The government runs out of money in a few days unless a funding bill passes. House Democrats appear united on opposing the continuing resolution (CR) now under consideration in that chamber to fund the government through September. From Hakeem Jeffries’ “dear colleague” letter last week:
House Democrats would enthusiastically support a bill that protects Social Security, Medicare, veterans health and Medicaid, but Republicans have chosen to put them on the chopping block to pay for billionaire tax cuts. We cannot back a measure that rips away life-sustaining healthcare and retirement benefits from everyday Americans as part of the Republican scheme to pay for massive tax cuts for their wealthy donors like Elon Musk. Medicaid is our redline.
So far, so good. As we know, theoretically Repubs could pass their bill without Democrats’ help since they are the majority. But until recently, most folks assumed the Freedom Caucus crazies who vote against every funding bill would vote against this one too.
Maybe not this time. The political calculus has changed. Even old-timey bagman Repubs are either fully infected with MAGA madness or too chickenshit to oppose it, which is why Trump was able to install the most unqualified cast of kooks ever nominated for cabinet positions and why party bosses are telling R congressmen to avoid constituents rather than criticize Musk and his destructive kinderchuds.
Trump is leaning on House nutjobs, including Thomas Massie (R-KY), whom Trump threatened yesterday with a vow to “lead the charge” to oust him via a primary opponent. The other hold-outs are quieter than usual, and they are a loud bunch. So, it’s looking likelier that they will cave and the bill will pass with Repub votes only. (Or maybe a Dem or two will defy Jeffries and cave; this will be an interesting test.)
Anyway, TPM reporter Emine Yücel explained why the so-called “clean” House CR is a shitty deal here:
For weeks now, Democrats have been in talks with Republicans to find a way to get to a bipartisan government funding deal. For Democrats, the key demands center around Musk’s lawless rampage through the executive branch.
But GOP negotiators have, reportedly, continuously shut down requests from Democrats for a guarantee that Trump and Musk will stop unilaterally rescinding and withholding congressionally approved funding.
In fact, the current CR may make the problem worse: It gives the Trump administration and DOGE significantly more leeway in shifting federal cash.
So what happens if Repubs pass the bill and it moves on to the Senate, where it would need eight Democratic senators to vote YES? Josh Marshall is keeping a tally of Democratic senators’ positions on the CR here.
Fettermanchin is the only hard YES so far. Kim, Sanders and Kaine are a hard NO, according to Marshall. He records a soft NO for Slotkin, Coons and Murray. The rest haven’t declared a position yet, per the latest update.
IIRC, Warren said they should vote for a shorter-term CR because funding the proposed CR for the fiscal year codifies the DOGE nonsense. So she sounds like a NO too?
Anyway, if you’re lucky enough to have a Democratic senator and have an opinion on whether they should support the CR or not, now’s the time to contact them. I am not so fortunate, but if I were, I’d urge them to vote NO.
The primary arguments for YES are that shutdowns are bad, and Dems would get blamed. Shutdowns are bad, but so is the illegal power grab that is causing episodic shutdowns of key programs and enshittifying current government operations already. Also, are we sure Dems would get blamed?
Trump, Musk, Fox News, certain MSM outlets, etc., would blame Dems for a shutdown, sure. But to the extent they pay attention at all, unaffiliated voters see Trump and Musk taking a chainsaw to the federal government and Trump’s erratic behavior tanking markets. Nobody knows for sure what will happen, but I wouldn’t bet the farm voters will blame a shutdown on the minority party in Congress under these unique circumstances.
Meanwhile, eight YES votes from Dems would surrender the last bit of leverage and in essence enable Trusk-Mump’s illegal power grab without a guarantee that funds will be spent as appropriated. So I hope Repubs can’t find eight Democrats to help them pass this shit sandwich.
What do you think?
Open thread.
Omnes Omnibus
While talks are happening, I am going to avoid criticizing anyone taking a soft position either way. It can easily be a negotiating position. A hard yes right now is bullshit though.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
Why the hell is Fetterman a hard Yes on this shit?
ETA: Aren’t his offices getting hammered by his constituents?
Matt McIrvin
I don’t get why Republicans are so afraid of a government shutdown, given that their guy’s stated intention through executive orders is to scale the government down to the “essential offices” that stay open through a shutdown–so, perpetual shutdown. They ought to welcome it.
WereBear
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Opinions differ, but what is clear is that the RIzz does not confer any other talents automatically.
People just THINK they have them, which is just as good in today’s society.
In MAGA, the cover is never the book!
WereBear
One thing really got to me about a recent political article, and it doesn’t matter which one because about Democrats they always say something like “the Democrat parties staggers on without clear leadership or an agreed-upon explanation for its damaged brand…”
This is much more true for Republicans than Democrats, especially in a razor-thin election like the one we just went through.
It’s like the press is programmed with its own brand of what we might call toxic journalism.
sixthdoctor
Contacted my reps and senators (MD); Rep. Mfume’s office pretty much indicated he’s a no, I have no doubt Van Hollen is a no (he’s been a pretty solid no on all of Trump’s appointees except Rubio), and I’m reasonably sure Alsobrooks would be a no on this although she’s been a little looser with Trump appointees.
Shakti
@Matt McIrvin:
I truly do not get why any Democrat would be voting for this CR b/c it’s not like there is a guarantee the items in the budget would even be honored.
IIRC, aren’t all of the DOGE “cuts”/ “withholding” of government monies on budget items that were voted upon, made law by Congress and signed by the President?
And if those Republicans wanted to slash and burn all of that anyways, couldn’t they have waited the… *checks* 100 days to pass it in the budget anyways without Democratic help? Weird behavior from a trifecta and united caucus.
MattF
Both of my Senators (Van Hollen and Alsobrooks) voted ‘no’ on Trump’s nominee for Labor secretary, but don’t appear to have declared positions on the CR.
Shakti
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Fetterman is caucusing with the Republicans, or will. IDK.
I want to know why Republicans think fellating Trump or Musk about their district pet projects is easier than passing a budget with a trifecta.
Ohio Mom
Off topic: I see that Katie Porter is running for governor of California. I continue think she should have stayed in the House. She had a clear role there, filling a niche nobody else would or could.
Of course, if Harris decides to run, the Porter bet is off.
Let Katie Porter’s career trajectory be a cautionary tale to all those who wish for AOC to run for a different office.
Now back to the looming government shutdown.
Ruckus
@Shakti:
You are being logical. This is the current day republican party.
There is no logic involved.
They are like second graders – attending college – on a med scholarship.
kindness
I did not realize how strongly Fetterman wanted to become Kyrsten Sinema. There’s another ‘Democrat’ I donated to that I’m now questioning my wisdom. I mean, he’s better than a Republican, but the question is how much better.
Soprano2
I don’t know how Democrats can get blamed when the whole government is being run by Republicans right now. The average person will understand that.
Baud
@Soprano2:
Conventional wisdom is that we always lose.
Baud
@MattF:
IIRC, Labor Secretary was one of his more normal picks. Maybe his most normal.
lowtechcyclist
Marylander here. I’ve called both Senators and urged them to vote NO. The staffers that answered their phones said they hadn’t taken a position yet.
Soprano2
@Baud: Don’t Republicans usually get blamed for shutdowns because everyone knows they would kind of like one to happen?
I wish I had a Democrat to call, but I have Hawley and Schmitt. *spit
Spanky
Fidelity’s home page greets customers with these block letters:
Somebody’s starting to notice.
sentient ai from the future
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): if we don’t actually need his vote, and i do mostly trust schumer to at least be able to count votes, that is actually fine. he wants to be seen in a particular way while the effect is unchanged, that’s on him, give him a golden ticket to vote yes.
then hang that shit on him in the next election, assuming there is one.
WeimarGerman
Why does the CR need any Senate Dem votes? Won’t it go through reconciliation to avoid that huge issue?
I was under the impression that we would need to count on the parliamentarian to declare that the budget changes are policies changes so that reconciliation cannot be used. This is what happened in the last DT administration when the immigration budget changes were removed as eviscerating the budget to enact policy.
TBone
@Matt McIrvin: debt ceiling Donny wants no limit on his ability to grift
https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-shutdown-explainer-22ff94a8f8b188c722ff8fab3f7093d0
Eolirin
@WeimarGerman: They can’t do that without using up the slot they need to pass the actual budget, I think.
Baud
@WeimarGerman:
Reconciliation can only be used once. They’re not going to waste it on a CR. They want to use it for tax cuts.
oldster
I just called Gillibrand and Schumer, asked them to vote “No” and asked Schumer to whip the rest of the caucus on it, too.
Who knows if it will do any good, but I’ve got to try.
ChrisSherbak
Actually, wonder if during a shutdown there is LESS firing AND more chaos as any list of “essential” workers has to be checked for people DOGE has fired. Better get on that Agency/Cabinet Heads!
Eolirin
@Baud: Though, the only reason why they need to have a CR is because they can’t get their majorities to a consensus on the budget in the first place.
This would never happen with Democratic majorities like the ones the Republicans currently have. We have much better control of the House caucus and with 53 in the Senate we’d be immune to Manchin/Sinema like bullshit.
Baud
@Eolirin:
The Senate has been our big bottleneck. 53 would be amazing to have.
lowtechcyclist
@ChrisSherbak:
I think you’re right – I don’t think the people who have to sign off on and process any dismissals would be “essential workers” who would be working during a shutdown.
Steve LaBonne
The trouble I see is that there doesn’t seem to be a consensus position on what the ask should be if they succeed in blocking the CR. Is it a genuinely clean CR? Is it, as Josh Marshall advocates, Elon out? Much as I find the latter attractive, is it something Republicans could actually deliver? Trump listens to nobody except the voices in his head. I hope a lot of private discussions are going on in the caucus about this.
brendancalling
What do I think?
I think I just blasted Fetterman on his senate line (202-224-4254), and I think I’m going to put his sorry ass on blast on BlueSky too.
suzanne
i think the opposition party should oppose, and I’ll hope that the Senators who are being squishy are doing so tactically.
Rick Melita
Called Murphy and Blumenthal and left messages.
Blumenthal s office called me back and said he is a no
Belafon
@Shakti: Because the only way to enforce it would be to remove Trump and Vance, which would allow them to get rid of Musk.
Belafon
@Soprano2: Especially since they haven’t been blamed for any shutdown. But some people think Democrats will always be blamed.
Baud
@Belafon:
The bigger question is whether they’ll be supported.
Chief Oshkosh
Here’s what I wrote yesterday, FWIW:
Contact your Senators today and tomorrow. Tell them to not vote for the bogus “continuing resolution.” It is NOT a clean CR and will simply allow Musk and Trump to continue to break the law. Josh has an excellent primer on this:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/will-dems-pick-up-their-sword
As they say, read the whole piece. However, here is what I’ve sent my Senators:
NotMax
Note to the Rs (and any wavering Ds):
CR does NOT stand for Civilization Reduction.
Eolirin
@Baud: We need to fix PA and WI, and flip NC while holding GA and then pick off Collins in Maine to even have a chance of eventually getting there. Unless they trash the Republican brand so badly we start winning in places like Iowa, Kansas and Florida again.
Under normal electoral patterns that’s a super heavy lift.
But prediction is impossible now.
bbleh
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): I’ve been hammering him daily.
Only word I’ve seen is that he’s “spooked” by Casey’s loss.
But I think he’s also instinctively a hide-under-your-desk type.
Gonna keep hammering, but not optimistic.
Baud
@Eolirin:
Agree. I had hoped people would be persuaded by our successes under Biden with narrow margins in both Houses, but they weren’t. So we’re stuck unless Trump changes people’s hearts and minds for good.
Ksmiami
The only deal Dems should make is immediate dismissal of everything DOGE. Anything else is pointless.
lowtechcyclist
@Steve LaBonne:
Trump would have to deliver it in advance of the vote. That would be the only way.
Ten Bears
Appears to me the House dems plan on running out the clock: passing the bill and sending it to the Senate before going on vacation (again), leaving no time for reconciliation. Essentially holding the Senate hostage …
Eolirin
@Ten Bears: House dems can’t do that? Did you mean Republicans?
Steve LaBonne
@lowtechcyclist: Trump lies every time he draws a breath. What good would his word be? And how would Republicans be able to make him give even a worthless commitment?
TBone
@brendancalling: I’m working on not getting arrested because of the phone call I’m going to make. Polite, sharp, AND non-threatening is not an easy balance to strike while pissed.
Maybe I better write an email instead.
cmorenc
@sentient ai from the future: There definitely *will* be elections for federal House & Senate seats (’26 & 28) and the Presidency (’28). What will be different is how much more aggressive the GOP effort will be in any state government they incumbently control to disqualify as many voters in blue-leaning precincts as possible, including after ballots have been cast, for any race where the D candidate is competitive. The model will be the 2024 NC state Supreme Court race, nominally won by D Allison Riggs by 734 votes post-recount, who is being challenged an attempt by losing R candidate Griffin to disqualify 60k likely D voters post-election. These efforts will be supplemented by the now Pam Bondi-led Justice Dept’s efforts to tip the scales to the extent available legal tools can be leveraged in R favor.
In sum: keep throwing out likely D votes until enogh R candidates win to keep R control. Rinse and repeat wrt state / electoral college results in the Presidential election.
Even this SCOTUS will be forced to uphold the 22nd amendment disqualification of Trump’s abilty to run for a 3rd term – but that Amendment does not disqualify running Donald Trump Jr as a figurehead who effectively keeps Trump Sr as the real power in control post-2028. That was the tactic Putin used to effectively stay in power when he was disqualified from running for another consecutive term – he ran a figurehead person to nominally hold the Russian Presidency.
schrodingers_cat
My Congressman is bringing it:
I have no idea who Victoria Spartz is.
Dr. Fungus
Lifted this from Tony P at Obsidian Wings:
Let Elon fund his own damn government.
ANY Democrat who votes for the “clean CR” that Speaker Moses and the MAGAts want needs to change party affiliation. Any Democrat who cannot figure out how to say “Elon Musk is already shutting down the parts of government HE doesn’t like” is useless. If 7 “Democratic” Senators end up voting for ANY “continuing resolution” that does not require Musk’s complete exile from government, the Democratic Party is finished. Actual (d)emocrats like me will need to replace it with something that has a spine.
Chief Oshkosh
@Spanky: Yep. Vanguard, Fidelity, Ameriprise, etc. They all sent out analyses yesterday essentially saying “we told you tariffs would be bad.” It’s CYA on their part, though oddly, at least Fidelity and Ameriprise are fairly clearly stating that their (very large) analytics teams are genuinely surprised that Trump appears to really be pursuing actual tariffs. It appears that The Money Boys either didn’t believe Trump would be Trump, or they believed that saner heads would distract Trump into doing something else.
Regardless, my retirement date just got bumped 3 years (optimistically).
brendancalling
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): his staffers are quitting because he’s such a lying piece of shit. The paste function on my phone doesn’t seem to work on BJ, so here’s the link: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjajfgk9ke
He’s a lying piece of shit who’s getting paid off, or he’s being blackmailed IMO. Neither is a good look. I knocked on dozens of doors in low-income immigrant neighborhoods in Philly, leveraging my ability to speak Spanish to help elect him. When he runs again, I may sign up as a volunteer—so I can sabotage him door to door.
suzanne
@bbleh:
I’ve heard that he’s freaked out, too. He was able to keep a lot of the construction union white guys in his corner in his race, and they just swung red.
TBone
Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/congressional-republicans-seek-unite-around-bill-avert-government-shutdown-2025-03-10/
Chief Oshkosh
@Rick Melita: Please let Josh Marshall know so that TPM can add to their tally.
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/tally-3
Dorothy A. Winsor
I thought a CR meant the country continued with the same funding levels and allotments. But this thing includes changes the Rs want. How is that a CR?
Eolirin
@brendancalling: Get a primary win against him. A Republican in the seat would be even worse.
oldgold
What in the hell is wrong with these Republicans. How can you put this in the CR and call it clean? Worse, why would anyone think this is a good idea?
Old Man Shadow
Just wrote Senators Padilla and Schiff.
“Checks and balances” is crumbling.
Honestly, I thought Congress would have more pride and self-respect than it does.
But I guess at least a little more than half of them have embraced their degradation and will happily eat shit for a twenty from a billionaire.
NotMax
Jackboots are well suited to kicking cans down the road.
Just sayin’.
Baud
@TBone:
Wyden supports it.
brendancalling
@bbleh: he’s not so “hide under your desk” when he’s aiming shotguns at innocent Black men in Braddock: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/us/politics/fetterman-ads-black-jogger-gun.html
He is, as the story shows, deathly scared of fireworks though.
Eolirin
@TBone: That’s irresponsible framing; it provides two senators who are saying they’re willing to back it, when the number needed is seven.
BlueGuitarist
Called my senators to vote no on CR.
Another Scott
Meanwhile, …
Grr…
I know our folks will do the best they can. It’s infuriating we’re in this position, but voters have to do their job and show up every . single . time or the monsters will do their monstrous stuff.
Best wishes,
Scott.
WaterGirl
@Soprano2: You should still call them – otherwise all they are getting are calls from the MAGAts. “95% of the calls we get say they approve of what we’re doing, so everything is good!”
lowtechcyclist
@Steve LaBonne:
Yeah, he could reverse anything he did in that direction. But at some level, you’ve got to take your chances.
He could release an executive order before the Senate vote disbanding DOGE, firing everyone in it, and instructing all heads of Cabinet departments and other agencies to disregard any orders or instructions coming from Musk or the other DOGiEs, and bar them all from accessing any government facilities, both physically and remotely. (Which IMHO should be the Dems’ ask, in addition to a clean CR.)
And then he could undo it with another EO the day after the vote. But that would be the last time any Congressional Dems would try to deal with Mr.”Art of the Deal” on anything.
That’s about the best they could do. The alternative is to just not try.
Melancholy Jaques
@Ohio Mom:
Not trying to pick a fight with you, but those are two very different people.
I do agree that Porter would have done more good staying in the House, assuming at some point in the future we can get the majority back. I am happy that we held onto that seat & hope that we can continue to do so.
TBone
@Eolirin: yes indeed, those are the Reuters bullet points summary.
I wanted this information from that article:
David Collier-Brown
If anyone was wondering why any Democrats in Congress would be supportive of Mr Trump’s Republicans, the answer is money.
No, not payoff money, a requirement that Democrats have money. And not just a little bit.
A successfully corrupted electoral system starts with only well-to-do candidates, by making nominations (“primaries” in the US) expensive enough that middle-class and below candidates can’t afford to enter without outside financial help.
Then you double and redouble. You make elections are prohibitively expensive. Then whether they’re a city Councillor, a provincial/state member or a federal Member of Parliament/Congress they’re going to need donations to their election campaign. They need a temporary office, a phone bank, furniture for their volunteers to work at, and lots of lawn signs. Oh, and money for TV ads. Lots of those.
With rare exceptions, Democratic representatives and senators are as well-to-do as Republican ones. They may disagree about some things, but they both come from the same social classes, the same schools and have grown up with similar beliefs about money.
The exceptions are folks from the grass roots, people whose mothers worked as house cleaners to contribute money to their education. And, because they come from a different background as the other Democratic candidates, middle-class candidates are going to be called “radical” or “communist”.
JaySinWA
I think the Money Boys thought Trump would be Trump 2016-2020 using Tariffs and threats of Tariffs as bluff and bluster cudgels and claim victory over some minor concessions as he did with USMCA. Nobody thought he was serious. The tariffs that did hold over the longer term were more targeted and had less impact than what Trump promised. They thought 2024 was going to be business as usual. They appear to be recognizing that they were wrong.
lowtechcyclist
@cmorenc:
Also done by George Wallace. IIRC, the slogan was “elect Lurleen and let George do the work.”
Another approach would be to run Junior for President with FFOTUS as the veep candidate. The idea is that the 22nd Amendment bars getting elected President more than twice, but it doesn’t say a damned thing preventing a veep who was a former two-term President from becoming President again on the death or resignation of the President.
brendancalling
@TBone: I use language like “I knocked on doors for you. Don’t bother campaigning in Philly, no one is going to help after the way you lied to us.”
TBone
@David Collier-Brown: as Will Rogers astutely noted (before Citizens United)
Melancholy Jaques
@sentient ai from the future:
I disagree, respectfully, that it is fine that a D will vote with the Rs on major issues. It goes to the questions that plague us every time: Who are the Democrats? What do they stand for? So long as we do not vote as a bloc on major issues – loudly & proudly – those questions are answered with shrugs. The voters we lose when we lose are morons and half wits, dolts, dunces, dullards and dumbbells. We need to paint with bold, primary colors. Over & over & over & over & over & over.
It isn’t about any particular issue in the CR – though there are many that matter. It’s about “Those guys are bad & we do not agree with what they are trying to do!!!” Over & over & over & over & over.
Six, two & even Fetterman switches parties before the midterms. He’s a dick. The excuse that he is trying to appeal to right-wingers in a purple state is bullshit. When did sucking up to Republicans ever save a Democrat in a purple state or district? If the voters are Republicans, they are going to vote for the Republican. Just ask Tim Ryan.
suzanne
@JaySinWA:
Remember “I take Trump seriously, not literally”?! These people are all fucken dumb as shit.
Matt McIrvin
@WereBear: I just saw an article about the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil whose headline ended “Democrats, Surprising No One, Do Nothing”
JaySinWA
@lowtechcyclist: I’m not sure Trump trusts Jr enough to let him be the figurehead, or to hand over the reins. I’m not sure there is anyone he would trust (or coerce) enough to fill that role.
Eolirin
@Melancholy Jaques: I think the critique is fairly reasonable; AOC is able to stake out the positions she does in large part because she’s from a district that lets her. And she’s very much an outsider when it comes to machine politics, for better and worse.
If she was running for NY Senate, she would have a hard time winning a primary. She’d be extremely unlikely to win NYC mayoral or NYS governor primaries, which are even more dominated by machine politics; maybe that’ll change in time, but she would need to cultivate backing that she currently doesn’t have.
I don’t think it’s wrong to say there’s not a lot of upward mobility except inside the House.
Matt McIrvin
@JaySinWA: I think the one advantage of that route is that the signs can say “DONALD TRUMP”.
TBone
@brendancalling: I’m going to be much sharper than that. I am going to cuss. I’ll let Stonekettle inspire me with words of wisdom before I complete my thoughts. Stone cold Stonekettle. I go through his old stuff and see what jumps out at me.
https://www.stonekettle.com/?m=1
Such as
Baud
@Matt McIrvin:
By Validmir Putin.
suzanne
@Melancholy Jaques:
Believe it or not, but lots of people don’t have a party alignment, or they hold it extremely loosely. “Incoherent political views” is the polite way of phrasing it. “Dumb and fantastical” is more accurate.
I knew tons of these people in the Southwest. I worked with a dude who voted Obama, then Romney, then Trump (but really wanted Tulsi Gabbard), then Biden.
TBone
@Baud: the ACLU sued on student’s behalf today.
jowriter
@oldster: Which number do you use to reach Schumer? I call my local office and the DC office and no one has answered the phone since January. I finally left a message with Gillibrand to ask her colleague to have his people pick up the phone once in a while. Maybe it’s the time of day that I call, but I call at all different times.
Baud
@TBone:
Before today, right? I thought the judge granted a stay yesterday.
Old School
@schrodingers_cat:
She’s a Republican congresswoman from Indiana. Born in Ukraine, but now against aid for Ukraine.
John S.
CALL YOUR DEMOCRATIC SENATORS
You guys can all go back to arguing about whether or not it’s ok to criticize Democrats after the vote on this dirty CR.
Ohio Mom
@brendancalling: If I lived in Pennsylvania, I’d do the same.
Actually, I do do the same with my two Republican Senators, though Husted doesn’t seem to have a staff to answer the phone.
TBone
@Baud: not sure, noted in a passing email…from Spotlight PA, which has me so pussed off at my Governor that I’m considering writing him today too (tax incentives for more energy producing plants, assuredly not clean energy. I guess he’s trying to shore up investment in infrastructure here in PA.)
Steve LaBonne
@lowtechcyclist: I like trying for realistic goals. An actual clean CR is a realistic goal.
schrodingers_cat
@Old School: Thanks.
tam1MI
@Ohio Mom: Let Katie Porter’s career trajectory be a cautionary tale to all those who wish for AOC to run for a different office.
Poor Katie Porter is turning into the 21st century version of Harold Stassen.
David Collier-Brown
@tam1MI: I think she should “run” for Speaker (;-))
TBone
@tam1MI: that guy was wily and had some damn good positions on important matters.
Dorothy A. Winsor
Trump says he’ll double tariffs on Canada. He’s still babbling about them becoming the 51st state.
Juju
@Soprano2: I have Tillis and Budd. Hawwk tooey.
No One You Know
@Belafon: Sometimes I think Democrats elected to office prioritize what Republicans think over what their constituents tell them. Until they want the money to get the job again.
Belafon
@Matt McIrvin: I consider every one of those those types of statements and articles to be pro-Republican.
schrodingers_cat
@Dorothy A. Winsor: Its very Putinesque, this talk. Apparently Putin did the same thing before he invaded Georgia and Ukraine.
schrodingers_cat
@Matt McIrvin: He should get due process but I don’t want the Ds to make his a poster boy, he has done a lot of questionable stuff, including openly advocating for Hamas.
brantl
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Because he’s a douchebag?
MagdaInBlack
@Dorothy A. Winsor: ..oh yes, and as he so confidently stated
“.. I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S. which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada. Those cars can easily be made in the USA! ”
Um…….
RaflW
BTW, Trump is expected to speak with around 100 CEOs at a regular meeting of the Business Roundtable in D.C.
I recall during campaign season that a Trump meeting with CEOs left them somewhat ashen and shaken. We’ll see if they’ll be even more freaked today.
Juju
@MagdaInBlack: He really is that stupid.
RevRick
@Shakti: Fetterman has stated that he will never caucus with the GOP, because it would be a sure trip to Palookaville.
Tazj
@WereBear: There was an article on CNN yesterday about the economy that was somewhat critical of Trump. The author wrote that many of the things that are happening now (stock market losses, layoffs, decreased consumer confidence) would have happened even if Harris got elected but Trump has made things worse. I don’t know how they could come to that conclusion except that they had to find a way to criticize Democrats in some way.
Democrats weren’t going to lay off thousands of people from the government and start trade wars, but that’s our media again.
RevRick
@Baud: And to think, sixteen years ago, for a few months we actually had 60. (The narrow window between Al Franken being certified and the deaths of Robert Byrd and Ted Kennedy). Now, we’ll count ourselves lucky if we get 50 again.
Tazj
@schrodingers_cat: I loved that line “put your mandate pants on.”
RevRick
@No One You Know: This is a silly generalization. You are perhaps talking about a handful of Democrats, not the vast majority. And it may well be less than a handful.
Geminid .
@Matt McIrvin: The matter of Mahmoud Khalil’s detention will be decided by the federal courts and not the court of public opinion. Republicans would like nothing better than to try the Khalil case in public, but I think Democratic electeds won’t take the bait. That isn’t because they’re not brave, it’s because they’re not stupid.
frosty
I called Fettermanchin (nice one, BC!) this morning and told the answering machine to vote now. For what it’s worth.
Bill Arnold
@Dorothy A. Winsor:
There are 10 Canadian provinces, with a total of about 40M population. 4M is a bit higher than the median state population of current US states.
So, 10 states. Canada would become the 51st through 60th states, realistically, if this were a remotely serious 2-way conversation.
Alberta’s senators would vote R, and most of the rest of the 20 would vote D.
JBWoodford
@Baud: I thought his pick for Energy was a run-of-the-mill Republican rich guy, and not as much of a nutbar as some of the other Cabinet nominees. (When you’re relieved that SecEnergy is only a climate change denier and not a N*zi….)
rikyrah
Brett Murphy
@BrettMmurphy
ProPublica just obtained a remarkable directive to those remaining at USAID: Empty the safes with the classified and personnel records and then …
“Shred as many documents first, and reserve the burn bags for when the shredder becomes unavailable or needs a break.”
https://x.com/BrettMmurphy/status/1899485474088976605
Lily
OT: Armored Ambulances for Ukrainian Medics
(Sorry to intrude, compelled by personal urgency. Colleagues of a colleague have remained in a place under fire since invasion, to protect something important. Recent (rare) email described big increase in heavy bombing, and fear (til now, usually unspoken). -L )
Geminid .
@Melancholy Jaques: I’m not sure sucking up to Republicans has ever saved Democrats in purple districts, but sucking up to Independents has plenty of times. Indies often account for 30 tp 40 per cent of a districts or state’s voters
Of course, successful Democratic running in purple districts don’t “suck up” to Independents so much as they try not to run them off.
What with more effective gerrymandering, there are not as many purple Congressional districts these days as there were 15 years ago; somewhere around 40 now. I expect most will be won next year by a candidate who carries a majority of the Indie vote.
Old School
@Bill Arnold:
Canada will be one state and they’ll like it!
Greenland becomes part of Alaska.
dc
@WeimarGerman:
The following is from https://emilyinyourphone.substack.com/p/the-real-story-behind-the-government?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=email
She continues:
Her call script:
suzanne
Called Fetterman and McCormick’s offices. but got the machine both times. Left messages. Not sure why I bother, but civic duty.
pajaro
@WeimarGerman:
I am not an expert, but I think there are a finite number of times they can do reconciliation, so they might not want to do it for a temporary fix.
pajaro
@suzanne:
For those of you who get answering machines in Congressional offices, staff will tally up the messages and let the Senators or Reps know how many have taken one position or another. They don’t always want to get yelled at, but it’s in their interest to know what their most engaged constituents are thinking.