have been putting in the work for decades while he squatted on his lazy ass, and salted the ground with bullshit memes (because god knows he had sweet fuckall of his own accomplishments to actually run on – unless you count criticizing people for crime bills he supported, forex).

    He took a hard situation and made it harder for generations to come, all for the sake of his fragile, chapped little rosy red egohole.

     

    Literally all that miserable fuck actially did was give a bunch of boring-ass bog-standard poloshirt Libertarian douchebros a convenient pipeline into our ranks. He helped repackage right wing attacks and feed them to future generations as righteous gospel.

    But I ought to appreciate that selfish, cabbage-brained asswipe’s contribution? Right.

    This qin’t even about 2016. I’m mad because I see the caltrops that man’s lazy, petty entitlement have strewn in our path and the path of people who are gonna be fighting long after I am gone.

    Fuck hating Bernie for yesterday. I hope the fucker chokes to death for what he did to tomorrow.

  235. 235.

    Anyway

    I got a much-needed laugh from VPOTUS’ retort calling pundits “gossips”. That’s what they are — E! News entertainment reporters whose main job is repeating PR statements have more integrity than our innumerate beltway gossips.

    The laugh was much needed after seeing the Rethug SCOTUS kneecapping OSHA, Sinema sticking it to Joe, and Omicron — it’s too much. Don’t care about the Tone Police – this has gotta hurt.

  236. 236.

    J R in WV

    @Low Key Swagger:

    Hate to ask in this important thread, but a few commenters have posted links to good places to get kn95 masks. If anyone who did so reads this, please post again? My daughter is frantically looking. Thanks.

    I recommend visiting Home Depot, specifically their paint dept. I got great 3M industrial respirators with replaceable filters there long ago, but they also have N95 and KN95, etc. Plus you can look at them in hand before buying.

    The industrial respirator filters are N100, intended to filter out toxins, chemicals, asbestos, etc. They filter out everything, bad onions, blue tailpipe exhaust, everything. Also won’t fog your glasses.

  237. 237.

    Ruckus

    @mick mcdick:

    Jesus Christ what a tool he is.

    Tools are or at least can be useful. toddler is not. I say use your words, as an example: Christ, what a fucking ass he is.

  238. 238.

    catclub

    @Peale: This is the same logic that since vaccines don’t prevent all COVID infections, they are useless.

     

    Also, laws against murder do not stop all murders.

  239. 239.

    RandomMonster

    @eclare: Yeah, I just loved that while he’s in the midst of it, he whines, “All I see Trump doing is complaining. I see no intent by him to do anything.” And then goes through with marching on the capitol anyway! That is some serious dumbfuckery.

  240. 240.

    Emerald

    @LongHairedWeirdo: The Supreme Court has been a partisan political institution since 2000, when the corrupt Bush v. Gore decision stopped Florida from counting their ballots.

    That’s when I gave up on them. All we’ve got now are some snappy dissensions from our brilliant RBG and now, Sotomayor.

    And thus it will be until we expand the Court.

  242. 242.

    JWR

    @Kay:

    I hope they don’t do it. It’s just more rewarding bad behavior.

    This, exactly. We can’t allow ourselves to be dragged down the sinkhole that Lowery calls “election reform”. I think most Dems understand this.

  243. 243.

    Ruckus

    @JML:

    toddler doesn’t refuse to understand, he understands full well. But he has an oversized microphone and a big paycheck to make spuing bullshit quite profitable for him and/or he is the true believer and he tries to give the impression that he isn’t. Not exactly a good job of it either way…

  244. 244.

    trollhattan

    @J R in WV:

    Cracked up on a spring 2020 Costco run when a duffer appeared in line wearing a two-cartridge full face mask, like you’d see donned in a paintbooth or somesuch.

    Since you couldn’t buy any supplies then (spent at least the first three lockdown months with a bandana) folks were just making do. But he could have also been “‘avin’ a laff.”

  246. 246.

    gene108

    @topclimber:

    when even prosperous folks are seeing global effects like tornadoes and forest fires in their own backyards– when?

    The truly prosperous folks have the money to rebuild anywhere they want in the world. If some town like Aspen, Colorado gets wiped out by forest fires, they can just file an insurance claim for their ski vacation mansion and build a ski vacation mansion somewhere else on the planet that’s less prone to forest fires.

    Global warming isn’t going to affect the rich, as a long as they have access to their money.

  247. 247.

    Subsole

    @gene108:

    They certainly think so.

    ETA: Gonna laugh my ass off when their private security contractors realize they don’t actually need the mansion’s owner around in order to enjoy the mansion.

  248. 248.

    Steeplejack

    @Low Key Swagger:

    [. . .] she discards hers after a single day of usage [. . .].

    C’mon, man! ? Several commenters here have detailed (in other threads) how to rotate through five or so masks, wearing each one for a day and then letting it recuperate while you cycle through the others.

    On the AirQueen site they even sell a 75% ethanol spray to clean masks (for whatever that’s worth).

  249. 249.

    Brachiator

    @mick mcdick:

    What a day…and i unfortunately heard chuck toddler giving advice to dems – “Why don’t they reach across the aisle?”

    They should reach across the aisle.

    And maybe slap the living shit out of some Republicans.

  250. 250.

    JoyceH

    @RandomMonster:

    I’m enjoying reading about those Oaf Keeper chodes being charged with seditious conspiracy.

    And now that they’ve unlimbered the seditious conspiracy cannon, let’s aim it at those cosplayers who signed their names to forged documents claiming to be the duly elected electors from their state, and ESPECIALLY charge whoever was coordinating this across numerous states. Let’s get it seared into the public consciousness that creating fraudulent official documents claiming that an election loser was actually the winner turns out to be a federal crime, and a dang serious one at that.

  251. 251.

    catclub

    @Kay: The far Right (elite legal division) has a legal theory where state legislatures are the only arbiters of elections.

     

    I think the primacy of the States is deeply set into the constitution.

    It is not some random new thing the right wing has found.  They have weaponized it.

  252. 252.

    Scout211

    @eclare:

    I just looked it up and the  CDC  has softened their advice on N95s with valves. They originally said no to them because the wearer could exhale  the virus if Covid positive. Now they say they are okay.  Better than cloth and disposable masks but but implied in their statement is that the N95s without valves are better than those with valves  

    As source control, findings from NIOSH research suggest that, even without covering the valve, N95 respirators with exhalation valves provide the same or better source control than surgical masks, procedure masks, cloth masks, or fabric coverings.

    . . .

    However, NIOSH-approved N95 respirators with an exhalation valve are not fluid resistant. Therefore, in situations where a fluid resistant respirator is indicated (e.g., in surgical settings), individuals should wear a surgical N95 or, if a surgical N95 is not available, cover their respirator with a surgical mask or a face shield.

  253. 253.

    Bruce K in ATH-GR

    Cripes, talk about privilege: I wish I could box up a couple of metric tons of FFP2 masks and Novacheck test kits and ship them across the ocean to you guys, because here in Athens, I can pick them up so easily and cheaply that I feel guilty about it. I actually used a significant fraction of my suitcase space bringing masks and tests with me when I saw my better half over Christmas and New Year’s.

  255. 255.

    Geminid

    @Betty Cracker: The crazies definitely energize Democrats, and they tend to repel many Independents as well.

    One interesting thing I read about Arizona politics is that the Republican Governor was thought to be their strongest Senate candidate. But Ducey would not back Trump’s attempt to steal the election and he concluded that the crazies who dominate the Arizona party would not accept him, so he is passing on the race. Maybe he’ll run in 2024 if Kelly whips the Republican candidate this year. But the nuts may have to lose a couple cycles before they let people like Ducey have a chance.

  256. 256.

    J R in WV

    @JoyceH: 

    I don’t understand why there doesn’t seem to have been any in-depth Ronan-Farrow style investigative journalism into Sinema.

    Ronan Farrow is in NYC, and Sinema is not… just a wild guess.

  258. 258.

    trollhattan

    Most tone-deaf ad blurb nomination of the year thus far goes to Costco Travel.

    2022 Wave Season Cruise Deals

  259. 259.

    Suzanne

    @Geminid: I think Ducey wants to return to the private sector (he was C-suite at Cold Stone Creamery, which started in the PHX East Valley) and make more money and deal with less bullshit.

  260. 260.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    @RaflW: Well… I’ll grant you that. (It was Horshack, specifically with the OO! OO OO! PICK ME! – which was a decent trip down memory lane, so thanks :-) )
    But I think their only real goal was the appointment; they didn’t specifically say “hey, Senate, let’s really own the libs during this administration!”
    @Emerald: Yes, that’s true – to people who follow and understand politics. I also believe that lawyers are not supposed to assume a decision is based on personal desires; you should assume it’s the result of the judge’s reading of the law. Boy, am *I* glad I’m not a lawyer! Imagine having to deliberately shut your eyes in the face of naked corruption. Whew!​ But I think “they swapped out a third” makes it clearer, because it’s just a raw number and an easily recalled fact.

  261. 261.

    Kay

    @JWR:

    It isn’t just that. It’s allowing them to perperate this myth that there’s some law or rule they’ll adhere to, that the issue with January 6th was The Electoral Count Act wasn’t specific enough. It was a lawless act! All the behavior was already illegal!

    They submitted fake certifications from 7 states. Sitting state GOP lawmakers signed them. I heard one of them interviewed- he said there’s no “case law” on whether he can submit a fake certificate. They don’t recognize the laws we have now. This new one will be better?

    Ambiguity in that law is not the problem, so adding 19 pages won’t solve the problem. The MOST likely result is they use the new law in some fashion to promote or defend their next candidate. I’m just not interested in handing them a new, sharpened tool for the next coup. I’ll just hang on to this rusty one, thanks.

  262. 262.

    Suzanne

    @J R in WV: I also don’t think there’s necessarily anything shady or nefarious about Sinema to uncover. She sucks. There doesn’t have to be a hidden secret to explain why. She has no principles beyond self-aggrandizement and self-enrichment. Okay.

    Everyone wants a reason. I’m not sure why it’s hard to accept the idea that these people are just kind of self-interested. Politics is celebrity now and so it attracts shitty people.

  263. 263.

    topclimber

    @Subsole: ​
      Am I right that the part you think “nice” was where I told a commenter to stop putting words in my mouth? That would be nice indeed.

    But in response to your comment: You think Bernie created a big hurdle for progress by having his people bad-mouth pragmatic liberals but that that his signature issue that he harped on for years had no effect on voter awareness? I don’t want to put words in your mouth, so let me know if I got this right.

  264. 264.

    JoyceH

    @Kay:

    They submitted fake certifications from 7 states.

    Really! Last I heard was 5. What are the new two? I wonder if there’s a forged certification for every state Trump lost?

  266. 266.

    WereBear

    @Kay: if anyone looked for violations of law, they are EVERYWHERE in the Republica party, from the leadership down to their richer voters.

    Let’s enforce the laws we have.

  267. 267.

    Quinerly

    @JWR: I thought so too. Cheryl Rofer had suggested a couple of sites to order from. I’ve seen a couple more sites in these threads. I’m going to just stay away from Amazon. I had bought some there for my 3 month trip this past Fall that seemed legit. Found an old one under the car seat. After reading this article they don’t appear to be the real deal. Probably counterfeit.

  268. 268.

    debbie

    For anyone interested in the Ohio Supreme Court’s rejection of the state redistricting map, I’m providing a link for a local NPR station’s broadcast this morning about this issue. Among the participants was the Executive Director for Ohio’s League of Women Voters (a really sharp cookie). Among other things, she says the LWV filed a complaint about the Congressional redistricting map (separate from the state map), and she expects a ruling soon. I think it was sab who thought that door had been closed.

  269. 269.

    Kay

    The anti-cancel culture warriors cancelled all the AA authors:

    @NBCBLK

    · Jan 11 Dozens of books written by Black authors are being pulled from school libraries under the pretext that they’re teaching critical race theory. Most of the books don’t teach critical race theory but are written by and about people of color.

    BY MISTAKE though. They only intended to reach Harvard, Yale and (especially) Oberlin. Who knew there were all these public schools with… people in them?

  270. 270.

    Kay

    @WereBear:

    If they’re serious about respect for elections they can tell the Supreme Leader and Demigod of their Party to admit he lost. That’ll fix it. I don’t know why me and the rest of the public have to be dragged into their lame attempt to police their own fucking members. Do it yourselves. Republicans plus Manchin and Sinema. They can do it.

  271. 271.

    JWR

    @Subsole: Oof! Time for a cigarette!

    PS. I think Bernie knows this, might be why he’s been uncharacteristically low key about things ever since.

  272. 272.

    Suzanne

    @GoBlueInOak: If she’s that dumb, then I’ve over- (or under-?) estimated her. I know people who know her who have said that she doesn’t intend to spend her whole career in politics.

    Oh well. It’ll be fun watching her wash out early.

  273. 273.

    Scout211

    @trollhattan:

    Agreed. Keeping up with  CDC recommendations can give a person whiplash. I was surprised they softened their original recommendations on the valved masks. I wonder if they will go back to their original stance against valved  masks with the omicron variant so easily spread.

  274. 274.

    RaflW

    @TriassicSands:

    I would think Republican senators are laughing under their breath and are thankful that a Democrat is willing to do their work for them.

    I can imagine McConnell cackling in the GOP cloak room (or his cave, or whatever).

  275. 275.

    Geminid

    @Suzanne: A couple Republican Congressmen retired from their safe Virgina seats in 2016. Scott Rigell (VA-2) and Robert Hurt (VA-5) never really said why, but it was after Eric Cantor lost his (VA-7) primary to a tea party challenger in 2014. Rigell owns five car dealerships in the growing Hampton Roads area, and Hurt is a wealthy second generation land developer in central Virginia. Like Ducey, they had better things to do than kiss tea party ass.

  278. 278.

    VeniceRiley

    @Quinerly: I ordered these cheap N95 duckbill from Project N95
    shop.projectn95.org very light and breathable. Bit fragile strap, but easiest N95 to breathe thru i have encountered. They are NIOSH

    Surgical 3230+ N95 NIOSH Approved Respirators, (USA) Gerson N95 Respirators – 3230+, Box of 50
    Quantity: 1 @ $40.00

  280. 280.

    RaflW

    @Kay: Just found that email in my inbox and clicked thru and donated.

    In this particular moment, it seems like something I can do. A message I can send to Democrats that some grassroots money is on the ‘nuke the filibuster’ side.

  285. 285.

    RaflW

    @Quinerly: Strong Ralph Nader vibes if she’s even remotely considering it.

    Given the glee with which she’s sabotaging Dems, that could be about it!

  286. 286.

    Kay

    @GoBlueInOak:

    It’s time to tell the base the truth. Stringing people along is just going to make them madder. Biden has to adjust too. These two senators are not going to let anything pass and that’s just the reality.

    He has to shift from a President with a legislative agenda to one without one. They do it all the time when they lose Congress- he now has to do it too. He has an additional burden because he has a far Right Supreme Court who will eagerly overturn executive/administrative actions, something no modern Democrat has had before, so he’ll have to make a road for what his Presidency looks like. I imagine there will be some hesitancy on the executive/administrative side because that gives the far Right Court a target to set precedent and do more serious dismantling. That’s a hard call.

  288. 288.

    Quinerly

    @VeniceRiley: thanks! That’s one of Cheryl’s suggested sites. I ordered some from there NYE for an older, struggling couple. That order is to arrive next week. I now need to focus on myself and will order some more for me. For Omicron, I had switched to the white N95s that l overbought pre vaccine. Leave in a couple of weeks with van full, after the POD leaves… Back to the new house in Santa Fe. I need plenty of mask options to get thru Missouri, OK, and Texas stops. Will also have some shipped to new house.

  289. 289.

    Noskilz

    I just get the impression Manchin and Sinema have simply been acting in bad faith for the last year.

    I really don’t can’t believe they don’t understand what they are doing. The White House and their fellow legislators have been doing everything they can – from flattering, cajoling, practically bribing, embarrassing – and the only thing either of them has demonstrated is they are simply not interested.

    How many votes has Manchin’s esteemed collogues across they aisle just left him hanging? They clearly aren’t interest in this “bipartisanship” he’s supposedly so keen on and he clearly couldn’t care less about that. He seems very clear on stopping anything that will even slightly inconvenience him, consequences for the rest of the world be damned.

    Sinema has been actively soliciting money from organizations opposed to things like Build Back Better and anyone else who will throw cash her way, so it’s not like she doesn’t know who wants what.  Since she’s been hiding from her constituents and reporters since her antics started, seems like she’s also very clear on who isn’t happy about what.

    They are beneath contempt, but it’s not like they are being awful by accident.

    No idea what one can practically do about it – if either of them wants to just completely wreck everything by changing teams, it flips the senate back to McConnell, which limits just how hard they can be screwed with, but I sincerely hope they get screwed with to the very edge of that limit.

  290. 290.

    TheTruffle

    Now Palmer Report (eyeroll) is claiming:

    “Reminder: this Senate filibuster vote was DESIGNED TO FAIL, so as to put the spotlight on Manchin and Sinema so they’ll get squeezed and have to cave on it later. This is the BEGINNING of the process, not the end. Now is when we ramp the pressure up. We will end up winning this.”

    But this is Palmer Report.

  292. 292.

    topclimber

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: “We have tried a strategy over the last several months, which has been mostly backdoor negotiations with a handful of senators,” Sanders said. “It hasn’t succeeded on Build Back Better or on voting rights. It has demoralized millions of Americans.”

    Read the whole article. Remember how any real tax on the wealthy, a good chunk of money to incentivize killing coal, and giving Medicare and the IRS the tools they need to bargain with drug price gougers and tax cheats–remember how ALL these were eliminated or whittled down to accommodate Manchin and Sinema. All this happened and still no BBB.

    I need someone to tell me how Sanders approach would have been a worse way for the Dem agenda to go down in flames.

    Oh–and stop trying to put words in my mouth.

  293. 293.

    RaflW

    Via Bloomberg’s Jennifer Epstein

    @jeneps
    NEWS: President Biden will host Sens. Manchin and Sinema at the White House tonight to discuss voting rights, the White House says.

    Hopefully some straight talk. I have no illusions that either senatorial prima donna will change one iota. But he has every right to chew Sinema out something fierce for her stunt today. No doubt, though, he’ll chose something more tactical and appropriate than my pissed off self would.

  295. 295.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @topclimber: Bernie Sanders helped elect Donald Trump.

    That is the only significant achievement of his career. Of his life.

    He should shut the fuck up.

    Forever.

    Oh, and stop being an idiot.

  296. 296.

    Subsole

    @topclimber: I think the “badmouthing” (and let’s be real – it was a LOT more than just badmouthing. My previous comment was badmouthing. That dude’s movement was wrapped up in abusiveness and all sorts of horseshit about rigged elections and even a couple death threats, if I recall correctly) which he encouraged and allowed to spread has more than offset any benefit he theoretically brought to the issue by “harping” on it. Yes.

    I think he misidentified the problem, misrepresented the problem, and sold garbage solutions that disillusioned people when they inevitably fell apart.

    And the pity was they were always going to fall apart – those kids (who cared a damn sight more than I did at their age, so hats off to them. For real) just hadn’t been around long enough to realize it.

    I think he didn’t just hurt Liberals, he hurt a generation of young folks because he sold them unrealistic prospects and magical gold-plated rainbow-fart praxis-cocaine. Which, in true Bernie fashion, turned out to be sawdust.

    That is no help whatsoever. At least not that I see.

    Also, that dude does not have the claim on income inequality. At all. The Dems have fought to improve people’s lives as long as I’ve been alive. Bernie didn’t pull that shit out of his forehead.

    You’ve made a point of how long you’ve been around. An that be the case, you damn well ought to know the difference between Clinton, Obama, and Biden, versus Reagan, both Bushes, and Trump.  An awful lot of folks coming up after me genuinely do not seem to.

    And that is ENTIRELY on the clout-scrabbling bougewipes Bernie put in charge of steering his boat.

    I think if you identify an issue but then misapply the blame and utterly disillusion people we NEED to support us in order to secure a solution by selling them garbage, you haven’t really done much at all.

    Or rather, you HAVE done much – way, way too much. And none of it good.

  298. 298.

    Kay

    If you had “took down Joe Biden because she considers him a political opponent” collect your prize:

    Amy Siskind 
    @Amy_Siskind

    Sinema believes she will be running to President in 2024 I am told. This self-styled bipartisanship she believes she speaks for, will be her brand to run as the candidate in the middle. Not far-left of far-right. She has convinced herself this is her calling and she has it.

    Oh, there’s more! She thinks the MAGAS will back her.
    I think Manchin believes he will be President too- probaby same strategy- inroads into the MAGA vote plus the Democratic base, which apparently (and incredibly) both of them take completely for granted.

    So you get the dope from Arizona or the crook from West Virginia or Joe Biden in a primary.

  299. 299.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    just amazing to me that as we go through the indictments for 1/6, try to figure out how to combat race-based voter suppression, that old asshole is till trying to make economic excuses for trumpism

    I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: Besides being a raging asshole, and a raging narcissist, Bernie Sanders is a fucking moron.

    His sheer stupidity really doesn’t get enough discussion.

  300. 300.

    RaflW

    @Kay: Oh, Amy. Sinema seems deluded enough to consider a run for Potus. Manchin is many annoying and frustrating things. But I doubt he is high on his own supply quite that much.

  305. 305.

    Quinerly

    Mask questions perhaps stupid… There are no N95s that have earloops? Only KN95s with earloops? All N95s have the 2 straps that go around the head?

  306. 306.

    Subsole

    @RaflW: I’unno man. Diamond Joe got a nasty right hook when he’s angry. And he ain’t Obama – he actually gets to be angry.

  308. 308.

    Subsole

    @Kay:

    If that be true, she is an idiot.

    I mean in the clinical sense.

    She has an intellect WELL south of water’s freezing point.

  309. 309.

    Subsole

    @Kay: Also, too. I kinda want to see them try it, now.

    It won’t be close to worth all the suffering, but I would at least get to watch those two jackasses get fried like a roach in a collimator.

  313. 313.

    burnspbesq

    The vaccine mandate wars aren’t over. If, as seems obvious, COVID is here to stay, OSHA can and should do a more precisely tailored final rule under notice-and-comment procedures.

  315. 315.

    Darkrose

    @Steeplejack: Thanks for this! I prefer the KN94’s because they work best with my glasses, but aside from that, I wasn’t sure about what the actual differences were.

  316. 316.

    Steeplejack

    @Kay:

    Amy Siskin’s thread on Sinema:

    Sinema’s behavior has made no common sense to me. Surely she knows too that she would lose in the 2024 Democratic primary. Why would she do it?

    I have info from an inside source who lives in AZ and has a direct connection. With his permission am sharing.

    First, and this likely isn’t breaking news to anyone: Sinema has a highly overinflated ego. She believes since she has been able to work her way up, and accumulate so many academic degrees in a short time, she is a true superstar—head and shoulders above intellectually.

    To Sinema, as many of us suspected, her term in the U.S. Senate, she believes is just a stopping ground for her next step. She doesn’t assume she will need to be re-elected.

    This is something I imagined, but assumed she would be a consultant or something of that variety.

    But nope, I was wrong. That isn’t what Sinema believes will be her next step. With her inflated ego and small circle of friends, many of whom she has alienated and lost, not pushing back, she has been living in an echo chamber. The big $$$ corp donors are happy to feed this.

    Sinema believes she will be running [for] President in 2024 I am told. This self-styled bipartisanship she believes she speaks for, will be her brand to run as the candidate in the middle. Not far-left or far-right. She has convinced herself this is her calling and she has it.

    And you can see why having alienated so many close to her, & believing she is smarter than everyone else in DC and beyond, and with the corporate donors feeding this too while she toes their line, this misguided fantasy can be her view.

    This I am told is what is happening.

    One postscript per my friend: Sinema believes MAGA elected officials will reject partisanship when they are given a choice of her or Trump.

    Yes, the land of magical thinking. But here we are folks!

    I have known about this for a few months, but did not want to betray my friend’s confidence. And he assumed the media would come knocking and find this story—it is well known in Sinema’s inner circle! But they never did, so today he messaged me and said time to go public!

  317. 317.

    Suzanne

    @Geminid: The Arizona GOP is fucking batshit (see Crazy Kelli Ward). The GOP has a registration advantage but if they turn off enough people (Mormons) by sticking too closely to Trumpism, I can see them squandering it. In short, would always favor them in any race, but they have proven themselves capable of losing. Ducey is the cut-all-the-taxes wing, not a MAGA true believer. I can totally imagine him declining to participate any further in that environment, especially when he can get rich and have more fun doing something else.

  319. 319.

    debbie

    @Steeplejack:

    I follow Amy on FB. One reason she’s so worked up is because she donated to Sinema’s campaign.

    Whoever is the leading contender to take down Sinema in the 2024 primary, you have an open invitation for a big fundraiser in my backyard. Sick to my stomach that I ever donated a cent to this woman, let alone the texting and phone banking parties I hosted. She is a one-termer!

  320. 320.

    Sebastian

    @Suzanne:

    Let’s see how pragmatic they are when they realize they are about to be blacklisted.

    One thing about power politics that people don’t understand is that you do not go after the head. All that does is allow them to grandstand and play victim.

    You go after the support system but do it ruthlessly. Say her donors, or staffers, or lobbyists that work with her. The term is “making her radioactive”. Anything she touches is rejected, anyone who touches her is rejected, anyone who aids, supports, or helps her in any way is rejected.

    The trick is to do it hard and quick so you only have to do it with a few, the rest hopefully get the message and you are not being called on your ability to sustain such a campaign.

    It does multiple things, denying her resources and stirring up panic for one, but mostly making her look weak because she is not able to protect her loyalists.

    It also takes the victim complex play away because people get tired and confused over tedious details. “Oh you can’t use the ad agency anymore? Or was it ActBlue? Ah, you can get an intern!” Who the fuck cares.

    Shoot everyone around her. Metaphorically speaking of course.

  325. 325.

    Scout211

    @Quinerly:

    All N95s have the 2 straps that go around the head?

    Yes, NIOSH approved ones are required to have the two headbands. And you definitely want one NIOSH approved.

    ETA: or what Steeplejack said. :)

  326. 326.

    Steeplejack

    @Darkrose:

    I just recommended AirQueen KF94s to a friend who wears glasses and a hearing aid and has trouble with the “flat” ear loops. The AirQueen loops are small and round (but strong). I also told him to give the N95s a try.

    On a related note, I have been looking in a desultory way for a “mask ear loop extender”—something that would hook onto the ear loops and sort of MacGyver them into a head strap. Anybody have any recommendations?

  327. 327.

    Ruckus

    @Quinerly:

    N95 masks are required to have a head harness. (That is the regulation wording) The requirement is so that the mask will fit the face better than say a surgical mask, which can have head straps or ear loops. And head straps are far more comfortable – at least in my humble opinion.

  329. 329.

    Scout211

    @Steeplejack:

    Mr. Scout has glasses and hearing aids and he likes the Powecom KN95 ones (ear loops).

    The N95 ones with headbands were more difficult for him to situate on his head and over his ears. They kept calling up Siri on his blue tooth hearing aids.

    The ear loops are easier for him to slip under his hearing aids and glasses. For some reason the headbands were not easy to get them in the right spot on his head.  

  330. 330.

    Quinerly

    @Ruckus: thanks. I had kinda guessed that and was too lazy to look it up. The ear loops on the K95s work better for me. The N95s give me a headache (and mess with my floofy hairstyle?)

  334. 334.

    topclimber

    @Subsole: ​
    @Subsole: ​
    I appreciate the detailed answer and agree that either by incompetence or Bernie’s desire his campaign staff hurt the Democratic cause. By how much and whether it was decisive in defeating Hillary is right up there with “Bernie would have won if ONLY given the chance.” These are unknowable unknowns.
    Certainly, Bernie was not the first to call out extreme wealth disparities. But he got the most press. And he made it his signature issue. You are not going to convince a lot of people far younger than me that he wasn’t their champion.
    His campaign also pioneered small donations, which are the only reason we have any hope of fighting GOP bankrolls.
    FWIW, like Hillary I was a Goldwater fan in my distant adolescence, thought maybe Nixon was the way to go in ’68 after the Chicago convention (I doubt Hillary felt this way), but wised up enough by the time of my first vote to back McGovern. I lapsed to vote for Nader but only because I live in New York and thought (as I still do) that Conserva-Dems need a push to the left. Other than that, a Dem voter.
    One of the salient facts about American politics is that corporations have a wholly-owned subsidiary in one party and a hefty minority stake in the other. Back before labor unions were neutered as a political force, it might have been different. Since the most powerful ones were racist AF, maybe not.​

  337. 337.

    sab

    @debbie: I knew the door hasn’t been closed. The case is still pending, but it is a tougher case because the congressional map is not as ludicrously, egregiously awful as the state senate and house maps.

    Those maps are so bad nothing is even contiguous. Akron’s biggest Black neighborhood in Holmes County with the Amish? Seriously?

    I am still quite hopeful. I think O’Connor has had it. She is a serious and actual lawyer and probably doesn’t want to go out as a partisan hack.

  338. 338.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I lapsed to vote for Nader but only because I live in New York and thought (as I still do) that Conserva-Dems need a push to the left.

    Okay, I think I’m being spoofed. This, plus the reference to Hillary Clinton as a Goldwater supporter? All a little too on the nose.

  339. 339.

    Kay

    @Steeplejack:

    She’s Tulsi Gabbard. And we all saw how the public just flocked to that L/R campaign.

    Can’t we even get an actual idiot celebrity? We have to have these second rate celebrity candidate imitators? I would prefer a talk show host or an actor to Sinema.

  341. 341.

    Kay

    And Biden hasn’t yet given up on changing the two centrists’ minds. He’s set to meet at the White House on Thursday night with both Manchin and Sinema, according to a White House official.

    I love Biden but I wish he would give up. They’re doing this to harm him politically. They never had any intention of backing any of it. Dragging it out just gives them another opportunity to promote themselves and pull him down. Tell the base the legislative agenda is dead and tell them why.

    He has 48 Democrats and 52 Republicans. We counted wrong.

  344. 344.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @sab: It will help if Stephen Breyer steps down in the next few months (and I hope against hope he’s feeling a bit political), or if what I suspect are unhealthy lifestyles catch up with one or two other justices. AFAIK Manchinema have never blocked a Biden judicial nomination

  347. 347.

    sab

    @sab: Jackals: Tim Ryan running for Senate in Ohio could use some bucks. We cannot afford to lose this race.

    I am not in any way associated with him or his campaign. Just a hopeful constituent.

  349. 349.

    sab

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Stephen Breyer is high as a kite on the altissima air he breathes.

    Have you read his recent stuff? He is nuts, or at least waffley.

    ETA RBG was sharp as a tack to the bitter end.

    Breyer hasn’t been sharp at all for quite a while.

    His family should protect us from having to announce this stuff

  350. 350.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @sab: I haven’t, I’ve heard him speak a bit, and I agree: High on some middle Clinton-era illusions about politics. I would hope that something… today’s ruling, the anti-Roe ruling/s, 1/6…. something would shake him out of the trance.

  352. 352.

    Ksmiami

    @Kay: agreed. Either threaten them both into submission or just drop it and start EOs all day everyday and ignore Sinemanchin for forever

  353. 353.

    Kay

    @sab:

    They can’t run on “mitigating harm”. They elected Biden President, not Manchin or Sinema. If he shuts down “trying” he removes their platform for harming him politically. Neither one of them have shit to say except what they don’t support. Why continue to give them this celebrity status? They played it for all it was worth and now it’s timed out. He’s gotta get on with his Presidency. They’ll go back to being do-nothing Senators. Of the two I’d rather be Biden.

  354. 354.

    Subsole

    @topclimber: I likewise appreciate the civil and detailed response.

    My issue is not Bernie being their champion. Heck, I was thrilled when he started out too. I liked that he called the media on its bullshit. I liked that he pointed out Reaganism sucked. Everybody thought Reagan was Andy Griffith from Mayberry, when the fucker was actually Andy Griffith from Face in the Crowd. Bernie wasn’t the first to point that out, by any means, but he was the first people didn’t just ignore. I would say Bernie used his whiteness responsibly, there.

    He lost me when his campaign utterly poisoned the well to the point where they don’t realize the rest of us want to be their champions, too. And in fact tell us to go fuck ourselves when we try.

    I get pushing the overton window left. These kids think ‘okay, we pushed Biden left and he ended the forever war! Now let’s go bash those worthless fucking neoliberal sellout shitlibs even harder so they cancel drones, and capitalism, and student debt. And if they don’t we’re gonna stay home in protest!’ All while ignoring that Biden scaled back drones MASSIVELY next to Trump. That Democrats have pumped TRILLIONS into the workforce. That they ARE in fact cancelling student debt and going after predatory lenders.

    That’s not pushing the window. That’s bitter, Roosh V. – grade negging applied to politics. It’s every single “nice guy” you’ve ever met wondering why those ungrateful fucking bitches won’t date him, dammit. It never occurs to them you gotta deploy the carrot and the stick. It is literally all stick, all the time. And I am tired of it.

    I get the urge to speak truth to power and send a message. You mentioned Nader. How’d that work out? You really think Gore would have been WORSE than Bush? I mean, with hindsight? I am genuinely asking, not trying to be combative.

    Staying home in ’10 crippled Obama. ’16 lost us the court for…who knows how long. Probably my lifetime, at least. Plus the half-century it’s gonna take to shore up what the Trumpists corrupted.

    That message we been sending? It don’t work. It has been nothing but failparade since at LEAST 2000. We cannot afford it anymore.

    Bernie would have done those kids a lot more good by teaching them to be realistic, or at least that there are real differences between democrats and fascists.

    I dunno. Maybe it works me up because, as I said, they cared more than I did at their age. Lots of potential in them. I feel like he very irresponsibly cropped that potential for some very, VERY poor reasons. Or platformed people who did.

    Anyhow, as I said. Thanks for the civil approach. We tear each other up a lot here because we are all rightly afraid this beautiful, ugly,  wonderful and horrifying experiment we belong to is going to crash. It’s good to set that aside and talk honestly. Hopefully something good comes of it.

  355. 355.

    Kay

    @Ksmiami:

    Following the Sinema/Manchin political plan has gotten him to 38% approval. They not only didn’t bring any independents to the party, they cut into his base with the voting rights stunts. As long as he is wrestling with these two, he’s bleeding.

    They’re big grown up senators. If they sincerely want to pass something – some fake ass covering thing- they can do what the other 48 senators do- they can propose something and get support for it. There is absolutely no reason to beg them anymore. “The point” was BBB and then voting rights. Without that there’s no point in meeting with them at all. It gives him about 9-10 months to recover before the midterms. He’ll need every bit of that.

  357. 357.

    Another Scott

    Dead, too long thread. But here’s my $0.02.

    I just heard a bit of Sinema’s speech on C-Span radio. She says she supports the legislation, but won’t change the 60 vote threshold. She has her story – the 60 vote threshold for legislation is necessary to: 1) prevent “wild swings” in policy on changing political majorities; 2) required to allow millions of people represented by the minority to have a say on legislation; 3) required to reduce the partisan arguments in the Senate and enable compromise; 4) the majority always hates it, but the majority frequently changes, so it’s a good thing.

    She’s Kyrsten Van Winkle.

    She has no understanding of how Moscow Mitch has weaponized the filibuster, and allowed the Senate to enable the worst excesses of reactionary rule. And how the rest of the GQP in the states are continuing to grab every bit of power they possibly can and explicitly create a system where Democrats can never win again.

    She said she has proposed ideas “for the last year” on how rules can be changed to make the Senate work better. But, the implication is, leadership has ignored her. Of course, she didn’t spell out what those changes would be, or indicate why Moscow Mitch would go along.

    Maybe Murkowski will surprise us. Maybe someone else will surprise us. S&M are stuck in their through-the-looking-glass views. We knew that this wasn’t going to be easy.

    Grr…

    I’m sure Schumer has gamed things out and has plans if he can’t get 50 votes on Monday. Perhaps it is part of the process that will lead to more Democratic seats in the fall, maybe like 1974:

    As an immediate result of the November 1974 elections, Democrats made a net gain of three seats from the Republicans, as they defeated Republican incumbents in Colorado and Kentucky and picked up open seats in Florida and Vermont, while Republicans won the open seat in Nevada. Following the elections, at the beginning of the 94th U.S. Congress, the Democratic caucus controlled 61 seats (including one independent), and the Republican caucus controlled 38 seats (including one Conservative).

    Democrats gained an additional seat, bringing the net pick-up to four seats, in 1975, when Democrat John A. Durkin won a special election in New Hampshire that was held after the 1974 election resulted in two recounts and an extended dispute in the Senate.

    Politics is a game of inches. We have to keep pushing forward.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  358. 358.

    Another Scott

    @Another Scott: (Perhaps noted earlier) It looks like the vote won’t be Monday. RollCall:

    Nevertheless, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer declared Thursday night the Senate would take up the voting bill next week, and vote on whether to change rules to bring debate to an end. He had pledged to do it before Monday’s holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr., but changed plans after one Democrat, Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, contracted COVID-19. Schumer cited both the pandemic and a looming winter storm in announcing in the change of schedule.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  359. 359.

    janesays

    @Baud:

    Voting bill passes and our voters still don’t show up.

    Although Sinema makes that option unlikely.

    She didn’t make it unlikely, she made it literally impossible. She said in absolutely no uncertain terms that she will not support a reformation of the filibuster rules for voting rights legislation. It cannot pass without the votes of 60 U.S. senators, which means that it cannot pass, period.

    It’s over.

  360. 360.

    Felanius Kootea

    @janesays: If the rumors that she wants to run for president in 2024 are true, then it’s definitely not over, because she has no voting base.

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